Selene ran her fingers across the worn journal she'd found in the abandoned chapel. The pages were filled with strange symbols, but her eyes kept returning to the same line:
"The devil's sons will burn, unless loved truly by someone who sees beyond the flame."
She let out a shaky breath. "Why does it have to hurt this much?" she whispered to herself.
Her heart still ached from the moment she saw Cain and Eira. That kiss—no matter how one-sided—played over and over like a bad song stuck in her head. Cain hadn't kissed her back. She knew that. But still, it broke something inside her. Not because she doubted his love... but because she was tired of never feeling enough.
Back at the manor, Cain hadn't slept. Not really. His body bore scratches from the fight with the shadow creatures, but it was his heart that hurt worse.
"Still no sign of her," Leo said quietly, entering the study.
Cain didn't respond.
"You need to rest," Leo tried again.
Cain's jaw tightened. "Not until she's home."
Downstairs, Eira sat with Eren, her eyes red from tears she refused to show the others. "I didn't mean to ruin things," she muttered.
"You didn't ruin them," Eren replied, though his tone wasn't soft. "You made a choice. Now you have to live with it."
Eira winced. "I just… I thought Cain and I had something before I left. I thought there was still—"
"There was. Past tense." Eren stood, grabbing his blade. "You're not the villain, Eira. But you're not the hero either. None of us are. We're just trying not to become monsters."
At that moment, their mother walked in, supported by Leo's gentle magic. She looked different now—stronger. Less ghostly. Her voice carried weight again.
"We have to talk," she said.
The brothers gathered, including Eira, who lingered in the corner. The storm outside hadn't stopped. It churned like the sky itself was mourning.
"There's more," their mother whispered. "About your father. About you."
Cain stood straighter. "What do you mean?"
"I didn't just put myself to sleep to escape the curse," she said. "I did it to protect a truth. The three of you… weren't just born of a devil. You were chosen. Crafted for a reason. Not just to continue your father's legacy—but to destroy it."
Leo frowned. "Destroy it?"
She nodded. "The prophecy speaks of one of you turning dark. Consumed. Unless the bonds between you stay strong. Unless love anchors you."
The words hit hard.
Cain's fists curled. "So… if we fall apart—if we turn on each other—we become what he was?"
"Yes," she said simply. "Or worse."
They sat in silence for a long time after that, the weight of destiny pressing against the room's walls like another storm.
Later that night, Cain stood by the fireplace, watching the flames. He thought of Selene. Her laugh. The way she always touched his hand when he got too quiet. How she kissed his scars without ever asking how he got them.
He whispered her name like a prayer.
And somewhere, deep in the forest, Selene opened her eyes. She had felt it.
The bond.
The pull.
She stood, journal in hand, and whispered back, "I'm coming home."
But none of them knew—none of them could know—that someone else had found her first. The hooded figure from before. With eyes too much like Cain's and a voice too calm to be trusted.
"You must be Selene," he said, smiling coldly. "He's been looking for you."