Zoe could not afford to hesitate. Shepressed the water droplets and shot them from her fingertips, creating a tiny puncture in the barrier.


    Realizing it worked, she gathered more water from the air, aiming precisely at the barrier.


    Before she could continue, mes erupted beside her, forcing Zoe to step back. She knew the barrier''s creator had detected her attempts to break through and was now interfering directly.


    A wall of raging mes surged toward her. Zoe reacted swiftly, summoning a massive water column to counter the fire. As she struggled to hold back the mes, she heard footsteps approaching behind her.


    It was yton, looking frantic.


    "Zoe? What are you doing here? Did you start the fire?" yton asked, his voice filled with disbelief.


    Zoe shook her head at this.


    yton continued, "Where''s Chucky? Where is he right now?"


    Zoe no longer bothered to respond. She continued to focus on the barrier,unching water droplets at it.


    Arge crack finally appeared. Just one more hit, and she knew the barrier would copse.


    Suddenly, with a loud bang, Zoe felt an intense heat sear her back just as she released another burst of water.


    At the same time, the barrier shattered, and Chuck emerged. He was relieved to be free.


    His joy, however, quickly turned to horror at the sight before him.


    Zoey on the ground, struggling to breathe. Behind her stood yton-his own brother-holding his hand out that was still zing with fire. He had struck Zoe directly, piercing her chest with mes.


    Though Zoe had narrowly dodged a fatal hit, the damage was severe. She copsed, weak and gasping. yton grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up.


    "Hey, are you really going to pretend I don''t exist?"


    Zoe was slow to react as she was still groggy from her fever. Despite the intense fire energy radiating from yton, she had not noticed it. It was likely due to the Calhoun family''s special abilities.


    This also exined why she had not questioned why yton still looked so impably dressed despite the chaos around them. He had hidden his true self well.


    Chuck stood frozen. He was unable toprehend that his own brother, yton, was the mastermind behind the inferno.


    Meanwhile, yton''s face twisted into a sinister smile.


    "Do you like it? This is my gift to you."


    Chuck stepped forward tremblingly, still clinging to hisst bit of hope that his brother was not lost.


    "You''re my brother... What... What is this?"


    yton suddenly snapped, shouting, "I am not your brother! Shut up!"


    He then began to recount his deep-seated hatred for the Calhouns.


    "Do you know? Dad should have never spared me that night. He should''ve killed me along with my mother and sister! "From that night on, the mes of revenge within me were already burning!"


    yton''s memories drifted back.


    Many years ago, the Calhouns were on the verge of bing a powerful, emerging family. However, this rise had nothing to do with Nestor. It was Nestor''s older brother, Nielsen, who truly held the reins of the Calhouns.


    Nielsen constantly sidelined his younger brother, forcing Nestor into a secluded life in the mountains, where he married an ordinary woman and had a son and a daughter.


    Nestor had thought he could live a peaceful life away from his family''s ruthless power struggles, but an unexpected disaster quietly unfolded.