Sons of a devil-Chapter 97: Calm before storm

"And Eira?" Selene asked quietly, eyes flickering with pain.

Leo's jaw tightened. "We'll try to save her. But if we can't..."

He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to.

That night, a feast was held—not in celebration, but in solidarity. The halls were full of warmth: the maids dancing with knights, the cooks singing old ballads, the castle glowing with a soft, defiant joy. As if everyone knew it might be their last night and chose to live it fully.

Eren led a chaotic drinking game that ended with half the guards passed out in the gardens. Leo, reluctantly dragged into the festivities, actually laughed—loud and real. Their mother danced, regal and proud, while their father watched from the shadows, never quite stepping into the light.

Cain and Selene stole away to the rooftops, wrapped in each other's arms, watching the stars.

"I'm afraid," she admitted, voice barely audible.

"Me too," Cain said, kissing her temple. "But I'd rather face it with you than live a thousand peaceful years without you."

And when the moon reached its peak, casting silver across the kingdom's rooftops, they all knew:

Tomorrow, they would face darkness.

But tonight—they remembered who they were. And why they'd fight.

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

The next morning dawned with a tension that wrapped around the castle like a second skin. There was no more laughter. No more wine. No more room for jokes or teasing. Just armor clinking, swords being sharpened, spells whispered beneath breath.

Cain stood before a row of young soldiers, most barely out of their teens. His voice was steady as he spoke, guiding them through the battle strategy. Yet his thoughts were pulled toward Selene. He couldn't stop thinking about the way she'd fallen asleep in his arms, her breath warm against his chest. The world felt terrifyingly real now, and so did the thought of losing her.

In the training grounds, Leo and Eren sparred under the guidance of their father. It was strange—fighting beside the man who once let darkness eat at their family from the inside. But now, he was silent and focused, watching each movement like it might be the last he ever saw.

"I still don't trust you," Leo said between strikes, blade clashing against their father's.

"I don't expect you to," their father said quietly. "But I am proud of you."

Leo hesitated for a second—just a heartbeat—and in that moment, his father disarmed him.

Eren burst out laughing. "He got you good, big bro."

"Shut up," Leo growled, rubbing his shoulder.

Their mother walked across the courtyard, her presence commanding. Her eyes landed on the three of them, and something in her gaze softened. "We fight as one," she said. "Even if our past is stained."

Selene was in the temple chambers, kneeling before the Flame Altar. Her palms hovered over the golden surface, sweat forming on her brow. She was drawing on her full strength now—no limits. The power surged through her in chaotic waves. It scared her, but she didn't back down.

A healer stepped forward. "Your energy is unstable, my lady. You should rest."

"I don't have time to rest," she replied. "I have a kingdom to protect."

When she rejoined the others at the war room, her steps faltered. Cain caught her before she fell. He looked into her pale face, alarmed. "You're burning yourself out."

Selene leaned into him, her forehead against his. "Then hold me together."

Their embrace was brief, but it centered them both. The others watched silently—no longer surprised by the way they grounded each other.

That night, under a sky laced with storm clouds and uncertainty, they all gathered around a fire lit in the middle of the palace courtyard. It wasn't for warmth. It was for memory.

Their father approached, holding a piece of parchment. "When you were children," he began, voice rough with emotion, "I used to dream of this. All of us together. Fighting the same fight."

"You still lost us," Eren said bluntly.

"I did," he agreed. "And I may never deserve forgiveness. But I'll stand between you and the enemy this time. No matter the cost."

A heavy silence fell. Then Cain stepped forward, nodding once. It wasn't forgiveness, but it was something.

The fire crackled. And as the storm gathered in the distance, thunder rumbling like the war drums of fate, the family stood together.

Cain. Leo. Eren. Selene. Their mother. Their father.

Once broken.

Now forged anew.

Tomorrow, the skies would burn.

But tonight, they were whole.