CHAPTER 405: WHO ARE YOU?

Natalie~

Rayma stood there in the center of Tiger’s living room, his chiseled form radiating an otherworldly calm that clashed wildly with the chaos erupting around him. His eyes—those mesmerizing depths swirling with suns and shadows—swept over us all, not with fear or aggression, but with a genuine, beaming smile that lit up his face like he’d just won the greatest prize in all the realms. He looked utterly ecstatic, like a man floating on cloud nine, his broad shoulders relaxed, hands casually clasped in front of him as if we’d invited him for tea rather than greeted him with bared fangs, ignited flames, and summoned vines. The air still crackled with tension—Zane’s growl rumbling low in his throat, Sebastian’s dark eyes narrowed to slits, Cassandra’s blade glinting in the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy ceiling. My brothers were a force of nature themselves: Jacob partially shifted, his godly wolfish ears twitching, fur rippling along his arms; Tiger’s vines slithering like living serpents from the walls; Eagle’s gusts whipping my hair; Fox’s flames roaring higher in his palms; Bubble’s watery tendrils coiling like whips. Yet Rayma? He didn’t flinch. He just grinned wider, his voice warm and melodic as he raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"Ah, what a welcoming committee!" Rayma chuckled, his laughter rich and genuine, cutting through the hostility like a beam of unexpected sunlight. "No need for all this drama, my children. I’m not here to fight. In fact, I’m here with good news. Vincent is fine—more than fine, under my care."

I blinked, my heart pounding in my chest, a whirlwind of emotions crashing over me—relief mingled with suspicion, hope tangled with dread. Zane’s hand tightened on mine, his protective stance unwavering as he snarled, "Fine? You’ve got a lot of nerve appearing like this, stranger. How do we know you’re not the one who took him? Start talking—where is he? What happened to him?"

Rayma’s smile didn’t falter; if anything, it softened with a touch of sympathy. He stepped forward slowly, ignoring the way Jacob’s growl deepened and Fox’s flames flickered menacingly. "Let me paint the picture for you, shall I? I found young Vincent in a dense, forsaken forest on the edge of the shadow realms. He was crumpled against a gnarled oak, his body wracked with convulsions, foam flecking his lips from the poison coursing through his veins. Demon hunters—ruthless ones, armed with cursed blades dipped in nightshade essence—had ambushed him. They left him there to die a slow, agonizing death, his shadows flickering weakly around him like dying embers. But I... I couldn’t let that happen. I drew the poison out with my own essence, mended his wounds, and brought him back from the brink."

A horrified gasp escaped my lips, my free hand flying to my mouth as tears welled up unbidden. The image he described pierced my soul—Vincent, that ambitious, charming boy reduced to a broken shell in the dirt. Sadness washed over me like a tidal wave, heavy and suffocating. Around me, the room echoed with similar reactions: Cassandra’s fierce eyes softened with pity, her blade lowering slightly; Sebastian cursed under his breath, his vampire charm cracking to reveal raw concern; Zane’s grip on my hand turned almost painful, his Alpha strength barely contained. Even my brothers faltered—Jacob’s partial shift receded a fraction, his ancient eyes clouded with sorrow; Tiger’s vines paused their advance, drooping slightly as if sharing the grief; Eagle’s winds stilled to a whisper; Fox’s flames dimmed to embers; Bubble’s tendrils dissolved into harmless puddles.

"Lost... poisoned... left to die?" I whispered, my voice breaking, the weight of it all pressing on my chest like an invisible force. "Oh, gods, Vincent... that poor boy."

Rayma nodded solemnly, his ecstatic demeanor tempering with empathy, though that underlying joy never fully faded. "It was touch and go, I won’t lie. The poison was insidious, designed to erode not just the body, but the very essence of a being like him. In saving him, though... well, there were consequences. Vincent has lost his memories—his entire past wiped clean, like a slate scrubbed bare. Even his scent has vanished, masked by the residual magic. He doesn’t remember who he is, where he came from... or the bonds he once held."

The room plunged into a deeper sorrow, the air thick with it. I felt a sob building in my throat, thinking of Katrina—my fierce daughter. How would she bear this? Vincent, her mate, the one she loved so much that it hurts, now a stranger to himself? Sebastian slammed a fist against a woven branch chair, splintering it. "Amnesia? No scent? That’s not just survival—that’s a curse! How do we fix it?"

"Don’t worry, don’t worry," Rayma soothed, his voice like a balm, waving his hands gently as if dispersing storm clouds. "He’s stable now, healing in body and spirit. Though... there is pain. Severe pains, wracking him day and night. They’re from the severed mate bond with Katrina. It’s like a phantom limb, aching where the connection was cut. But his life isn’t in danger—I swear it on the neutral forces that bind me."

