#FLASHBACK#
The night was still when the first cry of a newborn shattered the silence.
Snowflakes drifted through the cracked window of the small cabin, melting before they reached the wooden floor. Elara sat on the edge of the bed, her skin glistening with sweat, her eyes glowing faintly silver in the candlelight.
The midwife trembled as she wrapped the tiny boy in a wool blanket. "Twins," she whispered breathlessly. "Two beautiful boys."
Elara reached out, weak but smiling. "Adrian," she murmured, brushing the firstborn's cheek with her trembling finger. "And Ethan."
The midwife nodded shakily, but her smile vanished when the air around them suddenly grew cold. The temperature dropped so fast that her breath turned white.
"What's happening?" she gasped, clutching her shawl.
Elara looked down at the child in her arms. A faint mark shimmered on Adrian's wrist — a symbol shaped like an infinity loop, glowing pale blue under the candlelight. The light pulsed once… twice… and then the frost spread.
The wooden walls cracked with a chilling groan. Ice crept across the floor, over the furniture, crawling up the windows until the forest outside glittered white.
Elara's eyes widened in fear and awe. "No," she whispered. "It can't be."
The midwife backed away, crossing herself as the frost crawled toward her boots. "Milady, what is this?"
"Elara…" A deep voice echoed from the doorway.
Darius stepped inside, wrapping his cloak tighter around his shoulders. His dark hair was damp with snow, his rugged face drawn with concern.
He froze at the sight — his newborn son radiating cold, the room transformed into an icy shrine. "Elara…" he breathed. "What's happening to him?"
Elara clutched the child closer, her voice trembling. "He bears the mark. The mark of the Infinite."
"The Infinite?" Darius repeated, disbelief in his tone. "You mean—"
"The first of our kind," she said quietly. "The ones who existed before laws, before mercy. They were gods once… monsters even the royals feared. I thought their bloodline was gone forever." Her silver eyes glistened. "But it lives — in him."
Darius's gaze softened. He moved closer, kneeling beside her. "Then we'll protect him. Both of them."
Tears welled in her eyes. "You don't understand. If anyone finds out… if my father discovers this, he will hunt them down. Adrian will be seen as a threat — a curse, not a child."
She pressed her lips to Adrian's forehead, whispering something in the ancient tongue. The frost halted. Slowly, the ice began to retreat from the walls, leaving behind a thin mist that shimmered like broken glass.
The midwife fell to her knees, shaken but alive. "The storm… it's stopping."
Elara nodded faintly, exhausted. "No one must ever know what happened here," she told her. "Not the elders, not the tribes. Not anyone."
The woman nodded silently, trembling.
---
Three Months Later
Winter had turned to spring, but the air still carried the faint chill of that night. The cottage sat hidden deep in the valley, wrapped in a halo of peace.
Inside, Darius rocked Ethan in his arms while Adrian slept soundly beside him. Elara stood by the window, staring at the horizon where the sun bled into gold.
Darius looked up. "You've been quiet all day."
She turned to him, her voice low. "They've started searching for me, Darius. The royals. My absence has gone on too long."
He stilled. "You're not thinking of—"
"I have to go back."
He rose to his feet, setting Ethan gently in the crib. "Elara, no. You said yourself it isn't safe."
"If I stay, they'll come here. And when they do, they'll find the boys."
He took her hands in his. "We'll run again."
Tears filled her eyes. "There's nowhere left to run. My blood will always lead them here."
A silence hung between them — heavy, unspoken. The sound of the twins breathing softly filled the room.
"Elara," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I can't do this without you."
She smiled faintly through the tears. "You've already done more than I could have ever dreamed. You gave me love when I was forbidden to feel it. You gave me a family."
He cupped her face gently. "Then stay. Please."
She leaned in, pressing her forehead against his. "I wish I could. But if I don't return, if they think I've betrayed them completely, they'll tear this world apart looking for me."
The air thickened with emotion. She pulled away and glanced toward the twins. "Promise me one thing."
"Anything."
"Raise them as human. Don't let them know what they are… not until it's time."
He swallowed hard. "How will I know when that is?"
Her lips curved in a sad, knowing smile. "You won't. The world will tell you."
She reached down and brushed a lock of hair from Adrian's face. "He's special, Darius. More than you can imagine. Protect him — even from himself."
Darius pulled her into an embrace. "I'll wait for you."
"You won't have to," she whispered. "Because I'll never stop watching over you."
When she finally stepped outside, the air stirred — calm, but strange. The forest seemed to bow to her presence. Her silver gown shimmered faintly under the moonlight as she walked away, leaving faint trails of frost beneath her feet.
Darius stood at the doorway long after she vanished into the mist. Behind him, Adrian stirred in his sleep, a soft breath of frost fogging the window beside his crib.
Outside, the wind whispered through the trees, carrying her name like a ghost.
Elara.
---