I gasped, shaking my head. The memory faded, but its residue lingered—cold, crawling under my skin like insects. “I don't know,” I managed. “Something's... happening.”

Sean's expression hardened. “Well, fight it. We can't afford to lose you right now.”

He was right. I tightened my grip on my weapons and pushed through the disorientation.

All around us, the battle raged. Hawk had taken up a position near the bar, firing methodically into the horde.

Sterling fought back-to-back with a werewolf I vaguely recognized as one of Juno's regulars.

Skye had found a vantage point on the upper level, picking off demons with remarkable accuracy.

But there were so many. For every one we cut down, two more seemed to materialize, pouring through doors and windows, some even seeping through vents as black smoke before reconstituting into physical forms.

I caught sight of Juno again. She was struggling now, her movements slower, blood staining her side.

I pushed through the crowd toward her, cutting down anything in my path.

The Lash responded to my intentions almost before I formed them, extending and retracting, wrapping around demons' limbs or necks before I severed them with my blade.

A particularly large demon, with horns curling from its temples and skin like cracked obsidian, barred my way. It grinned, revealing rows of needle-like teeth.

“We remember you,” it growled. “The taste of your fear. The sound of your screams.”

My head throbbed, another memory threatening to surface.

I refused to let it distract me this time.

With a thought, I directed the Lash toward its legs, the golden energy wrapping around its ankles.

I yanked, and the demon crashed to the floor.

Before it could recover, I was on it, driving both silver blades into its chest in an X pattern.

The demon shrieked, its body arching as light burst from the wounds. But instead of dissolving, it grabbed my wrists, its touch burning like acid.

“He's coming for you,” it spat, black blood bubbling between its lips. “And when he finds you, he'll tear down that pretty little wall in your mind. Then you'll remember everything.”

Another flash of memory hit me, screaming, darkness, something clawing at my heart, trying to burrow inside. My vision blurred completely, black spots dancing at the edges. My knees buckled, and I would have fallen if not for Sean suddenly appearing at my side, hauling me up.

“Stay with me,” he grunted, firing the Colt over my shoulder. A demon dropped, its head a ruined mess.

Through my comms, I heard Skye's voice, tight with urgency: “You need to wrap this up. Fast. More incoming, at least a dozen. Coming from the east.”

Sean, panting, glanced at Cassiel, who had materialized nearby. “End it,” he ordered.

Cassiel's expression was grim but determined. He stepped forward, lifting a hand. “Everyone who isn't a demon—cover your eyes.”

I barely got my hands up in time before an explosion of pure, blinding light engulfed the club. Even through my closed eyelids and shielding hands, the light was painfully intense. The demons screamed—a chorus of inhuman shrieks that bore into my brain like hot needles.

And then, silence.

I lowered my hands cautiously, blinking spots from my vision. Where dozens of demons had stood moments before, there was nothing but scorch marks on the floor and walls. The few surviving humans and supernatural creatures were slowly getting to their feet, looking dazed.

My ears rang in the sudden quiet. The pain in my head had receded to a dull throb, but I still felt... wrong. Like something inside me had been knocked loose and was now rattling around, threatening to break free.

“What the hell was that?” Sean asked, looking at Cassiel.

The angel was visibly drained, his normally straight posture now slightly slouched. “Divine light,” he replied simply. “It... takes a lot out of me.”

“It was impressive,” I admitted, then turned my attention to the survivors. “We need to check for wounded.”

An hour later, we stepped outside for air.

The club had been secured, the wounded tended to as best we could manage.

Juno was alive, though severely injured.

Sterling had insisted on staying with her, making calls to arrange safe houses for the survivors.

Hawk and Skye were conducting a thorough sweep of the surrounding area, making sure no demons had escaped.

The cool night air was a stark contrast to the burning heat of battle and the copper-heavy scent of blood inside.

I leaned against the brick wall, my body aching from wounds and something deeper—something inside me cracking.

My head still throbbed, the fractured memories threatening to resurface with each heartbeat.

Cassiel stood a few feet away, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Sean paced restlessly, wiping blood from a cut on his lip.

“Tell me what the hell is happening to me,” I said suddenly, my voice sounding strained even to my own ears.

Sean stopped pacing, his back to me. I could see the tension in his shoulders, the slight hesitation before he turned.

“I don't know,” he replied, not quite meeting my eyes.

“Bullshit.” I pushed off the wall, taking a step toward him. “Those demons knew me, Sean. They said things...” I swallowed hard. “You know something. So tell me.”

Sean finally met my gaze, and there was something in his eyes I rarely saw—guilt. “I only know part of it.”

“Then start talking.”

He exhaled deeply, glancing at Cassiel before speaking. “There's a wall in your soul, Cade. Something blocking your memories. Keeping you from remembering what happened to you in Hell.”

My stomach clenched. “Why?”

“To protect you,” Sean said, his voice softening. “The one who got you out of hell built it when he separated your soul from your body. Said it was the only way you'd be... functional. But If you knock that wall open, Cade... you might not survive what's on the other side.”

I clenched my fists, feeling incomplete, like a puzzle missing half its pieces. The fractured memories that had been surfacing during the fight... were they leaking through cracks in this wall?

“What exactly am I not supposed to remember?” I asked, dreading the answer.

“Hell,” Cassiel replied when Sean hesitated. “Not just being there—many souls experience the torments of Hell—but what was done to you specifically. What was... changed.”

A chill ran down my spine. “Changed?”

“Your mark,” Cassiel said, nodding toward my chest. “It's not just a scar. It's a connection. A tether.”

“To what?”

“To the one who marked you. Zeryth,” Sean answered, his expression grim.

“And you weren't going to tell me this?” I demanded, anger flaring hot and bright.

“We were trying to protect you,” Sean insisted. “We needed to find a way to break the connection safely.”

“By keeping me in the dark? By letting me think I was going crazy every time I had a flashback or a nightmare?” My voice rose despite my efforts to control it.

“Would you have believed us?” Sean shot back. “If I'd told you the truth from the beginning, would you have accepted it? Or would you have done exactly what you're doing now—trying to tear down that wall out of sheer stubbornness?”

He had a point, which only fueled my frustration. I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair.

“Then what the hell am I supposed to do?” I asked finally, the anger draining away, leaving exhaustion in its wake.

Sean's face softened. “For now? Stay the hell away from that wall. We'll figure this out together, like we always do. But Cade...” He closed the distance between us, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Promise me you won't go poking at those memories. Not until we know it's safe.”

I wanted to argue, to demand more answers, but the genuine fear in Sean's eyes stopped me. Whatever was on the other side of that wall in my mind, it terrified him. And that, more than anything, made me pause.

“Fine,” I said reluctantly. “But no more secrets.”

Sean's hand tightened on my shoulder. “Hey,” he said firmly. “We've got this. One step at a time.”

I nodded, though the certainty I wanted to feel remained elusive.

The wall in my mind seemed to pulse in time with my heartbeat, the memories behind it pressing against the barrier, seeking escape.

The mark on my chest burned with a cold fire, a constant reminder of the connection I hadn't asked for and didn't understand.

But Sean was right. We would figure it out. We always did. And now, armed with the Heavenly Lash maybe we had a fighting chance.

As we turned to head back inside, to rejoin the others and plan our next move, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were running out of time. The last seal was still out there, waiting to be broken. And somewhere, Zeryth was waiting too.

For me.

And that thought terrified me more than anything.