Before anyone could stop him, he was already rushing out of the room. Logan and Theodore followed close behind, their boots pounding against the stone floor. The echo of their steps mingled with the fading cries ahead, every sound tightening the knot in Xavier’s chest.

They turned the corner sharply, breathless, and froze.

There, in the center of the grand hall, stood Kia. His black robe swept the floor like a shadow, and in front of him—two small boys. Xavier’s twin sons. They were ...