Sons of a devil-Chapter 128: Echoes in dark

The three of them crept through the palace like ghosts, past silent guards and sleepy servants. They were halfway to the old war chamber when they froze.

A cold breeze blew past them from... nowhere.

Rina blinked. "Okay, so it's not just me. That was freaky."

The doors to the chamber were wide open.

Inside, the map table flickered to life on its own—light magic pulsing erratically. Symbols twisted and moved unnaturally. Shadows gathered in the corners, long and reaching.

Azrael stepped forward cautiously. "This isn't just some leftover enchantment..."

Caelan, now wide awake and standing behind them, narrowed his eyes. "Something's watching us."

Then came the voice.

Low. Ancient. Not angry—worse. Intrigued.

"You are the children of blood. Of vengeance. Of fire. You carry the weight of broken thrones. Do you really think the world is done testing you?"

The shadows danced.

Rina's eyes flared red. "You wanna test me? I'll turn your voice into a barbeque."

The room shook. Just slightly. Like something laughed—without a sound.

Then, silence.

The map stilled. The shadows dissolved.

But the message was clear: peace was a pause, not the end.

The trio returned to their rooms, quiet, thoughtful. In the morning, they told their parents.

Cain, hand tightening on Selene's, said grimly, "So it begins again."

Selene whispered, "Let them come."

From across the palace, Eira and Eren stood on the tower balcony, having sensed the same disturbance. They didn't speak. They didn't need to.

And far away, in a place beyond name, eyes opened.

The next morning, the sun rose over the palace, painting the sky in soft hues of pink and gold. It was peaceful—too peaceful. Azrael Jr. and Caelan stood near the palace courtyard, the air thick with the kind of silence that made their hearts race. They hadn't said much after the unsettling events of the previous night. Even the usually mischievous Rina had quieted down, her fiery personality dimmed as the weight of what they'd felt lingered in the air.

"What do you think it was?" Azrael Jr. asked, breaking the silence as he tossed a stone into the fountain, watching the ripples spread.

Caelan leaned against a column, his gaze distant. "I don't know. But I don't like it. It's like something's watching us, waiting."

Rina, who had been fiddling with a twig, threw a glance over her shoulder. "You guys are way too serious. Come on, let's have a little fun before this whole 'destiny' thing catches up to us."

Azrael Jr. shot her a smirk. "Fun? You mean starting a fire in the kitchen again?"

Rina rolled her eyes, her hands glowing slightly with the faintest flicker of flame, but she quickly stilled them when she saw the somber looks on their faces. "Fine, no fire. But seriously, you've got to stop looking so tense. It's not like it's the first time weird stuff has happened to us."

Azrael Jr. chuckled. "Yeah, well, this one felt different."

Before anyone could respond, a loud voice echoed from the far end of the courtyard. "You three, come here."

It was Cain. His commanding presence couldn't be ignored. With Selene by his side, they looked every bit the regal rulers they were, but even they couldn't hide the concern in their eyes.

Azrael Jr. exchanged a glance with Caelan and Rina before nodding. "Guess the talking has started."

They walked toward their parents, each step heavier than the last. The seriousness on their parents' faces only deepened the weight on their hearts.

"What happened last night?" Cain's voice was calm but held a firmness that let them know he wasn't in the mood for games.

Azrael Jr. glanced at Caelan, who nodded, signaling that they should tell them everything. "We felt something. A presence. It spoke to us, through shadows. It's like someone—or something—was watching us. I don't know how to explain it, but it felt wrong."

Selene's eyes darkened as she looked between her children. "A presence? Did it say anything specific?"

Azrael Jr. hesitated. "It said... 'You are the children of blood. Of vengeance. Of fire. You carry the weight of broken thrones.' It sounded old. Ancient. Like it's been waiting for something."

Cain's eyes narrowed. "And what else?"

Caelan added, "It felt like a warning. Or an invitation. But I didn't get the sense that it was something friendly."

Selene exchanged a look with Cain. "This isn't just a coincidence. We've seen threats before, but this... feels different."

Rina, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke up. "What if it's someone from the past? Someone we thought was gone?"

Cain looked at her sharply, but she met his gaze, unflinching. "It makes sense, doesn't it? The throne's been shaken up. Power has shifted. Maybe someone wants to take advantage of that."

The air seemed to grow even colder at Rina's words. Azrael Jr. could feel the tension rising. Something was coming. And they had no idea what it was, but it wasn't going to be something they could just ignore.

Cain sighed, turning to Selene. "We need to prepare for whatever this is. We won't let them take what we've built."

Selene nodded. "We've overcome so much, and we'll face whatever this is together. Our children are stronger than anyone could imagine."

The words felt heavy, like an oath. The promise that no matter what lay ahead, they would stand united. They would fight. And they would win.

But the unease in Azrael Jr.'s heart didn't fade. If anything, it grew stronger. Whoever—whatever—had spoken to them wasn't just a shadow in the dark. They were something far more dangerous. The calm before the storm was gone, and all that was left was the storm itself.

"We'll be ready," Azrael Jr. said, his voice steady despite the growing dread. "We won't let anyone tear this family apart."

Rina nodded, her usual playful grin now replaced with determination. "We've faced worse. We can do this."

Caelan cracked his knuckles, a flicker of firelight dancing in his eyes. "I'm more than ready."

The family stood together, united, knowing that the calm would be shattered soon enough. Whatever awaited them was close. And they would face it head-on, no matter the cost.

As the sky above them darkened, a distant rumble of thunder rolled across the land. It was as though the world itself was warning them. A storm was coming, and this time, it wasn't just the weather.