novelraw Chapter 16 : Smiles and Shadows
Chapter 16 : Smiles and Shadows
Father came back to life.
At least, that’s how it looked.
He walked the halls with strength in his stride, laughed loudly with Elara when she visited from the academy, even sparred with the knights in the courtyard. The servants whispered, “The Lion of Valemont has roared again.”
To everyone else, he was healed. Recovered. Whole.
But not to me.
Whenever I looked at him, the HUD flickered in the corner of my vision:
[Observation: Subject afflicted by Unknown Curse.]
[Status: Dormant.]
[Warning: Progression inevitable.]
I clenched my little fists. He looked so alive, so unshakable. And yet, to my eyes, he was a man standing on borrowed time.
I wanted to scream it. To shout the truth. But what could a three-year-old say? What proof could I show without revealing everything?
So I kept silent. And smiled when he lifted me high into the air, his laughter echoing across the courtyard.
Meanwhile, Mama’s belly had grown round and heavy.
Selene moved slower now, one hand always pressed against her side. She no longer joined me for nightly lessons. Instead, she’d lie on the lounge, breathing carefully, and watch me practice from a distance.
“You’re getting steadier,” she praised, her smile soft. “Even without me guiding your hands.”
I puffed out my cheeks, sparks flickering from my fingertips. Then I glanced at her, worry gnawing at me. She looked so fragile like this, so unlike the fierce archmage who once crushed nobles into the earth.
The maids hovered constantly, adjusting pillows, fetching water, fussing over every sigh she made. But Mama only smiled through it all, her hand never leaving her belly.
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“Elara has her sword,” she murmured one night, her eyes half-closed. “You have your magic. And this child… this child will have both of you to lean on.”
Her gaze softened, shimmering with quiet joy. “Our family will endure, no matter what.”
I wanted to believe her.
But the HUD kept whispering its cruel truth in the back of my mind:
[Darius Valemont – Afflicted. Countdown continues.]
And for the first time, I wished my eyes could lie.
The night began quietly. Too quietly.
I was in the nursery, stacking blocks of wood while the maids hovered as always, when Mama’s cry cut through the halls.
“Darius!”
The blocks tumbled from my hands. My heart jumped. The maids exchanged panicked glances, then scattered like startled birds.
I stumbled after them, my little legs carrying me down the corridor. The sound of rushed footsteps, shouts for towels, boiling water, blankets—it was chaos.
When I reached the chamber, the air was heavy. Selene lay on the bed, sweat streaming down her face, silver hair plastered to her cheeks. Her breaths came ragged, her hands clutching the sheets.
Darius was at her side, gripping her hand tight. His face—usually carved from stone—was pale, fear flickering in his eyes.
“Stay with me, Selene,” he muttered, voice cracking.
The midwives swarmed around, barking orders, their arms full of cloth and herbs. The smell of iron filled the room.
I froze at the doorway, too small to understand it all, too powerless to help. My HUD flickered faintly, uselessly.
[Observation: Mana disturbance detected.]
[Secondary Life Force – Stable.]
Stable. That was the only word that mattered.
Selene’s scream tore through the hall. I covered my ears, my tiny body trembling. Darius wiped her forehead, whispering words I couldn’t hear over the chaos.
Then—finally—another sound joined hers.
A thin, sharp cry. High-pitched. Fragile.
The baby’s cry.
The midwife lifted the small, wriggling bundle, wrapped hastily in cloth. “It’s healthy!”
Selene collapsed back onto the pillows, tears streaming down her cheeks, her arms reaching weakly. “Give… give me my child.”
The bundle was placed in her arms. She cradled it close, her exhausted face breaking into a smile that glowed even brighter than her magic ever had.
Darius leaned over, his large hand trembling as he brushed the newborn’s head. His eyes shimmered, but no tears fell. “Our family… grows.”
I waddled closer, staring at the tiny creature blinking up at us with unfocused eyes. My little sibling. So small, so fragile, so loud.
Selene looked at me, her smile soft. “Rooga… meet your brother.”
My chest tightened. Brother.
The HUD flickered faintly at the edge of my vision:
[New Family Bond Detected.]
[Protective Instinct – Strengthened.]
I reached out, my clumsy hand brushing the baby’s tiny fingers. They clenched mine instinctively.
And in that moment, I swore silently—just as I had when Mama first told me.
I’d protect him too.
No matter what.