Markus opens his eyes, greeted by a harsh ringing silence deep in his ears.

  He moves his arm, curls his fingers into a fist, and watches it like it belongs to someone else, his mind refusing to accept that his body is still listening.

  In the end, he does nothing. He just lies there.

  Minutes pass.

  When he finally tries to stand, he expects his body to collapse onto the wooden floor beneath him. Instead, it holds. He stands there, shaky but upright, surprised by his own weight.

  Then he takes a step.

  And another.

  With each movement, his senses slowly return, the world sharpening as he walks carefully, deliberately, back into himself.

  He moves slowly down the stairs.

  Halfway there, a pair of warm arms wraps around him.

  “Markus,” Liddle says softly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “It’s good to see you walking.” She smiles, her voice trembling just a little. “I love you, honey.”

  He lifts her easily, settling her onto the couch before sitting beside her. “Being able to hold you again…” His voice trails off, thick with relief.

  “And it’s nice that you can kiss me again,” Liddle says, puckering her lips exaggeratedly.

  “Alright, alright,” Markus laughs, leaning in to kiss her.

  Then he pauses.

  “Wait a minute. Where’s Sally?”

  “Um…”

  Demono walks into the room, posture straight but movements quick.

  “I’ve got the kids hidden,” she says. “No matter what happens here, they’ll be safe.”

  “Sally? Kanna? What happened to them?” Markus asks, panic rising. “What’s going on?”

  “Calm down, kid,” Demono says, eyes flicking toward the peephole. “You’ve got people on their way to kill you.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah,” Demono says dryly. “That reaction? Maybe try the opposite of that. You’ll do great.”

  Liddle grabs Markus by the arm and pulls him down onto the couch. She turns on the TV.

  “This is an old news report,” she says quietly.

  A man stands on a raised platform, addressing a silent audience.

  “He’s the new priest of the Church of the Rapture,” Liddle continues softly. “He also replaced your father at the Alien Department.”

  The man smiles at the camera.

  “Welcome,” he says smoothly. “To all who are human. My name is Hans Ridsdale, and I am human.”

  The screen changes.

  A photo of Liddle fills the TV.

  “This,” Hans continues, “is what evil looks like. A demon.”

  Markus’s hand clenches into a fist. His breath turns sharp and uneven, his body coiling like he’s about to strike something. Anything.

  Liddle notices immediately. She reaches out and takes his fist, holding it gently in both of her hands.

  “This demon,” Hans says, his voice calm and cruel, “pretended to be married to a human. A sin God will not forgive if we allow—”

  Markus snaps the TV off.

  The room seems to tremble with the force of it. His hands are shaking.

  Before Markus can process what he’s just heard, shouting erupts at the front door.

  “Get out!” a man in camouflage barks, raising his rifle toward the door.

  Demono grins.

  “Make me,” she says, tilting her head. “A weak man with a weak gun. Do you kiss your mother with that thing?”

  The man snarls, fury flashing across his face as he kicks the door in.

  Markus doesn’t hesitate.

  He lunges for his Mahoishi, gripping it tight as its light flares to life. A portal snaps open beside the couch, wind whipping through the room.

  “Liddle, run,” he says, voice sharp. “I’ll catch up with you at Serbest Liman.”

  Markus jumps onto the couch just as a gunshot cracks through the room.

  His heart slams as he whirls around, just in time to see Demono’s fist collide with a man’s jaw.

  The soldier flies backward, out the door, armor clattering as he hits the ground outside.

  Another portal flares open.

  “Demono, get out of here,” Lemres says, watching from outside.

  Demono sees it.

  “What? No. I can fight them,” she snaps.

  “No,” Lemres cuts in sharply. “I wasn’t expecting the Alien Department to move this fast. That was my miscalculation. But we need you alive.”

  “But what about them?” Demono protests.

  “Markus is moving again. They’ll be fine. Your mission is complete.”

  Demono exhales, long and bitter.

  She knows she failed.

  She retreats.

  Boots thunder through the doorway. Three men rush in. Then four. The house fills with raised guns and shouted orders.

  “Find the demon!”

  Markus moves.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  His whip snaps out, coils around a rifle, and rips it from a guard’s hands. The weapon slams into the wall.

