While Lucian went off to kill his first monster and gain his status and bloodline, at home, inside Lucian's room, around midnight—
Seraphina lay awake.
She stared blankly at the ceiling, though she couldn't see much due to the darkness. The curtains were drawn, leaving only a faint sliver of moonlight slipping through the room.
She couldn't sleep at all. Not even a wink.
She had tried to sleep as much as she could, turning in the bed again and again, but her mind wouldn't calm down, wouldn't stop thinking, leaving her restless as multiple thoughts swirled within her.
Lucian had said that he would come home by tomorrow morning, but she couldn't shake off the fear that something was going on—something he was hiding from her.
Call it mother instinct or whatever.
Her fingers tightened slightly over the blanket.
The unease in her heart refused to go away, making her anxious all night.
Sighing softly, she switched on the lamps beside the bed, making the room a little brighter with a warm yellow glow.
Since she couldn't sleep, she picked up her phone and switched it on.
The screen lit up.
11:59 PM.
Just a minute before midnight.
She stared at it blankly.
The blue-white glow reflected in her icy-blue eyes as her mind drifted elsewhere.
She had a habit of zoning out from time to time after her stay at the mental facility.
Back then, there was nothing she could do aside from staring at the white, cracked walls blankly.
It was a habit—or perhaps a coping mechanism she wasn't quite able to get rid of.
Seconds ticked by.
Finally—
12:00 AM.
Just as it turned midnight, the ground trembled.
It wasn't violent, not like an earthquake—barely a tremor—and she wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't been awake.
But right now she was awake, clearly awake.
Her body instantly stiffened.
She threw the blanket aside and stood up abruptly, her phone slipping onto the bed, and hurried to Lia's room.
By the time she reached her room, the trembling had stopped.
She paused for a second as her hand hovered over the knob.
Then she slowly pushed it open.
Slipping quietly into her room, careful not to wake her up, she walked over to check if she was fine.
Lia was half-covered by her blanket, hugging her pillow, sleeping peacefully.
Seraphina exhaled in relief.
At least she hadn't noticed anything.
She stepped closer and gently adjusted the blanket over Lia's shoulder before turning around and leaving the room.
Next, she moved to the living room.
She checked all the doors and windows one by one.
The main door—Locked.
The balcony door—Secure.
The kitchen window—Latched.
Everything was in place.
After confirming that nothing was wrong, she returned to Lucian's—or rather, their room.
Both of them used the same room, and since neither of them had any problem with it, they didn't mind.
Though Amelia had opposed the idea, Lucian had been adamant.
Seraphina knew that she was the reason he had insisted.
Even though she was out of the facility, it hadn't erased her trauma, so her son had become her only anchor to life.
Even now, after all these years, when she wasn't much affected by it, it still had an impact on her.
Maybe that was the reason she felt so restless right now, especially since he was out.
She lay down again and closed her eyes.
She turned to the side, then to the other.
She pressed her face onto the pillow.
Minutes passed.
Finally, she pulled the blanket up and threw it aside in frustration.
"Agh…" She groaned softly.
After about forty minutes of trying and failing to sleep, she opened her eyes again.
Her patience finally snapped.
She grabbed her phone again and called Lucian.
Ring!~ Ring~!
After a few rings, he picked up the call.
She sighed in relief and spoke,
"Lucia—"
"Mom, what happened?! Is everything fine?!"
He interrupted her before she could say anything.
She could hear the anxiety and the sharpness in his voice.
Seraphina frowned.
"I am fine."
But by now, she was getting even more worried.
Why did he sound like that?
"Why are you panicking like that?" she asked in concern.
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"Nothing… By the way, why did you call?"
Instead of answering her question, he dodged it.
Her lips pressed together into a thin line.
"When are you coming home?"
"I told you, right? By morning, I will be home." He replied, his voice regaining its calm, as if the previous tension had never existed.
