? Chapter 5: Back to the Present Time ?

  Now, returning to the present timeline—

  Darwin sighed, brushing his hair back as he glared at his kids and the terrified gang members.

  “I don’t know how you clowns managed to become gangsters, but honestly… you’re terrible at it. The only thing you’re even slightly good at is torture.”

  He stretched his neck, cracking it like he was waking up from a nap.

  “Well, my dear family… since things have escalated to this point, let’s drop the act. We’re done with this life.”

  One of the gang members panicked.

  “Oi—oi—WAIT!! What the hell do you mean? How did you get free?! A minute ago you were pissing your pants, crying your eyes out and now this! You think we’re idiots?!”

  Darwin smiled.

  “No, my friend… you’re not an idiot. You just have no idea who you’re messing with.”

  And then his irises shifted—brown to a glowing, icy blue.

  That was when the older gang member—somewhere in his late 40's—saw it and immediately lost control of his bladder.

  He stumbled back, screaming:

  “THE DEVIL IS BACK! WE ARE ALL DOOMED!”

  He desperately tried to open the door, hands shaking so badly he couldn’t grip the handle.

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  Before he could escape, Vincent appeared behind him like a shadow.

  Vincent raised his hand to kill him, but Darwin stopped him with a sharp command:

  “Not him. He lives today. Hah… haven’t heard that name in a long time.”

  And then—chaos.

  Blood splattered. Bodies dropped one after another.

  Within minutes, every gang member was dead except the leader and the old man.

  A deliberate message.

  The leader’s mind finally snapped.

  “You son of a—! our kids had POWERS this whole time?! And you didn’t THINK to tell me?! WE PROMISED—NO SECRETS!”

  Aniela’s voice shook the walls.

  She stormed out of the house.

  “You two clean this mess,” Darwin ordered calmly.

  “I’ll go talk to your mother.”

  The twins nodded, already dragging bodies away.

  Darwin chased after Aniela and caught her hand.

  “I wanted you to have peace. We lived through a warzone, Aniela. I didn’t want to drag you back into that life. You were finally happy… I couldn’t ruin that.”

  “Oh, spare me.”

  Aniela’s fury could have set the whole street on fire.

  “World-famous DEVIL QUAKE—how could you ever be wrong?! I deserved to know! And I deserved to hear it from YOU.”

  Darwin approached gently. She pushed him once… twice… but he didn’t stop.

  Finally, she broke down, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

  “I will tell you everything,” he whispered.

  “But please… let’s go home first. I can’t lose you. Not again. Scream at me, punch me, kill me later—but come home now.”

  Aniela sniffed, still angry but softening.

  “You’d better explain EVERYTHING. And D… promise me. No more secrets.”

  Darwin smiled sadly and wiped her tears.

  “Yes, my love. I promise. No matter how bad, ugly, or dangerous the truth is… you’ll hear it from me. That is the Devil’s Promise.”

  “We’ll see,” she muttered, not fully convinced.

  Hand in hand, they walked back.

  By the time they returned, Val and Vince had already disposed of every body.

  Note:

  From here on, Darwin will be referred to as D, not Darwin or Devil Quake.

  D stood silently for a moment. He was furious—but did not let his emotions rule him.

  “You two have caused a massive mess,” he said, voice low and deadly calm.

  “We can never use our other-life names again. If you wanted to escape, I get it. Val is impulsive… but you, Vince? I expected better planning.”

  Aniela gently squeezed D’s hand to calm him.

  “But what’s done is done,” she said. “We’ll leave tomorrow. Don’t inform the siblings yet—we’ll need time to make arrangements. And… It'll be a nice surprise.”

  If I don’t get killed the moment we show up…’

  D thought to himself and sighed heavily.

  “Since we’re leaving tomorrow,” D continued, “say your goodbyes. Anyone you know, anyone you feel deserves it.”

  The twins asked together,

  “Dad… are we going back to your hometown?”

  D smiled faintly.

  “Yes, children. We’re going home. We’re bringing the family back together.”

  The next morning, D and Aniela resigned from their jobs, and the kids withdrew from school.

  This marked

  the beginning of a story that future generations—whether they spoke of it or not—would never forget.