The ruins trembled as Adrian and Adriel struggled against the memories clawing their way to the surface.
Rene could feel it—whatever truth had been buried in their past, it was trying to force itself free. And the twins—strong as they were—weren't ready for it.
Adrian staggered back, gripping his head. His silver and black eyes flickered with something unfamiliar. Not pain. Not fear.
Something deeper.
Adriel was worse. His breath came in sharp gasps, his fingers twitching as if they were trying to hold onto something that kept slipping away.
The Watcher stood silently, watching.
Unmoved.
Unbothered.
Lucien had his blade drawn, golden eyes burning with fury. "Whatever you did to them, undo it."
The Watcher didn't move. "I did nothing."
Nyra stepped forward, her stance sharp. "Then why are they—"
"They are simply remembering."
The words sent a cold shiver down Rene's spine.
Because if Adrian and Adriel were remembering something—
It meant something had been taken from them.
Adrian suddenly let out a sharp breath, his head snapping up. His gaze locked onto the Watcher, and for the first time—
His silver and black light flared violently, like something inside him had been shattered.
"You—" His voice was raw, filled with recognition and something dangerously close to rage.
"You took her from us."
A silence so heavy it felt like the ruins themselves stopped breathing.
Rene's stomach twisted.
Her?
Adriel turned slowly, his expression haunted. "I remember now."
His voice was barely a whisper.
And then—
He reached out, fingers curling into a fist.
A sharp crack echoed through the air as the ruins trembled again—not from the Watcher, not from some external force—
But from Adriel's power.
Rene had never seen him like this.
Never seen the cold, quiet Adriel this close to breaking.
"What did you do?" she whispered.
Adrian and Adriel were many things. Cold. Deadly. Protective.
But not broken.
Not like this.
The Watcher finally moved. They tilted their head slightly, their mask reflecting the dying light.
"I did not take her." Their voice was calm, almost patient. "She was stolen. Just like you were."
Rene barely had time to process those words before—
Adrian lunged.
Silver and black light surged forward in an instant, aiming straight for the Watcher.
But the moment the power should have struck—
It vanished.
Like it had been swallowed by the air itself.
The Watcher didn't move. Didn't even react.
Adrian's chest rose and fell sharply, his teeth clenched.
Adriel exhaled shakily. "We… we weren't supposed to be here." His voice was hoarse, the weight of the realization clear in every word.
"They never wanted us to exist."
Rene felt the truth in those words, but she still didn't understand.
"Who?" she asked, voice quiet.
Adrian's silver and black gaze burned as he met her eyes.
"The ones who created us."
A sharp, sickening lurch twisted in Rene's stomach.
Lucien let out a low curse. Nyra's grip on her blade tightened. Even Kieran, for once, looked serious.
Created.
Not born.
Adrian and Adriel—two of the most powerful beings she knew—
Had not been meant to exist.
Rene swallowed hard. "Then who is she?" she whispered. "The one you lost?"
Adriel's gaze darkened.
Then, softly—
"The one who came before us."
Rena, silent until now, blinked slowly.
"The first key," she murmured.
And just like that—
The pieces began to fall into place.
To Be Continued…