Page 18 of Knox
Adrian stared at the message. This couldn’t be good. He dried his face with a towel.
He wanted to ask Daniel what the fuck he was talking about, but he was scared to find out.
He’d been hoping that what had happened last night had been a freak occurrence, a glitch in the matrix. But what if it was not?
In the living room, the TV was tuned to a local news channel, and the headline flashing across the bottom of the screen made him feel like the floor was dropping out from under him:
STRANGE OCCURRENCES REPORTED ACROSS CITY, POLICE BAFFLED.
A reporter stood in front of a chaotic scene—police cars, flashing lights, and a crowd of onlookers gathered around a building that looked like it had been struck by a miniature earthquake.
"It’s a scene straight out of a movie, folks," the reporter announced, her voice equally full of excitement and disbelief. "Just moments ago, this building, a local bank, was reportedly shaken by a powerful force, causing extensive damage. Witnesses describe strange lights, a deafening roar, and even… well, this is hard to believe, but some are claiming to have seen creatures that defy explanation. Police are investigating, but so far, there are no answers."
The camera panned to a group of awestruck onlookers. One woman, her eyes wide, spoke into a microphone.
"It was like… like something out of a fantasy novel," she said. "I saw… I saw a creature made of shadows, with glowing red eyes. It just… vanished into thin air."
Adrian felt a chill run down his spine. His gaze darted to Knox, whose eyes were fixed on the television screen, his brow furrowed in a deep frown.
The reporter continued, "Authorities are urging residents to remain calm and to report any suspicious activity. While the cause of these incidents remains unclear, some are speculating that?—"
"By the seven hells, it’s him," Knox muttered, his voice edged with disbelief and anger. "It’s the Shadow King."
"The Shadow King?" Adrian echoed. He knew the name, of course, knew the villain; he just refused tobelieve.He’d spent countless hours reading about the monster’s exploits, analyzing his motivations, and discussing his every move in online forums. To think that he washerenow…
He couldn’t process that.
"What’s the Shadow King?" Evelyn asked, setting a plate of toast on the coffee table. The scent of butter and cinnamon wafted through the air, jarringly domestic.
Knox turned away from the television, his gaze settling on Evelyn. "He’s… a powerful half-fae sorcerer," Knox explained, his voice tight. "A mad sorcerer. He couldn’t accept that his family lost the throne and turned to the darkest kind of magic. The power has driven him to insanity, and now he wants to take the whole world with him."
Evelyn frowned. "A sorcerer? Like in those fantasy books you’re always reading, Adrian?"
Adrian swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "Something like that, Grandma." He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Knox, whose expression had hardened.
"But why would he come here?" Knox muttered, more to himself than to them. "He banished me to this realm, to be rid of me. Why would he follow?"
Adrian’s brow furrowed. "He banished you?"
Knox nodded, his gaze distant. "That was what I thought." He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. "But if he’s here…"
He trailed off, the question hanging in the air. If it wasn’t the Shadow King who was responsible for Knox being here, who was?
"This is bad," Adrian said, the words escaping his lips before he could stop them. He knew from the web novel that the Shadow King was a force to be reckoned with, a master of shadow magic who thrived on fear and chaos. His arrival in the real world could only mean disaster.
Evelyn, meanwhile, seemed unconcerned. "Now, now, dears," she said, her tone soothing. "Let’s not jump to conclusions. Reporters are always exaggerating things."
Knox shook his head his expression grim. "You don’t understand, Evelyn. If he’s really here… This is… a storm that could consume your entire world. He can manipulate shadows, control minds, feed on fear. He thrives on chaos, on the unraveling of order. And in a place like this, a world unprepared, he could become unstoppable."
Adrian swallowed hard, the implications of Knox’s words sinking in. This wasn’t a fictional threat confined to the pages of a webnovel anymore. This was real. This was dangerous. And Knox, the only one who might be able to stop him, was standing there in his grandmother’s living room, wearing duck pajamas.
"We have to stop him," Knox continued. "But I need my magic. I need to find a way to access my full power."
He turned to Adrian. "In my world," he said, "there are… places, bars, where individuals gather for physical release. Are there such places in this world?"
Adrian stared at him, his mind reeling.
Was Knox asking him to show him to a brothel?
