The heavy doors of the grand hallway creaked open. Warm golden light spilled out, but what hit them first wasn't the glow—it was an overwhelming presence.
BOOM.
A dense aura blanketed the space, sharp like a blade and suffocating like a thunderstorm. The air itself bent slightly, as if gravity had just doubled.
Kaelen blinked. "Is that…"
Valthor smiled faintly. "Mom."
Standing at the center of the polished chamber was Seraphina Helios—tall, composed, beautiful, and radiating raw authority. Her power flared for just a second, enough to make even seasoned S-rankers faint… yet the brothers stood untouched. Unshaken. But they didn't push back.
Instead, they played along.
She stared at them—her eyes sharp as daggers, her voice calm but laced with years of repressed emotion.
"…You're really back." A pause. Then: "After twenty-eight years."
The brothers didn't have time to react.
WHACK.
Seraphina's palm slammed across Valthor's head. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make a point.
CRACK.
Kaelen let himself be lifted by the collar and spun midair before landing in a light crater. "Ah! Okay! Ow! MOM!"
Draegen got a flick to the forehead so hard it cracked the floor under him. "That was unnecessary!"
Vexen tried sidestepping. "Mother, let's not be irrational—"
She appeared behind him.
BOOM.
"AHH! MOM WHY ARE YOU BEATING US UP?!"
Her aura flared again. "WHO TOLD YOU FOUR TO DISAPPEAR FOR TWENTY-EIGHT FUCKING YEARS?!"
"WE CALLED AND TEXTED I THINK"
"WE LEFT VOICEMAILS
"WE'RE SORRYYYYYY"
Despite the chaos, the brothers didn't resist. They could've dodged—but they didn't. Out of guilt. Out of love. Out of respect.
After the light chaos, Seraphina stood tall, her anger fading. Her shoulders shook slightly, and her voice dropped.
"…Where have all my babies gone to?"
The brothers paused. Silence hung between them.
She turned to Aleron. They exchanged a glance—Seraphina asking silently. Aleron gave a firm shake of his head. Not yet.
The boys noticed. They stood awkwardly.
Valthor cleared his throat. "We were… y'know. Here and there."
"Mostly there," Kaelen added.
"Definitely not… anywhere near the center of the multiverse," Draegen muttered.
Vexen grinned. "We brought you a cactus from a desert that doesn't exist anymore."
Seraphina stared. Then her lips trembled.
She pulled them into a hug—one arm around all four of them. "Stupid, stupid boys," she whispered, tears silently falling as her powerful aura finally softened.
"We missed you too, Mom," they said, quietly.