Sons of a devil-Chapter 57: Echoes of blood and bond

Cain didn't laugh. He rarely did. But Selene saw a twitch in the corner of his mouth. That was progress.

As they prepared to move again, Leo found a stone path veiled by enchanted vines. The air grew colder with each step. The trees began to change, the leaves turning blood-red and the bark black as ash. It was a land between realms—the place where darkness rooted itself in every branch.

Selene walked beside Cain, watching his face tighten with each step. "Are you scared?"

He didn't answer immediately.

"Not for me," he finally said. "For you. For them. I don't know what he'll do when he sees us. When he sees me."

She took his hand, grounding him. "Then let him see who you've become. Not what he made you."

Ahead, Eren and Leo had stopped at a clearing. In the center stood a monolith of black stone, engraved with ancient runes. It pulsed with crimson light.

"This is a gateway," Leo whispered.

"To where?" Eren asked.

Cain stepped forward. "To him."

They circled the monolith, debating whether to activate it. Selene leaned against a nearby tree, her breathing still shallow. She hadn't fully healed, and the journey was wearing her thin.

Eren noticed and walked over, handing her a water flask. "You're trying to act strong, but we see you. You don't have to carry us."

She smiled, accepting the flask. "Neither do you. But you all do anyway. That's what makes you different. That's what makes you better than him."

A sudden pulse of energy erupted from the monolith. They all staggered, the ground quaking beneath their feet.

"It's reacting to us," Leo said. "To our blood."

Cain stepped closer, placing his hand on the stone. It was cold—colder than death. And yet, it welcomed him. The runes flared.

A voice echoed in their minds.

"My sons... You have grown. Come, and face what you were born for."

Eren backed away. "Okay, that was either really cool or I just peed myself."

Cain's eyes glowed faintly red. He looked at his brothers, then at Selene. "This is it."

Leo nodded. "We step through together."

Eren sighed. "Group trauma bonding it is."

They joined hands, a circle of old pain, new strength, and unspoken love. Selene held Cain's hand tighter, knowing this next step might break them all.

The monolith opened like a wound in the world, revealing a corridor of crimson mist.

They stepped in.

---

On the other side, the air was heavier. Shadows moved even when there was no light. The land was scorched and raw, as though the earth itself had screamed.

Eira's sacrifice lingered in the air.

They hadn't spoken of her much, not since her death. But now, the weight of her absence felt like a missing limb. It was Leo who broke the silence.

"She should've been here. She wanted to see this through."

Cain touched the locket Eira had given him. "She is here. In all of us."

Selene rested her hand on his shoulder. "Then let her strength carry us forward."

The brothers walked onward.

Toward the devil they called father.

Toward the end—or a new beginning.