"I know, Rose."
Constantine reached toward the little girl. "It's alright, Rose. You're safe now. I'm sorry you had to go through this, but it's over."
His voice carried an unusual heaviness.
The girl standing before him was Rose Constantine.
Her mother had once been Constantine's girlfriend.
More accurately, his ex girlfriend.
Now she lay lifeless among the ruins outside.
One of the corpses belonged to his former lover.
The other belonged to her boyfriend.
Complicated relationships like this no longer surprised Constantine. Chaos had followed him through most of his life.
His reputation was far from clean. Smoking, drinking, gambling, bar fights, reckless behavior, none of it was unfamiliar to him. Rumors about his relationships spread just as freely, including whispers that he had loved both men and women. One of his former lovers had even become an enemy, Stanley Manor.
Constantine enjoyed helping people, but when survival was at stake, he could become merciless. He manipulated, deceived, and sacrificed whatever he had to in order to escape disaster. Some described him as a man with a gambler's soul and a banker's heart.
Yet despite all his flaws, women still found themselves drawn to him.
Unfortunately, few of them met good endings.
Another former lover of his had once been brutally murdered and dismembered by her boyfriend. Constantine had personally hunted the man down afterward, but the memory still lingered like a curse hanging over his life.
"Rose Constantine."
As he muttered the name that felt burdened with misfortune, he tightened his grip on Rose's small hand.
Her fingers were freezing cold and trembling faintly.
"Will I... never see Mom and Steve again?"
Rose already understood the answer deep down, but she still forced herself to ask.
Constantine said nothing.
Instead, he pulled her into his arms.
The moment she buried her face against him, tears poured freely from her eyes. Quiet sobs escaped her throat as she clung to him.
Constantine remained silent, though his eyes sharpened.
Father and daughter stood together beneath the cold rain, sharing warmth in the middle of the ruined silence.
Before tonight, Constantine had barely been part of Rose's life.
That distance had been intentional.
He had too many enemies, too many monsters waiting for an opportunity. If anyone discovered Rose's identity, her death would come instantly.
And now, she had been exposed.
Constantine slowly lifted his gaze toward the darkness beyond the rain.
Something was watching.
Something had noticed her existence.
Something ancient and terrifying.
All his efforts to keep her hidden had become meaningless.
"Hey."
Constantine forced a smile, refusing to let his fear affect Rose.
He reached behind her ear.
A silver coin suddenly appeared between his fingers.
"Look at this."
Rose blinked in surprise.
Her crying stopped as she stared at the coin in disbelief.
"How... how did you do that?"
"It's simple, sweetheart."
Constantine smirked faintly.
"Magic."
---
Inside the Tower of Fate, Doctor Fate abruptly sensed a disturbance.
He turned toward the entrance, his expression darkening beneath the golden helmet.
"Something is coming."
"Something from outside?"
Zatanna frowned immediately.
"That's impossible. The Tower exists beyond time and space. Nothing enters here without permission."
The Tower of Fate floated within endless storms of lightning, isolated from reality itself. Like Baron Winters' estate, it was nearly inaccessible to outsiders.
Doctor Fate slowly raised his hands as golden magical energy gathered around him.
"There may have been no precedent before," he said gravely, "but that does not mean it cannot happen now."
He looked toward Zatanna.
"Prepare yourself. He's here."
Boom!
The instant the words left his mouth, the tower's massive doors shook violently.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Something was slamming against the entrance with overwhelming force.
No, slamming was too mild a word.
It sounded more like reality itself was being rammed apart.
Each impact sent vibrations through the tower and filled Zatanna with growing unease.
Whatever waited outside was not ordinary.
Boom!
The magical barriers around the doors flickered violently, close to collapse.
Zatanna raised her staff immediately, magical symbols circling around her right hand as she prepared a spell.
Her eyes never left the entrance.
"I'll open it," she said.
Doctor Fate turned toward her sharply.
"The moment the door opens, attack immediately."
Rather than wait for the barrier to fail, Zatanna chose to seize the initiative.
Ignoring Doctor Fate's hesitation, she stepped forward and grabbed the handle.
After exchanging one final glance with him, she pulled the door open.
Creak.
The doors swung wide.
Zatanna was ready to release her magic instantly, but the spell froze before it could leave her hand.
"Hello, Little Zha."
Standing outside the tower was Constantine, holding Rose's hand.
He smiled casually at her.
Zatanna stared at him in stunned silence.
"John...?"
She had expected many things.
Constantine casually appearing outside the Tower of Fate was not one of them.
"Can we come in?" Constantine asked while gesturing behind himself. "The void's a bit cold tonight."
Beyond him, violent currents of distorted space twisted like a cosmic hurricane.
Zatanna exhaled slowly and stepped aside.
---
After settling Rose onto a sofa near the fireplace, Constantine, Zatanna, and Doctor Fate gathered together.
"You're saying she's your daughter?"
Zatanna still sounded shocked.
"Believe me, Little Zha, I was surprised too."
Constantine leaned closer to the warmth of the fire.
"I'd love to tell you it's a long story, but honestly, half of it's a blur."
He glanced toward the sleeping Rose.
"I need you to keep her safe."
Zatanna's expression tightened.
"Why? Where are you going?"
"Plans changed."
Constantine's tone grew serious.
"There's something in Liverpool. Something tied to magic. Big, ugly, and watching."
Doctor Fate nodded slowly.
"He speaks the truth. Even within this tower, I can sense it."
Constantine glanced sideways at him.
"Any idea what it is?"
"None."
Doctor Fate paused.
"But I fear a greater evil is awakening. Something that seeks to aid Homelander."
