[Content Warning: This chapter contains graphic violence, torture, and disturbing imagery. Reader discretion is advised.]
Dorne and Thom stepped into Dorne's house and headed down the stairs into the dim basement lined with racks of weapons. Dorne jerked his chin toward a shelf.
"Help me move this," he said.
Thom gave him a flat look. "Don't joke. You don't need me for that—just move it."
A grin tugged at Dorne's mouth. He shoved the heavy shelf aside as if it weighed nothing.
Behind it—hidden in the gloom—were things that didn't belong in this world. A jar of eyeballs, each socket holding two retinas, floating in yellow preservatives. A blackened skull riddled with holes. Bones etched with markings that shimmered faintly under the lantern light. Claws sharp enough to shear steel.
Neither man spoke. They just grabbed what they needed and started back toward Thom's house.
On the way, they spotted Jaren, Calla, and Anika coming from the opposite side of the street. With them were the town's children—Eli, Lina, Tobin, Nico, and Mira—walking together in a small cluster.
Thom put out an arm to stop Dorne. "You need to change, or wait until they're inside."
"Why?"
Thom sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look at yourself. You're still covered in blood. Anika and I cleaned up, but you ran off to that wreck of a house just to keep an eye on those two soldiers, to make sure they didn't get near Nero. If you walk in like this, the kids will panic."
Dorne scratched the back of his head. "You're right. Fine. I'll run back and wash up. You take what you're holding—I'll bring the rest later."
"Good. Just hurry."
Dorne turned and sprinted back toward his house. Thom, holding the strange materials, fell in step with the others.
Jaren eyed him. "Where's Elias?"
"He went back to get cleaned," Thom said.
Calla tilted her head. "Do you have everything we need?"
"Most. The rest is with Dorne. He'll bring them soon."
Nico, small hand curled around Calla's, peered up. "What was that noise earlier?"
Thom's smile came easy. "That? Just a wolf nosing around the edge of town. I fired a shot to scare it away."
Mira's eyes widened. "Is it gone?"
Thom reached out and patted her head. "Yes. It won't be coming back."
Beside him, Lina slipped free of Anika's hand and clung to his instead. She grinned. "Dad, dad."
"Yes, Lina?"
"Eli peed his pants today."
Eli's face went red. "Only 'cause you scared me with that monster story!"
"Scaredy cat," Lina teased.
"Lina," Thom's voice sharpened. "That's not nice. Apologize."
She dropped her head. "Sorry, Eli."
Eli crossed his arms but nodded. Behind them, Tobin, Nico, and Mira burst out laughing.
By the time they reached Thom's house, Anika had already taken a vial and strips of cloth from her bag. She crouched so her voice met the children at their level, soft and reassuring.
"Listen carefully. You know Elias was hurt fighting the monster, right?"
The children nodded quickly.
Tobin frowned. "Is he okay now?"
"Yes. He's fine." Anika's smile was gentle. "But when Thom carried him back, his blood spilled on the floor. We need to clean it, or it could make people sick. Why do we always keep everything clean?"
"To keep diseases away," they all answered in unison. "So we don't get ill."
"Correct." She clapped once, warmly. "Now, hold out these cloths."
They each took one.
"I'll put a little medicine on them. Cover your mouth and nose, and breathe deeply. That way you won't catch anything."
Nico squinted. "Why don't you need it?"
"Because we're grown-ups," Anika said smoothly. "We don't get sick as easily."
Eli shot a glance at Jaren and grinned. "But Mr. Vos got sick a few days ago. Does that mean Mr. Vos is a kid like us?"
Laughter erupted—kids and adults alike.
"I'm not a kid, you brat," Jaren muttered, glaring.
"Alright, enough," Anika cut in, still smiling. "Hands out."
The children held the cloths in both palms. One by one, she poured the liquid onto them. A pungent odor rose into the air. They obeyed, covering their noses and mouths, breathing in.
Lina wrinkled her face. "It stinks."
Eli's eyelids fluttered. His voice came slow, slurred. "Yeah… but I can… take it…"
One by one, their small bodies swayed, then slumped soundlessly to the ground.
The laughter was gone.
"Pick them up," Anika said. Her voice was cold now—stripped bare. "Bring them downstairs."
Jaren smirked. "They fell for it that easy? Kids really are stupid."
