Rise of The Abandoned Husband

I ran through the streets of Veridia City, Isabelle's fragile body cradled against my chest. Each labored breath she took sent panic coursing through me. Her skin was cold, almost translucent in the moonlight. Blood from her numerous puncture wounds had soaked through my clothes, the coppery smell filling my nostrils with every step.

"Hold on, Isabelle," I whispered. "Just hold on."

Behind me, Min-Li struggled to keep pace, carrying her friend from the extraction chambers. Kenneth Minnx hobbled at a distance, trying to escape after his confrontation with Elder Hill and the Umbral Covenant had gone sideways. I could sense his energy signature—weak but determined.

I spotted him ducking into an alley ahead. With a burst of speed, I cut him off, materializing in front of him like a vengeful ghost.

"Going somewhere?" I growled.

Kenneth's face went pale. "Liam! I was just—"

"Save it." I shifted Isabelle carefully in my arms. "You helped Isabelle escape, didn't you? Before I arrived."

His eyes darted around, looking for an exit. "I don't know what you're—"

"Don't lie to me." My voice dropped dangerously low. "Not now."

Kenneth sagged against the wall, his bravado crumbling. "Fine. Yes, I helped her. They were killing her in there, draining her dry. Even I have limits."

"You have limits?" I almost laughed. "That's rich, coming from the man who's been manipulating me from the start."

"I did what I had to do." His eyes hardened. "Just like you."

I wanted to strike him down where he stood. This man had played me like a puppet, had known about Isabelle's captivity all along. But he'd also helped her when it mattered.

"Why did Barrett Hill want her so badly? What makes her bloodline so special to the Umbral Covenant?"

Kenneth's expression shifted. "You really don't know, do you? Her bloodline is ancient—older than the Martial Guild itself. The blood of Sky Breakers flows through her veins."

"Sky Breakers?"

"Beings who could tear holes in reality." Kenneth's voice dropped to a whisper. "The Guild wanted to use her blood to create super-soldiers. The Covenant wants to use her to fulfill an ancient prophecy."

Isabelle stirred in my arms, a small whimper escaping her lips. There was no time for this.

"You're coming with us," I decided.

Kenneth backed away. "I can't. The Covenant will—"

With lightning speed, I struck. My palm slammed into his right knee, then his left. The sound of shattering bone echoed in the alley as Kenneth collapsed, howling in pain.

"Your legs will heal," I said coldly. "Eventually. But you'll never outrun what's coming for you on your own."

I hauled him up by his collar. "You helped Isabelle. For that, I won't kill you. But you're going to tell me everything you know."

Min-Li caught up, her eyes widening at the sight of Kenneth's mangled legs. "Liam, we need to move. Guild forces are mobilizing."

I nodded, hoisting Kenneth over my shoulder like a sack of rice. With Isabelle in one arm and Kenneth over my opposite shoulder, I turned to Min-Li.

"My house. Now."

---

The Man with the Mustache nearly dropped his teacup when I kicked in the door of my residence.

"Sweet merciful heavens!" he exclaimed. "What happened? Is that—"

"Clear the table," I ordered, gently laying Isabelle on the dining table. Her breathing was shallow, her pulse weak. "And get me clean towels, hot water, and my medicine chest."

He scrambled to obey, knocking over chairs in his haste.

I dumped Kenneth unceremoniously onto a chair. "Don't move."

"As if I could," he muttered through gritted teeth.

Min-Li set her friend—a young girl who couldn't be more than sixteen—on the couch. The girl was shivering, eyes wide with terror.

"It's okay," Min-Li soothed. "You're safe now."

I turned my attention to Isabelle, tearing open her blood-soaked gown to assess the damage. My stomach lurched at what I saw. Her body was covered in needle marks and surgical incisions, some hastily stitched, others still weeping blood. They had treated her like a living resource, nothing more.

"Those monsters," I whispered, rage building inside me.

The Man with the Mustache returned with my supplies, his usual flippant demeanor replaced with grim determination.

"What's the plan?" he asked.

"We can't stay here," I said, applying pressure to the worst of Isabelle's wounds. "The Guild will search every corner of this city. We need to leave Veridia, tonight."

"But she can't be moved in this condition," Min-Li protested.

"We have no choice." I began preparing a stabilizing tonic from my medical supplies. "I need to get her to the Celestial Apothecary Guild. Mariana Valerius is the only one who can heal injuries this severe."

