The Same Cloth

The first three days of Noctis Aster's life were the longest three days the Aster Clan had ever experienced.

Not because anything was wrong.

Quite the opposite.

Everything was going perfectly.

That was the problem.

Everyone wanted to see him.

Everyone wanted to hold him.

Everyone wanted to bring him something.

And everyone had an opinion about what his parents should or shouldn't be doing.

Most of all, Elara.

"Is he breathing?"

Elara leaned over the cradle.

Leo looked up from his chair.

"Yes, Mom."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure."

Elara frowned.

"That doesn't sound reassuring."

Leo sighed.

"Yes. He's breathing."

Elara leaned closer.

Noctis slept peacefully.

His tiny chest rose and fell.

His silver-black hair was barely visible against the blanket.

His tiny hands were curled against his chest.

Elara smiled.

"Oh, look at him."

She reached toward him.

Then stopped.

"Wait."

Leo raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Is he warm enough?"

"Mom."

"Is he?"

"Yes."

Elara touched the blanket.

"He might be cold."

"He isn't."

"What if he is?"

Celine, still recovering in bed, laughed softly.

"Mom, Seraphine checked him twice this morning."

"That doesn't mean I can't check."

Elara carefully touched Noctis's forehead.

"Perfect."

She smiled.

Then frowned.

"Maybe a little too warm."

Leo closed his eyes.

Catherine laughed.

"You're going to drive him crazy before he's old enough to understand what you're saying."

Elara looked offended.

"I am his grandmother. I have to spoil him doubly, for Corrine."

"Yea, I suppose you’re right."

By the second day, the entire clan had developed a system.

It wasn't an official system.

Nobody had written it down.

Nobody had voted on it.

It simply happened.

People waited outside the house.

One group at a time was allowed inside.

They were permitted to look at Noctis.

If Celine or Leo allowed it, they could touch his hand.

Nobody was allowed to wake him.

Nobody was allowed to make loud noises.

Nobody was allowed to bring unnecessary gifts.

The last rule lasted approximately four hours.

By lunchtime, the hallway was full of presents.

A tiny wooden sword.

A tiny wooden shield.

A silver rattle.

A stuffed wolf.

A carved dragon.

Three blankets.

Two books.

A necklace.

Several pieces of jewelry.

A set of enchanted toys.

And an absolutely enormous stuffed bear that Tomas insisted was "essential."

Leo stared at it.

"Where did you even find this?"

Tomas smiled.

"I have connections."

"It's bigger than he is."

"That's why it's useful."

"What is it useful for?"

"Training."

Leo stared at him.

"Tomas."

"Fine."

Tomas sighed.

"Not training."

The line of visitors continued.

Hunters came.

Farmers came.

Teachers came.

Blacksmiths came.

Healers came.

Elders came.

Town officials came.

Children came.

Even some of the surrounding clans sent representatives.

Every visitor reacted almost identically.

They entered the room with confidence.

They saw Noctis.

Then their faces softened.

"Oh."

"He is tiny."

"Look at his hands."

"Look at his hair."

"He's beautiful."

"He's adorable."

"Can I hold him?"

"No."

That last answer usually came from Leo.

Sometimes Celine.

Occasionally Catherine.

And once from Elara.

"No."

The visitor blinked.

"But—"

"No."

Elara pointed toward the sleeping baby.

"He just fell asleep."

The visitor quietly nodded.

"Of course."

Leo watched his mother with amusement.

"You've become terrifying."

Elara smiled.

"I've become a grandmother."

Catherine was perhaps the most frequent visitor.

She could spend hours simply sitting beside Celine and watching Noctis sleep.

One afternoon, she gently touched his tiny hand.

He wrapped his fingers around hers.

Catherine smiled.

"He knows me."

Celine smiled.

"Of course he does."

Catherine looked at her sister.

Then at Leo.

Then back at Noctis.

Something had changed inside her.

She had always wanted children.

But watching Celine become a mother had transformed the desire into something much stronger.

She wanted her own child.

She wanted to experience the same feeling.

The same connection.

The same little hand gripping her finger.

She had full-blown baby fever.

Catherine looked at Leo.

"I think I'm ready."

Leo raised an eyebrow.

"For what?"

She smiled.

"To start trying."

Celine laughed.

"I knew this was coming."

Leo smiled.

"You've been thinking about it for months."

"Years, actually."

Catherine leaned back.

"Now that Noctis is here..."

She looked at him again.

"I don't want to wait."

Leo took her hand.

"Then we won't."

Catherine smiled.

The three of them had always understood that their marriage was different from most.

Celine and Catherine were sisters.

Both were married to Leo.

They had made their decision together.

They shared their home.

Their responsibilities.

Their lives.

And now they would share the experience of raising children.

Celine smiled at her sister.

"Just remember what we agreed."

Catherine laughed.

"I remember."

"One at a time."

"Yes."

"If you get pregnant first, I'll help."

"And after your baby is born, it's your turn."

Catherine nodded.

"Exactly."

Leo smiled.

"That was probably the smartest decision we've made."

Celine raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because I don't think this house could survive two pregnancies at once."

Catherine laughed.

"Neither could you."

"Exactly."

While the family celebrated Noctis's birth, something far older was changing.

Deep beneath the northern mountains, the seal around the Hollow began to tremble.

