The King Of War Returns (Jaden Rift) novel Chapter 80

At Sunrise — At the Edge of a Cliff Overlooking the Sea

The first rays of the sun glimmered across the restless waters below, casting a shimmering path of gold on the surface of the sea. The air was thick with the smell of brine and danger, a piercing chill riding the morning breeze.

Drax's jeep came to a gravelly halt just a few feet from the cliff's edge. The wheels skidded briefly, kicking up a small cloud of sand and pebbles. Without ceremony, Drax hopped down from the driver's side and walked back to the rear, where a large, lumpy sack was tied down with heavy leather belts.

He undid the belts in a few decisive movements, grabbed the bottom of the sack, and upended it.

Peter fell forward with a sickening thud, his shoulder striking the gravel first, then his face. His hands were bound, his body weak from having been kept in the bag. He tried to raise himself on shaky arms, letting sand trickle through his knuckles, trying to gather whatever dignity remained.

Jaden remained unfazed, sitting casually on a nearby boulder, tossing a small stone up and down in his hand. His piercing gaze remained fixed on Peter — not in rage, but in icy, deliberate judgment.

“Take one more look at the view… the beautiful, natural world you took for granted.”

Jaden's voice was calm, nearly intimate, yet it seemed to cut through the air sharper than a blade.

“Because you don't have much time left in this life.”

Peter tried to lift himself a bit more, back straightening just enough to let him croak, “Who… the hell… do you think you are?”

He paused, tried to find a thread of confidence in himself, then raised his voice, “How… how dare you kidnap me? Do you know who I am? I'm the successor of the Gravesend family. Release me this instant!”

Jaden remained silent for a moment. Then a small, chilling smirk crossed his face — a smirk filled with knowledge, power… and a deep, inexorable resolve.

Peter turned and saw him — the silhouette against the purple-orange heavens — and recognition struck him. His face fell, the color draining from it.

“It’s… you.”

Peter's voice faltered, trembled. “You're… the one who… who killed Baron!”

Jaden hopped down gracefully from the boulder. His feet barely made a sound as they touched the gravel.

“It seems you have a good memory.”

Peter forced himself up on his knees. “Release me now! You think you can destroy Baron and walk away unharmed?”

He tried to keep his voice firm, tried to hang on to whatever confidence remained.

“The Gravesends… the most powerful family in Ravenmoor… we will destroy you. I'll… I'll forgive you if you surrender now… turn yourself in…!”

Jaden sighed.

“I don't care about your family. There’s no power in this world that can harm me.”

He paused and let those words hang in the chilly air.

“I’m going to wipe your family… your name… from the face of this earth.”

“Please… please… King… spare me… I… I hadn’t a choice… it was… it was Baron… I’m… not… even their… their real son… please… please… spare me!”

Jaden's piercing gaze remained icy and unfazed.

“Weren’t you the one who demanded I surrender to you?”

He stepped forward, gravel grinding under his feet, adding a dramatic emphasis to each stride.

“Here I am.”

Peter pressed his face into the dirt in a deep kowtow, ignoring the cuts and abrasions.

“Please… please… please… spare me… I'll do whatever you want… I'll serve you… I'll… I'll destroy your enemies… I'll be useful… please… please… please…”

Jaden remained silent,

Then, with a piercing flick of his wrist, Jaden hurled the small stones in his hand forward — each a tiny, lethal projectile.

The pebbles flew through the air faster than a bullet, tearing into Peter’s back and limbs with sickening precision.

Peter cried out in agony. "Please King have mercy."