Maddy stepped forward, her eyes glowing with a dark, protective fire.
"If I go out there as I am, with all of you, humanity won't see a family. They won't see children who love their mother. They'll see an apocalypse in the making. And because they are afraid, they will never, ever stop coming. They won't stop until our blood is on their swords and our home is a tomb."
Sephiran's face fell, his grip on his bat tightening. A single, confused tear traced a path through the dust on his cheek.
"But Mother… We're not bad. We aren't an apocalypse. We just want to stay together… to love each other and build a big, happy family. Why is that a sin?"
"I know, sweetie. I know."
Maddy softened her voice, stepping forward to cup his face in her warm palms and wiping the tear away with her thumb.
