I gazed at the dark energy swirling around me, thick and oppressive yet strangely enticing. The tomb''s innermost chamber pulsed with ancient power—exactly what I needed.


    "This is it," I said to the Man with the Mustache, who hovered nervously at the entrance. "I''m staying here."


    "You can''t be serious." His mustache twitched with anxiety. "This ce isn''t just dangerous—it''s deadly. Those guardians could return at any moment!"


    I shook my head. "They won''t bother me. Not after seeing ra''s bracelet."


    "You don''t know that! And the dark energy here..." His eyes darted around the chamber. "It''s corrupting. Even for someone with your unique constitution."


    "It''s exactly what I need." I sat cross-legged in the center of the chamber where the energy concentration felt strongest. "The Guild thinks I''m dead. That gives me time—time to grow stronger without interruption."


    He stepped further into the chamber, his face illuminated by the faint purple glow emanating from the walls. "Liam, I''ve seen cultivators lose themselves to dark energy. It changes you."


    "I don''t have a choice." The pain in my ribs had subsided to a dull ache, but the greater pain—knowing Isabelle remained captive—burned undiminished. "Every day I waste, they drain more of her blood. I need power the Guild won''t expect."


    The Man with the Mustache sighed heavily. "How long?"


    "A month. Maybe two." I closed my eyes, already feeling the dark energy responding to my presence. "Return for me then."


    "And if you''ve turned into something... unrecognizable?"


    I opened my eyes to meet his worried gaze. "Then Darian Bancroft and his Guild will face something far worse than they ever imagined."


    He nodded reluctantly. "One month. I''ll return at the next full moon." He hesitated at the entrance. "Don''t lose yourself, Liam. Remember who you''re fighting for."


    As his footsteps faded away, I let the tomb''s darkness envelop mepletely.


    ---


    Six weekster, Isabelle Ashworth''s once-vibrant eyes stared vacantly at the ceiling of her prison cell. The same white walls, the same observation window, the same medical equipment constantly attached to her body. Time had lost all meaning.


    The door slid open, and a familiar figure stepped inside. Darian Bancroft, impably dressed as always, carried a small tray of food that he set on the table beside her bed.


    "Good morning, Miss Ashworth," he said pleasantly, as if they were meeting for tea rather than another blood extraction. "I thought you might appreciate somepany today."


    Isabelle didn''t respond. Her body felt hollow, drained not just of blood but of hope. The restraints around her wrists had be unnecessary—she no longer had the strength or will to fight.


    "Silent treatment again?" Darian adjusted his sses. "I understand. It must be difficult maintaining conversation when you''re so... depleted." His smile never reached his eyes. "The good news is your blood continues to exceed our expectations. The soldiers we''ve enhanced with it are performing remarkably well."


    She turned her face away from him, toward the wall.


    "I thought you might want to know," he continued, his voice deliberately casual, "we''ve confirmed Liam Knight''s death."


    Something flickered in her eyes—the first sign of emotion in weeks.


    "Yes, there was some uncertainty initially." Darian pulled up a chair and sat beside her bed. "The explosion, the copsed building... we found blood, but no body. Some of my colleagues thought he might have escaped."


    Isabelle''s cracked lips parted slightly.


    "But we''ve been monitoring all possible hideouts, all his known associates." Darian leaned closer. "There''s been no sign of him for over six weeks. No healing activities, no attacks on Guild facilities, nothing. Our intelligencework is quite thorough, you know."


    "You''re lying," Isabelle whispered, her voice hoarse from disuse.


    "Am I?" Darian raised an eyebrow. "Think about it, Miss Ashworth. If he were alive, would he leave you here? The man crashed your wedding, fought through armies to reach you before. Yet now, silence. Nothing."


    Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, the first she''d shed in weeks.


    "I''m not telling you this to be cruel," Darian said softly. "I''m telling you because it''s time to ept reality. No one ising for you. This—" he gestured around the sterile room, "—is your life now. The sooner you ept that, the easier it will be."


    "He''s not dead," she whispered, but doubt had crept into her voice.


    "Your faith is admirable but misced." Darian stood, checking the medical equipment attached to her arm. "Today''s extraction will begin in an hour. I''ve brought some actual food for you—not the usual nutrient solution. We need to keep your strength up."


    As he turned to leave, Isabelle spoke again, stronger this time. "Even if he''s gone, others wille. The Celestial Apothecary Guild—"


    "Is in disarray since Mariana Valerius disappeared," Darian cut in smoothly. "Jade Moon Vi has new leadership. The world is moving on, Miss Ashworth." He paused at the door. "As should you." <q ss="in-imprint-b">Enjoying the story? Find more at *.</q>


    The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving Isabelle alone with her thoughts and the devastating possibility that Liam truly was gone forever.


    ---


    "The timing couldn''t be better," Tobias Bhus dered, standing before the assembled elders in what had once been Liam Knight''s grand hall. "With our enemies believing us weakened by Knight''s death, they''ve growncent. The perfect moment to strike."


    The chamber, once decorated with Jade Moon Vi''s distinctive green and silver banners, now disyed the red and gold of the newly formed Ascendant Saints Order. Fifty cultivators—former allies of Tobias who had remained hidden until this moment—lined the walls, their presence a clear statement of power.


    Phoebe Reeves stood to one side, her face carefullyposed despite the fury burning in her eyes. The coup had been swift and unexpected—Tobias returning with reinforcements while most of Jade Moon Vi''s strongest defenders were away searching for Liam or protecting other assets.


    "You speak of enemies," she said coldly, "yet you betray the very man who saved your life."


    Tobiasughed. "Saved my life? He used me, just as he used all of you. A convenient ally until I was no longer needed." He addressed the assembled elders. "Liam Knight was a shooting star—bright, impressive, but ultimately fleeting. This organization needs stable leadership."


    "Leadership?" Phoebe scoffed. "You mean dictatorship."


    "I mean survival." Tobias'' voice hardened. "The Guild believes Knight is dead, and we should encourage that belief. Meanwhile, we''ll strengthen our position, form new alliances, and be what Jade Moon Vi could never be under his leadership—a legitimate power, not a band of outcasts and rebels."


    One of the elders, an old man who had been with Liam since the beginning, spoke up. "You shame yourself with this betrayal, Tobias. When Liam returns—"


    "If," Tobias interrupted sharply. "If he returns. And if that dayes, he''ll find an organization too strong for him to simply reim. He''ll have to negotiate—with me."


    "This is madness," Phoebe said. "Our strength was always in loyalty to each other."


    "No," Tobias countered. "Our weakness was in loyalty to one man who kept too many secrets and made too many enemies." He turned to his followers. "From this day forward, we are the Ascendant Saints Order. Our mission is no longer one man''s vendetta but our collective ascension to power."


    He walked to the window overlooking the main square, where Liam''s statue stood—a monument erected by grateful followers after he had saved countless lives during the gue.


    "Also, remove Liam Knight''s statue from the square immediately!" hemanded, his voice ringing with finality. "It''s time for a new symbol of our power."


    As his followers rushed to obey, Tobias caught Phoebe''s hate-filled gaze and smiled. "Change is difficult, I know. But you''ll adapt—or you won''t survive."


    Outside, the workers began dismantling the statue, piece by piece, erasing the visible legacy of a man the world believed dead. The fallen hero''s likeness crashed to the ground as the sun set on what had once been his greatest achievement.