Selene's breath ca in shallow gasps, her body limp against Cain's chest. His hands trembled as he cradled her, blood and dust staining her once-luminous skin. Her glow had dimd, flickering like a candle fighting against the wind.
"She's burning from the inside," Eren said quietly, kneeling beside them. His hand hovered above her chest, feeling the unnatural rhythm of her energy. "Her power—whatever it did—it nearly tore her apart."
Leo knelt on the other side, his voice low, shaken. "She used everything she had to save us. Even after knowing how dangerous it was."
Cain didn't speak. His jaw clenched as he pressed his forehead against Selene's. He whispered her na like a prayer, over and over again, as if the sound of it could anchor her soul.
"I can't lose her," he said finally, his voice raw. "Not her. Not after everything."
"We won't," Leo said, though his tone lacked conviction. "We'll figure sothing out. There's got to be a way to restore her energy. Maybe Mom—"
"She's still weak," Eren reminded him. "But... she might know sothing. If we can get Selene back to her."
Cain scooped Selene into his arms, holding her close as if letting go would break him too. "Then we move. Now."
They made their way through the forest under a heavy, strained silence. The trees whispered above them, and the night air felt colder than before. Every crack of a branch underfoot reminded them of the danger that still lurked just behind the veil.
As they approached their temporary camp, their mother stirred for the first ti in hours. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, ancient and heavy with knowledge. When she saw the brothers and Selene—unconscious, barely clinging—she sat upright despite her weakness.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice rasped with fatigue.
"She saved us," Cain answered. "She fought him. She used everything."
Their mother's eyes darkened. "He forced her to awaken her true light. That power... it was never ant to be wielded so soon."
"Can you help her?" Eren asked, a rare note of desperation in his voice.
Their mother nodded faintly. "There's a ritual. But it will take ti and the cooperation of you all. You're bonded to her now. Especially you, Cain."
"I'll do anything," Cain said without hesitation.
The brothers sat in a circle around Selene, and their mother began to chant, drawing symbols in the dirt around them. Light glowed faintly from her fingertips. The air thickened. Energy pulsed from the ground like a heartbeat shared between them all.
One by one, the boys channeled their powers—not to destroy, but to heal. Leo's flas danced gently over her limbs, warming her fragile veins. Eren's cool magic sealed the cracks that spidered through her energy. Cain pressed a hand to her heart, pouring his soul into hers.
"Co back to ," he whispered, tears slipping down his cheeks. "You promised you'd stay."
The ritual grew brighter, louder. Wind roared, light surged, and then—
Silence.
Selene gasped, her back arching as if yanked from a dream. Her eyes flew open, tears already falling. Cain pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face in her hair. "You scared the hell out of ."
Selene clung to him. "You pulled back."
"I'll always pull you back."
Leo groaned as he stood. "Okay, that was the sappiest thing I've ever witnessed. If I had to channel my fire for romance, I demand chocolate."
Eren smirked. "Seconded."
Selene laughed softly, even as tears slid down her cheeks. "You guys are idiots."
"Crackheads," Leo corrected. "Certified and dangerous."
Cain smiled as he helped her sit up. "But we're your idiots."
And in that fragile, golden hour, as magic still humd through the ground and the stars began to blink awake, the fractured family held each other close. The battle wasn't over, but for a mont—they had each other.
They had hope.
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