Chapter 72: echoes of blood
The fire had long since died down. Ash curled lazily into the predawn air. Everyone else was asleep—Leo sprawled with an arm over his face, Eren curled protectively near the new girl who had yet to reveal her name. But Cain and Selene remained awake, sitting side by side on a mossy stone beneath the stars.
Cain's eyes were narrowed, scanning the trees with practiced vigilance. Selene rested her chin on her knees, her voice barely a whisper.
"Do you think he's really coming?"
Cain didn't answer right away. His hand twitched beside hers before he finally said, "He's always been coming. The only difference is we're strong enough to face him now."
Selene turned to him, brows creasing. "You still don't talk about him. Not really."
Cain sighed. "Because there's nothing to say that wouldn't make it worse."
"I want to know. For me. Not the mission. Just..." she hesitated. "For us."
Cain's lips parted, and something flickered in his gaze—like a child remembering something he had tried to forget.
"He had this voice," Cain began slowly. "Low, calm... like ice. But when he got angry, it could fill a room. Like it wasn't just him—like something ancient was speaking through him."