Sons of a devil-Chapter 86: A fractured light

Behind them, Eira stirred.

Her fingers twitched first. Then her eyes snapped open. She sat up with a violent gasp, chest heaving like she'd been drowning in a dream.

Everyone rushed to her—but Cain held up his hand. "Wait."

Eira's eyes darted from one face to another—fearful, wild.

"No," she whispered. "No, stay back—what did I do?"

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"It wasn't you," Selene said gently, crouching near her. "You were controlled. But you're back now."

Tears welled up in Eira's eyes. "I remember... I remember trying to fight it, but I couldn't stop... I—I hurt you."

Leo crouched down too, his usual sarcasm stripped away. "Yeah. You threw me through a wall. But I've had worse."

Eren gave a half-smile. "You're still family. We don't throw family away."

Eira broke down then, sobbing into her hands as Cain wrapped his arms around her.

"You're not alone anymore," he said. "We've all been broken in different ways. But we put each other back together."

Behind them, Amara looked away, hiding the emotion in her eyes.

Later that day, the group moved toward the forest clearing where they had first met their mother—Neriah. She stood tall now, regal and glowing with energy slowly returning to her with every moment she spent near her children.

The air shimmered as she looked at her sons and at Selene with a pride so fierce it nearly overwhelmed her.

"You've all grown," she said softly. "Even in the face of despair, you chose mercy."

Selene lowered her head slightly. "We don't want to become monsters. Even if we were born from one."

Cain looked at his mother. "What do we do now?"

Neriah closed her eyes, breathing in the magic of the earth. "Your father... he's closer than we think. He's watching. Waiting."

"Waiting for what?" Eren asked.

"For your breaking point," she answered. "But there's something else..."

She turned to the forest, the wind tugging at her silver hair. "There's another presence. Not him—but something ancient. And it's waking up."

The brothers stiffened.

"You mean something worse than Dad?" Leo asked, brows raised.

She nodded slowly. "He wasn't working alone. And the creature that controlled Eira? That was just a fragment of it."

A thick silence followed her words.

Eira stepped forward. "Then let me help fix what I've broken. I know its voice. I know how it moves. I can find it."

Cain looked at her, conflicted. "It almost killed you."

"But it didn't. And now I can use that connection against it," she said firmly.

Selene glanced at Cain, then nodded. "Then we move. Together."

Neriah raised her hand—and the earth beneath them cracked open to reveal a glowing symbol etched into stone.

"Your path lies below," she said. "In the Catacombs of Binding. If we are to face your father and his master, you must first face what binds you—to your past, your powers, and to each other."

The siblings looked at one another.

No more running.

They were ready.