Evening was beginning to fall. The wind blew strongly over the cliffs, and one by one, all the survivors began to gather at a point that had been previously designated.
Mrs. Ciara, along with Mr. Dmitri, were the first to arrive at the mansion hidden at the foot of the cliffs. From there, they could see the waves crashing against the harbor where several yachts were anchored.
Dmitri asked Mrs. Ciara if she was all right and, at the same time, apologized for having been so rough when carrying her that way.
"I know it was an emergency. Don't apologize. Besides, you risked your life to protect me. I am very grateful to you."
Mrs. Ciara bowed her head, showing respect and gratitude.
"Please don't do that," Dmitri said immediately. "Aside from it being my duty as your guardian, you are my wife's mother and the grandmother of my children."
"Protecting your life is not only an obligation… it is also an honor. I am also a member of the ÓBroin family."
Suddenly, a voice was heard.
"Mrs. Ciara, Mr. Dmitri, what happened at the main mansion?"
It was Arley, the head of security.
"We will tell you in due time. For now, prepare everything; many people are coming this way," Dmitri said. "But first, take the lady inside and have her examined immediately to assess her condition."
"I am fine," Ciara replied with a serious expression.
"Please come with me, ma'am," said one of the security women. "I will escort you to the medical services wing."
"Well… all right."
Before leaving, Mrs. Ciara spoke loudly.
"From this moment on, this place is the new base of the ÓBroin family."
"We are at your service!" they all replied in unison.
"Understood," Arley said firmly.
He touched a bracelet on his right wrist, and a purple light began to flash. Suddenly, a wall revealed itself, and a door opened in front of them.
Another group of men and women, dressed in identical suits, came out of the mansion and began placing seals around the entire perimeter to prevent any unforeseen incidents.
Once Mrs. Ciara and Mr. Dmitri had entered, one of the guards reported through the intercom.
"Danta One to base. The rescue group has already made contact with the other survivors. In approximately ten minutes, we will be back."
"Understood," Arley replied.
He immediately picked up his communicator.
"Infirmary area, be ready. The survivors are on their way."
A burst of static was heard, followed by a voice on the other end.
"Understood. We are ready."
It was Doctor Patrick, the physician of the ÓBroin family, waiting with his entire staff prepared.
Approximately ten to twelve minutes later, several trucks began to arrive carrying everyone who had managed to escape.
Arley turned to a young woman standing beside him, holding a tablet.
"I want a list with the names of all these people, including the main leaders."
"Another list with everyone who was in the mansion at the time of the attack."
"I need to know who survived and who is missing, as quickly as possible."
"Yes, sir," the woman replied.
Orla, Daniel, and Mrs. Maeve were treated immediately. Half an hour later, Doctor Patrick informed them that everyone was fine and that Chief Ciara was waiting for them in the meeting room.
The entire outer wall was covered with magical seals. The mansion was secure… at least for the moment.
"My guards have created an external barrier with a four-hundred-meter perimeter around the mansion," Dmitri reported. "Nothing will be able to enter or leave, at least for the next ten or eleven months, which is how long we expect the seal to hold."
Ciara, with a grave look, said:
"We must remain calm."
"We still don't know if there are other survivors. We cannot allow fear to paralyze us."
Orla, her face still soaked with tears, asked:
"And the others? Is there any news about who managed to survive?"
"If you allow me, I will inform you of the data we have so far," Arley replied.
"Excluding those present here, we have a total of seventeen people who escaped. With you included, that makes twenty-two."
"At the time of the attack, seventy people were inside the mansion, which leaves us with forty-eight missing."
"Among the missing are guards, servants, and several family members of the staff."
"Fortunately, the most important ones survived: Mrs. Ciara, current head of the family; Dmitri, her guardian; Mrs. Maeve; young Daniel; and Miss Orla."
Thus concluded the report on survivors and missing persons.
"We believe some may have escaped through the passages in the north wing," added Natasha, the assistant. "These lead one kilometer underground, and their exit is almost directly across from the main road."
"But we don't know who they were or where they are right now."
