A Mother’s Wrath

The battlefield was eerily silent.

The only sounds that remained were the distant echoes of destruction, the smoldering remnants of Lucien's terrifying battle against the demon. But that silence was shattered the moment he collapsed.

"L-Lucien…?" Eris's voice trembled as she took a shaky step forward, her golden eyes wide with horror. Her breath hitched, and before she could think, she ran.

"Luci!" Selene's anguished cry followed right after, her movements desperate as she rushed to her fallen son's side.

Valeria, however, was frozen.

Her trembling hands gripped the broken ground beneath her. The taste of blood lingered on her lips from the forceful movement she had made earlier, but none of it mattered. Nothing mattered—only the sight before her.

Lucien, her precious little brother, lay motionless on the bloodstained earth.

No… no, no, no, NO!

A choked breath left her lips as panic clawed at her insides. He wasn't moving. His body was battered, blood trickling from his nose, mouth, and ears. His skin was deathly pale, and his breathing—was it even there?

She didn't care about the pain coursing through her veins. She didn't care that every part of her body screamed at her to stop. She dragged herself toward him, ignoring the agony, the weakness, the weight of her curse.

Her fingers dug into the dirt, pulling her closer, her mind screaming at her to move faster, faster—

Selene was already holding him in her arms, her voice shaking as she called his name. "Lucien, wake up! Please, baby, wake up!"

Eris sobbed beside her, clutching his hand as if her touch alone would bring him back. "Please don't leave us! Please!"

Valeria finally reached them, her trembling hands grasping Lucien's torn clothes. "Why…?" her voice cracked, her grip tightening as her tears fell freely. "Why did you use something so dangerous? Why, Lucien? Why?!"

She could barely breathe.

Her little brother had always been special, always strong—stronger than she ever realized. But that technique… she had never seen something like it before. The very air had twisted with its activation, and the way Lucien had bled—!

Her mind was in chaos.

Again, she clutched at his clothes, her voice barely above a whisper now, yet filled with despair. "Why…? Why?"

A gentle hand touched hers.

Valeria looked up to see her mother's tear-filled eyes.

"To protect us." Selene's voice wavered, raw with emotion. "He used it to protect us."

Her arms tightened around Lucien's body as her tears dripped onto his face. "My sweet boy… my brave, foolish boy…"

Valeria bit her lip, trying to contain the overwhelming emotions that threatened to drown her. It hurt. It hurt so much.

But they had no time to grieve.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the air.

The three of them turned sharply toward the source.

The horde had not stopped.

Even with their leader slain, the mindless zombies and frenzied beasts continued marching forward.

The scent of blood and death filled the air, driving them into an uncontrollable frenzy. Their rotting bodies and monstrous forms twitched with hunger, their soulless eyes locked onto fresh prey.

Valeria's eyes hardened.

They didn't have time for this.

Gritting her teeth, she forced her mana to circulate through her paralyzed body. The sharp pain was unbearable, but she didn't care. She had to move.

With sheer will, she stood on unsteady legs, her sword appearing in her trembling hands.

"Take Lucien and run," she ordered.

Selene didn't move.

Valeria turned toward her mother, her voice rising. "Mom, go! I'll hold them back! You need to get Lucien to safety before—"

"No."

The single word was quiet, but absolute.

Valeria's breath hitched.

Selene, their gentle, kind mother, was staring at the advancing horde—not with fear, but with fury.

"I will not leave any of my children behind," she declared.

The air crackled.

Violet lightning danced around her body, illuminating her grief-stricken face.

Valeria's eyes widened in horror. "No… Mom, don't use it! You'll strain yourself!"

Selene smiled, but it wasn't warm—it was deadly.

The sky brightened.

The storm had begun.

She raised her hand toward the heavens, and with a single command—

"Barrage."

Lightning rained down.

From the blackened sky, countless violet bolts descended like judgment.

Every beast. Every zombie.

All were struck.

The battlefield erupted in destruction, the impact sending shockwaves through the air. One by one, bodies were incinerated, heads blasted apart, limbs torn to ash. The scent of burnt flesh spread like wildfire as the relentless storm continued, obliterating everything in its path.

The ground trembled under the sheer force of the attack. The monsters didn't even have a chance to scream.

Within seconds—

It was over.

Silence.

Not a single creature remained standing.

Selene swayed, coughing violently.

"Mom!" Eris rushed forward in panic.

Valeria clenched her fists. Damn it!

Selene wiped the blood from her lips and turned toward them with a weak smile. "It's done."

Eris stared at her, wide-eyed, then at the battlefield littered with charred remains.

She was speechless.

Even Valeria, despite her worry, couldn't help but feel awe.

This was their mother.

Not just the warm, loving woman who comforted them.

But a force of nature.

Valeria exhaled, steadying herself. They had survived—barely. But this wasn't over.

She glanced at Lucien's unconscious form. They had to get him to safety.

"We need to leave," she said, her voice firm. "That amount of destruction will attract stronger predators."

Selene nodded, her expression serious once more. "Then let's not waste time."

With that, the three of them gathered what strength they had left.

Their battle wasn't over.

It had only just begun.