Back at the manor, the rain hadn't stopped. It poured against the windows like the sky itself was warning them. Cain carried Selene in his arms, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. He gently set her on the bed in his room, pulling a blanket over her and brushing a wet strand of hair from her cheek.
She stirred slightly. "You came for me…"
"I'll always come for you," Cain whispered.
Downstairs, the tension between the brothers was like a crackling wire.
"She's back," Leo said, pacing. "But that thing in the woods—Silas—he's not just some rogue. Did you feel that energy? It was like hell broke open."
Eren leaned against the wall, arms folded, jaw tight. "He knew our names. He knew about Selene. He's not random. He's connected to us somehow."
Their mother, Amara, walked in, slower than before but standing straighter every day. Her silver-streaked hair was braided, and her eyes glowed faintly—like old stars just beginning to flicker again.
"You boys are no longer just the sons of a devil," she said. "You are the sons of a dying legacy. And Silas… he may be your kin."
Cain, who had just entered the room, froze. "What?"
"He's not your brother," Amara clarified. "But he carries your father's essence—split long ago when your father tried to remove a part of himself to protect you. That fragment lived on, formed a mind of its own. Silas is that mind."
Leo rubbed his temple. "You mean Silas is a walking piece of Dad's soul?"
Amara nodded. "A fractured, twisted version. With his own agenda. And it's clear—he wants Selene."
Cain's eyes flared red. "He's not getting her."
Suddenly, the candles in the room flickered violently.
Amara looked at her sons and nodded. "It's time. You've hidden your powers for too long."
Eren was the first to move. He stepped into the center of the room, his eyes glowing white as wind whipped around him. Tattoos appeared faintly on his arms—ancient sigils that hadn't glowed since they were children.
Leo followed, his skin cracking with light as heat shimmered off his body. Flames sparked in his palms. "I haven't used this since we almost burned the village."
Cain exhaled and let his power rise. Shadows crawled up his arms, forming a living armor. His aura pulsed—half flame, half dark mist.
Selene, still in bed, could feel it from upstairs.
The house hummed with energy. Something old was reawakening.
Suddenly—boom!
A blast shook the front door.
They all turned as Silas stepped through the wreckage, smiling calmly, completely untouched.
"No more hiding then?" he asked. "Good. I prefer when the devil's sons play like devils."
Cain stepped forward, fists clenched. "You want to test us? Try."
Silas flicked his fingers, and dark threads of magic shot toward them—but Eren moved, whipping a gust of wind that turned the threads into dust. Leo followed, hurling fire that scorched the floor, forcing Silas to dodge with a smirk.
"You've grown," Silas taunted. "But you're still children."
Cain charged next, his shadow armor wrapping around his blade as he struck. Silas blocked with a barrier of light and darkness, then hurled Cain into the wall with a wave of his hand.
Cain groaned, blood trickling down his lip—but he got back up.
"You don't get to take what's mine."
And then Selene stepped down the stairs, holding the ancient journal.
"Stop."
Everyone turned.
Selene's voice was shaking—but she stood tall. "I don't know who I am yet. I don't know why I'm marked or what you want. But I'm not running anymore."
The journal lit up in her hands.
A seal—previously invisible—flared to life. Golden. Pulsing.
Silas's smile finally faltered. "That… shouldn't be possible."
Amara stepped forward, her hands glowing with ancient runes.
"She's more than you bargained for, Silas."
And then she unleashed her magic—a wave of blinding blue light that sent Silas crashing through the manor doors and into the night.
When the light faded, the brothers stood wide-eyed.
Their mother… had just tapped into the same power their father once used. And Selene—marked by fate—was the key.
Cain rushed to Selene, grabbing her hands. "Are you okay?"
Selene nodded, still stunned. "That seal… it felt like it wasn't just protecting me. It was protecting you too."
Cain held her tightly. "We'll figure it out together."
Outside, the wind howled again—but this time, they were ready.
The hunt had changed.
Now they weren't just chasing down shadows—they were unraveling the curse of their bloodline.