All Chapters of Shattered by three, claimed by none: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Sage's POVI felt the blood drain from my face. Brother. Zane was Tom's brother. I knew Tom had a sibling, but he had barely ever mentioned it. I had assumed it was because the relationship was strained or painful. I had never imagined this.My mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments. "Tom," I choked out, a low undertone of shock.. "Is what he said true?"Tom did not answer. But his body language told me everything I needed to know. Zane was not lying.Zane laughed. "Have you not tried to ruin our plans before? And it did not work. The reason your life was spared was because I let you live. I showed you mercy, tom. And now you are back again? Throwing yourself into the same losing battle?""Shut up," Tom said in a dangerous tone.The chains around my body and wrist burned, and I winced. The wolfsbane was still in my system, dulling my powers, making my head spin. I forced myself to focus."Tom," I said. "Are you working with him? Are you part of this?"Tom finally looked a

Sage's POVMilo squeezed my hands. "Mom, I agree to do it. And you will be there to help me when I am in pain, like you always have been. You have never let me face anything alone. I know you will not start now."I looked at her small face, her steady eyes, her brave smile. I did not want my daughter to go through any kind of pain. Every scar on her body, every nosebleed from using her powers, every nightmare that woke her in the middle of the night, I carried those wounds with me. They lived in my chest, heavy and permanent. But Milo had agreed, and I trusted that everything would be fine after. I had to trust that. There was no other choice.I kissed her forehead and stood up. "Let me get ready."I washed my face, brushed my hair, and changed into clean clothes. My body was still weak from using my ability the night before, but I pushed through the fatigue. Tom did not have time for me to rest. Milo waited by the door, patient and quiet, her small hand resting on the handle.We step

Sage's POVVex grabbed the chain that was still attached to Tom's wrists and yanked hard. Tom's body jerked backward, dragged across the floor, his hands clawing at the ground as he tried to push himself forward again.I could not believe what I was seeing. Milo's blood was supposed to work. It had worked before. It had cured people. Why was Tom acting like this? Why was he attacking us?"Take Milo and leave," Vex said sharply. "Now."I grabbed Milo's hand and pulled her out of the cell. The three men moved inside, positioning themselves between us and Tom.The screeching from the other cells was still loud, still piercing, a chorus of monsters calling to each other.I turned Milo away from the cell. I did not want her to see this. I did not want her to watch Tom like this.Milo was crying. Her small body shook against mine, and her voice was muffled against my chest. "Does my blood not work anymore? Did I lose it? Is Tom going to die because I am useless now?"I held her tighter. "No

Vex's POVI noticed the drained look on Sage's face when Kael said those words. Her color drained further, and her eyes went wide with something that looked like fear. She held Milo tighter, as if she was about to be taken away."What do you mean by that?" Sage asked. Her tone was filled with dread, the kind of dread that comes from a secret you have been keeping for years finally being dragged into the light.I stepped forward, my knee still aching from where the ice had struck me. "What Milo was going through, the outburst after using her blood, it is actually common among children with powerful abilities. Its something that i have read about among other things in our territory."Sage stared at me. "What are you talking about?"I continued. "When children start showing signs of their abilities at a very young age, their core is so powerful that their fragile bodies cannot handle all of it. The power builds up, and when it reaches a breaking point, it lashes out. They cannot control

Vex's POVHer words had really brought me back to reality. I had been spiraling, drowning in the failure of those five samples, letting the weight of my own expectations crush me. And she had pulled me out with a few sentences and an insult. That was what I needed. Not praise. Just the truth, plain and unvarnished.My family had made me believe that failure was not an option. From the time I could hold a pencil, I had been told that I was exceptional, that my intelligence was a gift that set me apart from everyone else. They praised me for every correct answer, celebrated every academic achievement, and never once taught me how to handle being wrong. That praise had made me cocky. It had made me proud. It had made me insufferable, even to myself.But Sage did not care about any of that. She did not care about my family's name or my reputation or the long list of accomplishments I had stacked up over the years. She was blunt. She did not talk to me like she wanted to get on my good sid