Thedy in white let out another melodious giggle, the sound as gentle as the soft rustle of wind through leaves. Her crimson eyes sparkled with amusement as she listened to Rex''s frustrated rant.


    "While it is true that you are my son,"


    she began, propping herself up on the massive, cloud-like bed, her head resting on her hands


    , "your soul has several restraints ced upon it. That''s why you haven''t been able to reach your true potential."


    She kicked her legs idly behind her, the motion childlike and carefree,pletely at odds with the immense power radiating from her.


    Rex crossed his arms, raising a skeptical brow.


    "Well then, if you''re my mother, who''s my father?"


    he asked, deciding to humor her far-fetched ims for the sake of maintaining his sanity.


    "Mmm?"


    She tilted her head, pretending to think deeply for a moment before shing him another dazzling smile.


    "You don''t have a father. You were born from me and me alone."


    "Ha!? How is that even possible? No, wait... that''s not important,"


    Rex said, shaking his head as if to clear the absurdit


    y. "What I really want to ask is why you decided to show up now. No, wait, scratch that! If you''re my mother, why did you abandon me? Or, better yet—"


    His questions spilled out in rapid session, each one more incredulous than thest. He was full of them, his curiosity warring with his frustration and disbelief.


    Thedy in white sighed softly, resting her chin in her palm as she watched him with a serene expression.


    "I''m afraid there isn''t enough time for me to answer all your questions,"


    she said, her voice gentle but firm.


    "However, I will tell you this: the little girls you chose as your heralds are in grave danger. You must go to them and help them. I will use what little strength I have left to give them a boost, just enough for them to hold on until you arrive."


    Rex''s eyes narrowed, his posture stiffening


    . "Wait, what heradls? What are you talking about?


    " He locked eyes with her, his expression demanding answers.


    Thedy in white pursed her lips and made a thinking gesture, her delicate fingers tapping her temple.


    "Mmm… I''m not very good with names, but I think it was something like... Nunu and Lulu?" she said with a yful tilt of her head.


    Rex blinked, stunned. "


    You mean Nyra and Lyra?! What''s happening to them!?


    " He shouted, his voice rising in panic.


    "Oh,"


    she said casually, her face now buried in a fluffy white pillow. "


    Some... children of the night are attacking them, I think. Vampires, if I''m not mistaken. I can''t see very far right now, though, since I''m too weak."


    She sighed dramatically, nuzzling her pillow like a content cat.


    "Then tell me how I can leave this ce!"


    Rex demanded, his hand already on the wooden cabin''s door, ready to bolt.


    "What do you mean?"


    she replied, tilting her head as if the answer were obvious.


    "You just have to wake up, and that''s it."


    "Wake up? What do you—"


    "Okay, time''s up, honey,"


    thedy in white interrupted, pping her hands together. Her smile remained warm, but her voice carried a finality that sent a shiver down Rex''s spine.


    Before he could argue, the world around him began to shatter like ss. The white desert, the cabin, the stars all of it dissolved into fragments of light, leaving Rex in an empty void.


    As the illusion faded, so did the mask of strength thedy in white had worn.


    In the real world, her radiant formy in a dark, oppressive ce. Her body was encased in a writhing mass of ck slime that oozed and pulsed with malevolent intent.


    The only thing keeping the slime at bay was a faint, shimmering shield of white energy, though the barrier was weakening. The slime inched forward slowly, relentlessly, as though savoring its eventual victory.


    Thedy in white''s serene expression faltered, and a single tear rolled down her pale cheek. She whispered softly, her voice trembling with both sadness and hope.


    "My son… I pray I can see you again before it''s toote."


    The glow of her protective barrier flickered, and the dark ooze crept ever closer, its tendrils reaching for her like the ws of a predator waiting to strike.


    Meanwhile, Lyra and Nyra were nearing their limits. Despite their supernatural strength, theirck ofbat experience was evident.


    The assassins, trained killers and far more experienced, pressed them relentlessly. The twins were forced to rely entirely on the shields crafted from Rex''s golden blood, their only line of defense against the onught.


    But the reserves of Rex''s blood that flowed within them were almost depleted, leaving them exhausted and vulnerable.


    Every second made the situation more desperate. Their movements slowed, their breathing grew ragged, and the shields flickered with unstable light. The assassins, sensing their advantage, moved in for the kill, their weapons gleaming in the dim light.


    And then it happened.


    The tide of battle turned in an instant as something primal, something ancient, awakened within the twins. Their bodies froze mid-motion as an overwhelming surge of power radiated from within them. It was unlike anything the assassins had ever felt before.


