The corridors of the castle were wide and quiet, dressed in warm shades of stone and elegance, lit by the soft amber glow of antique sconces that clung to the high walls like flickering fireflies. Every sound was dulled by plush carpets underfoot, and the silence that followed Kaius and Raya as they made their way deeper into the castle felt both sacred and loaded with unspoken things. He walked a step ahead, cradling Luca against his chest with the natural instinct of a father who had just discovered the heart beating outside his own ribcage, while Raya followed closely behind, her mind a whirlwind of disbelief, awe, and aching caution.
She hadn’t expected this, any of this. The warmth of his parents, the softness in his mother’s smile, the absence of judgment. Everything felt too surrea
