Orpheus chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming with that devilish grin. “Lucian, you’ve got shadows in your blood. You’ve barely scratched the surface of your powers, and trust me, you’ll need every bit of it. This isn’t just about Jayden. This is about the whole family.”

Jayden raised an eyebrow, leaning back. “So what, we go down to Hell, grab some swords, and what—fight this Beast thing head-on?”

Dad sighed, rubbing his temples. “It’s not that simple, Jayden. The Behemoth isn’t something you can just charge at. It’s ancient, primal... it was sealed away by forces way stronger than any of us. But now? Whatever’s been keeping it locked up is weakening. We need to find out why.”

Alastor stood up, pacing around the room, looking restless. “This isn’t just about brawn. We need brains too. There's something in Hell’s archives—a lost spell, or a weapon, something—that can stop it. But we don’t know what or where yet.”

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I couldn’t help but laugh, though it came out more nervous than I wanted. “So let me get this straight. We’re going on a treasure hunt... in Hell?”

Jayden smirked, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Sounds like a hellish time.”

Orpheus raised an eyebrow. “Puns? This isn’t a game, little brother. If we mess this up, we’re looking at the end of everything. Not just Hell, not just Earth. Everything.”

Dad got up, putting a hand on my shoulder, then on Jayden’s. “I know this is a lot. But you’re Zephyrs. This is what we do. Protect the realms. Protect the family.”

I sighed, realizing there was no way out of this. “Alright, alright. So when do we leave?”

Alastor grinned, his scar stretching slightly. “We’ve got a ride waiting outside. Hope you packed light.”

Jayden gave me a half-smile. “Guess we’re going to Hell. Literally.”

I groaned, standing up. “Why do I get the feeling this is going to suck?”

As we grabbed our stuff and followed Dad and our half-brothers out the door, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were walking straight into something way bigger than any of us.

We walked out of the apartment building and sure enough, parked in the alley was a jet-black muscle car, its engine softly rumbling like a beast waiting to be unleashed. Alastor smirked and swung the driver’s side door open, sliding in behind the wheel.

Jayden gave the car a once-over. “A Dodge Charger? Really? I was expecting something... I don’t know, a little more demonic?”