CHAPTER 231: TODDLER AMONG HEIRS

The manor of House Caelum bustled with unusual warmth that morning. Pale sunlight streamed through towering windows, glinting off golden-framed portraits of ancestors long gone. Instead of solemn council or noble ceremony, laughter filled the halls—laughter belonging to children, scions of the Caelum bloodline, their pale hair gleaming like crowns of dawn, storm-gray eyes alive with mischief.

At the center of it all wobbled Zane. Only three, he was a bundle of restless energy, his small legs unsteady but stubborn as he toddled across the corridor, arms stretched wide like a conqueror daring the world to stop him.

"Careful, Zane!" called Lucius, now fifteen years old. His sharp jawline and confident grin already hinted at the nobleman he would become, but in this moment he crouched low, ready to catch his younger cousin. Sure enough, Zane nearly tripped on a rug. Lucius steadied him with a laugh. "You’ll end up face-first again, and then Aunt Selena will have my head."

"I can... walk!" Zane announced proudly, wobbling even harder for emphasis.

A giggle rang out. Cassandra, eight and lively as a summer storm, peeked from behind Lucius’s shoulder. Her braid had already come loose from her running about, strands of pale hair dancing around her bright gray eyes. "He’s adorable when he tries so hard. Look at those tiny steps!"

"Not tiny!" Zane pouted.

Cassandra gasped, then threw her hands dramatically to the sky. "Oh no—you’re right! They’re enormous! The stomps of a giant! We’d better run before he crushes us flat!" She pranced in a circle with exaggerated terror, drawing peals of laughter from the others.

By contrast, Lyra—only six—moved with a gentleness that made her seem older than her years. Slender and quiet, her hair shimmered almost silver in the sunlight. She knelt so her gaze met Zane’s. "You’re doing well," she said softly, brushing a stray lock from his forehead. "But even giants need rest."

Zane stared at her necklace, its silver pendant catching the light. "Shiny..."

Lyra smiled, unhooked the chain, and placed it carefully in his small hand. "Yes, shiny. You’ll have one of your own someday."

Before the moment could soften further, thunderous footsteps echoed through the hall. Marcus, nine and brimming with energy, charged in wielding a wooden practice sword nearly as tall as he was. "Enough coddling the little giant!" he declared proudly. "He’s a Caelum—he should learn to duel, not stumble after necklaces!"

Before anyone could answer, Darius Caelum himself appeared. His deep voice rolled like distant thunder. "Marcus. Put that sword away before you take out someone’s eye." His stern gaze softened as it fell on Zane, still clutching Lyra’s necklace with wide-eyed wonder. "Though..." A faint smile tugged at his lips. "...perhaps he’ll wield one sooner than we think."

At the sound of his father’s voice, Zane’s face lit up. "Papa!"

Darius’s composure broke in an instant. He swept the boy into his arms, spinning him once to a chorus of delighted squeals. The cousins watched, some envious, all fond. Hollowborn or not, Zane was already the axis around which the household turned.

Then came Selena, his mother, gliding into the hall with quiet grace. Her pale hair was pinned neatly, her storm-gray eyes soft with patience. "Darius," she chided lightly, "you’ll spoil him if you carry him everywhere." She tapped Zane’s nose, earning a fit of giggles.

The cousins pressed closer, vying for his attention. Cassandra tugged at his arm, Marcus tried (unsuccessfully) to offer him the wooden sword again before Selena confiscated it, and Lyra soothed him with a faint lullaby. Even Lucius, usually so assured, stayed close, as if ready to shield Zane from any unseen stumble.

For now, Zane was just a toddler with unsteady steps and a laugh bright enough to fill a manor. But in the quiet corners of their hearts, they all felt it—that one day, this Hollowborn child would matter more than any of them could yet imagine.