Constantine rubbed his forehead.
"For something to avoid detection from all three of us..." He frowned deeply. "Only a few gods and one particular spirit of vengeance fit that description."
He stared into the fire.
"Before we make another move, we need answers."
Doctor Fate remained silent for several moments before speaking again.
"John Constantine, I fear we now walk a road filled only with pain and suffering."
Constantine rolled his eyes instantly.
"No matter how shiny that helmet is, saying vague nonsense like that still makes you sound like an insufferable idiot."
Zatanna pinched the bridge of her nose while Doctor Fate remained perfectly still.
Constantine then turned back toward her.
"Little Zha, I felt a terrifying presence enter the city tonight. What happened?"
Zatanna exhaled quietly.
"I didn't witness the battle directly, but you already know the answer."
Her expression grew complicated.
"Adrian fought the Green Lantern Corps in Coast City. To gain more power, he embraced fear itself."
Constantine frowned.
"When did you start sounding like Goldilocks over there?"
Zatanna ignored the remark.
"We still don't know exactly what happened between Adrian and Hal Jordan, but one fact is undeniable. Adrian won."
Her voice lowered.
"And after obtaining the Yellow Lantern Ring, his power increased dramatically. The fear you sensed may have come from him."
Silence filled the room.
Finally, Constantine spoke.
"So Batman's brilliant plan to use the Green Lantern Corps against Adrian completely failed."
"Yes."
The single word lingered heavily in the air.
Constantine lowered his gaze.
"Little Zha, I need you to take me somewhere."
"Where?"
"You already know."
His eyes narrowed.
"The one hiding in the shadows."
Zatanna immediately understood.
"After everything that's happened, he's keeping himself hidden for good reason."
"He can't stay hidden forever."
Constantine leaned forward.
"He hates me, sure, but we need him. I'll try not to annoy him too much this time."
He rose from his chair.
"I need to know what's hunting us. And I need to keep Rose alive."
A grim smile crossed his face.
"Take me to the world's greatest detective."
"Detective Chimp," Zatanna muttered.
"Exactly."
After a moment of hesitation, she finally nodded.
"Fine."
She raised her hand and began chanting a spell.
A glowing portal opened before them.
Constantine pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, then gave Zatanna and Doctor Fate a lazy nod before stepping through the portal.
---
Creak.
The farmhouse door opened as Adrian and Clark entered the living room.
The storm that had spread from Coast City to Metropolis had finally ended, leaving Smallville wrapped in cool silence and the scent of rain soaked earth.
Clark paused briefly.
It had been a long time since this place felt familiar.
Adrian failed to notice the distant look in his eyes because another figure rushed toward him immediately.
"Adrian!"
Rachel threw herself into his arms like someone terrified he might disappear again.
Her movements were fast and desperate, filled with relief.
It was already late, yet she had remained awake waiting for him.
"That's great. You're finally back."
Her voice trembled slightly as she hugged him tightly.
She had wanted to go to Coast City herself, but Adrian ordered her to stay behind and protect Martha.
So all she could do was wait and pray.
"I'm alright."
Adrian gently stroked her hair.
"Things always work out in the end. This time's no different."
"I knew you'd be fine."
Rachel finally relaxed slightly.
"I always believed in you. Those green aliens were never going to beat you."
Then her smile weakened.
"But... this time felt different. I kept imagining the worst."
After the siblings finished speaking, Clark awkwardly stepped forward.
"Hi, Rachel."
Rachel froze in surprise.
"Clark?"
She clearly had not expected him to return with Adrian.
"How are you here?"
Realizing how harsh that sounded, she quickly corrected herself.
"I mean, why did you come home with Adrian?"
Ever since Jonathan disappeared, Clark and Adrian's relationship had completely shattered.
At least, that was what Rachel believed.
Clark opened his mouth, but no words came out.
How was he supposed to explain it?
That Adrian had changed in Gotham?
Or that he wanted to stay close enough to stop him if necessary?
"Clark's exhausted."
Adrian smoothly interrupted.
"Rachel, take him upstairs. The house expansion moved his room, so he'll probably get lost."
Rachel nodded despite the unanswered questions.
She led Clark upstairs while Adrian remained below.
The staircase creaked softly beneath their footsteps.
Rain still drifted through the open windows in faint droplets, landing against Clark's shoulders as he silently followed her.
The distance between them felt heavier than ever.
Even now, she still felt strangely far away.
"Rachel," Clark finally asked, "is Mom asleep already?"
"Yes."
Rachel kept walking.
"She was too worried about Adrian, so I used a sleeping blessing spell on her. She'll wake up at dawn."
Clark frowned immediately.
"Magic?"
Disapproval entered his voice.
"You shouldn't use magic on family."
Rachel stopped walking.
She slowly turned around to face him.
Her amber eyes held clear confusion.
"Why not?"
"This isn't about intentions," Clark said firmly. "You know what magic can lead to."
He remembered the Owl Council's dark magic texts.
He remembered Lana accidentally becoming tied to cursed magic, Lois and Chloe being possessed, and the near destruction caused by the ancient witch goddess.
Magic always carried a price.
"Rachel, magic attracts dangerous things."
"I know exactly what magic represents."
Her expression hardened.
"To me, it means protecting my family."
Her voice grew quieter.
"If my magic had been stronger, I could've helped Adrian against the Green Lantern Corps instead of sitting here helpless."
Determination burned in her eyes.
"As for evil things coming after me, I'll deal with them."
She stared directly at Clark.
"Do you know the difference between you and Adrian?"
Clark hesitated.
"What difference?"
"Adrian treats me like an adult."
Her gaze sharpened.
"You never do."