The wind howled across the cliffside, sharp and relentless. Below, the sea churned like it was angry too.
Cain stood at the edge, cloak whipping behind him. Leo was next to him, fingers twitching near his blade. Eren crouched beside a stone, one knee bent, eyes trained on the cave carved into the cliff face.
"According to the map from the Gate," Leo muttered, "this is the place."
Cain nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the mouth of the cave. "He's inside."
"You sure?" Eren asked, though his tone was more wary than doubtful.
Cain's voice was soft. "I feel him. It's like my blood's pulling me forward."
Selene, standing just behind them, laid a hand on his shoulder. "Then don't go alone."
Cain placed his hand over hers. "You never leave me alone."
Together, they stepped forward. One after the other, heartbeats in sync.
The air inside the cave was hot—too hot. Like walking into a forge, or a furnace made of nightmares. Red light pulsed along the stone walls, flickering like veins of molten lava.
The deeper they walked, the heavier the air grew.
They passed ancient statues—twisted faces frozen in silent screams. Symbols Cain had only seen in his dreams. A crown of thorns. A broken heart impaled by a dagger. A sigil of a serpent eating its own tail.
Then… they heard it.
A voice.
Not echoing—not shouting—but quiet. Calm. Deep.
"You've come."
Cain stopped.
So did the others.
The shadows in front of them twisted, bent inward—almost like reality was folding—and there, just beyond the threshold of the last chamber, stood a man.
Or something like one.
Tall. Cloaked in black. Skin like scorched earth. Hair silver as bone ash, and eyes… they were Cain's eyes. But colder. Older. Eternal.
Cain opened his mouth to speak—but no words came.
Leo stepped forward, blade half-raised. "Is it really you?"
The figure smiled. It was a slow, cruel thing. "Hello, sons."
Eren raised his daggers. "Don't you dare call us that."
The figure tilted his head. "But it's true. You bleed because of me. You were made from me."
Selene stepped forward, power humming around her like a storm. "What do you want?"
The man ignored her. His eyes locked onto Cain.
"I've watched you, son. You're more than I ever dreamed. You are chaos tempered by kindness. Fire molded by choice."
Cain's fists clenched. "You abandoned us. Left Mom to die. Left us to become monsters without answers."
"I gave you freedom," the man said smoothly. "But you've come here for a question, haven't you?"
Cain stepped forward. "Why?"
A pause.
The figure's eyes shimmered.
"Because if I'd stayed… the world would have burned."
Then—
A burst of light.
Blue. Pure. Blinding.
And she appeared between them like a vision from a memory.
Their mother.
Hair wild and silver. Skin glowing with divine light. Her presence alone shattered the cave's heat, and the shadows recoiled from her.
"No," she whispered, voice broken and fierce. "You don't get to touch them."
The man frowned, but didn't move. "You shouldn't be awake yet."
"I woke when I felt my sons near the fire," she said. "I woke because I knew you would lie."
Cain stared in disbelief. "Mom…?"
She turned to him, tears on her cheeks. "You are not him. You never were. You are more."
The figure sighed. "Always so dramatic, my love."
"We are not yours," Leo growled.
"You're not even real," Eren spat.
The man chuckled darkly. "Real enough to be feared."
The shadows swirled around him—but their mother raised her hands. Light erupted, swallowing the darkness. The heat vanished. The figure stepped back, retreating into the stone like mist.
But his voice lingered.
"We'll meet again, sons. And next time, it won't be with words."
And he was gone.
Cain fell to his knees.
Their mother rushed to him, arms wrapping tightly around her son. Leo and Eren joined, silent and shaken.
Selene crouched beside them, wrapping them all in her presence.
They were a mess of tears and rage and relief.
But they were together.
The devil had spoken.
The war had started.
And this time, it was personal.