Chapter 425 Love that Opens Wounds — The Return of the Qayin Curse
A thin mist rose from the altar ground, as if the surface of the world itself trembled under the weight of the newly spoken truth.
Joanna stood at the center of the unfinished ritual, her hands still tightly clasping Rui's cold fingers. In the chill of the night breeze, she felt her sister's weak heartbeat, as if it were trying to resist the fratricide curse binding them together. Rui's body appeared calm, as though asleep in a protective light. The Alpha protectors paused their assault, momentarily stunned by Joanna's confession—words that had shattered the oldest laws of the world.
"I love her..."
"Not because she is my sister..."
"But because she is my choice."
Silence.
The aether light circled gently, like delicate threads binding the reality around her. Joanna's wings fluttered softly, as if awakening the hidden spirit within her, a gentle glow reverberating around her, signaling the long-repressed truth. However, from within Rui's body—from behind the bones, blood, and darkest memories—something responded.
A black-red aura began to seep from Rui's chest. The symbol of fratricide that had previously subsided ignited once more, spreading like poison throughout her body. It grew wild, carving into Rui like an open wound that refused to heal, while Joanna's serenity seemed to dissolve in the surrounding anguish.
Joanna gasped, her heart trembling between love and fear.
"No... not now..."
But it was too late.