The shadows folded inward.
Not tearing.
Not warping.
They simply made room.
Rayon stepped out first, darkness peeling away from his form like a living cloak. Nyk followed, flicking ash from a cigarette that hadn't burned down even a millimeter. Christine emerged last, calm as ever, her gun already gone—dismissed like a thought no longer needed.
Isola Krein welcomed them in silence.
The gravity here was steady. Calm. Obedient.
Azelar sat beneath the wide shade of an ancient tree near the mansion, tea steaming gently in his hand. He didn't look surprised. He rarely did.
"So," Azelar said, taking a slow sip, eyes half-lidded.
"You've seen some of your old friends."
Rayon laughed—low, genuine, almost amused.
"Friends?" he repeated. "No. They aren't friends of mine."
He stretched his arms slightly, shadows curling lazily around his shoulders.
"They could be my enemies too. I couldn't care less. The outcome wouldn't change."
Nyk smirked.
"Yeah," he said. "About that… I think I found who my match is."
Christine tilted her head slightly, eyes thoughtful.
"Asura," she said calmly. "That one's yours."
She glanced sideways at Nyk.
"And Kiandrae fits you better."
Nyk chuckled.
"Cold, sharp, and pissed off all the time? Yeah. Sounds about right."
A soft voice interrupted them.
"So they exist after all," Nexus said.
She stood a few steps away, leaning lightly against the mansion's railing, cradling both children in her arms. Lucifer was awake, eyes deep black and observant, faint golden scales shimmering along his skin. Esdeath slept—peaceful, unnervingly still—her black star eyes hidden behind closed lids.
"The Monarchs, I mean," Nexus continued. "I always wondered if that was just old cosmic myth."
Rayon walked to her without hesitation.
"Yeah," he said gently. "They're real."
He brushed his fingers along Esdeath's tiny hand, then kissed Nexus's forehead.
"But don't worry, babe."
His voice lowered—not softer, but heavier.
"This planet is governed by me. Not them. Not the Destroyers. Not the Monarchs."
His eyes flicked briefly toward the sky.
"And no one is welcome here unless I allow it. If anyone chooses to invade my planet… I'll see it coming."
Nexus smiled faintly.
"I figured."
Azelar watched the exchange quietly, something unreadable passing through his eyes.
Family.
Something he had lost too early.
Something he was witnessing now.
Christine leaned against a pillar nearby, arms folded, relaxed for once. Nyk walked over and peeked at the babies.
"Damn," he muttered. "They already look like trouble."
Lucifer turned his head slightly.
The air bent.
Not violently.
Not visibly.
But reality leaned toward him, like it was waiting for instruction.
Rayon noticed instantly.
His smile widened.
Then his gaze shifted to Esdeath.
The air around her didn't bend.
It hesitated.
Time didn't slow.
Possibility did.
As if the world itself was unsure what was allowed to happen near her.
Rayon lay down beside Nexus on the wide bed inside the mansion, one arm around her, watching their children quietly.
No grand declarations.
No cosmic threats.
Just a father, observing.
He leaned close and whispered, barely audible—even to gods.
"My children are going to be so badass."
Outside, Isola Krein remained peaceful.
But far beyond it—
The universe was already adjusting.