Night in the city had been alluring, but morning, ah, morning was a different kind of magic. The sun perched high above, bathing everything in gold, and Grand City shimmered like a paradise pulled from a dream.
I sat comfortably in the backseat, my heart bubbling with excitement. I could barely wait to break the news to my mom. I would have my own… my own share in the company?
This was a dream. No, an impossible fantasy made real.
I grinned to myself, imagining Nelly and Alina's faces. My school bullies who used to mock me endlessly, sure I would rot in the countryside, forgotten. If they could see me now.
But my happiness was cut short the moment my gaze landed on a massive billboard.
The Forbidden Six.
Their faces towered above the road, Godlike as their surname and divine. And there it was, in bold letters. FS, the name of their fan group.
Instantly, a chill crept down my spine.
The Forbidden Six weren't just heroes. They were worshipped, idolized by the world. They saved humans. They protected us. In return, we adored them. But FS, their fans, were toxic. Rabid. Obsessive. One misstep, one rumor, and they would destroy anyone.
And now, with Dafwem remarrying… with a new stepsister entering the picture?
The world would definitely riot.
The car came to a halt before a sacred, towering structure. The wedding venue. It was quiet for now. No reporters in sight yet. I figured the news hadn't dropped online… but it would soon.
I stepped out, breath catching at the sheer magnificence of the building. Dafwem had instructed me to meet my mom inside, where the designers and makeup artists were preparing her for the rituals and vows.
His sons were expected to attend, too. All of them.
I pushed open the carved doors and stepped into the cool hallway. I didn't make it far.
At the side, an open room stood full of bustling stylists and men in ceremonial attire. And there, right at the center stood the bride, radiant and haunting in black.
My feet carried me forward, heart skipping.
My mother.
Her dress flowed like ink and shadow, the black veil cascading over her like a curtain of midnight. She was breathtaking. If I didn't know it was her wedding day, I would've walked past her, never recognizing her in such grace.
She looked up, eyes lighting up.
"Oh, the beautiful princess is here. We'll doll her up soon," one of the stylists said cheerily.
But I barely heard her. I was too focused on my mother, on the woman who had suffered so much, endured so many beatings for my sake and suddenly, Blackmoon's words returned to me like a whisper on the wind.
Peace.
That's what she's always wanted.
Love.
That's what she's been searching for.
If Dafwem can give her that… then I will endure everything. Flame's hatred. Lucifer's silence. All of it.
It's time I repaid her.
***
The silence in the ceremonial hall was so thick, it could've been sliced with a blade.
The bride of the god of chaos made her way down the aisle, and I walked beside her, clutching a bouquet of black roses. Every step we took, the world outside grew louder. Cheers and whispers alike.
I had never truly realized how famous the Forbidden Six were, not until today. I knew they were co-CEOs of SRT. I'd known they were powerful. But the crowd gathered outside? The hysteria? The chaos?
It was terrifying.
The moment the news was released online that Dafwem was marrying and gaining a new stepdaughter, the streets had flooded. Well-wishers and haters alike had swarmed the scene.
Still, I couldn't help the pride that flared in my chest when I overheard some of them whispering.
They had tried to win Dafwem's heart. They had failed. Only my mother had succeeded.
I glanced up at the altar where a ceremonial knife lay glinting in the light. My throat tightened.
We were here.
I turned to glance over my shoulder and saw them. The sextuplets. The Forbidden Six. Each of them had arrived in fashionably dark suits, embodying sin and style. Paparazzi surrounded them, but none of them spoke. Their faces were unreadable.
They didn't want to be here. They just wanted this over with.
"Azura," the priest called my mother's name, and I snapped my head forward.
The ceremony had begun.
The priest took the knife and sliced Dafwem's palm. Blood trickled down, red and vivid. My mother followed, offering her hand. A shallow cut, and her blood, too, joined the cup.
Their blood mixed and They drank.
"I pronounce you husband and wife," the priest announced solemnly.
A cheer erupted from outside and I stood there, frozen. It was done. It was real.
Dafwem was now my stepfather and the Forbidden Six… were officially my stepbrothers.
My mother turned and kissed her new husband. My gaze shifted to the brothers.
They showed no emotion. Except Crimson.
The vampire had turned his face away, jaw tight. The scent of blood in the air was affecting him, and he was struggling to maintain control.
I swallowed hard.
Every step I'd taken until now had been toward this moment and now that it was here, I could feel the battle lines being drawn in invisible ink.
Flame. Lucifer. Blackmoon. Ocean. Crimson. Dream.
They might hate me. But I could take it. For my mother? I would face it all.
But deep inside, a whisper of doubt echoed.
Can I really survive them all?