Gabriel stared at the ssage from Aurevalis under the flicker of the table lamp. His other hand rested above Alie’s head, who was sleeping peacefully.
’Why am I feeling the urge to go to Aurevalis? Though I don’t want to, a part of my heart says I should go there,’ Gabriel thought. The letter had only a few words written, another reason why Gabriel was reluctant to make the journey.
’Sothing is missing, which I’m unable to detect or understand.’
’You should go,’ Valko told him. ’Noah and Alie are safe in the palace. Now, even Mom isn’t against them or your choices. We can’t stay here and get troubled over this every day.’
’What if it’s a trap?’ Gabriel argued back.
’Since when did we start worrying about traps? We always find a way to get out of them,’ Valko said proudly.
’It’s different now. I don’t want my life to fall into danger because that would bring distress to Alie. That’s my main reason for holding back.’
Valko fell silent, unable to argue. Gabriel’s words carried the truth.
Gabriel quietly slipped out of bed and walked across the dimly lit chamber in search of a candle. Once he found one, he lit it and set it on the table.
It was an old thod, one used in ancient tis, to reveal hidden writing. Taking the letter in hand, Gabriel carefully held it closer to the fla. As the heat touched the letter, faint lines began to erge, and his eyes widened when the concealed ssage slowly surfaced before him.
"Gabriel Sinclair. If you want to learn about your origin, co to Aurevalis, the ancient city where the first werewolf appeared. The more you delay it, the more ti you’ll give to the witch who cursed you to grow stronger."
Gabriel pulled the letter away from the fla and blew out the candle.
"My origin?" he murmured under his breath, eyes flickering with unease.
Just then, a faint cry echoed through the room. Noah.
Without wasting a second, Gabriel strode back into the bedroom. Alie was already awake, gently rocking the baby in her arms.
"Noah’s hungry," she whispered softly, her voice heavy with sleep.
Gabriel picked up the bottle of pumped milk from the nearby shelf and handed it to her. "I can make him sleep. You should—"
"It’s fine," Alie interrupted gently. "You don’t need to trouble yourself all the ti."
She guided the bottle to Noah’s lips, watching as he began to drink eagerly. "You weren’t in the room. What happened?" Alie’s head tilted toward him, her eyes searching his face. "What’s been bothering you?"
"I have to go to Aurevalis," Gabriel replied, settling beside her.
"What? So suddenly?" she asked, surprise threading her voice.
"Hmm," he murmured, staring ahead. "But I’ll go after the ceremony. The ssage wasn’t just a single sentence, but there was much more hidden, which I’ve only just uncovered. I’ve been telling myself not to go to Aurevalis, but a part of ... wants to."
"Then go," Alie said softly, placing a reassuring hand over his. "Don’t hold yourself back just for the sake of Noah and . We have so many people here to protect us. Besides, I can protect us well, you know this."
She gave him a small, confident smile.
"I know." Gabriel gently covered her hand with his, his touch firm yet tender.
"So... what did you find out?" Alie asked, leaning closer.
Gabriel recited the exact words from the letter. When he finished, Alie’s brows furrowed slightly. "That ans... Soone there knows your past," she murmured with concern.
"Yes," he confird. "And I can’t ignore this feeling inside . It’s like my heart is pulling toward Aurevalis. But Alie... promise sothing." He looked deeply into her eyes. "No matter what happens, you won’t do anything that could put your life in danger, even if I end up trapped there. I may not think it will happen... but I have to prepare for the worst."
Alie’s gaze softened. She clasped his hand tighter and spoke with determination, "We’ll deal with that when the ti cos. For now... you focus on finding the answers. You always find a way."
Gabriel gave her a small, grateful nod. He rested his head gently against her shoulder, his gaze fixed on Noah, who was still contentedly drinking his milk.
"Noah is taking all your attention these days," he murmured with a faint smile. "And I can’t even be jealous... of my own son."
Alie chuckled softly at his words. Noah, pulling the bottle away, let out a small squeal and wriggled his tiny hands, his lips curling into a gentle smile as if sensing the warmth around him.
"Is he happy about having you all to himself?" Gabriel murmured with affection. Without another word, he gently lifted Noah into his arms, cradling him close against his chest.
Leaning down, he pressed tender kisses along the baby’s soft cheeks, each kiss drawing a gentle giggle from Alie and a delighted gurgle from Noah. Ti seed to slow as they lingered in that warm mont, until eventually, Noah’s eyelids grew heavy and he drifted into peaceful sleep.
Carefully, Gabriel laid him into the cradle and gave it a gentle sway for a few seconds, watching over him protectively.
Then, with a sigh, he returned to the bed where Alie lay waiting.
Sliding the letter into the drawer, he switched off the lamp, plunging the room into a soft darkness. Drawing her close, he wrapped Alie in his arms.
Shutting his eyes, he drifted off to sleep finally.
~~~~
Ophelia’s eyes narrowed as she stared intently at the magical orb. The mist within shifted unnaturally, revealing a scene that made her frown deepen. Gabriel laughing softly beside Alie, a baby cradled tenderly in their arms.
"What is this?" she hissed under her breath. "They have a child... How dare they be happy?" Her fingers curled into fists, knuckles whitening with fury.
A dangerous resolve hardened in her eyes. "I must find a way to get close to them. But that ddling witch... I’ll have to eliminate her first, if she’s to stand in my way of protecting them."
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