Sho gasped—
No, cried.
A voice echoed softly:
"Congratulations, my lady… it's a boy."
He blinked through newborn tears, his tiny body trembling. The woman who held him had long silver hair that shimmered like moonlight and deep emerald eyes filled with warmth. Her expression glowed with kindness and quiet strength.
"Sho," she whispered, her voice gentle but firm. "You'll have a bright path ahead of you, my little flame."
That was Lirien Ardenthal, his new mother — the Duchess of a noble house in the Kingdom of Varellis.
She was known as the Silver Sorceress, a calm and intelligent woman who once commanded armies with her magic before retiring to raise a family.
Though her aura was graceful, she had a mischievous habit of teasing her husband and servants alike, hiding a playful side behind her elegance.
And his father — Darius Ardenthal, the Duke of the household — was her opposite in every way.
Tall, broad-shouldered, with short black hair and eyes like burning amber, Darius was a former knight captain known for his fiery temper and unwavering sense of honor.
He often barked orders like a drill sergeant, yet when he looked at his wife and newborn son, his tough demeanor melted instantly.
"Lirien, he's got your eyes," Darius said proudly, his voice rumbling like thunder but softening with awe. "And he's loud enough to wake the gods."
Lirien laughed, brushing a finger across Sho's tiny hand.
"Maybe he'll take after you — brave and reckless."
Sho's infant mind barely understood their words, but a strange warmth filled him.
For the first time since his death, he felt safe.
He wasn't in pain.
He wasn't alone.
As the couple smiled down at him, a strange whisper echoed faintly in his newborn consciousness:
"Child of two flames... bound to one of scales. Your destiny burns brighter than the stars."