  “Go find her in hell—”

  The gunshot drowns out the rest.

  Pain detonates in Markus’s side. His legs buckle as blood soaks through his shirt.

  Then the temperature drops.

  Frost explodes across the floor, racing up boots and over armor. One guard freezes mid-step. Another mid-aim. Shouts die in their throats as ice locks them in place.

  Silence.

  Liddle stands at the edge of the portal, hands shaking, breath ragged.

  “I wouldn’t accept any ending,” she says, gripping Markus’s arm, “that doesn’t bring both of you back with me.”

  She hauls him up, and together they stagger toward the portal.

  “They’re going to destroy all of Ohio City. We have to stop them,” Markus says, forcing himself forward, trying to ignore the fire burning through his side.

  Before he reaches the portal, he looks back.

  His house collapses in on itself as bulldozers tear through the remains.

  “Yeah,” a voice says through the fading portal, almost bored. “No way they survived that.”

  The portal snaps shut.

  Liddle exhales shakily. “Did you hear that? They think we’re dead. Maybe… maybe that means they’ll leave the others alone.”

  She tightens her grip on his hand. “Come on. We need to get to the guard post.”

  Markus nods and takes a few more steps with them.

  Then his vision darkens.

  He collapses just short of the checkpoint.

  He pushes himself upright, one hand braced against his side as pain flares.

  “I have to go do something,” he says quietly. “Just really quick.”

  Liddle looks up at him.

  “I need to find Sally.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Liddle says, pressing her hand over the bullet wound.

  “They’re looking for you, not me,” Markus replies gently. “I’ll be right back. And when I find Sally, we’ll find somewhere quiet to live. Just the three of us, okay?”

  He leans in and kisses her. “We’re going to live the life you always wanted.”

  After another kiss, Markus steps back and opens a teleport to Alexia’s place.

  When Markus arrives, the view from Sid’s apartment stops him cold.

  Ohio City is crawling with them.

  The Alien Department. Hundreds of agents pouring through the streets like a tide of uniforms and guns. Not protectors. Not soldiers. Just thugs the government paid to hunt him and his wife.

  Sirens wail below. Whistles echo from alleyways, warnings passed between civilians as people scatter, doors slamming, lights going dark. Everyone running because of him.

  Markus grips the hilt of his sword and looks down at it.

  All that power. All that blood already spilled.

  And still, it wasn’t enough.

  He exhales slowly.

  “No berserk mode,” he mutters. “I see.”

  He barely has time to step onto the porch before—

  “Markus, stay away from my girlfriend!” Sid yells, shoving him hard to the ground.

  “Hey, Sid, it’s okay,” Alexia says quickly. “I’ll talk to him.”

  She pulls on a pair of pants and steps outside, ignoring the gravel biting into her bare feet. Her Mahoishi flickers to life as she approaches Markus.

  “Hey, Markus,” she says with forced cheer. “Can you believe it? I’m pregnant.”

  “Oh,” Markus says softly, lowering his gaze. “Congratulations.”

  He swallows. “I was going to ask you to come with me… but I see now that you can’t.”

  Alexia grips her Mahoishi and kneels beside him, warm light spilling over the bullet wound as the pain eases.

  “Lemres and Demono have been helping people retreat,” she says gently, meeting his eyes. “Sid and I are staying here, healing anyone they bring us who needs it.”

  Her voice softens, losing its practiced calm as she speaks to her distraught friend.

  “Thank you for everything, Markus,” she says quietly. “I had fun fighting alongside you. If I’d stayed in the Alien Department… I might’ve become one of the people terrorizing Ohio City.” She hesitates, then smiles faintly. “I wouldn’t have this. Any of this. If it weren’t for you.”

  Markus lets out a small laugh. “I should be thanking you. I would’ve died in that coma. You were the one who gave me the Mahoishi.”

  He meets her eyes. “If you ever want to join me on an adventure, let me know. But before I go…” He pauses. “I know you’ll be a good mother.”

  “Thank you,” Alexia says, then turns back toward the house.

  Markus exhales slowly and opens another portal.

  When he steps through, the Statue of Liberty rises before him.

  Old York City.

  “Daddy?”