One by one, the children were lifted from the ground. They carried them below—toward the cellar, where Nero lay bound, bolted to the wall and floor.
Nero sat bound to the chair, legs bolted into the floor, arms pinned to the wall behind him. Every breath felt like a knife dragged through his chest. His mouth tasted of iron, thick and metallic, his mind fogging from the constant throb of pain.
Hey… you there? he called inward, reaching for Angelo.
No answer. Only silence.
Was I drugged? The thought clawed its way through the haze. Nothing ever worked on me before…
He forced his head up. I need to get out.
His arms twitched. The movement sent agony surging through him, white-hot, splitting his focus apart. He groaned, sweat rolling down his face. His body trembled uncontrollably, but he pulled harder.
A dull metallic ting echoed as the bolts dug deeper. Blood welled up, dripping steadily down his wrists. The scream that tore from him was raw, unfiltered, torn straight from his chest. The world tilted and spun around him, his vision strobing at the edges. His lungs fought for air.
"Calm down." Angelo's voice finally cut through, firm, grounding.
"Calm down? How?!" Nero's voice cracked. "It hurts so much!"
"I know. But if you lose yourself to the pain, you'll never get free. Focus. Don't just force it. Use the power. Control it."
Nero tried—breathing slow, trying to quiet the tremors in his arms. But the pain was relentless, gnawing at him. His body wouldn't stop shaking.
The heavy door creaked open.
Nero's head snapped up. Thom, Anika, Jaren, and Calla stepped in, carrying limp bodies in their arms. The children. Eli. Lina. Tobin. Nico. Mira.
Nero blinked, confusion crashing over the pain. Their small bodies were laid on the cold floor like discarded dolls.
Everyone but Anika left. She knelt down and began drawing a circle with the strange materials Thom had passed her.
Nero's voice rasped, barely more than a whisper. "Why… why are you doing this? Why the children? Aren't they your own flesh and blood?"
Anika's hand never faltered. Her voice was steady. "These kids aren't ours. We killed their parents and took them. Now they'll serve their purpose. They'll open the way… to the Realm Above All."
The Realm Above All? Nero's thoughts tangled.
"Not now," Angelo urged inside him. "You can't afford distractions. Focus on breaking free."
Nero's gaze locked on Anika. "What… did you inject me with? Nothing should work on me."
She finished the circle and rose, her eyes cold. "Do you like it?" Her tone dripped mockery. "It's my own formula. Enough to drop a herd of elephants. But you? You only look like you're high."
She drove her boot into his leg.
Agony ripped through him, and he screamed, voice cracking, blood flecking his lips.
"Does it hurt?" she asked sweetly. "You killed my pet. Now you pay."
He grit his teeth, forcing words past the pain. "What pet?"
Her boot slammed into his other leg. Another scream, torn raw from his throat.
"That monster you killed—the Hell Lizard. You called it a beast. To me, it was precious."
Tears streamed down his face, unbidden. His voice shook. "You… you brought that thing here? All those years ago?"
She seized his hair, yanking his head back until pain lanced down his neck. "Yes. I brought him. And you slaughtered him."
"That thing killed Sophia's parents," Nero spat, voice breaking. "It destroyed everything she had!"
Anika's lips curled. "So what? I needed this place. I told him to clear it out. He was wounded in the fight—lost sight in two of his eyes—but he did his job."
Rage ignited through the pain. Nero surged against the chair, bolting upright, strength flaring through the haze.
But a figure of shadow tore itself out of Anika's own, rising in jagged shape. It slammed him back down, pinning him.
Nero's voice dropped low, each word dripping with venom. "I'll kill you. I'll rip your spine out with my bare hands."
The shadow seized his jaw—then ripped it clean off.
A wet scream gurgled out of his torn mouth as blood sprayed. His head jerked forward, crimson spilling down his chest.
And then—bones cracked, skin knitted—the jaw regrew, reforming before the torn flesh even cooled. The severed jaw hit the floor with a dull thud.
The shadow slithered back into Anika's form.
Her eyes lingered on him, burning with hatred. "I want to kill you so badly."
She turned and walked out. The heavy door shut with a metallic slam. The lock clicked into place.
Nero sat slumped, bleeding, shaking in his restraints. Around him, the children lay sprawled across the stone floor, their small bodies flecked with blood.