The night weighed heavy on the Delmar household.
No laughter, no warmth of the hearth only shadows that seemed to stretch longer than they ever had.
The mother still sat by the table, clutching her rosary so tightly her knuckles had turned white.
Her whispered prayers never ceased, a trembling mantra begging the heavens for mercy.
Their father sat opposite her, posture rigid, his Marine uniform draped over the chair like a discarded skin.
He nursed a cup of untouched tea, his jaw set hard, his eyes locked on nothing.
And Darius… Darius paced like a caged beast.
His boots thundered against the wooden floorboards with every step, his hands clenching and unclenching as though the weight of his rage could not be contained.
At last he stopped. His voice cracked through the silence like a blade.
"I won't sit here and do nothing."
His mother's head snapped up, eyes swollen from tears. "Darius—"
"I won't," he cut her off, his voice raw with conviction. "They've taken her. Our sister. Our blood. And you expect me to pray and hope? To wait while she's paraded in chains like some… some trophy?"
The words struck like blows, but he didn't stop. He turned to his father, his eyes blazing.
"You were a Marine once. You swore to protect the people. Where is that oath now? Where is your honor when your own daughter is dragged away by those pigs?"
Their father's fists tightened around the cup until it cracked.
His voice came low and heavy, like a storm held at bay.
"You think I don't want to act? You think my blood doesn't boil?" His eyes met Darius's, sharp and burning.
"But to raise a hand against a Celestial Dragon is to bring ruin upon this island. Not just us but every family here would pay the price."
"So be it!" Darius roared, slamming his fist into the wall hard enough to leave a deep dent.
"If the world has chosen to bow to those monsters, then the world is rotten! I won't sit still while my sister suffers. If Magnus were here—"
His mother flinched at the name, her tears spilling fresh.
"Magnus is gone! He chose his path and abandoned us to the consequences! Do not drag his shadow into this house again!"
The words hung heavy, but Darius did not back down. His chest heaved, and he took a step closer to his father.
"You know I'm right. Magnus defied them and maybe he was right to.
Maybe he saw the truth before we did. But I'm not Magnus. I'm not chasing glory or titles. I'm going to bring her back. Even if it costs me everything."
His father's face twisted, torn between pride and despair. His voice softened for the first time that night.
"Darius… if you walk that path, you'll brand yourself an enemy. The Marines will turn on you. You'll be hunted, just as your brother is."
Darius's answer was immediate,
unwavering.
"Then so be it."
The silence that followed was deafening.
His mother broke into sobs, shaking her head violently.
His father closed his eyes, shoulders slumping under a weight that no Marine training could ever prepare him for.
In the distance, the waves crashed against the island's shore, as if echoing the storm that had broken within their home.