Kael sat heavily on the sofa. The souls of his companions gathered around him in a quiet circle. He stared at the glass in his hand. His grip tightened.
"I want to know who killed my parents," Kael whispered.
Drakes cracked his knuckles. A grim expression crossed his face. "I am not entirely sure, Kael. But the execution style belongs to the Shadow Lord."
Kael's eyes widened in disbelief. "The Shadow Lord? How is that possible? We already killed him."
"You broke his core," Drakes sighed heavily. "But he draws power from the darkness. He revived himself."
"What was his real name?" Kael pressed.
Drakes frowned. "I do not know his true name. I only know one thing. He is the monster who wiped out the Void Realm."
Azune's eyes turned bloodshot with pure rage. Kael slid over and sat close to her. He gently rubbed her back to comfort her.
The living room door swung open. Renjiro walked in. A calm smile played on his lips, but his eyes remained closed.
Suddenly, the air in the room turned freezing cold. Renjiro's smile trembled.
"I came to see my friend," Renjiro said. His voice shook. "But the air here is heavy. A bomb just dropped in this room."
Tears streamed from his closed eyes. He choked back a sob. His composure broke completely. Renjiro fell to his knees and wept openly on the floor. "Why, Drakes? Why did you hide these things from me?"
Drakes watched him quietly. "The Shadow Realm already claims him."
"How can you say that?" Kael asked, frowning.
Dark Smiler spoke from the shadows. "In the end, every living being returns to their true home."
Renjiro stood up slowly. He wiped his tear-stained face. He looked at Drakes. "Thank you for the truth."
Then he turned to Azune. "Sister, I will take our revenge."
Xiyan stepped forward quickly. "Renjiro, wait—"
Before anyone could move, Renjiro vanished into thin air.
Kael sank back onto the sofa. He buried his face in his hands.
Vajr sat beside him. His voice was steady. "Let him go, Kael. The Shadow Lord holds the power of the Shadow Monarch. Renjiro must face his own path."
"He is a total mystery," Kael muttered.
Drakes smirked slightly. "Just like you are."
The words struck Kael. A sudden realization hit him. His father had always kept secrets to protect their family name. The answers were in the house.
Kael bolted out of the living room. He ran straight toward the library. He threw the heavy doors open and rushed to the farthest corner. Kneeling on the floor, he pulled out a hidden stack of old books.
Drakes followed him inside. He leaned against the wall. "Are those the books your father told you to burn?"
Kael clutched them tightly against his chest. "I couldn't do it before. It was too hard."
Nyx walked over and touched a cover. "Maybe it is time, Kael."
Xiyan patted his shoulder. "Sometimes, heavy burdens only leave us when we let them burn."
The entire group stepped forward. They wrapped Kael in a warm, tight embrace. Sara appeared at the doorway and ran over to join them. For the first time since his parents' death, a genuine smile touched Kael's lips.
Kael gathered the books and walked out into the backyard. The morning air was crisp. He built a small fire pit with stones and dry wood. He set the wood alight and placed the books into the flames.
They stood in a silent circle. The bright flames turned his father's final burdens into harmless ash. As the last flame died, the first rays of the morning sun broke through the horizon.
Kael tightened his fists. The grief in his eyes turned into raw determination. His father's corporate empire was their greatest weapon, and it was time to weaponize it.
"My father built a million-dollar business as a shield," Kael said, his voice ringing clear. "Now, we take the offensive. We are going to turn it into a trillion-dollar empire. We will use every resource we have to hunt the Shadow Lord."
Nyx laughed softly. "Now you are finally talking just like your father."
The heavy tension broke. Everyone burst into shared laughter.
"I see the youngsters are up early and chilling," a booming, cheerful voice called out.
They turned to see Alex Vrenj walking into the yard. A collective smile spread across their faces.
"Good morning, Uncle Vrenj!"