Sanctuary Pier – 24 Hours Later
The storm raged over the dark waters as Damian stood at the edge of the pier, drenched and motionless. The location was desolate, far from the city's prying eyes.
Behind him, hidden in the shadows, Selina waited, her heart pounding painfully against her ribs.
She had begged him not to go alone, but Damian refused.
"This ends tonight," he had said, his voice low and final.
A sleek black car pulled up to the end of the pier.
The door opened.
Adrian Jiang stepped out—his left arm in a sling from Damian's bullet, his face still bruised, but his smirk remained as venomous as ever.
And then…
From the back seat, a small figure was dragged out—their son.
Selina's knees gave out the moment she saw him.
The boy's tiny face was pale, his body weak from days of captivity, but his eyes—those familiar, icy-blue eyes—burned with the same fire as his father's.
"Let him go, Adrian," Damian growled, his voice like thunder against the storm.
Adrian laughed, holding a small detonator in his uninjured hand.
"Not until you kneel, Damian Lu. Before the entire world, before the empire you tried to rebuild—kneel, and admit you lost."
Selina's scream echoed from the shadows.
"Don't do it, Damian! This is what he wants!"
But Damian's gaze never left his son.
Slowly, painfully, he lowered himself onto one knee.
The once invincible king… now kneeling in the mud and rain for his child.
Adrian's smile widened, the final image of his victory burned into his mind.
"Pathetic," he sneered. "Goodbye, Damian."
He pressed the detonator.
Nothing happened.
Adrian's smug smile faltered.
A slow, mocking clap echoed through the storm.
From the shadows behind Adrian, a new figure emerged.
It was Emily.
She stepped forward, holding the real detonator in her hand.
"Looking for this, darling?" she purred, her eyes glittering with deadly amusement.
Adrian spun around, his face a mask of shock and betrayal.
"You?!"
Emily smiled sweetly.
"Oh, did you really think I'd stay loyal to a man who couldn't even finish what he started? You're not the only one who knows how to play this game, Adrian."
Before anyone could react, Emily pressed the detonator.
A series of controlled explosions erupted in the distance—the secret warehouses and accounts Adrian had hidden across the city were being systematically destroyed.
Adrian lunged for Emily, but before he could reach her, Damian was already on his feet, landing a brutal punch that sent Adrian crashing to the ground.
Damian rushed to his son, scooping him into his arms.
"I've got you, son… I've got you."
Selina ran to them, her sobs breaking through the sound of the rain as she held both of them close.
For a moment, amidst the chaos, they were whole again.
But just as relief washed over them—
A single gunshot rang out.
Emily stood motionless, a gun in her hand, smoke curling from the barrel.
Adrian lay motionless on the pier, blood pooling around him.
Emily turned to Damian and Selina, a strange, almost peaceful smile on her face.
"I guess this is my ending too," she whispered before turning the gun on herself.
"NO!" Selina screamed.
But the shot rang out before she could reach her.
Fade to black.