The room was dimly lit, the only source of illumination coming from a single lantern hanging from the ceiling. The air was thick with dust, and the smell of ancient wood and old stone seemed to permeate everything. Sam stood still, his eyes locked onto his mother as she stood across the room, her expression unreadable. Behind her, the faint outlines of old relics and heirlooms lined the walls—some of them Sam recognized, others he only knew from stories passed down through hushed whispers.
His heart pounded in his chest, and for the first time in a long time, he felt a wave of dread wash over him. This was it—the moment of truth. The answers he had been avoiding, the family he had tried to forget, all stood before him.
"Mother," Sam said, his voice hoarse. "What is this place?"
His mother's eyes flickered for a moment, a shadow of something that could have been regret passing across her features. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by the cold determination that had always been a part of her.
"This is where it all started," she replied, her tone flat. "The place where the Resonance was first awakened in our bloodline. The Casa de la Resonancia. Your ancestors forged the first connections, and you—" She paused, her gaze hardening. "You were supposed to stay away from it all."
"Why?" Sam asked, stepping forward. "Why did you hide everything from me? From all of us?"
His mother's lips pressed together tightly as if she were fighting an internal battle. "Because the truth is dangerous. Because there are forces in this world, Sam, that no one should ever awaken."
Sam's fists clenched. "You always told me to run. But I didn't have a choice. I was already in this. I summoned Lapu-Lapu. I've felt the power—more than just the Veins. I've felt what it does to me. What it does to everyone who has it."
"You don't understand," she whispered. "No one can truly understand until it's too late."
Rael stepped forward, his voice calm yet firm. "What do you mean, 'too late'?"
Her eyes flickered toward him for a moment before shifting back to Sam. "It's not just the Veins," she said slowly. "It's the blood itself. The power in your veins, Sam, isn't just a gift. It's a curse. A curse that ties you to the Abyss."
Sam's heart skipped. "The Abyss?"
His mother nodded. "The Rift. The Abyssal entities. The creatures you've been fighting… they're not just out there. They're tied to your bloodline. To the Resonance. And that's why it's been hidden. The deeper you go into it, the more you risk losing yourself to what lies beneath."
A chill ran down Sam's spine. He couldn't process it all—couldn't understand how something so beautiful could also be so dangerous.
"So, what am I supposed to do?" Sam asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Am I supposed to just turn away from all of it? Pretend like nothing's happening?"
"No," his mother said sharply, her voice tinged with sorrow. "But you must understand—there are those who would use your bloodline to tear open the fabric of reality itself. They will use your connection to the Rift to control the world, to bring forth something far worse than what you've seen. That's why your father and I left everything behind—to keep you safe."
"But why did you leave me?" Sam's voice cracked, a raw edge to it that surprised even him. "Why did you let me grow up alone, in the dark?"
His mother's eyes softened for a brief moment, but she quickly regained her composure. "Because I was afraid. Afraid that you wouldn't be strong enough. I didn't want you to become what your bloodline was meant to be."
"Which is what?" Sam demanded, his frustration mounting. "A tool for some war? A puppet for the Abyss?"
His mother's gaze hardened once more. "A weapon, Sam. The blood in your veins makes you a weapon—one that could either save or destroy everything. And there are people who would gladly see you fall into their hands."
A sudden realization struck Sam like a lightning bolt. "The Abyss… It's not just a place, is it? It's something worse. Something that wants to use my bloodline to break through."
His mother looked away, unable to meet his gaze. "It's not a matter of choice anymore, Sam. The Rift is already here. It's already starting to pull at the seams of reality, and your connection to it is only going to get stronger. You've already started the process."
Sam's pulse quickened, his mind racing. His mother was right. The power he had felt, the surge of energy that had guided him—there was something more to it. Something ancient and dangerous that had been waiting to claim him.
But he wasn't sure if he was ready to accept that fate.
"You have to choose, Sam," his mother said quietly. "Either you sever your connection to the Resonance, or you let it consume you. But make no mistake—whatever you choose, there will be consequences."
Rael spoke up, his voice steady. "You're not alone in this, Sam. We're here to help."
Sam glanced at Rael, then Valencia, who had remained silent up until now. They were right. He didn't have to face this alone. But the weight of the decision loomed larger than anything he had ever faced before.
"I need time," Sam said finally, his voice hoarse.
"Time is the one thing you don't have," his mother replied, her tone somber.
The room seemed to close in on him as the air grew heavy with the weight of the choices before him. The power in his veins—the power that was his heritage—was also his burden. And no matter what path he chose, there was no going back.