  Sally walks up to him, Kanna and the other kids behind her. “The other demon took us here and… she said Ohio City is under attack.” Sally runs into his arms, crying.

  Markus holds her tight. “I’m sorry you had to go through so much.”

  “Your father was going to come back,” Emma says, standing guard over the other kids. “Even being in a different state wasn’t going to stop him.”

  Markus exhales slowly. “I was hoping I’d get to see you again, Emma… before I went into hiding.”

  “Sally,” Markus asks softly, holding her while she cries, “do you want to come with Daddy?”

  Sally wipes her face. “Can Kanna come too?”

  Kanna shakes her head and looks back at the other kids.

  “I can’t. They need me here. And… the Dragon Slayer can’t stay forever. He has to go fix things.”

  Sally runs over and hugs her tight.

  “But Emma can watch them. We could stay together. Just you and me.”

  Kanna hugs her back.

  “I know. But I have to stay. And you have to go with Daddy.”

  She sniffles. “Please help him come back, okay?”

  Sally nods, crying harder. “I’m really glad you’re okay. I missed you.”

  Kanna smiles a little. “We’ll see each other again. And next time, we’re playing tag.”

  They let go.

  Sally takes one last look back, then steps into the portal.

  Markus walks her through and finds himself face to face with his wife, who stands beside the king. He bows.

  “I’m sorry to bring you here like this,” the king says as he approaches. “But you don’t have anywhere else to go.”

  He rests a hand over his chest. “Your wife told me everything. There’s a small house just outside the city where you can stay. It isn’t much, but it will keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer.”

  “Thank you so much, King Kral,” Markus says, bowing deeply.

  Sally watches him, then bows too, a little clumsy but very serious.

  The king smiles. “There’s no need to thank me.” When Markus lifts his head, the king continues, “This kindness was a gift from my commander. Commander Komutan.”

  A man of towering height, nearly seven feet, stands clad in full plate armor, broad and immovable as a fortress wall.

  Markus lets out a quiet breath. “I only did what I had to.” His gaze drops. “I just wish I could’ve done it again. Maybe then I could’ve stopped my home from being destroyed.”

  “Oh, come on,” the commander says with a faint smile. “A smile suits a hero better, wouldn’t you say? Now, let me show you your new home.”

  He leads them down the streets of Serbest Liman, lively as ever. The air is thick with the scent of smoked meats and fresh bread. Market stalls overflow with goods, merchants calling out cheerfully as musicians fill the streets with harp and lute music.

  Markus pauses, pointing toward a bench beside a gently splashing fountain.

  “Once we get settled, that looks like a pretty nice place to hang out.”

  “Yeah,” Liddle says, slipping her hand into his. “The town’s always been beautiful. I’m glad we actually have time to see it this time.”

  “Oh,” Commander Komutan adds casually, “there’s a café nearby that makes the best cakes in the city.”

  “There’s cake here?!” Sally shouts.

  Markus tries and fails to hide a laugh. “Alright,” he says, smiling at the commander. “We’ll meet up with you there.”

  When they reach the house, it’s anything but grand, but it’s well cared for.

  Without electricity, sunlight pours in through a wide skylight. Water comes from a storage tank that has to be filled at the town well.

  “Thank you for everything,” Markus says as he steps inside. “This is… really nice.”

  The living room is fully furnished, with a couch, a pair of chairs, and shelves packed with books. The kitchen holds a fire oven, and beyond it are two small bedrooms.

  “I hope you enjoy your stay,” the commander says as he turns to leave. “I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

  The door closes behind him, leaving the three of them alone at last.

  “Do you mind if I head to the bedroom for a moment?” Markus asks quietly. “I just… need a second.”

  He sits on the bed and finally lets it hit him.

  The moment he knows Liddle and Sally are out of sight, the tears come.

  The door opens.

  Liddle slips inside and sits beside him, easing onto the bed.

  “It’s okay, Markus,” she says softly. “You don’t have to be strong right now.”

  “I failed,” he whispers.

  Liddle doesn’t answer. She pulls him close, brushing the hair from his face and pressing a kiss to his forehead.

  He still feels the weight of everything he’s lost. But in her arms, it doesn’t crush him.