She sighed, concerned as well as annoyed by his refusal to answer.
"Fine. Take care."
With that, she ended the call, not even interested in what he might say next.
She lowered the phone slowly and stared at the blank screen.
"Stupid Son." She snorted under her breath.
Her son wasn't even telling her what he was doing.
Her gaze drifted towards the door.
'Maybe he doesn't trust me as much as I thought.'
The thought stung—but she immediately shook her head.
No.
Lucian trusted her more than anyone, even more than Lia. She was sure of it.
'How could he not trust me? I'm his mother.' She thought proudly.
Her lips twitched into a small smile.
Anyways…
Tomorrow, she would ask him where he always went late at night. Whether he wanted to answer or not.
At least she was relieved that he was fine.
Eventually, exhaustion claimed her.
Not long after, she drifted off to sleep, her hand still loosely holding the phone.
***
When she woke up, pale morning light filtered through the curtains.
She blinked slowly, rubbing her eyes as she reached for her phone.
It was around five in the morning.
She had slept late—and woken up early.
She had barely gotten 4 hours of sleep, and her head felt slightly heavy.
Sighing, she sat up slowly.
She didn't feel like sleeping anymore.
She considered calling Lucian again, but then noticed that he had already sent her a message.
Reading the text, she sighed again.
The more he said not to worry, the more she got worried.
Still, he had at least informed her.
Placing the phone aside, she headed to the bathroom.
The mirror reflected her tired face and her long hair, messy from sleep.
Removing her clothes, she stepped into the shower.
Warm water cascaded down her body, slightly washing away the sleepiness.
Her health had improved over time. She was no longer the thin, frail woman she once was.
Right now, she stood at 168 cm, with a beautiful face, long jet-black hair that reached down her back, icy blue eyes, full, ample breasts, and a curvy yet graceful figure, with a slim waist and slender legs.
It was difficult to tell that she was a mother.
She had the body and face of a model, and her mature, motherly aura only added to her beauty.
But there was something else on her body.
Scars.
Scars left behind by that bastard—her husband's beatings.
On her collarbone, on her shoulders, and some on her arms.
Her fingers brushed over one unconsciously.
Despite all these years, the scars hadn't faded completely.
Some wounds healed.
Some didn't.
That was also the reason she wore long-sleeved clothes, even though Lucian had said that he didn't care.
She didn't like showing them to him—or to anyone else.
***
Around seven in the morning, Seraphina was in the living room, sitting on the couch, sipping her coffee.
The television was off, with the ticking of the clock echoing faintly through the silent room.
As she glanced at the time, she frowned.
'She's still not awake?'
Lia was usually up by now.
Just as she was about to stand up, she saw Lia walk into the living room with messy hair and her eyes half-closed.
"Good morning." Seraphina greeted.
"Ahh~ Good morning, Ms. Sera," Lia replied, slightly stretching her arms, still sleepy.
Seraphina sighed.
Even after a year, Lia still used honorifics.
"Lia, you'll be late for college," she said, glancing at the clock again.
"Oh, I'm not going to college today. Brother told me not to go."
Lia said casually as she headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Meanwhile—
Seraphina froze.
Her fingers tightened slightly around her coffee mug.
'He told her not to go?'
When?
Why?
He hadn't mentioned that to her.
'Just what is going on with him? First, he tells us not to open the door for strangers, and now this—telling her to take a day off.'
Her heart began to beat faster again.
After a while, Lia returned and sat on the couch, a cup of coffee in her hands.
"He's still not here?"
"No. He told me that he might be late."
Lia nodded slowly, though there was a small frown on her face.
Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.
Before Seraphina could stand up, Lia rushed toward the door.
But just as she was about to open it, she paused, remembering Lucian's words.
Don't open the door without checking.
She leaned forward and looked through the peephole.
Her body froze instantly.
A moment later, she threw the door open in haste.
"Brother! What happened to you?!"
She shouted as she ran up to him.