For years, it had remained closed.

The elders had strengthened the entrance under the well.

Tomas had reinforced it.

The strongest mages in the Aster Clan had poured their power into it.

Both entrances remained dormant.

Until Noctis was born.

The bloodline had finally matured.

The ancient inheritance carried by Leo's family had reached its next stage.

The birth of a new generation had completed something that had been incomplete since Lawrence and Corrine died.

The Hollow knew.

And it opened the entrance in the north.

Silas felt it immediately.

He had been waiting.

For years, he had remained within the Hollow.

Only able to interact with the outside world via shadow clone and agents.

Experimenting.

Studying.

Changing.

His work had consumed him.

He had taken samples from Lawrence and Corrine.

Blood.

Flesh.

Bone.

Residual magical energy.

Anything that could be preserved, he had preserved.

He had spent years attempting to understand the power that had made them extraordinary.

Lawrence's true lightning.

Corrine's ancestral phoenix fire.

He wanted to reproduce them.

Control them.

Perfect them.

And he had finally succeeded.

Not in the way he originally intended.

But he had succeeded.

Silas stood inside his laboratory as the Hollow began to open.

Ancient stone shifted.

The gateway awakened.

A low vibration filled the chamber.

Silas smiled.

"Finally."

He turned toward two enormous figures standing behind him.

They were barely recognizable as human.

One had blackened skin streaked with veins of brilliant blue-white lightning.

Electricity crawled constantly across his body.

His eyes glowed with the same terrifying light.

The other was covered in dark, cracked flesh.

Flames burned beneath the surface.

Every breath released sparks.

A faint shape resembling burning wings appeared behind him.

Silas looked at them.

"You served your purpose."

The lightning-covered monster growled.

The phoenix creature raised its head.

Silas smiled.

"You were both supposed to become weapons."

He walked around them.

"Unfortunately, the experiments exceeded expectations."

He stopped before the lightning-infused figure.

"Lawrence's power."

Then he turned toward the other.

"Corrine's."

The monsters stared at him.

Silas's smile disappeared.

"You are no longer useful to me."

The lightning creature suddenly lunged.

Silas raised one hand.

A magical barrier stopped it.

The creature slammed against the wall.

Silas laughed.

"You still think like Lance."

The creature snarled.

Silas turned toward the other.

"And you still think like Darian."

The phoenix monster roared.

Silas stepped backward.

"Lance and his son were never meant to survive."

He smiled coldly.

"They were simply convenient."

The truth was worse than anyone in the Aster Clan knew.

Lance had disappeared because Silas had summoned him.

Darian had followed.

Silas had promised them power.

He had told them that if they could wield the powers of Lawrence and Corrine, they could destroy Leo.

They had believed him.

Instead, Silas had used them.

Experiment after experiment had transformed their bodies.

Lance had received Lawrence's lightning.

Darian had received Corrine's phoenix fire.

Neither had received the powers cleanly.

Their bodies had rejected the transformation.

Their minds had fractured.

Their humanity had been buried beneath corruption.

Now they were monsters.

Weapons.

And Silas no longer needed them.

The Hollow opened completely.

A cold wind swept through the ancient chamber.

Silas stepped toward the gateway.

For the first time in years, he could see the outside world.

The mountains.

The forests.

The distant valley.

And far away, beyond the peaks, the Aster territory.

Silas smiled.

"So."

He looked toward the valley.

"The bloodline has matured."

His eyes narrowed.

"And the boy has been born."

Noctis.

The first child of Leo's generation.

The first new member of the bloodline born after Lawrence and Corrine.

The child whose birth had awakened the Hollow.

Silas understood what that meant.

The old power was returning.

And if Leo's bloodline continued to grow...

The Hollow would become increasingly difficult to control.

Silas looked back at the two monsters.

"Lance."

The lightning creature growled.

"Darian."

The phoenix creature roared.

Silas opened the gateway wider.

"Let's see how much of your former humanity remains."

Back in the Aster Clan, nobody knew.

The celebration continued.

Noctis slept peacefully.

Celine rested.

Leo remained close to both of them.

Catherine had already begun planning for her own pregnancy.

Elara was preparing another batch of food despite everyone telling her there was enough.

Marcus was proudly showing Noctis's gifts to anyone who would listen.

Tomas was telling anyone who asked that the baby was "already showing exceptional combat potential."

Seraphine repeatedly reminded him that Noctis was three days old.

The school had already begun calling him the "First Prince."

The town had hung an Aster banner over the main square.

The surrounding clans continued sending gifts.

Everyone was celebrating.

Everyone was happy.

And nobody noticed the faint tremor that passed beneath the northern mountains.

Nobody noticed the ancient gateway reopening.

Nobody saw the two corrupted monsters standing beside Silas.

Nobody knew that Lance and Darian were still alive.

And nobody knew that the powers of Lawrence and Corrine had returned to the world.

Twisted.

Corrupted.

And waiting.

For now, Noctis slept.

His tiny fingers curled around the edge of his blanket.

Celine smiled at him.

Leo leaned down and kissed his forehead.

Catherine watched from the side with a quiet smile.

Elara stood nearby, checking his blanket for the fifth time in an hour.

The Aster Clan believed it was welcoming a new beginning.

And it was.

But in the darkness beneath the mountains, the past had just awakened.

And it was coming for them.

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