He came back wrapped in darkness, the kind that clung to him like a second skin. The guards felt it at once—the heat in his stare, the weight pressing down on the air. No one spoke. Most barely breathed.
He headed straight for the guardhouse.
"Christopher." His voice rolled like distant thunder.
The chief of security turned and bowed. "Young Master."
"Bring me a criminal," Adrian said. A low growl edged his words. "Someone no one will miss."
Every guard went rigid.
They didn't ask questions. They all understood one thing—Adrian stood beyond limits. And something inside him had just cracked.
"Yes, Young Master," Christopher answered at once. His face gave nothing away.
Back at Carter Manor, silence filled the room, thick and uneasy.
Old Lue stood at the foot of the bed with her arms crossed. Her gaze cut deep, old as stone.
"You're an angel," she said.
Leron, now sitting upright, blinked. "How did you—?"
He paused, then added, "You and that gyn—Eloise. She said it like praise. She didn't even know what she meant."
Lue let out a dry scoff. "Do I look Gyn to you? Or Elven?"
She stepped closer and let her aura slip free. Moonlight silver shimmered around her as ancient magic coiled tight.
"I am Lue Thorne. Twelfth Matriarch of the Thorne Fairy Tribe. One of the last Houses that still remembers what true bloodlines mean." Her eyes sharpened. "So I'll ask again—who are you?"
Leron's faint smile returned, touched with quiet pride. His silver-blond hair caught the light. He straightened, every movement carrying noble ease.
"I am Leron Vaciem," he said, calm and steady.
"Eighth Prince of the Vaciem Angels."
////
Inside Wilbert Manor, past the silent halls and behind the heavy doors of Adrian's chambers, something felt off.
One cabinet door stood slightly open.
At a glance, it looked careless. A simple mistake. But anyone with real sense would see the truth. The space inside didn't hold clothes or forgotten heirlooms.
It held a tear.
Space itself split open into a swirling void—black, endless, shifting. Unstable energy hummed through it. A rift. It did not belong in this world.
Adrian stood within.
Metal thickened the air. Blood scented everything. Crimson runes pulsed beneath his boots, carved deep by raw fury. His arms hung loose at his sides. His hands dripped.
Red.
Whatever—or whoever—he dragged in here had fed the storm inside him.
He studied the blood on his fingers as if he'd only half-finished a painting. Regret never touched his face. Fear never came close. Only stillness.
The void rippled.
"Hm."
Smoke twisted into the shape of a woman. Olga's bare feet brushed the slick floor as her form settled, her robe flowing like living shadow.
She lifted a brow, eyes moving from Adrian to the twitching remains behind him.
"You keep pushing the line, child," Olga said, voice slow and amused. "You're drawing attention you don't want."
Adrian didn't look at her. He flexed his stained fingers, almost curious.
"I felt like venting," he said.
Calm. Too calm. The kind of calm that made instincts scream.
Olga circled him at an easy pace.
"Eyes are turning your way. Beings that left you alone now feel curious. Even the Divine Order Court has started peeking. You really want to throw a fit that loud?"
Shadows flickered around him, reacting to thoughts he never voiced.
"They should know better," he murmured. "Than to look."
Silence stretched.
A smile tugged at his lips. It didn't belong there. "Or maybe… they should come."
Olga's gaze hardened.
"You're falling apart faster than I thought," she said under her breath. "Was it the girl?"
Adrian gave no answer.
He didn't need to.
The void throbbed once, deeper this time. The rift widened, letting out a soft, pained shriek like a wounded beast.
"Don't forget, Adrian," Olga said, her tone turning sharp. Cold. "Even mortals bleed when they don't understand themselves. Don't act foolish. Remember who you are."
Smoke swallowed her form. She vanished into the dark she'd stepped from.
Adrian stood alone again.
His breathing slowed. He closed his eyes and spoke into the endless black.
"Then let them come."