I froze, my blood turning to ice despite the warmth of the hearth. "Katrina? How do you know my daughter’s name?" The question burst from me, sharp and accusatory, my celestial magic flaring subtly around me in a halo of light. Zane tensed beside me, ready to pounce, while my brothers leaned in, their elemental powers humming in anticipation.

Rayma’s smile returned in full force, enigmatic and warm, his eyes twinkling with secrets untold. "Ah, Natalie, Celestial Princess... I know everything. Names, bonds, histories—it’s all woven into the tapestry I oversee. No need to fret over that."

Jacob stepped forward then, his towering form radiating his ancient powers, his black hair tousled as if by an invisible wind. His voice was a low rumble, laced with frustration and authority. "Enough riddles, Rayma. Who are you really? A god? A demon? Some neutral entity playing games with our family?"

The question hung in the air, echoed by nods from the others—Sebastian’s magnetic gaze piercing, Cassandra’s slayer instincts on high alert, Zane’s growl underscoring the demand. Even Tiger, usually silent, let out a deep, resonant hum from his chest, his green eyes narrowing.

But Rayma didn’t answer. Instead, he tilted his head, that cloud-nine happiness blooming anew as he clasped his hands together. "Who I am can wait for another tale. What matters now is healing. I want Katrina to come and see Vincent at my home. Her presence—it’s the key. It will end all this suffering, mend the rifts tearing at your hearts and his. The bond calls to her, even if he doesn’t remember."

Fox, ever the outspoken one, leaped to his feet, his red hair wild and flames reigniting in his palms with a dramatic whoosh. "Wait a minute—why not just bring the kid here? Pop him in like you did yourself! We’ve got the space, the protection. Tiger’s realm is safer than anywhere!"

Rayma chuckled again, a light, almost grandfatherly sound that eased the tension just a fraction, injecting an unexpected bit of humor into the drama. "Oh, Fox, always straight to the blaze! But no, that won’t do. Vincent needs stability right now—familiar surroundings, routines that ground him in his fragile state. Suddenly yanking him to an unfamiliar place, surrounded by a bunch of powerful strangers like you lot? It would unsettle him, make him uncomfortable, perhaps even trigger a setback. My home is neutral ground, calm and healing. Let Katrina come to him there."

The logic sank in, and I exchanged glances with Zane, seeing the reluctant agreement in his golden eyes. But it was Jacob who spoke next, his voice steady and commanding, the first son of the Moon Goddess asserting his role as protector. "Fine. We agree—but on one condition. We’ll supervise the visit. All of us, or at least a contingent. No way we’re sending Katrina into the unknown alone."

Rayma’s grin widened impossibly, his eyes sparkling with delight. "Supervise? Why, the more the merrier! I wouldn’t have it any other way. Family gatherings are my favorite, after all."

Before anyone could question that odd remark, Rayma raised a hand, his palm glowing with a soft, neutral energy—not light, not dark, but something perfectly balanced in between. A gentle wave washed over us, tingling through my mind like a whisper of forgotten knowledge. Suddenly, I knew—the address to his home bloomed in my thoughts, vivid and clear: a hidden enclave in the veil between realms, a sprawling estate of marble spires and blooming gardens, coordinates etched into my very soul. Gasps rippled through the room again—Zane blinked in surprise, Sebastian rubbed his temple, Cassandra’s eyes widened. My brothers shared knowing nods; even Tiger’s silent form straightened with the influx.

"What... what did you just do?" Bubble sputtered, his watery form rippling in confusion, though a grin tugged at his lips. "Mind magic? That’s cheating!"

"Just a little gift," Rayma replied with a wink, his form beginning to shimmer as if preparing to fade. "Directions, clear as day. Come when you’re ready—Vincent awaits."

But Jacob wasn’t done. He lunged forward, his hand shooting out to grasp at the air where Rayma stood, his voice booming with thunderous authority. "Wait! You can’t just leave like that. Who are you, really? Tell us!"

Rayma paused, his fading form solidifying for one last moment. That ecstatic smile returned, soft and knowing, as he looked around at us all—his gaze lingering on me with a warmth that stirred something deep and familiar in my heart. "Ah, Jacob... ever the vigilant. For now, just call me Grandpa."

And with that, he vanished in a swirl of neutral energy, leaving us in stunned silence, the forest around Tiger’s home whispering as if in on the secret. My mind reeled—Grandpa? The word echoed, thrilling and terrifying, as hope for Katrina and Vincent battled the enigma of this mysterious man. The Chapter of our search had turned, but what lay ahead felt more dramatic, more emotional than ever.