Odyssey Of Survival

"What happened?" he asked, his voice quieter now, trying to keep himself composed despite the growing tension in his chest.

The moment he got within reach, Claire let out a broken sob and collapsed forward, wrapping her arms around his torso, burying her face into his chest. It was so sudden that Nate almost took a step back out of instinct, but he stopped himself. He could feel her body trembling against him, her breath coming out in ragged, uneven gasps.

For a brief second, he thought about pushing her away. He didn't trust Claire, and everything in his gut told him not to get involved. But she was clinging to him so tightly, her fingers digging into his back, and he found himself hesitating.

It's just a hug, he reasoned. Nothing more.

But he couldn't have been more wrong.

A faint, intoxicating scent drifted up to his nose—the unmistakable fragrance of expensive perfume. It was strong, exotic, and it lingered in the air around her. His mind barely had time to process the thought before he heard the sound of fabric tearing.

A sharp, unmistakable ripping noise echoed through the room.

Nate's body stiffened instantly, his entire being going on high alert. Claire's arms loosened around him, and she stumbled backward, gasping loudly, her eyes wide with fear and betrayal.

Then, before he could even react, she let out a shrill, bloodcurdling scream.

The door to his room burst open with such force that the hinges groaned in protest, and suddenly, Axel and four other men stormed inside, their expressions twisted with rage. The loud commotion outside made it clear that a crowd had already gathered, drawn in by Claire's piercing scream.

Nate barely had a second to process what was happening before he saw them—the accusing glares, the confusion, the disbelief. And then, his eyes landed on Claire.

She was standing there, shaking, her clothes barely holding onto her body, torn in a way that left just enough to the imagination. She looked like a complete mess, her makeup slightly smudged, her lips trembling as she pointed directly at Nate with wide, tear-filled eyes.

"He—he tried to force himself on me!" she sobbed, her voice breaking as she wrapped her arms around herself, stepping away as if she was terrified of him. "I came to check on him, and he—he grabbed me! He strangled me! I barely managed to fight him off!"

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Nate felt the weight of a dozen eyes burning into him, judging him, questioning everything they knew about him. The air grew thick with tension, and for the first time in a long while, he felt genuine disbelief creeping into his bones.

What kind of sick joke was this?

Murmurs erupted from the gathered crowd outside the door, hushed whispers spreading like wildfire. He caught bits and pieces of their conversations—shock, doubt, disgust.

"Did he really…?"

"No way… it's Nate."

"But look at her…"

"She wouldn't lie about something like this…"

Then, one of the men standing beside Axel stepped forward, his face twisted with fury as he pointed an accusatory finger at Nate.

"You asshole," he snarled. "So this is your true color, huh?"

Before Nate could even respond, the man lunged.

He was fast—too fast for an average person. His speed alone would have been enough to catch most people off guard, but to Nate, it was different.

To Nate, time seemed to slow down.

The world around him blurred as his senses heightened. Every movement, every breath, every shift in weight was crystal clear. He could see the fury in the man's eyes, the clenched fists, the tightened muscles preparing to strike. He could hear the gasps of the onlookers, the way Claire's sobs suddenly softened just a little too quickly. And most of all, he could feel the carefully laid-out trap closing in around him.

Claire's torn clothes.

Axel barging in with his goons, as if they had been waiting for her scream.

The immediate accusations.

It was all a setup.

Someone wanted to take him out of the picture.

And now, they were making their move.

Nate watched in eerie silence as the man's fist rocketed toward his face, the raw speed behind the attack enough to make the gathered crowd gasp. But to Nate, it was nothing. He had already seen the punch coming long before it reached him. The moment the man's knuckles were inches from making contact, Nate's hand shot up with lightning precision, his fingers clamping around the man's wrist like a steel vice.

A sharp gasp escaped the attacker's lips, his eyes widening in shock. He had expected Nate to take the full impact or at least struggle against it—but Nate had stopped it effortlessly.

He didn't even flinch.

The realization hit the man hard. Nate wasn't just fast—he was beyond anything he had anticipated.

"What the—?!"

Before he could finish the thought, another figure burst from the side, moving just as swiftly. This one was different—energy crackled violently in his palm, a deep red light pulsating as power surged through his fingers. Without hesitation, he hurled the energy blast directly at Nate's head, the fiery glow reflecting off the stunned expressions of the onlookers. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire

But Nate was already moving.

He pivoted sharply, his body twisting with perfect control as he ducked, the energy whizzing past his face and exploding against the cave wall behind him. Before the man could follow up, Nate's other hand lashed out, his palm slamming directly into the man's chest with a devastating impact.

The air left his lungs in a violent gasp.

The force of the hit was monstrous. The attacker's body flew backward as if he had been struck by a truck, his feet leaving the ground as he was launched across the room. He crashed into the cave wall with a sickening thud, his body slumping onto the ground in a heap.

A stunned silence followed.

No one dared to move.

Then, Nate's voice rang out, sharp and commanding.

"Shut up. Everybody."

The weight of his words crashed into them like a tidal wave.

A suffocating pressure filled the space, thick and suffused with an undeniable power that made the air itself feel heavy. The crowd that had been murmuring and whispering only seconds ago fell into an immediate, fearful silence. They didn't just stop talking—they barely breathed.

Even Axel, who had been standing at the front with his usual smug confidence, looked momentarily taken aback. His hands clenched into fists, but he said nothing.

However, the one who felt it the most—without a doubt—was Claire.

She trembled visibly, her body betraying her fear despite her earlier act of confidence. Her breath hitched, her pupils shrinking as a shudder ran through her spine. The way Nate's eyes bore into her, the way his presence filled the entire space, made her feel like her heart was about to burst. She tried to keep up the facade, tried to play the role of the helpless victim, but the pressure he exuded was unbearable.

She couldn't move.

She could barely think.

Then, as if the tension wasn't thick enough, another figure stepped forward from the crowd.

This one was different.

He was tall, his body lean but undeniably powerful. His eyes scanned the situation with sharp precision, taking in the broken door, Claire's state, and the two men Nate had effortlessly taken down.

He hadn't seen what happened.

He had no idea about Claire's deception, the setup, or the careful planning behind this entire scheme. All he saw was Nate standing tall, his presence crushing, and Claire looking terrified and vulnerable.

And to him, that was all the proof he needed.

"You think you can intimidate her after what you did?" the man said, his voice steady, yet filled with barely restrained anger.

Nate turned his head, his expression unreadable.

Another one, huh?

****

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