The corridor pulsed with red emergency light as Raven ran, Luna tucked tightly into her arms, her little girl clinging to her like a second skin.
"Mommy, I'm scared…"
"I know, baby. I know. We're going somewhere safe," Raven whispered, her voice shaking more than she wanted to admit. She spared a glance over her shoulder. The glass-strewn hallway behind them was empty—for now.
Somewhere in that shattered suite, Aurelio was fighting.
And killing.
She knew him. Knew what he was capable of when someone threatened what was his.
And now, Luna was his.
The weight of that thought was heavier than the child in her arms. Because everything was unraveling—and fast.
Raven burst through the service stairwell door, hissing when the metal scraped her already bruised knuckles. She didn't stop. Every thump of her boots down the stairs echoed like gunshots.
Halfway down, Luna whimpered again. "Mommy… my hand hurts."
Raven slowed just enough to glance at Luna's hand. The same golden glow she'd seen before shimmered along the girl's small fingers.
Raven's stomach dropped. "Oh no…"
It was waking again.
Just like when she was a toddler—emotional surges triggering sparks, lights, strange tremors in the room.
But this time it was stronger. Wilder.
"We have to get to Isabella," Raven murmured, voice firm, grounding herself. "She knows what to do."
She reached the underground garage, heart hammering. Her car was parked across the shadowed lot, too far. She ducked behind a concrete pillar just as movement flickered at the far end.
Two dark-clad figures entered, slow, deliberate.
Raven closed her eyes, breathing deeply.
Then—
A low, guttural growl tore through the silence.
Not human.
She turned just in time to see Aurelio emerge from the elevator—blood on his shirt, his eyes glowing faintly amber, his steps like a predator stalking its prey.
Luna stirred.
"Daddy…"
He didn't hesitate. "Give her to me."
Raven stepped forward, and their daughter practically leapt into his arms. As soon as she touched him, the glow on her palm surged—and his chest lit up in response.
Raven gasped. So did Aurelio.
Symbols flickered across his skin, ancient, sharp, and beautiful. Like something from forgotten folklore. Luna's glow matched the patterns exactly.
Aurelio didn't flinch. Instead, he kissed Luna's head and growled low, eyes narrowing at the advancing threat.
"Cover her eyes."
Raven obeyed instinctively.
What happened next wasn't human.
The attackers didn't get close. The moment Aurelio stepped forward, fire—real fire—licked the floor beneath him. It spread in a line, blocking the enemy.
Then he raised a hand and the flames lifted.
The men screamed. Raven shielded Luna's face, mouth open in stunned silence.
When the fire died down, nothing remained but scorched concrete.
Aurelio turned slowly, his face shadowed. "You need to tell me everything, Raven. About her. About me. And whatever the hell you were investigating."
Raven exhaled shakily. "I think we were never meant to be apart."
He stepped closer, the last of the embers dancing at his heels. "No. We were meant to burn together."