Chapter 82: Threads of memories
The forest was eerily quiet in the aftermath of Eira's return. Trees smoldered with fading embers, the sky still wore the scars of the magical clash, and silence blanketed the earth like grief.
Selene stood in the heart of it all, her hand resting gently against a cracked tree trunk. Her body trembled—not from fear, but exhaustion. Her powers had flared wildly during the fight, and now her limbs felt like stone. Still, her mind buzzed with one name.
Eira.
Cain paced nearby, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles blanched. His flames had finally gone out, leaving only ash smudged across his arms. "We should've seen this coming. She died because of us. And now he has her."
Eren sat a few feet away, blood on his temple, a gash on his cheek. He was unusually quiet, shadow magic flickering in and out of existence around him like his thoughts were unstable. Leo crouched beside their mother's unconscious form, trying to channel enough electricity to gently rouse her. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.
"She hesitated," Selene finally said. "When I spoke to her—just for a second—she stopped. That means she's still in there."
"She nearly killed you," Cain snapped. "Don't make excuses for her."
"I'm not," Selene replied, turning to face him, her voice calm but firm. "But I'm not giving up on her either."
Leo sighed, brushing a hand over their mother's hair. "We don't even know where he's taken her."