    Suddenly, horns erupted from the twins'' foreheads, sleek, curved, and predatory. Their once-human crimson eyes shifted, taking on the slit pupils of a superior predator, glowing with an ominous, otherworldly light. The air grew thick with an oppressive force that seemed to crush the will of all who stood near them.


    The twins turned their gaze toward the assassins, their lips curling into a smirk that carried the weight of unshakable dominance. Then, they spoke.


    "Kneel,"


    theymanded, their voices resonating in perfect harmony. It wasn''t just a sound; it was a decree,ced with a power so overwhelming that it struck at the very core of those who heard it.


    The voice carried the authority of an ancient ruler, something far beyond mortalprehension.


    "What the fuck are you talking about, bitch? You should know your ce—"


    one of the assassins cursed, his voice dripping with disdain. But before he could finish, his knees buckled.


    His body copsed to the ground as if he were a puppet whose strings had been cut. And he wasn''t the only one. Every assassin within earshot crumpled to their knees, their faces twisted in shock and disbelief.


    They couldn''t fight it. They couldn''t resist. Their bodies betrayed them, bowing in submission to the overwhelming power of the twinsmands.


    "What... what is this?"


    One of the assassins muttered, his voice trembling as he stared at the ground, unable to lift his head.


    While the lesser assassins were forced to kneel, the leader of the crimson assassins, the strongest of them all, resisted. His body shook with effort, his mind screaming against thepulsion.


    He gritted his teeth, snarling like a cornered beast, and ripped the golden spear from his leg with a savage cry. Blood poured from the wound, but he didn''t care.


    "I don''t kneel to anyone!"


    he roared, his voice raw with rage. Heunched himself at the twins, his sword raised high, ignoring the pain that wracked his body. His professionalposure was gone, reced by unhinged fury.


    "Die, you bitches!"


    he screamed hysterically, closing the distance between himself and the twins in a blur of motion.


    But he didn''t make it.


    Just as the leader''s de was about to strike, his body froze in midair. An invisible force seized him, holding him in ce like a fly trapped in amber. He thrashed and roared, but it was useless.


    The twins turned their glowing, predatory eyes toward him. Their expressions were calm, but their voices dripped with contempt as they spoke in unison.


    "Your time is done, scum. The boss is near."


    Their words echoed with ominous finality, and as soon as they finished speaking, the glow in their eyes faded. Their horns vanished, their bodies copsing to the ground like marites whose strings had been cut. They had pushed themselves too far, thest vestiges of Rex''s golden blood spent.


    The leader fell to the ground, freed from their invisible grip. Hended awkwardly, stumbling to his feet. His lips twisted into a maniacal grin, his bloodied body trembling with exhration.


    "Hahaha! It''s my win!"


    The leader of the assassins screamed hysterically, his voice echoing through the battlefield. His eyes gleamed with unhinged triumph as he raised his sword, preparing to finish the unconscious twins.


    But before he could take another step, the sky split open.


    A deafening


    boom


    shattered the air, louder than anything the assassins had ever heard. A massive object descended from the heavens, breaking the sound barrier with such force that the shockwave ttened trees, shook the ground, and sent every kneeling assassin sprawling.


    The impact was catastrophic. The ground cracked and splintered beneath the force of thending, dust and debris exploding outward in a colossal cloud. The leader of the assassins was thrown backward, his sword flying from his hand as he tumbled across the dirt like a ragdoll.


    When the dust began to settle, a figure stood at the center of the crater. The silhouette was tall and imposing, radiating an aura of power that sent a chill through the spines of everyone present.


    The assassins, even the defiant leader, could feel it... the presence of something far beyond their understanding.


    From the swirling cloud of dust, two enormous white wings emerged, stretching wide and radiating a luminous white aura that illuminated the battlefield.


    The dust began to clear, revealing a towering figure shrouded in an overwhelming energy that seemed to distort the very air around him. Each step the silhouette took sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, the earth trembling beneath the weight of his power.


    The figure''s eyes glowed with a searing golden light, piercing through the haze like twin suns. They swept over the scene, pausing on the twins whoy copsed on the ground, their small forms battered and covered in injuries. A flicker of sorrow crossed the figure''s glowing eyes, but it was quickly reced by a fury so intense it made the air hum with raw energy.


    This was no ordinary man. This was a force of nature, a being whose very presence screamed dominance and power.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The leader of the assassins, who had beenughing moments earlier, froze as those golden eyes locked onto him. His maniacal grin faltered, reced by a look of growing dread. The overwhelming pressure emanating from the figure was suffocating, pressing down on him like a tidal wave.