Daniel remained silent, staring at a photo in which he appeared alongside his best friend, the guard who sacrificed himself to activate the emergency seal.
Ciara nodded and turned toward those present.
"We will secure the mansion and the surrounding area with protection seals. Then we will search for those who escaped and prepare a plan."
As they spoke, a sense of emptiness filled the room. The attack had left deep psychological scars. The shadows of the night brought back memories of that fateful day.
"We must act quickly," Dmitri said in a grave voice.
"We don't know how many Claimoor escaped."
"We must reorganize and search for the survivors."
Ciara concluded firmly:
"Those of us who remain must be strong. We will gather the survivors and fulfill the mission entrusted to the ÓBroin family."
"The war has only just begun."
Everyone present understood that their struggle was for the survival of all humanity.
Suddenly, the mansion fell silent. The survivors of the massacre were still dealing with the loss of their loved ones.
Then, the silence was broken by the sound of a phone.
Mrs. Maeve picked it up, clearly worried.
"Hello?" she answered.
The voice on the other end was clear and firm. It was Eleonor.
"Aunt Maeve…" she said urgently. "I'm so glad you're still alive."
She let out a sigh of relief.
"How are you? How is Noah?" Maeve asked impatiently.
"Calm down," Eleonor replied. "I managed to save him, but if I had arrived five minutes later, I think everything would have been lost."
"Now tell me, how are you all?"
Maeve sighed deeply.
"The main mansion was lost. The attack was so sudden that no one could defend themselves. All we could do was escape."
"I still don't know how many died or who is still alive."
For a moment, the news left Eleonor breathless. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Only a year had passed since she secretly moved to Canada to take care of useless Noah. The tragedy from twelve years ago was repeating itself, but with twice the damage.
"We will be fine," Maeve continued. "The defenses of this mansion are just as strong, and all the staff were scanned with the perception device. No one will be able to infiltrate again."
"Now it will be our turn."
Eleonor noticed the serious tone in her aunt's voice and understood that something grave was about to happen.
"Aunt… don't tell me you're thinking about deactivating the seal and the barrier."
"Exactly as you say," Maeve replied. "This was not a simple attack. We are at war."
"By deactivating the seal and the barrier, all our forces will be able to use their powers to the fullest, but ordinary people will also be able to see what is happening."
"It is inevitable," she continued. "This war has been postponed for centuries. Our ancestors protected humanity and safeguarded the secret of what happened when the Kartnod family rebelled against the mandates of the Supreme Deities."
"Five thousand years ago, that brutal war took place. The Supreme Deities did not want to intervene, but at the request of the first leaders, and upon accepting the responsibility of being guardians, the Deity of the Cosmos sealed them."
"She was clear: if they ever escaped because of us, we would assume full responsibility for stopping them."
"So what must we do now?" Eleonor asked.
"You and Noah must go to Russia and seek out the second guardian. Then you will go to France to contact the main base of the Orleans family."
"They preserve all the records, the knowledge of the other families, the locations of the bases, the other three guardians, and most importantly, the exact point where the Nexus of the End is located."
Upon hearing that name, Eleonor's breath caught for a moment.
"All right," she replied in her characteristic tone. "Noah hasn't fully recovered yet. He had to use the relic, and his body felt the strain, but it's nothing serious."
"He is resting in my apartment right now, just as safe as our mansion. I will contact Sophie so she can prepare the plane. We will travel first to Anádyer and then to Vayegi."
Maeve took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a few seconds.
"How is it possible that you know all that?"
"You haven't forgotten who my parents were," Eleonor replied.
"You're right… forgive me."
"Remember: this mission is crucial. You must not only protect Noah. Not only the fate of our families is at stake… the fate of humanity depends on you."
"I understand, Aunt," Eleonor said firmly. "We will not fail."
After ending the call, Eleonor took a deep breath and looked toward the horizon. The mission awaiting them in Russia would be dangerous, but now they had a clear objective, and the hope that together they could face anything filled them with determination.
Meanwhile, in Ireland, Maeve gazed out the window, her heart pounding. Knowing that Noah was still alive was a spark of light amid so much darkness.