The small group hurried away from the house, rain pouring down in relentless sheets as they approached the car. The air was heavy, charged with an unnatural energy that made the hair on the back of Cian's neck stand on end.
Sam froze just as she reached for the car door, her hand hovering over the handle. Her wide eyes stared back at the house, and her breath came out in shallow gasps.
"Sam?" Cian called, his voice cautious, barely audible over the pounding rain. "Are you okay?"
A long pause stretched between them, the rain soaking through her hair and clothes. Then, all at once, Sam sucked in a sharp breath as if she'd been holding it too long. Her lips parted, trembling.
Before she could speak, a deafening crack split the air.
BOOM.
A bolt of lightning struck the house, blinding them for a moment. The roof burst into flames, the fire spreading unnaturally fast, licking hungrily at the walls like a living thing. Logan and Cian starred in stunned silence, their eyes wide as the inferno consumed what was left of Cian's childhood home.
Then, Sam screamed. "WE HAVE TO GO! START THE CAR, NOW!"
Cian snapped out of his daze, fumbling with the keys as panic clawed at his chest. He started the engine, the tires skidding briefly on the slick ground as he floored the accelerator. The car shot forward, leaving the burning house behind.
Inside the house, seven shadowy figures emerged from the smoke and flames. Their shapes were indistinct, twisting and shifting unnaturally as they moved. A low, guttural whisper filled the room, echoing like a voice from the void.
"Where…is…the…book?"
Another CRACK echoed as a burning beam collapsed, sending embers scattering like fireflies.
"It's…gone," one of the figures rasped.
And just as quickly as they had came, the figures disappeared into the shadows, leaving nothing but ash and silence. A photo of Cian and his parents, once framed proudly on the mantel, curled in on itself as the fire devoured it.
Logan sat in the passenger seat, his hands resting on his knees. "What the hell just happened?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
"I don't know," Cian said through gritted teeth. "But whatever it was, it's not stopping here. That fire… it wasn't normal."
Sam was in the back, clutched the Codex of Chaos tightly to her chest. Her eyes were wide, and a bead of sweat ran down her forehead despite the cool air. She dropped the book into her lap and She had been quiet since they'd fled, but now, a low murmur escaped her lips. "It's… calling to us," she said faintly
Cain looks through the rearview mirror his eyes close a little bit Confused
Sam? What's calling to us?"
Before she could respond, the book began to glow faintly in her lap, its blue light casting strange shadows on the car's interior. Sam gasped, her body moving . Her head tilted back, and her eyes stared at the roof of the car.
Logan looks back and he shouts
"Sam!"
What's happening?"
" I dont know!! " he yells, he hit the car brakes and pulls the car to the side of the road as Sam's breathing quickened. The glowing light from the book intensified.
Sam's voice wavered as if she were speaking from somewhere far away.
"I see… a mansion. It's old… stone walls, ivy crawling up the sides. .there are Runes… glowing runes. It's safe… but it's waiting. For us."
Cian's heart pounding as he looks over to Logan " what does she mean? A mansion ? Sam where is this mansion?"
Sam blinked rapidly as the vision released her. She slumped forward, the glow of the book fading back into its faint hum. Logan reached back to steady her, his hand on her shoulder.
" Sam, talk to us about what just happened?"
She took a shaky breath, her voice hoarse.
"It's a mansion, Cian. It belongs to your family. In England. There's magic there—a shield. The Ashthornes can't get in. But there's something more… something waiting for us inside….whatever it is they might have some answers."
Cian turns back and grips the steering wheel tightly, his jaw clenching. "My parents never said anything about a mansion in England."
Sam leaned forward, her hands resting firmly on Cian's shoulders. Her voice was soft but strong .
Maybe they couldn't tell you," she said, her gaze steady.
"oh? …." Cian replied with hesitation on his face and a question to his tone
"They had to protect you," Sam continued. "Maybe they thought that keeping this secret could give you something they never had—a chance at a normal life. I think they did it out of love."
Cian's expression softened, though uncertainty still lingered in his eyes.
"Maybe your mom believed that if you could grow up with even a little normalcy," Logan respondes , his voice warm and steady, "you'd be able to see both the good and the bad in people. With that maybe those memories—those moments— that you had as a child they could be your anchor when the chaos starts to feel too overwhelming.
Logan reached over, gently taking Cian's hand. His grip was firm, grounding.
"Remember," he said, his blue eyes locking onto Cian's deep, chocolate-brown ones, "your parents loved you so much. They were willing to do whatever it took to protect you."
Cian's face went from anxiety to relaxation after hearing these words and he started to realize how much his parents truly did for him.
Sam gave his shoulder a light squeeze. "And with that love as your anchor, we have to move forward. We need to get to England. That mansion—it could be our safe haven. A place where we can learn more about this book… and figure out what heck we gotta do next."