Chapter 10 – A New Mission Unveiled

Anastasia opened the door and took a trembling breath before entering the apartment, where the city lights spilled in. Even though it was late and the walls were covered in shadows, the comforting hum of home surrounded her like a blanket, bringing back so many memories that she closed her eyes briefly. The apartment was very similar to her family home as the furniture was similar, old family pictures on display, and similarly painted color walls. She knew they couldn't return to their family home until it was safe and it was also being renovated after the battle that took place involving her former stepsister and stepmother.

She hadn't taken more than two steps when she spotted Matt, frozen mid-stride from the kitchen, a glass of water slipping from his hand and shattering on the floor. His mouth opened, but no words came out, just a choked sound as his eyes darted from her face to her hands, as if trying to grasp that she was really there.

"Matt…" she barely whispered, a tremor in her voice, before he moved. He crossed the space between them in three strides, gathering her up in a hug so tight it made her bones creak. She could feel him trembling, his heart hammering in his chest against hers.

"You're… you're here," he said, voice cracking. He pulled back just enough to search her face, his eyes searching, disbelieving, filled with a kind of raw relief that broke her heart.

Footsteps thundered down the hallway—Sean. He stumbled into the room, skidding to a stop when he saw her, his face a wild mix of shock and disbelief. "Ana?" He blinked, rubbing his eyes like he thought he was seeing a ghost.

As Sean staggered forward, his trembling hand reaching out to touch her arm as though he were terrified she would disappear, her heart tightened. "It's you.. You're really alive."

A sob broke from Sean, and she found herself sandwiched between her brothers, their arms wrapped around her, and they held on as though they were afraid she'd slip away. It was like all the grief and worry they'd carried since her disappearance finally spilled over, released in those silent, tear-streaked moments where words failed, and the only thing that mattered was that she was here.

She didn't know how long they stood there, but eventually, Bastian, Billy, and Wyatt came into the room with their faces reflecting their own relief and exhaustion. Rose stood quietly by, wiping her eyes as she watched the reunion unfold and once Matt and Sean let her go, she decided to ran up to Anastasia, throwing her arms around her, crying into her shoulder.

Eventually, they all drifted to the living room, everyone settling into seats, the silence heavy with expectation. Anastasia knew they were waiting, needing to know everything and her gaze dropped to the floor as she gathered the words.

"So… when I woke up, it was in a place I didn't recognize. I didn't know why I was alive. I should've been dead, but someone… an angel figure, told me I had a purpose, something I was meant for." She kept her gaze away from Wyatt, hoping he wouldn't pick up on the tiny hitch in her voice when she mentioned her mother's presence. She couldn't bear to break his heart again.

She went on, explaining how she'd encountered Dylan, his strange appearance and behavior, how he seemed different… darker. And as she detailed her experience with Dylan, she could feel the heat rising beside her. Bastian's jaw was tight, his knuckles white as his hands clenched, fury simmering beneath the surface.

"It was… intense," she said, her voice faltering, "I think he's more dangerous than any of us thought. I don't know what he's planning, but it's not good. He seems to know alot than he lets on and he's waiting for something." Her voice shook slightly, but she held herself together, avoiding her father's concerned gaze.

"Ever since then, I started feeling these… changes," she continued, pausing as she glanced at her hands, which now held a faint, otherworldly glow. "There's a power in me now, something I don't fully understand, but I know it's there. It's changed me."

Wyatt's face fell, eyes searching her face as if he could still see the little girl she once was, and she tried not to let the sadness creep into her voice. But everyone else was silent, watching, listening to each piece of the story as if they could make sense of it themselves.

She finished with the encounter with the archangels and the mysterious stranger who'd given them the map.

Through the explanations, Rose remained quite but frowned, especially in the parts where her brother was mentioned. "This is Dylan, my brother right?"

"Yes Rose," Anastasia answered.

"But it can't be. He's my brother! We have grown up together so this is impossible." Rose was adamant that her brother was nothing like Anastasia described.

Billy held Rose's hand and whispered to her, "Don't worry. We will get to the bottom of it later."

When she mentioned the map's destination—Italy, the Vatican, no less—Matt couldn't resist muttering, "Oh, well, how appropriate. Right to the heart of it, huh?" His sarcastic smile softened some of the tension, but it quickly returned as they moved on to the pressing issue of who was going.

"I need to go," Anastasia said firmly.

Wyatt's jaw set, arms crossed as he glanced around the room. "No," he said, voice laced with frustration. "I can't lose you, not again."

"Dad! I have these powers now, and I can help. I'm stronger." She met her father's eyes, determined. "It's too important."

"Fine. I'll stay, lead the hunters here. But not all of you are going," he added, looking pointedly at Sean, who shifted uncomfortably. "One of you needs to stay."

"Then I'll go," Matt cut in. His gaze flicked from her to their father, his voice steady, as if he'd already made up his mind.

Billy cleared his throat, looking between Wyatt and Rose with a conflicted expression. "Rose cannot go. She is human so it would be too dangerous for her and I can't risk leaving her behind so I will stay," he said, giving Rose a brief, protective glance.

"I won't argue with that, and besides, I need to talk to my brother and find out what the hell he's doing," Rose added to which Billy agreed with a nod.

Wyatt sighed, clearly wrestling with his own instincts to protect his family and the weight of their mission. After a long pause, he nodded. "Alright… Sean, you'll stay back with me. But you'll take backup with you, Ana."

Sean wanted to protest but knew that once his father made up his mind, there was no changing it.

Wyatt signaled to the door, and two figures stepped in—a huge, intimidating man who looked like he could take on a demon barehanded, and a serious-looking woman who barely glanced around the room, her face set with determination.

"This is Colonel Wolf," Wyatt said, nodding toward the towering man, "and Lieutenant Avery." He turned back to her. "They're two of my best. They'll go with you, keep you safe."

Colonel Wolf gave a polite nod, his voice gruff as he rumbled, "We'll make sure you get there in one piece."

Avery just gave her a curt nod, eyes sharp and assessing. Anastasia nodded back, grateful for the reinforcements but knowing that no one could truly guarantee safety on this journey.

"So… Italy," Matt muttered, smirking slightly as he glanced at the map, then back at her. "Guess we'd better start packing."

Anastasia felt a thrill of anticipation, mixed with dread, settle in her chest as she looked at the faces around her—her brothers, Bastian, her father, Billy, and even Rose, each of them part of this strange, dangerous new reality. And though there were so many unknowns ahead, she knew one thing for sure: this journey was going to change the course of the war.