[ In Another World]
The halls of House Vaelthorne stretched vast and endless, their towering arches bathed in the soft glow of moonlight. Emerald banners hung proudly from the high ceilings, embroidered with the sigil of their noble bloodline—a black wolf entwined in vines, a symbol of strength, of loyalty, of the untamed wilds that whispered to their blood.
The polished stone floors carried the faintest echoes of distant footsteps, of guards patrolling the estate, of hushed voices in the corridors beyond. But within the warmth of the Lady's Chambers, all was quiet.
All was safe.
A young boy lay tucked beneath silken blankets, his small body wrapped in the warmth of his mother's embrace. His dark hair was a mess, wild from an evening of play, and his obsidian eyes, so deep they seemed endless, gleamed with the curiosity only a child could hold.
He nuzzled closer, sighing as delicate fingers ran through his unruly locks, the touch so gentle it felt like moonlight itself.
"Tell me a story, Mother," young Alistair Vaelthorne murmured, his voice soft, sleep beginning to tug at him.
Beside him, Lady Seraphina Vaelthorne, the elegant and formidable matriarch of their house, smiled.
Her silver-blonde hair shimmered in the candlelight, cascading over her shoulders like liquid starlight. And her blue eyes—so much like the endless sky, so much like the goddess they worshipped—held a warmth that belonged to him and him alone.
She pulled him close, wrapping her arms around his small frame.
Her embrace was his sanctuary.
"A story, is it?" she mused, her voice carrying the soft cadence of a lullaby. "Then let me tell you the tale of our world, Eldoria… and the gods who shape it."
Alistair's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Will you tell me about Artemis?"
Seraphina chuckled softly. "Of course, my love." She stroked his cheek. "But first, you must understand the world she watches over."
And so, she began.
***
"Our world, Eldoria, is vast and full of wonder," Seraphina whispered, brushing a stray lock of hair from Alistair's face. "It is a land of kingdoms and empires, ruled by warriors, nobles, and mages—each striving for power, for purpose, for something greater than themselves."
She lifted a hand, and a soft green glow bloomed from her fingertips.
Emerald light coiled in the air, weaving into shimmering images—living, breathing visions that danced before them.
"There are many races—humans, elves, dwarves, vampires, even dragons. But above them all, there are the Constellations—the gods, the celestial forces that watch over our world and grant their blessings to the worthy."
Alistair's small fingers traced the glowing vines in awe. "Are all gods the same?"
Seraphina's smile dimmed, just slightly.
"No, little one," she murmured. "The gods are as different as the stars in the sky."
With a flick of her fingers, the vines shifted, forming three great pantheons.
"First, there are the Celestial Gods—beings of order, wisdom, and justice."
The light twisted, forming Odin, Zeus, and Ra, their divine presence immense, unwavering, powerful.
"Then, there are the Abyssal Constellations—ancient beings of chaos, destruction, and forbidden power."
The vines darkened. The shapes turned twisted, monstrous, vast.
A shadowed maw with endless teeth.
A crowned figure wreathed in black fire.
A woman with eyes like the void itself—Nyx, the Goddess of Eternal Darkness.
Alistair shivered.
"They look… scary," he whispered.
Seraphina pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, her warmth pushing away the chill in his bones.
"Because power without love is terrifying, my son."
The shadows faded. The darkness withdrew.
And in its place—
A crescent moon shone in the air.
Alistair stared. He didn't need to ask.
He already knew who it belonged to.
"Artemis."
Seraphina's lips curved into a knowing smile.
"Artemis, the Moon Huntress, the Wild Goddess, the Watcher of the Lost."
Her voice was soft with reverence.
"She is the guardian of the lost, the mother of the forests, the huntress who moves between order and chaos, bound to neither. She watches over the forgotten, the hunted, the protectors of the innocent."
"Is she strong?" Alistair whispered.
"She is," Seraphina answered. "But strength is not just in battle, my love."
She took his small hand in hers, turning it so that the faint silver mark upon his palm—a crescent moon—glowed beneath the candlelight.
"This is the Mark of Artemis," she whispered. "It is why our family can wield Nature Magic, why the wild wolves do not fear us, why we are one with the shadows of the trees."
Alistair stared at the mark, something stirring in his heart.
"Does that mean I'll be strong one day?"
Seraphina's gaze softened, but there was something else in her eyes—something unspoken.
She cupped his cheek, holding him close.
"Strength is not just about power, my love," she said gently. "It is about understanding what you wish to protect."
Alistair tilted his head.
"And what do you protect, Mother?"
Seraphina leaned down, pressing her forehead against his.
"You."
Alistair's small fingers clutched the fabric of her gown, warmth blooming in his chest.
She kissed his forehead, smoothing his hair with the tenderness no one else would ever show him.
"One day, you will be strong," she whispered. "You will command the battlefield like your father. You will wield nature's might like the greatest of mages. And when that day comes…"
She lifted his chin, her gaze locking with his.
"…Promise me, Alistair."
Her voice wavered, just slightly.
"Promise me that no matter how powerful you become, you will never forget what truly matters."
Alistair hesitated.
"And what is that?"
Seraphina's lips trembled with a secret pain she could not explain to him.
"Love."
Alistair did not understand it then.
Did not realize that this moment—this lesson—would one day be the very thing that shattered him.
For now, he only knew one thing.
"I promise, Mother."
Seraphina smiled, pulling him into her arms as his eyes grew heavy with sleep.
She held him close, whispering one last thing before he drifted into dreams.
"Sleep well, my little wolf."
And under the watchful moonlight of Artemis,
Alistair Vaelthorne felt truly safe.
TO BE CONTINUE...