“Fuck off! All of you， get the fuck outta my face， you sons of—urgh! AHHH!”

  “You done yapping?”

  A pair of iron pincers cmped down on Kane Voss’s tongue， yanking it viciously out of his mouth.

  A sickening crack split the air. Jax Rainer， Kane’s adopted son， had sliced his tongue clean off. Kane could not speak another word， his bloodshot eyes never once nding on the boy who’d tortured him so brutally. Instead， they remained fixed on the three women across the room.

  The very women he’d spent the st few minutes screaming at， calling them fools.

  He’d barely spared them a second gnce in all these years. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine they’d be the ones fighting tooth and nail to save him from certain death.

  Tears streamed down their faces as they stared back at him.

  Behind them sat the Warp Gate Kane had set up as a st resort. One step through， and they’d be home free. Yet none of the three had moved an inch.

  “Kane， where would we even go if we left?” Nora’s face twisted into a bitter smile.

  Gone was her usual cold， sharp pride， repced by a softness he’d rarely seen.

  “If not for your protection， I would’ve been passed around like a toy by Ability users years ago，” Celia said， her own smile just as grim. “If you can’t walk out of here， neither will I.”

  “Kane， I’m with you. Till the end.”

  The youngest of the three， Wren， spoke through her tears， her voice eerily calm.

  Kane was bound tight from head to toe， a Null-Colr locked around his neck to snuff out his Ability. His tongue was gone， the front of his white shirt soaked through with blood.

  He never thought Eden Stronghold would fall this fast.

  He never thought Jax Rainer， the adopted son he’d trusted with his life， would betray him—drug him， tie him up， and hand him over to the enemy.

  Most of all， he never thought that as the people of his stronghold died， betrayed him， or fled for their lives， the only ones who’d stay to save him were these three women.

  Seven Years into the Colpse， Kane had taken countless lovers. These three were barely a blip on his radar.

  If not for this end， he might never have learned who in his circle was human…

  And how many were just dogs in human skin.

  But it was too te. Far too te.

  Three women without a single Ability between them never stood a chance of saving him.

  “Tonight， no one leaves this room alive.”

  A tall， handsome man stepped through the crowd， his voice cold and sharp.

  “Kane Voss. I never thought you’d hand the Skyfire Charges over to these three whores. They blew up nearly ten thousand of my men trying to save you. You’re gonna pay for that.”

  Kane finally tore his gaze from the women， locking eyes with the man before him.

  Liam Thorne.

  Once his best friend.

  Now the Lord of the Soul-Binder.

  One of the most powerful SSS-Rank Ability users in the entire Wastend.

  They’d met on the first day of the Colpse. Back then， Liam couldn’t even lift a knife to defend himself. Kane had saved his life， and the younger man had sworn to follow him as his brother-in-arms.

  They’d fought side by side， stared death in the face together more times than either could count.

  Unlike Kane， who’d only awakened a B-Rank Ability and survived the Colpse on his wits and strategy alone， Liam had unlocked an SSS-Rank Ability: Soul-Binder.

  They’d had a falling out over a trivial matter two years prior. But Kane had always known even without that fight， Liam would’ve turned on him eventually.

  As Liam’s power grew， Kane could no longer keep up.

  To the rest of the world， it was an insult for the great Lord of the Soul-Binder to call a mere B-Rank Ability user “brother”.

  Two years ago， Kane had taken a group of loyalists and left the stronghold they’d built together， founding Eden Stronghold on his own.

  He’d thought he and Liam would go their separate ways， never to cross paths again.

  He never thought Liam would’ve turned his own adopted son against him， would hunt him down to the ends of the earth to finish him off.

  “Lord Thorne is a merciful， righteous man!” Jax piped up， the iron pincers still holding Kane’s severed tongue， blood dripping onto the floor. “I’ve sworn myself to him as my new father!”

  Kane let out a guttural， bitter ugh， staring at the boy who’d once groveled at his feet， and the brother he’d raised from a helpless kid to a god of the Wastend.

  Righteousness? In this godforsaken Colpse?

  Liam’s reputation for mercy and honor? Kane had built that for him. Every pn， every victory， every step Liam had taken to power， Kane had id the groundwork.

  Without Kane’s mind， Liam would’ve been dead within the first month of the Colpse， long before his Ability ever reached its full potential.

  For the first few years after the world ended， Kane had been the one protecting the so-called Lord of the Soul-Binder.

  But in the end， all his wits and strategy meant nothing against a fully realized SSS-Rank Ability user. No amount of scheming could touch Liam Thorne now.

