The storm had passed, but the air was still unnaturally still—like the entire world was holding its breath.
Danny sat by the window that night, staring at the horizon where the sky met the sea.
Claire rested upstairs, her hands gently cradling the life inside her.
But even in the stillness, Danny could feel it—a presence lingering just beyond reality, watching, waiting.
A knock echoed through the house.
Not at the door.
At the mirror.
Slowly, he approached.
The surface of the mirror rippled like water, and a voice—deep, ancient, familiar—whispered from beyond.
"Danny Wong… it is time you learn the truth."
The reflection changed, revealing a vision of an ancient temple standing atop a mountain of bones, surrounded by chains reaching into the sky.
And at the center of the temple, a massive stone door engraved with a symbol Danny had seen his entire life but never understood—the intertwined ouroboros of life and death, locked in eternal struggle.
The voice continued:
**"Your family did not merely fall into debt, Danny.
They were the original Keepers of Fate."**
Danny's blood ran cold.
Keepers of Fate?
"Impossible… my family were nobodies!"
The voice grew louder.
**"They were Guardians… until they betrayed their purpose.
The first Wong ancestor forged the original contract with the Fate Exchange, sacrificing his own power in exchange for control over destiny.
But power demanded balance… and so, every firstborn son was marked for collection, one life at a time, to maintain that balance."**
Danny stumbled back, his mind reeling.
Everything made sense now—the mysterious deaths, the constant misfortune, the unbearable burden passed down generation after generation.
His life had never been his own.
He was born as a final pawn in an ancient game.
The mirror rippled again, and the vision changed.
A colossal figure loomed over the landscape—a being made entirely of golden chains and glowing contracts.
Its hollow eyes held galaxies of spinning contracts and burning fates.
The voice thundered one last truth:
**"The True Master of Fate… is awakening.
And your child is the key—either to seal it forever… or unleash it upon all existence."**
Danny's heart stopped.
The child wasn't just a target.
They were the Catalyst.
If the Fate Exchange obtained the child, the True Master of Fate would rise—bringing an age of absolute control over life, death, and freedom.
But if the child chose their own path…
They could destroy the chains of fate forever.
The mirror shattered into dust, leaving Danny standing alone in the dark.
And then…
His phone lit up one last time.
📧 FROM: Unknown Sender**"You have 30 days before the child is born.
Prepare for the Final War."**
🎬 [End of Chapter 22 – The Last Countdown Begins]
📢 [Reader Interaction]
⏳ If you had 30 days to prepare for a war that would decide the fate of all life… would you train the child to fight, or try to hide them from their destiny?
💥 "Train them! End Fate's control once and for all!"
🫣 "Hide them! They're just a child. This fight is yours, not theirs!"
Add to Library NOW! Next chapter: Danny gathers the last surviving rebels of the old world to prepare for the final stand. The battlefield is set.