As the sun dipped behind the jagged mountains, a hush fell over the training courtyard.
The warmth of the day gave way to the cool breath of evening.
Naomi sat on the stone edge of the well, a towel draped over his shoulders, his chest rising and falling with each breath.
The sword at his side was nicked and worn a sign of his relentless drills.
Seraphina stood nearby, arms crossed, still alert despite the fatigue they both shared. The sky above them deepened to a velvet purple, stars blinking into view.
Naomi wiped sweat from his brow. "Seraphina," he said, voice steady now, "why don't we ever train beyond the capital walls?"
Her expression shifted, the casual calm turning sharp with caution. "Because the lands outside Duke Darkstar's reach are not safe, my lord," she said. "Monsters roam there. Especially after nightfall."
Naomi tilted his head, frowning. "I thought the Demon King was killed. Wasn't the world supposed to be at peace?"
Seraphina's gaze darkened as she stepped closer. "He was. Years ago. But not all of his lieutenants perished in the war. Ten of his generals vanished just before the final battle. Some say they fled. Others think they're still out there, waiting."
Naomi's brows drew together. "And the monsters?"
"They're called Darkness Creatures," she said. "Mindless things at first more instinct than thought. But they feed. And once they taste flesh especially human, they change. They evolve. Become intelligent. Calculating."
Naomi blinked, trying to process that. "So… they grow smarter the more they eat?"
Seraphina nodded. "Exactly. A creature that devours enough can mimic a human's thinking. Some have learned language. Tactics. Magic. They become far more dangerous. The only thing they truly fear is light. Sunlight burns them. Magical lamps can weaken them. But in the dark…"
She let the sentence hang.
Naomi's voice was low. "That's horrifying."
"Worse still," she added, "some creatures have evolved so far they can walk in daylight. Though even then, their power remains sealed by it. They prefer shadows. Caves. Ruins. Dead villages."
"But this is the Duke's territory," Naomi said, half in disbelief. "Shouldn't this land be free of them?"
"Duke Darkstar's borders are secured by enchanted light towers and the royal barrier sigils. But beyond those lines…" Seraphina looked toward the forest beyond the stone wall. "Out there, the darkness breathes."
Naomi was silent for a moment. "And no one knows why they still exist?"
"Rumors," she said. "Some say the Demon King's generals are breeding them in secret. Others whisper it's divine punishment from the gods themselves. No one really knows."
Just then, the door to the courtyard creaked open. The sound was soft practiced. Naomi turned.
A young woman entered, her posture poised, a calm smile on her lips. She wore a maid's uniform, yes, but her bearing, her hands, her steps , too polished for a servant.
She bowed low. " Lord Nel. I am Faria, your newly assigned personal maid. Sent by the Duke himself."
Naomi's eyes narrowed. Sent by the Duke, now of all times?
Faria continued, her voice calm but smooth. "I will be overseeing your daily care and assisting with your personal needs. Should you have any preferences, I will see to them."
He studied her a moment longer , the subtle grace in her movements, the trace of aristocracy in the way she lowered her gaze. A fallen noble, perhaps? Hidden beneath the servant's garb.
"And," she added, "the Duke has requested your presence at the main dining hall this evening."
Seraphina's eyes flicked toward Naomi, quietly reading the tension in his shoulders.
Naomi gave a small nod. "Very well."
He turned away toward the torchlit corridor, the edges of his lips curling into a faint, unreadable smile.
So, father… you've finally taken an interest.
Let's see what kind of father you really are, Arcturus Darkstar.
(Late Evening)
The evening cast a golden hue across the marbled halls of Darkstar Castle. Candles flickered in wall sconces, their soft light spilling over the velvet carpets and stone pillars. In the chamber Naomi now called his own,
Seraphina stood beside a polished armoire, pulling out a formal red coat adorned with subtle black embroidery, the emblem of the Darkstar crest stitched into its chest.
"You'll need this tonight," she said, her tone composed as always, but her hands were careful, almost reverent.
Naomi took the coat with a sigh. "Seraphina… I want to ask you something about My Siblings."
She glanced at him.
He continued, "Not about that idiot brother of mine. I mean the children from the Duke's first mistress. What do you know?"
Seraphina paused for a moment, folding her arms behind her back as she fell into thought. "You mean Lady Evelyne Darkstar… and Lucien."
Naomi nodded.
"Lady Evelyne is not in the capital," she began. "She's a warrior a terrifying one. Known across the empire for her brutal efficiency.
They say she once killed a dragon with a single strike… and when the border villages fell, she faced a high-ranking Darkness Creature alone… and won."
Naomi blinked. "She did that alone?"
Seraphina nodded. "She detests weakness. Even among family. If she had been here tonight, I would've advised you not to speak unless spoken to."
"And she's not joining the banquet?"
"She departed on a mission weeks ago. Rumors say she's hunting the last of the Demon King's generals."
Naomi absorbed that silently, until a new name flickered into his thoughts.
"What about Lucien Darkstar?"
Seraphina hesitated. Her lips pressed into a thin line before she answered. "Lucien Darkstar… is the coldest among the Duke's children.
He was born with no warmth in his heart, my lord. It's said… that as a child, he murdered a young maid simply because she refused him to sleep with him.
The reports only darken from there. No one speaks of his teenage years. But what we do know is…" She lowered her voice.
"He has killed. Both monsters and men. Entire squads of soldiers have fallen to him. He wears death like a cloak."
Naomi clenched his jaw. "Is he attending tonight?"
"Unfortunately… yes. He's been summoned. Even if he despises you, he will come. Just… do not meet his eyes, my lord. He's unpredictable."
There was a long pause between them. Then Naomi muttered, "And the red-haired bastard…"
Seraphina didn't need to ask who he meant.
Just then, a soft knock came at the door.
" lord Nel," came Faria's velvet voice from outside, "do you require anything before dinner?"
Naomi glanced toward the door, then replied firmly, "No. I'm already ready."
There was a pause.... faint, but telling.
"…Very well," Faria said. And footsteps faded away down the hall. She hadn't come to serve. She had come to listen.
Naomi shrugged into the red coat as Seraphina adjusted the collar for him.
Together, they stepped out into the corridor, the castle whispering around them with flickers of candlelight and echoes of approaching tension.
The long walk toward the grand dining hall had begun.
Let's see, Naomi thought as the heavy doors neared, how far this family is willing to go to test me.
To be continued….