After asking a few locals, Evan ran into a friendly fellow from the Muke Republic.

  Following his recommendation, the three checked into a nearby hotel.

  Though “hotel” was generous—

  Evan thought “inn” was more accurate.

  Still, the room was clean enough.

  Wendy and Yvonne took the room next door.

  They were exhausted and needed rest.

  Evan showered, changed into clean clothes, and collapsed onto the bed, arms spread wide.

  He exhaled deeply.

  For the first time in a long while—

  he felt safe.

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  He had finally escaped the Muke Republic.

  To him, the Rock Prison was a small cage.

  The Muke Republic was a larger one.

  As long as he remained there, he lived in fear of the Zhao family.

  But in Rovan?

  The Zhao family’s influence ended at the border.

  If he stayed low?key,

  finding him in a nation of hundreds of millions would be like searching for a needle in the ocean.

  Not that he was completely safe.

  The Filthsoil Organization still existed.

  Quentin Vilewind had gone mad, but Evan didn’t know if the organization would continue hunting him.

  And he remembered—

  Elias Zhao had a powerful friend in Rovan.

  Liam Zhao was originally supposed to seek refuge with that friend.

  Evan couldn’t rule out the possibility that Elias Zhao would use that connection to search for him.

  In the end, true safety required one thing—

  strength.

  But that was for later.

  Right now, Evan wanted one thing only—

  sleep.

  A new nation.

  A new beginning.

  But every border crossed brings new shadows — and new hunters.

  If you were Evan, what would you do first after finally reaching safety?