The breakfast spread before Sirius was lavish, but even the sight of syrup-drenched waffles and the cake in Xander's hands couldn't prepare him for what lay ahead. His violet eyes widened in surprise as he took in the feast.
"When did you plan all this? And why so early in the morning?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity, though a shadow of suspicion flickered behind his smile.
Xander puffed out his chest proudly. "It was all Mum's doing. We were going to surprise you in the evening, but she insisted on the morning, worried you'd sense something was off and figure out the surprise before it was time."
Ava chuckled softly. "Yes, Sirius, your perceptiveness is rather inconvenient. I still believe you'll become a powerful Soul Weaver, your talent is undeniable."
Sirius barely registered her words, still lost in the unexpectedness of the celebration. His gaze swept over the decorations, a rare warmth flickering in his chest. For a fleeting moment, happiness coursed through him, a small reprieve from the dark weight that usually clung to his heart.
"Thank you, Aunt Ava... and Xander," Sirius said quietly, his voice soft but genuine. "This is the best surprise birthday I've ever had."
They shared breakfast, laughter echoing through the house as memories of better times filled the conversation. But amidst the light-heartedness, something darker lingered, unseen but ever-present. It felt too perfect, too peaceful. As if a shadow waited just beyond the horizon, eager to unravel this fleeting happiness.
After finishing their meal and storing the leftover cake, Sirius and Xander prepared for school. Just as they were about to leave, Ava called out. "Sirius, wait."
She approached him and dropped a silver ring into his hand. His heart sank as soon as his eyes fell on it; a sleek band adorned with intricate runes, a small red gemstone set into the shape of a wolf's head.
Sirius's blood ran cold. "The Lycathorn Clan?" he whispered, his voice trembling with barely contained fury. His entire body tensed, the rage within bubbling to the surface. "Why are you giving me something from that accursed clan?"
Ava sighed deeply, her face shadowed with sadness. "Sirius, I know how much you hate the Lycathorns, but this ring, it's not from them. It's from your parents."
Sirius flinched, the mention of his parents tearing through his anger. He clenched the ring in his fist, trembling.
The Lycathorn Clan. The name itself was poison to him, a reminder of everything he had lost.
His father, Asher Lycathorn, was a genius Soul Weaver, once the pride of the clan. At the age of 25, Asher had reached the rank of Tier 3 Soul King, and by 34, he was on the verge of breaking through to Tier 4 Soul Emperor. But all that promise was snuffed out in a single day.
A Calamity Gate had opened in the city his father was sworn to protect, unleashing an onslaught of Abyssal Shades. Asher fought with unmatched ferocity, buying time for the citizens to flee. But his mother, Lily, refused to abandon the children trapped in the chaos—including six-year-old Sirius.
She saved them. She saved him. But it cost her everything. She fought until her echo, a creature gotten from slaying an abyssal shades, guided the children to safety. Sirius still remembered her last moments, her desperate battle against a foe far stronger than her Soul Lord rank could handle. Her will was indomitable, but in the end, willpower alone couldn't triumph over raw power.
Her echo had led Sirius and the other children to safety, and then vanished, signifying the severing of her connection to life.
And when the news of Asher's death reached the camp, it broke him. The Abyssal Guardian had been slain, but at the cost of his father's life. Both of his parents, gone in a single day.
The Lycathorn Clan had abandoned him after that, casting him aside like refuse when they, through special means,discovered his soul weave early, Salt, one of the most useless weaves in the world. They left him to fend for himself, alone, orphaned, and broken.
Only Ava, his mother's sister, had taken him in. Since then, he had renounced the Lycathorn name, taking his mother's, Maxihal. To him, the Lycathorns were nothing but a reminder of betrayal, of abandonment.
He pushed the ring back toward Ava, his voice trembling with cold fury. "I want nothing to do with them."
Ava knelt before him, her gaze steady, filled with understanding. She held his hands in hers. "Sirius, this ring isn't from the Lycathorns. It's from your parents. They left it for you, one of the few things they managed to keep from that wretched clan. It was their dying wish that you have it. Won't you accept it?"
Sirius stared at the ring, his breath shallow, emotions swirling inside him like a storm. This ring… it was all that was left of them.
"They wanted you to have it when you turned thirteen or when you awakened. It's the last thing of theirs that remains," Ava whispered softly, her voice cracking under the weight of the past.
Sirius's gaze dropped to the ring, the crest catching his eye again.
"But it bears the Lycathorn crest," he murmured, barely able to contain his disgust.
Ava shook her head gently. "No, Sirius. Look closer. It's the crest of the Blood Wolf—your father's true mark, not the Lycathorns'."
For a long, agonizing moment, Sirius was silent, wrestling with the torrent of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. His hatred for the Lycathorns burned hot, but the memory of his parents, their love for him, was the only thing that could cool it.
Finally, with a slow exhale, he closed his fingers around the ring.
"I'll accept it," he said quietly, though the ring felt heavier than it should. "For them."
Ava smiled softly, brushing a tear from her eye. "Only wear it when the time is right, Sirius."
Sirius nodded, but his mood had soured. As they left the house, the warmth from earlier had all but evaporated. He walked in silence, Xander by his side, the ring in his pocket feeling like a curse more than a gift.
They hadn't gone far when they spotted a familiar figure approaching.
"Hey, Sirius! Hi, Xander," Emilia greeted them, her voice bright as she waved.
Sirius barely glanced her way. "Morning," he muttered, the edge in his voice unmistakable.
Xander smiled at her, though it was strained. "Hey, Emilia," he said more warmly, though even he felt the weight of the day.
"What's wrong?" Emilia asked, sensing the tension immediately.
"Sirius is having a bad day. Just… give him some space," Xander replied, shaking his head.
"Understood," she whispered, her curiosity quelled by the unease that hung in the air.
They continued walking, the morning feeling more oppressive with each step. The air felt too still, too heavy. When they were only a short distance from school, the stillness shattered.
*Whoosh.*
The air vibrated as a gust of wind tore through the street, carrying with it an unsettling force. Ahead, the space in the middle of the road seemed to ripple, then crack. A jagged tear formed, widening with each passing second until a massive portal hung in the air, its dark maw pulsing with malevolent energy.
Sirius's blood ran cold. His heart pounded in his chest as recognition dawned.
"Calamity Gate," he whispered, his voice trembling with dread. The sight of the portal was burned into his memory, a scar from the past, a harbinger of death. The panic around them was instant, as parents, children, and passersby screamed and fled in terror.
But for some, it was already too late.
The portal exhaled a deafening hum, and a violent pull began to drag the unlucky few toward its gaping maw. Sirius, Xander, and Emilia were among those ensnared by the gate's relentless grip. In the blink of an eye, they were ripped from the world they knew.
And then, a monstrous claw emerged from the portal, black as the abyss, followed by another. The creature that crawled through was grotesque, an amalgamation of nightmares. It surveyed its new surroundings like a predator surveying prey, its eyes glowing with an insatiable hunger.
More creatures followed, each more horrifying than the last. Some were twisted versions of humanity, others so far removed from anything recognizable that they could only be described as abominations. Their numbers swelled—tens turned to hundreds, and soon, thousands. The Abyssal Shades had returned, descending once more to consume everything in their path.
And amidst the chaos, Sirius, Xander, and Emilia had vanished into the heart of the nightmare.