"That's a three-day journey, even at your speed," the Man with the Mustache pointed out.

"Then we'd better start now." I gently lifted Isabelle's head, pouring the tonic between her lips. "Pack only what's essential. We leave in twenty minutes."

Kenneth let out a bitter laugh from his chair. "You're all dead anyway. Do you have any idea what you've done? You've stolen from the Veridia City Martial Guild. You've defied the Umbral Covenant. There's nowhere in the Thirteen Provinces you can hide."

I walked over to him, my patience gone. "And whose fault is that? You led me to them. You knew what they were doing to her."

"I tried to help in the end," he said defensively. "I got her out of the extraction chamber."

"After how many sessions?" I grabbed his collar. "How many times did you watch them drain her blood before your conscience kicked in?"

Kenneth's eyes dropped. "Too many."

I released him with disgust. "Tell me about Barrett Hill. What is he capable of?"

"He's a Half-step Martial Sage, as you saw. One of the most powerful members of the Covenant. He specializes in binding arts—those chains you broke were his prized possession."

"And now they're broken," I said. "What will he do?"

"Hunt you to the ends of the earth," Kenneth replied simply. "You humiliated him. Destroyed an artifact he's used for centuries. He won't stop until you're dead."

"Let him try." I turned back to Isabelle, carefully bandaging her wounds. "Man with the Mustache, how quickly can you have horses ready?"

"Give me fifteen minutes," he replied, already heading for the door.

Min-Li approached me hesitantly. "Liam, what about her?" She gestured to the terrified girl on the couch.

I looked at the girl—thin, pale, with haunted eyes that had seen too much horror. Another victim of the Guild's cruelty.

"She comes with us," I decided. "We can't leave her behind."

The girl flinched when I approached her. "I won't hurt you," I said gently. "What's your name?"

"Lily," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Lily, I'm Liam. We're leaving this city, going somewhere safe. Do you understand?"

She nodded slightly, eyes darting to Min-Li for reassurance.

"It's okay," Min-Li said. "He saved us both."

I turned to Kenneth, who was watching the exchange with a pained expression. "As for you—"

"Kill me if you want," he interrupted. "I'm dead either way."

"No," I said. "You're coming with us. Your knowledge might be useful, and I'm not done with you yet."

Kenneth's laugh was hollow. "With these legs? I'll slow you down."

"I'll heal your legs enough for you to ride," I said. "But try to escape, and I'll break more than your knees next time."

As I knelt to examine his shattered joints, I heard Isabelle moan softly from the table. I rushed back to her side, heart pounding.

Her eyes fluttered open—those beautiful eyes I'd feared I might never see again. They were clouded with pain, unfocused.

"Liam?" she whispered, her voice so fragile it broke my heart.

"I'm here," I said, taking her hand gently. "You're safe now."

A tear slipped down her cheek. "They... they took so much..."

"I know," I said, throat tight with emotion. "But they'll never touch you again. I promise."

Her fingers weakly squeezed mine. "You came for me."

"I'll always come for you," I vowed. "Always."

Her eyes closed again, strength spent. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, then resumed my work, moving with renewed purpose. Isabelle was alive. She was conscious, if only briefly. There was hope.

---

Meanwhile, across the city, Ms. Hayward stood in Broderick's chambers, their quiet moment interrupted by a frantic knock.

"Enter," Broderick called, straightening his robes.

Emerson Holmes burst in, his usually composed demeanor shattered. "Ms. Hayward, we have an emergency. The Second Secret Realm has been breached. Liam Knight has infiltrated the Guild!"

Ms. Hayward's blood ran cold. "Impossible. The barriers—"

"Broken," Emerson confirmed. "And the subject... Isabelle Ashworth... she's gone."

"Gone?" Ms. Hayward felt the floor tilt beneath her. "How long?"

"Unknown. The alarm was only raised minutes ago."

Ms. Hayward turned to Broderick, whose face had hardened into a mask of fury. "I need to go."

He nodded grimly. "Do what must be done."

She raced through the Guild halls, her mind reeling. How had Liam Knight breached their defenses? How had he found the Secret Realm? Someone must have helped him—someone with inside knowledge.

When she reached the extraction facility, chaos greeted her. Guild members rushed about, shouting orders. The entrance to the Second Secret Realm stood open, the protective formations shattered beyond repair.