  Jax stepped in front of Liam， holding up Kane’s tongue like a trophy. “Father， you promised to spare his life if he handed over the stronghold… but he cost you thousands of your men. I took it upon myself to shut him up for good!”

  “I sent you to handle three useless women， and you still needed me to step in?” Liam’s voice was ice-cold. “What good is an adopted son like you?”

  Jax’s face drained of color. He opened his mouth to beg for mercy， but a man behind him drew his bde.

  Shink!

  The steel plunged through his back， bursting out of his chest. Jax’s eyes went wide， staring down at the bde through his heart in disbelief.

  He’d betrayed the man who’d raised him， who’d given him everything， thinking he’d live a life of luxury and power.

  He never thought this would be how he died.

  “LIAM THORNE!” Jax tried to scream， but the bde was ripped from his chest. Blood gushed from his mouth， and he crumpled to the floor， his st breath leaving him moments ter.

  Kane felt no joy at the sight.

  When the hunt ends， the hounds get put down.

  Jax had learned that too te. And Kane was next.

  Now， the Lord of the Soul-Binder held life and death in his hands， ruler of all he surveyed. A single flick of his displeasure was enough for his men to spill blood. Obey him， and you thrive. Defy him， and you die.

  Who would dare stand against him?

  In that moment， Kane had never wanted anything more than power. A stronger Ability.

  Even an A-Rank. If he’d had that， he never would’ve ended up here.

  Liam lifted his hand， and a terrifying beast descended from the sky.

  The Apex Storm Tiger. The very same top-tier mutated beast Kane had spent months pnning a trap for， so Liam could bind it to his will.

  It nded in front of the Warp Gate， cutting off the women’s only escape. It snatched them up in its jaws with effortless ease， dropping them at Liam’s feet.

  This beast， now grown strong enough to make the entire Wastend tremble， bowed low at Liam’s feet like a obedient dog once it had finished its task.

  “Kane， you call me ungrateful? Then let you watch what happens to those who stay loyal to you.” Liam smiled， cold and cruel， like he was pying a trivial game with a bug.

  Kane’s eyes bulged with rage， only guttural， wordless snarls tearing from his throat. He couldn’t move a single finger.

  He could only watch as Liam waved his hand， and three of his men stepped forward.

  Bdes drawn， they swung down.

  Shink! Shink! Shink!

  Three heads rolled across the bloodstained floor.

  Women who would’ve been called stunningly beautiful before the Colpse， women he’d barely spared a thought for， now y as headless corpses.

  Not a single scream left their lips. They’d faced death with quiet courage.

  Nora’s head rolled to a stop right in front of Kane， her eyes still open， fixed on him. Soft. Tender. Even in death.

  Kane froze. He might as well have been a statue， kneeling there in his own blood.

  “HA! Hahaha!” Liam’s men roared with ughter， the room filling with jeers and mockery， like they’d just watched a particurly entertaining show.

  Kane， who’d spent seven years hardening his heart into stone， felt his chest tear apart. Rage burned through him， and for the first time in the Colpse， he felt regret.

  Nora. Celia. Wren. Rest easy. If I could do it all over again， I’d protect you. I’d cherish you.

  Liam Thorne. If I could do it all over again， I’d tear you limb from limb. I’d grind your bones to dust.

  If I could do it all over again， I’d get the strongest Ability there is. The second the world ends.

  IF.

  But there was no if. No second chance.

  “Brother Kane，” Liam said， his voice ft. “You’re the one who taught me to cut the weed out by the root. So don’t bme me. Bme the fact that you know too much about my past. I’m going down in history. I can’t have you alive to ruin that.”

  Crunch!

  The Apex Storm Tiger stepped forward， and its massive paw crushed Kane’s skull to pieces.

  “DON’T MOVE!”

  Kane’s consciousness smmed back into his body， a zy， feminine voice purring in his ear， thick with sleep. “Stay still， baby. Let me sleep a little longer.”

  A weight pressed down on his chest， stealing his breath.

  His hand moved on instinct， and he felt soft， warm skin beneath his fingers. His eyes flew open. A woman was draped over him， fast asleep.

  Her face was unfamiliar， and yet he felt a flicker of recognition.

  Mid-twenties， fair skin， wavy chestnut hair spyed across his chest， the sweet scent of her perfume wrapping around him.

  The sheets were crisp white. A vanity sat across the room， an open box of condoms resting on top. Crumpled tissues littered the floor.

  In an instant， it all came flooding back.