The moon bled red across the sky like someone had spilled paint over the heavens. Cain stood at the edge of the cliff, his hoodie tugged low and silver hair rustling in the wind. His crimson eyes—always too intense—were locked on the horizon.
"It's happening tonight," he said softly.
Behind him, Ayden jogged up, winded. "You said that three nights ago, Cain."
Lucien followed, his usual dark jacket slung over one shoulder. "Well, this time it smells different. Like something dead woke up."
Cain didn't look back. "It's not just dead. It's something Dad sealed… or tried to."
The three brothers stood in silence for a beat. The wind whispered, tugging at their clothes like it wanted to say something.
"You really think the seal's here?" Ayden asked, squinting toward the valley.
Cain nodded slowly. "Yeah. And we're not the only ones looking for it."
Suddenly, they heard footsteps—light, measured, but definitely coming closer. From the trees stepped a girl. She couldn't have been older than them, maybe eighteen, but she held herself like someone who'd seen war.
Short lavender hair curled around her face, and she had a glowing sigil etched onto her collarbone. One eye was violet, the other a strange, golden hue.
"You're too late," she said flatly. "It's already starting."
Lucien narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Rei," she replied, brushing leaves from her jacket. "And you're standing on cursed ground. You should leave."
Ayden rolled his eyes. "We don't really do 'leaving.'"
Cain stepped forward, wary. "Why are you here, Rei?"
She sighed and looked up at the sky, then back at them with something like grief in her eyes. "Because your father destroyed my family too. And if that seal breaks completely, it won't just be your problem. It'll be everyone's."
A silence fell between them. Then Cain nodded, slowly. "Alright. Let's break the damn thing first. Then we talk."
Rei stepped into the center of the clearing, where the grass had long since turned to stone. With a low chant, she pressed her hand to the earth. A soft rumble spread outward—and then, all at once, the ground cracked open in jagged lines, forming a seven-pointed star.
Lucien swore under his breath. Ayden just stood frozen, jaw clenched.
"Holy hell…" he whispered.
The seal glowed a blinding blue, then darkened to black as a creature began to rise from the hole—a creature that looked like every nightmare they'd ever tried to forget. Bone-white skin, hollow eyes, and wings made of flames. Its voice sounded like it came from the bottom of the ocean.
"You summon me... to die?"
Lucien didn't hesitate. He darted forward, blade out. The creature knocked him aside like a twig.
"LUCIEN!" Ayden screamed, racing toward him.
Cain reached for his sword, but the weight of it suddenly felt heavier. His knees nearly buckled. The air turned thick—so thick it felt like drowning.
"Don't fight it," Rei yelled. "You need to work together!"
Ayden skidded to Lucien's side, helping him up. "Cain—we can't do this alone!"
Cain's breath caught. He remembered what their father once told them—"When your blood burns the same, you'll understand what it means to be devils."
Without speaking, the three brothers sliced their palms. Blood spilled onto the ground, mixing together. The seal pulsed. The wind howled. Then the power hit them like lightning.
Cain's eyes burned. Wings of obsidian fire spread from his back.
Ayden's spear—usually solid red—crackled with blue lightning.
Lucien melted into the shadows, his form flickering like flame.
Together, they rose.
The battle was chaos. Claws slashed. Blades danced. The demon screamed as the brothers unleashed power they'd never tapped into. For the first time, they weren't alone. They fought as one.
And when the creature fell, howling into the broken seal, Cain drove his blade through its chest, sealing it once again.
Silence.
Ayden dropped to his knees, exhausted. Lucien sat beside him, laughing breathlessly. "That... was insane."
Rei smiled faintly. "You did it."
But before they could breathe, a slow clap echoed from the treeline.
Their father stepped into the moonlight, looking not a day older than when he vanished. Black coat. Calm eyes. Terrifying smile.
"Well done," he said. "You finally understand what you are."
Cain stared, his voice raw. "Why?"
Their father tilted his head. "The curse wasn't to destroy you. It was to prepare you."
Ayden stood, shaking. "Prepare us for what?"
Their father smiled wider. "For the war to come."
Then he vanished.
Just like that.
Cain clenched his fists. Lucien cursed under his breath. Ayden just looked up at the bleeding moon.
"I guess this was only the beginning," Cain whispered.
Rei nodded. "Yeah. The blood moon just opened the first door. There are seven more."
And somewhere, deep in the shadows of the world, others were waking up too.