The flickering candlelight cast elongated shadows along the stone walls of Luciana's study as she sifted through a stack of documents. The weight of governance pressed on her shoulders, but a child's excited voice pierced the quiet.
"Mama! Mama! Look what Dada gave me!"
Nemesis burst into the room, his small feet padding rapidly across the polished floor. His eyes gleamed with uncontained joy as he clutched a tiny wooden wolf in his hands, holding it up for her to see.
Mina, standing just behind him, tried to temper his eagerness. "Patience, little lord," she murmured, though she knew it was a futile attempt. Nemesis, overwhelmed with excitement, was already bouncing on his toes.
Luciana sighed, setting her documents aside. A soft smile played on her lips as she finally turned to him. "My child, what has you so thrilled?"
"Dada made it!" he declared, stretching his small hands toward her. The carved wolf fit perfectly in his palm, its details finely etched with care.
Luciana's brows lifted in surprise. "He made this?"
She examined the carving, noting the precision and craftsmanship. The piece, though small, held an undeniable artistry—one that spoke of steady hands and a patient mind.
Mina beamed. "Oh, Milady, have you not noticed? The stained glass windows of the fortress, the murals in the master's chamber, the grand sculpture of Leo in the hall—every one of them was made by the master."
Luciana's gaze flickered toward the wolf once more, a new appreciation settling in. "I had no idea."
Mina continued, almost bragging. "Master Erebus has an artist's soul, though he rarely speaks of it. Even the pigments he uses are improvised from what's available—paints are costly, and rare in these lands."
Luciana could easily imagine Jafar boasting about his brother's hidden talents. Her lips twitched at the thought.
Turning to Nemesis, she asked gently, "Did you thank your father?"
The boy nodded eagerly before returning to his play, hopping across the room with the wooden wolf clutched in his hands.
"Be careful not to hurt yourself," she warned. "And no chewing on your toy."
Nemesis giggled, unfazed.
Luciana leaned back into her chair, her mind drifting to the conversation she'd had the day before with Lilith.
---
Lilith had spoken carefully, her tone measured yet uncertain.
"My lady… your case is unusual."
Luciana had felt Erebus tense beside her, his presence steady yet anxious.
"Unusual? Is that a bad thing?" he asked, his eyes sharp with concern.
Lilith hesitated, glancing between them. "I cannot say for certain. I have attended many births, but none quite like this."
Luciana's fingers tightened around the armrest. "Please, tell us what you know."
Lilith exhaled, choosing her words with care. "A child born of both human and demon blood is often frail, though not always. In some cases, they inherit great strength. But, my lord, you are half-demon yourself. This complicates matters."
Erebus's jaw clenched. "Are you saying we won't know whether our child will be weak or strong until the birth?"
Lilith nodded solemnly. "Exactly. A human mother typically experiences the first signs of pregnancy around the third month. Demon pregnancies vary. But for Lady Luciana to feel the effects after only a week… it is highly unusual."
Luciana swallowed, pressing a hand to her abdomen. "Then we must be prepared for anything."
Erebus had been searching for experts—scholars, midwives, healers—but none had answers. The uncertainty gnawed at her.
She recalled Jafar once speaking of his nephew's illness, an affliction tied to demonic blood. The cure had been difficult to find.
"Are there no books with knowledge of medicines and healing?"
She murmured the thought aloud, even now, as she watched Nemesis doze near the hearth. Rising carefully, she draped a thick fur blanket over him before turning toward the bookshelves.
The fortress lacked a library, and the number of books in the study was detrimentally scarce and they too were in poor condition. Many were aged, their spines cracked, pages brittle and faded with time. Some had entire sections missing. Scrolls of papyrus and bound parchment filled the shelves, yet none seemed to contain what she sought.
Luciana ran her fingers along the spines, pulling down a volume bound in worn brown leather. Its cover, though faded, bore the title:
"Easy Ways to Learn Ancient Wahrheiti Symbols."
She opened it, only to find ink blots, hastily scribbled notes, and pages crumbling at the edges. Whoever had studied this book had done so relentlessly, reducing it to near ruin.
Setting it aside, she scoured more shelves. Tomes on politics, ancient war tactics, and geography lined the space, some in better condition than others. But nothing on medicine.
Frustration coiled in her chest. "The basement holds more scrolls… perhaps even stone tablets," she muttered. There had to be something.
Then, a memory surfaced—the diary.
Her mother's diary.
Erebus had kept it as a token of gratitude for aiding her. If anything held forgotten knowledge, it might be that.
Spurred by hope, Luciana turned sharply, nearly colliding with Erebus as she rushed from the study. His reflexes were swift, catching her before she could stumble.
"Where are you running off to?" he asked, amusement tinged with concern.
She exhaled. "I was looking for medical records. I need someone to retrieve the documents from the upper shelves—there's no ladder."
His expression shifted. "Medical records?"
"Just in case," she explained. "Lilith said we should prepare for anything. If there's knowledge here, I want to find it."
Erebus seemed to consider her words before stepping into his office. A moment later, he reemerged, his expression darkened.
Luciana's heart stilled. "Is something wrong?"
He ran a hand through his hair, looking genuinely distressed. "My workspace… It's gone."
"Gone?" She followed him inside, scanning the room. Everything appeared neat, the documents meticulously arranged on the shelves. "The papers are still here."
Erebus stared at the impeccable organization with an almost haunted look.
Luciana exhaled, exasperated. "Mina and I organized everything. This way, the documents are easier to find."
Erebus looked as though the ground had cracked beneath him.
She smiled, patting his arm. "I left the top shelves untouched. Mina insisted I shouldn't overwork myself."
His silence was filled with disbelief as she turned, remembering her true goal—the diary. She left him standing there, gaping at the immaculately arranged room.
Mina arrived moments later, balancing a tray of refreshments. "Milord, what are you doing?"
Before he could answer, Nemesis stirred from his nap. The moment he realized Luciana was gone, his wail echoed through the room.
Mina startled, nearly spilling the tray. "Hush, little one, she's just outside—"
Erebus sighed, rubbing his temples. "And now we have a crisis."
Luciana, unaware of the chaos behind her, made her way toward the bedchambers. If there were answers to be found, they lay within the pages of her mother's past.