Chapter 58: Through the flames
The air was thick with the scent of ash and sulfur. The path ahead was no longer just a road—it was a trial. Charred trees reached up like skeletal hands, and the sky burned with a crimson hue that refused to fade. Cain walked at the front, his hand firmly clasping Selene's, her steps limping but steady after the last battle.
Leo and Eren flanked the sides, scanning the surroundings. Ever since Selene had gotten hurt, Cain hadn't let her out of his sight. His protective instincts were sharpened, every breath he took feeling like a countdown toward something inevitable.
"I swear," Leo muttered, "if one more flaming skeleton charges out of nowhere, I'm going to set myself on fire."
"I'd pay to see that," Eren replied with a smirk. "Be a great show before the end of the world."
Selene chuckled despite the pain. "You're all idiots. But I love you guys."
Cain looked at her, his eyes soft. "Even me?"
"Especially you," she whispered.
They paused before the obsidian bridge. It arched high over a river of molten lava. Beyond it lay the ruined gate to their father's domain. The Hellspire Fortress loomed behind it, spiked towers disappearing into the thick red mist.
Leo pressed his hand to the bridge. "This wasn't here last time. He's changing the realm. Preparing."