Chapter 10: The Eye Of The Storm

Words : 1748 Updated : Oct 30th, 2025

That night, power players across the world watched, restless with curiosity. Why had Godbane Hall mobilized on such a massive scale? Now that they'd entered Aryn, where would they gather? At that moment, Jenton was the eye of the storm. Guided by Godbane Hall's intel unit, Bruce had tracked the culprit to Northern Jenton. "Boss, this is where the black-robed man was last seen before disappearing." Bruce and Grayson stood atop a high-rise, surveying the northern sprawl. Below, the Jenton Defense Corps had armored vehicles posted at intersections. Teams hustled through streets and alleys, searching for clues. A sharp rush split the air. Sergio swept in. "Lord Yale, I've received word that the black-robed man was last seen in this area. The Jenton Defense Corps and Drakonis Guards are racing here at full tilt. I believe we'll find your daughter soon. No need for all of Godbane Hall's heavy hitters to assemble, right?" Sergio felt the pressure mounting. Godbane Hall's arrival had triggered a chain reaction. Many of their top fighters had poured into Aryn, and a slew of unscrupulous individuals were trying to take advantage of the chaos. Border security was under heavy strain. Bruce didn't respond. He looked down at the street. Sure enough, columns of armored vehicles thundered northward. Another sharp whoosh cut through the air. A senior Drakonis Guardsman appeared behind Sergio and said respectfully, "War God, new intel. Tonight, a shadowy figure slipped into the Warth family's Jenton compound. Our operative on the inside couldn't locate him. He might be hiding, or he may have left under their protection. He could be the one who took Lord Yale's daughter." The Warth family of Jenton had extensive holdings and major influence. Placing an operative inside was nothing unusual. Boom! A wave of menace rolled off Bruce. He whipped around, locked eyes with the Guardsman, and asked coldly, "The Warth family? Where?" Only by facing Bruce head-on could one truly grasp how terrifying the legendary master of the Godbane Hall was. The guardsman forced down his panic and pointed toward a darker stretch ahead. "That's the Warth family's compound." "Darker" only by comparison; pockets of light still showed through. In this neon-lit concrete jungle, having such a quiet stretch all to themselves showed how powerful the Warth family was in Jenton. "Move." Bruce barked, then leapt off the rooftop. Grayson followed close behind. Sergio glanced at the Guardsman and said in a low, firm tone, "Use my clearance. Pull every file on the Warth family, now. Pull in all Drakonis Guards and lock down their grounds. No one goes in or out." With that, Sergio took off after Bruce. His main job was to stay close to Bruce, maintain control of the situation, and prevent things from spiraling out of control. In a secret chamber in the Warth Manor, the patriarch, Ace Warth, wore a deep frown. Core members sat nearby, all with grim faces. Ace's brother, Gavin Warth, fretted aloud, "Who on earth came to Jenton? The whole city's under lockdown, even the internet is throttled. We can't contact anyone outside. And the Jenton Defense Corps and the Security Bureau are out, swarming the streets. Could this be about Cassius?" Ace's eyes flashed. "Cassius? What nonsense are you spouting?" Gavin shrank back. Wasn't Cassius the one you quietly smuggled out? Then it hit him. They needed to deny that Cassius had ever been here. He nodded quickly. "Right, right. My head's not screwed on straight." A knock sounded at the chamber door. Outside, a strained voice reported, "Mr. Ace, two men with hard, menacing faces are here. They want you to meet them in the main hall." Ace arched a brow. "Who do they think they are, making demands like that? No appointment? Throw them out." The man outside quavered, "Mr. Ace, you'd better come in person. They've already floored five of our fighters. We don't know if they're alive. Those two hit too hard. No one dares try to stop them." At that, every senior face in the chamber darkened. How dare they? Hurting people inside the Warth Manor was a slap in the face. Ace slammed the armrest and sprang up. "I want to see which big shot thinks he can walk all over us." In Jenton, there were very few people the Warth family couldn't afford to cross. Hurting their people inside their own compound was like publicly slapping them across the face. No one had ever dared go that far. Ace stormed out with his people and hurried to the main hall. In the hall stood three men with commanding presence. Two wore cold, stone-faced expressions; the third carried a faint, troubled frown. They were Bruce, Grayson and Sergio. Outside the hall, a knot of Warth family fighters had gathered at the alarm. "Mr. Ace!" "Mr. Ace!" The calls rose as Ace passed; every fighter bowed his head, their deference plain. He entered the hall, eyes narrowing. Weren't there supposed to be two? Why were there three? "You barged in and injured my people. That was out of line, wasn't it? If you don't give me an explanation today, you might not walk out of here." Ace burned with anger that needed an outlet. "Make way! Make way!" An irate shout came from outside. A flushed, pot-bellied man shouldered through the Warth fighters and hurried in. Seeing him, Ace's eyes lit up. He went forward to greet him. "Mr. Wilson, what brings you here?" The rotund man was Jenton's mayor, Reuben Wilson. The sight of him lifted Ace's spirits. At last, maybe he'd get some clarity about tonight. The official line to the public was that it was a special military drill, but Ace had never believed it. What kind of drill locks down a whole city and throttles the internet? Reuben brushed past Ace and strode straight to Sergio. He bowed his head and smiled obsequiously. "My apologies, Drakonis. I got tied up with other matters and didn't welcome you properly. Please forgive the lapse." Silence fell instantly. Drakonis? The foremost of Aryn's four War Gods, the elusive Drakonis himself. In an instant, Ace and the others were stunned into silence.

Chapter 10: The Eye Of The Storm

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