"Look," Diana said, suddenly serious, "we've always operated in the shadows of something bigger. We knew the Origin Families existed, knew they controlled supernatural forces that could end civilizations, knew they kept Earth safe from things we couldn't even imagine. But we also knew the rules—they stay out of human affairs, we don't interfere with cosmic business."
"And now the rules have changed," Ethan said quietly.
"The rules haven't changed," Diana corrected. "We just discovered we never understood what game was actually being played. We thought the Origin Families were the final authority, the ultimate power in the supernatural hierarchy. Turns out they're just... employees."
"Employees with enough power to level continents," Thomas pointed out weakly.
"Exactly. Which makes their bosses..." Diana trailed off, the implications too vast to voice.
"Gods," Elena whispered. "Or something that makes gods nervous."
