Crimson Bonds

Chapter 57: Echoes of Darkness

The air was still, unusually calm after the storm of their previous battles. Babe stood by the window of their new home, gazing at the quiet world outside, but his thoughts were far from peaceful. Ever since the Leviathans had been pushed back, he had sensed a strange lingering tension in the air, like a subtle hum that wouldn't go away. Billy, sitting on the couch with their child resting peacefully in his arms, could feel it too.

"It's almost too quiet, isn't it?" Billy's voice broke the silence. He wasn't one to dwell on paranoia, but there was something unnerving about how quickly things had calmed down after the battle. It felt... wrong.

Babe turned from the window, his brow furrowed in thought. "It's like the calm before another storm," he murmured, joining Billy on the couch. Their child, the tiny miracle born of their love and bloodlines, shifted slightly in Billy's arms but remained asleep, blissfully unaware of the darkness looming over them.

"I thought we had sealed them away," Babe continued, his voice low but tinged with uncertainty. "But something still feels off. Like it's not over."

Billy nodded, brushing a gentle finger along their child's cheek. "You're not wrong. I've felt it too. There's a... pulse. Like something's still out there." He sighed, shifting his gaze to Babe. "But I thought we finally had a break, you know? Time to breathe, time to just... be."

The exhaustion in Billy's voice mirrored Babe's own feelings. After all they had been through, the battles, the betrayals, the constant threat of danger, they had earned this peace. But as much as they wanted to believe the worst was behind them, there was no denying the creeping sense of unfinished business.

Just then, a familiar, sharp knock echoed through the quiet room. Babe exchanged a glance with Billy before rising to open the door. Standing there was Alysia, her expression grave. The light in her eyes, usually filled with warmth and cryptic humor, was now clouded with something darker.

"Alysia," Babe greeted, stepping aside to let her in. "What's wrong?"

"I had another vision," she said, her voice trembling slightly as if she were trying to shake off the weight of what she had seen. "And it's bad. The Leviathans... they're not gone. Not completely."

Billy stiffened, carefully handing their child over to Babe as he stood up. "What do you mean? We sealed them. We closed the rift."

"You closed the rift," Alysia confirmed, her voice soft but steady. "But their power... it still lingers in this world. I saw flashes of it-dark energy creeping into the cracks of the supernatural world, corrupting those it touches. It's subtle, but it's there. And it's growing stronger."

Babe cradled their child close, feeling the weight of Alysia's words press down on him. He had feared this, deep down. The peace had been too easy, too quick.

"How long do we have?" Babe asked, his tone grim.

"Not long," Alysia replied, her gaze shifting to the baby in Babe's arms. "The final part of the prophecy... it centers around your child, Babe. The Leviathans aren't done. They're coming for them."

Billy's fists clenched at his sides, his protective instincts roaring to life. "No one's coming for our child," he said, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. "Not again. Not ever."

Alysia held his gaze, her own eyes filled with sorrow. "I know you'll protect them. But this is different. The Leviathans... they want what's in your child's blood. They see your child as a gateway. If you don't find a way to sever their hold, they will find a way back."

The room fell into a heavy silence. Babe could feel his heart racing as he held their child closer, the enormity of the situation sinking in. Everything they had fought for, everything they had sacrificed, and yet it still wasn't over.

Billy took a step toward Babe, his hand reaching out to gently touch his arm. "We'll figure this out," he said softly, his voice filled with quiet determination. "We've done it before. We'll do it again."

Babe met his eyes, finding comfort in the familiar steadiness of Billy's gaze. Despite everything, Billy always knew how to make him feel safe. Even when the world seemed like it was collapsing around them.

"I know," Babe replied, his voice barely a whisper. "But it's our child, Billy. I don't want to put them through this."

"We won't," Billy promised, his hand moving to cup Babe's cheek. "We'll stop them before it gets to that point."

Babe closed his eyes, leaning into Billy's touch. For a moment, everything else faded-the fear, the uncertainty, the lingering darkness outside their walls. It was just the three of them, together, a family.

Billy leaned in closer, pressing a soft kiss to Babe's forehead. "We've come too far to let them take this from us," he whispered, his lips brushing against Babe's skin. "We'll protect our family. No matter what."

Babe let out a shaky breath, feeling the warmth of Billy's embrace chase away the chill that had settled in his bones. "You always know what to say," he murmured, his eyes fluttering open to meet Billy's.

Billy grinned, the tension in the room lifting slightly. "That's because I know you better than anyone, Tofu."

Babe let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. "You're such an idiot sometimes, Mumu."

Billy chuckled, leaning in to kiss him again, this time slower, more lingering. In that moment, everything else seemed to fall away. The looming threat, the weight of the prophecy-it all seemed distant, at least for now. All that mattered was the love they shared and the family they had built.

As the kiss deepened, Babe felt a flicker of hope return. They had been through hell and back, and yet here they were, still standing, still fighting. Together.

No matter what came next, they would face it side by side.