Ms. Hayward pushed through the crowd into the extraction chamber. The sight that met her eyes confirmed her worst fears. Blood splattered the walls. Bodies of Guild technicians lay strewn about, some torn apart with savage force. The extraction equipment was destroyed, twisted metal and shattered glass everywhere.

And in the center, where Isabelle Ashworth should have been strapped to the extraction table, there was nothing but cut restraints and a pool of blood.

"How?" she whispered, horror washing over her. "How did he do this?"

"Ms. Hayward."

She turned to find a Guild messenger standing in the doorway, his face grave. "Your presence is required in the Council Chamber. Immediately."

Her stomach dropped. The Council Chamber. Where the Guild's highest authorities gathered. Where failures were judged and punishments decided.

"I understand," she said, her voice hollow.

As she followed the messenger through the Guild's labyrinthine corridors, Ms. Hayward felt the weight of her failure crushing her. She had underestimated Liam Knight. Had dismissed him as a minor threat, even after his victories in the tournament. Had assured her superiors that Isabelle Ashworth was secure.

And now this.

The massive doors of the Council Chamber loomed before her, carved with ancient symbols of power and authority. They swung open silently, revealing a semicircular room with tiered seating. Five figures sat in shadow, their faces obscured.

"Step forward, Anora Hayward," a cold voice commanded.

She did as ordered, standing in the center of the chamber beneath the harsh light of a single crystal lamp.

"You were entrusted with the security of our most valuable asset," the central figure stated. "Explain your failure."

Ms. Hayward swallowed hard. "I take full responsibility, Honored Ones. I underestimated Liam Knight's resourcefulness and power. He somehow breached our most secure barriers and—"

"We are not interested in how he succeeded," another voice cut in. "Only in your failure to prevent it."

"The damage is catastrophic," a third voice added. "Years of research, destroyed. Precious blood samples, lost. And the subject herself, gone."

"I will personally lead the hunt to recover her," Ms. Hayward promised. "I know Liam Knight's patterns, his abilities—"

"Your judgment has proven unreliable," the central figure stated flatly. "You assured this Council that your Heaven Swallowing Python would be sufficient to contain any threat he posed."

Ms. Hayward felt cold sweat break out across her forehead. "The Python is still at my disposal. I can—"

"No."

The single word echoed in the chamber, final and absolute.

"Your authority is revoked," the central figure continued. "Your assets, frozen. Your rank, suspended pending further evaluation."

The blow struck her like a physical force. Everything she'd worked for, everything she'd built over decades of service to the Guild—gone in an instant.

"However," the figure on the far right spoke for the first time, "in recognition of your past contributions, your life will be spared."

Ms. Hayward bowed her head, relief mingling with shame. "Thank you, Honored Ones."

"There is one matter that must be addressed," the central figure said. "Your Heaven Swallowing Python."

Ms. Hayward looked up sharply. "My Python? What about it?"

"The Council has determined that its existence has affected your judgment and decision-making. Your emotional attachment to the creature has compromised your effectiveness."

"No," Ms. Hayward whispered, suddenly understanding where this was heading. "Please, no."

"You will deal with the creature yourself," the figure stated coldly. "Tonight."

The blood drained from Ms. Hayward's face. "You can't ask me to—"

"This is not a request," the figure interrupted. "This is the price of your continued existence. Prove your loyalty to the Guild exceeds all other attachments."

Ms. Hayward stood frozen, unable to speak. Her Python—her companion for over fifteen years. The creature that had saved her life countless times, that slept curled around her chambers, that she had raised from a hatchling.

"Do you understand your instructions, Anora Hayward?" the central figure demanded.

A single tear slipped down her cheek as she bowed deeply. "Yes, Honored Ones. I understand."

"Then you are dismissed. Report to Oversight when the deed is done."

The chamber doors swung open behind her. On trembling legs, Ms. Hayward walked out, her mind numb with grief and shock.

In a single day, she had lost everything—her position, her authority, her future. And now, she would lose the only living being that had been truly loyal to her.

All because of Liam Knight.

As she walked the long corridor toward her chambers, where her beloved Python awaited, Ms. Hayward's grief crystallized into something harder, colder. A hatred so pure it burned away all other emotions.

"This isn't over," she whispered to herself. "Not by a long shot."