Duke Reynard Aeternis sat in his study, fingers steepled as he gazed at the flickering candlelight before him. The manor was quiet now, save for the distant echoes of the night wind brushing against the windows.
Marcellus had departed, Leon was resting, and Seraphina had finally gone to sleep after a long day. Yet, Reynard could not find rest.
His son was extraordinary.
A child not yet a year old should not be capable of what Leon had done. The way he moved, the way he instinctively controlled mana—it was beyond logic. Beyond natural talent.
And that frightened him.
Not because he feared his son, but because he knew that such brilliance could not remain hidden forever. Eyes would turn toward them. Some would watch in awe. Others in jealousy. And a few… in fear.
A soft knock broke him from his thoughts.
"Enter."
The door creaked open, revealing a figure clad in a long, dark coat. His sharp features and composed stance immediately marked him as one of the Duke's trusted aides.
"My Lord," the man bowed. "Our scouts have confirmed it—the Solaris Kingdom's prince is moving westward. His forces are not far from our lands."
Reynard's eyes darkened. "So, it begins."
The aide hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "There is more. A shadowed presence has been sighted near the estate. Someone is watching."
Reynard leaned back, exhaling slowly.
A prince, an unknown observer, and an infant son whose very existence defied reason.
The pieces were moving far too quickly.
He needed to act.
---
The moon hung high as Prince Alistair's entourage slowed upon reaching the outskirts of the Aeternis territory. The night air carried the scent of damp earth and pine, but beneath it lingered something else.
Anticipation.
Alistair dismounted, his leather boots pressing against the soft ground. His knights formed a defensive perimeter, their polished armor glinting under the moonlight.
"Hold position," he ordered. "No one moves without my command."
His eyes scanned the horizon, settling on the towering silhouette of the Aeternis estate in the distance.
"That child is here," he murmured.
Alistair was no fool. He understood power, and he understood fate. If the Oracle's words were true, then what lay beyond these walls was no ordinary child.
He intended to find out for himself.
And if necessary…
He would take action.
---
High above, perched within the dense canopy of trees, the cloaked figure observed the prince's arrival with silent amusement.
"So, he finally comes," they mused.
Golden eyes gleamed beneath the hood.
"Let's see how this unfolds."
With a final glance toward the manor, the figure vanished once more into the night.
The game had begun.
---
Seraphina stirred in her sleep. A strange unease gnawed at the edges of her consciousness.
Something was coming.
Something inevitable.
Her arms instinctively tightened around Leon, holding him close as he slept peacefully against her chest. His warmth, his steady breaths—he was here. Safe.
For now.
Her golden eyes flickered open.
She would not allow anyone to take him from her.
Not the prince.
Not the unknown forces lurking in the shadows.
No one.
Seraphina Aeternis was many things—a noblewoman, a wife, a daughter.
But above all, she was a mother.
And she would protect her child at all costs.