The manor had gone quiet.
The kind of quiet that follows a storm—where the air still buzzes with leftover energy and no one quite knows what to say. Candles flickered against cracked walls, the scent of burned wood and ancient magic lingering in every room.
Selene sat curled in a blanket by the library fireplace. Her fingers traced the edge of the journal that had saved her—again. The seal inside it still pulsed faintly when she touched it, like it had a heartbeat. Hers? Cain's? She didn't know anymore.
Footsteps echoed behind her.
Cain entered quietly, two mugs in his hands. "You looked cold."
She turned, giving a tired smile. "Thanks." She took the mug and sipped. Cinnamon and honey. He remembered.
He sat beside her, their shoulders brushing. "You were brave today."
"I was terrified."
"But you still stood up to him."
She looked down at the fire. "Do you think this seal in me… means I'm cursed?"
"No," Cain said softly. "I think it means you were meant for something bigger. Maybe even bigger than us."
Selene turned toward him. His eyes were softer now, like the shadows in him had been calmed by her presence.
"You're good at this," she murmured.
"At what?"
"Making people feel like they're not alone."
Cain hesitated, then leaned in and kissed her forehead gently. "That's because I know how lonely it feels."
Meanwhile, upstairs, Eira stood outside the balcony staring at the stars. Her arms were crossed, hair loose, wind tugging strands across her face. She wasn't used to being invisible—but ever since she returned, it was like she no longer belonged in their story.
"Don't tell me you're crying," came a voice from behind.
Eira turned to find Leo leaning in the doorway, smirking—but his tone wasn't mocking.
"I'm not crying," she muttered. "I just… blinked too hard."
Leo stepped beside her. "It's okay to feel things, you know. You don't have to be the cold, mysterious ex all the time."
"I'm not mysterious," she mumbled.
"You are to Cain. And to Selene. But not to me."
She glanced at him, surprised. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Leo shrugged, looking away as if trying to act casual. "It means I see you. The real you. The girl who's scared of being left behind again."
Eira's throat tightened. She wanted to tell him to shut up. To punch him or say something sarcastic—but instead, she looked down at her hands.
"Maybe I came back hoping Cain would still feel something."
Leo didn't flinch. "And maybe you forgot that feelings change. People change. But that doesn't mean you're alone."
Their eyes met.
A quiet understanding passed between them—an invisible thread neither of them dared to name yet.
In the infirmary room, Eren sat by their mother's bed, feeding her warm broth. She looked stronger now. Her voice steadier.
"You're doing better," he said.
"I have to. My boys are warriors now."
Eren chuckled. "We're idiots half the time."
"But brave ones," she said with a faint smile. "Your father would've hated that."
Eren stiffened.
Amara sighed, brushing her fingers across her son's wrist. "You don't have to forgive him. Just don't let his shadow define you."
He nodded, quietly emotional. "We'll protect each other. That's all I care about now."
Just then, the windows rattled slightly, a reminder that the world outside was still turning.
The calm wouldn't last.
Downstairs, Cain and Selene had fallen into a peaceful silence. She leaned against him, heart finally slowing.
"I'm scared it's going to get worse," she whispered.
Cain's voice was low. "It will."
She looked up at him.
"But we'll face it together," he promised. "All of us."