Chapter 92 The Cradle of Pure Magic
The silence that followed his touch wasn't empty—it was charged.
The energy between us pulsed like a newly formed heart, irregular, unstable, too alive to be ignored. My breath caught in my throat as I felt the baby react again, a slow, almost conscious movement, as if he… recognized it.
No.
As if he were trying to reach out.
"Did you feel it?" Conrad asked, his voice lower than I'd ever heard.
I nodded, unable to lie.
"He… calms down when you're near."
His eyes met mine, and in that instant I sensed something dangerous being born there. It wasn't just curiosity. Nor just concern.
It was a bond.
"This shouldn't be happening," I murmured. "It doesn't make sense."
Conrad remained silent for a few seconds, as if organizing thoughts he didn't want to say aloud.
"Maybe it does," Kael said, gaining our attention. "If what's growing inside you isn't just a baby."
A chill ran down my spine.
Because, deep down, I knew.
From the beginning, something was different.
The pregnancy was progressing too quickly. My strength fluctuated. My magic surged in uncontrollable peaks and then vanished completely, as if it were being... drained.
Or shared.
My hand instinctively went to my belly.
"What do you think he is?" I asked, almost in a whisper.
Kael hesitated.
"I think... he's a living catalyst."
My heart raced.
"A catalyst for what?"
He took a deep breath.
"For power. For bloodlines. For something we haven't seen in centuries."
Before I could answer, a wave of energy coursed through my body.
Strong.
Brutal.
My vision blurred at the edges, and I would have fallen if Conrad hadn't held me by the waist.
The baby moved violently.
Pain.
Not physical—magical.
As if something inside me was trying to awaken.
Or break through.
"Hey, look at me," Conrad said firmly.
I forced my eyes to focus on him.
"Breathe with me."
I inhaled.
I exhaled.
The energy diminished... but didn't disappear.
It remained there, latent, like thunder stuck on the horizon.
"This is going to get worse, isn't it?" I asked.
Conrad didn't answer immediately.
His silence was answer enough.
But then he brought his forehead close to mine.
"You won't go through this alone. It's our baby! I'll do everything to make sure you both are safe and well." He said, his eyes full of promise.
And for the first time since it all began...
I believed him.
Even knowing that believing him could be the biggest mistake of my life.
The air between us remained heavy after that.
Not just because of the energy that still vibrated beneath my skin, but because of what wasn't said.
Conrad remained too close.
Too warm.
Too safe.
And that was dangerous.
Because the more I allowed myself to feel that safety, the harder it would be to remember that the world around us was crumbling.
My hand was still on my belly when I noticed something different.
It wasn't pain.
It wasn't movement.
It was... awareness.
A gentle, almost curious presence, as if the baby were listening.
Watching.
"He's awake," I murmured without realizing I'd spoken aloud.
Conrad frowned slightly.
"Awake?"
I nodded slowly.
"I can feel it. Not like before... it's different. It's as if..." I hesitated, trying to find words. "As if he's paying attention to you."
Conrad's gaze shifted. The intensity there grew almost frighteningly.
He carefully slid his hand over mine, still positioned on my belly.
The instant he touched...
The energy returned.
But this time it didn't come as a violent wave.
It came as warmth.
A slow, rhythmic pulse that spread throughout my entire body.
Conrad let out a surprised breath.
"He's responding," he said, incredulous.
My heart raced.
"Can you feel it?"
"I can."
There was a silence charged with meaning.
Then Conrad said something that made my stomach churn.
"He recognizes me."
It wasn't a question.
It was a certainty.
And, deep down, I knew he was right.
The baby moved again, pressing against my palm.
A clear gesture.
Almost intentional.
My eyes filled with tears without warning.
"This isn't normal," I whispered.
Conrad brought his face close to mine, his voice low and firm.
"Our son was never normal."
Our son.
The words echoed inside me.
For a moment, all the fear vanished.
All the chaos.
All the approaching war.
Only the three of us remained.
But then...
The presence shifted.
The heat turned to tension.
My pulse quickened.
My body stiffened.
Conrad noticed immediately.
"What was that?"
I closed my eyes, trying to understand.
And then I felt it.
An external energy.
Dark.
Cold.
Approaching the castle rapidly.
My eyes snapped open.
"She's here."
Conrad's expression instantly transformed into pure fury.
"Solange?"
I nodded.
The baby reacted immediately.
A strong movement.
Protective.
As if it had sensed it too.
As if it knew danger had arrived.
Conrad held my face in both hands.
"You stay here. I'll go..."
"No." I interrupted firmly. "We face this together."
For a second, he hesitated.
Then he rested his forehead against mine.
"Then let's end this."
And for the first time...
I felt the real war was beginning.
The corridor seemed longer than ever as we walked.
The torches on the walls flickered, but not because of the wind.
It was the energy.
It had already infiltrated the castle.
Dark.
Creeping.
Alive.
Each step I took made the baby react, small pressures against my belly, as if it were alert—prepared. That should have scared me... but, strangely, it gave me strength.
Conrad walked beside me, his jaw clenched, his eyes gleaming with that predatory gold that always appeared when his wolf took control.
When we reached the main hall, the doors were already open.
And she was there.
Solange.
Standing in the center, enveloped in a black dress that seemed to absorb the surrounding light. Her smile slowly appeared when she saw us, as if she had been waiting for that very moment.
"Finally!" she said, her voice soft as poison. "The family reunited."
The air grew heavy.
My heart raced, but I didn't take a step back.
"You're not welcome here," I said firmly.
Her eyes lowered to my belly.
And shone.
"Ah... but that's exactly why I came."
The baby moved strongly.
An instantaneous reaction.
Protective.
Conrad growled softly beside me.
"Say what you want and leave before I rip your head off."
Solange laughed.
"Always so impulsive, my king." Then she looked at me again. "I only came to see... the miracle."
The energy around her grew. Shadows stretched across the floor like living claws.
Instinctively, my magic responded.
A golden wave surged from my body, enveloping my abdomen.
Protecting.
Solange's smile vanished for the first time.
"Interesting..." she murmured.
I raised my chin.
"Enough games. If you want war... then you'll get it."
For a second, silence filled the hall.
Then Solange smiled again.
But this time...
There was pure hatred there.
"Perfect," Solange said. "That's exactly what I wanted."
And in that instant, I knew.
There was no turning back.
The war had begun in the most unlikely place in the entire kingdom.
In the castle.
Where the cradle of pure magic should be.