The Night Before the Storm

That night was the first time the children of the slum had eaten so well. The small, rundown hut was filled with the sound of laughter, chatter, and the occasional playful argument over the last piece of bread.

Seraphina sat beside Ralph, watching as he nibbled on a piece of bread with stuffed cheeks, looking like a little chipmunk. She smiled, reaching out to ruffle his dark hair before wiping the crumbs off his mouth. Ralph grinned up at her, his eyes shining with pure contentment.

On the other side, Lucian sat with his usual poised elegance, eating at a steady, unhurried pace. But his sharp blue eyes kept drifting toward the children. He observed them in a way that felt far too mature for his age—like a silent guardian ensuring they were safe, fed, and happy.

Seraphina chuckled softly. It was oddly amusing how a child barely twelve years old could act so much like a father figure. But her thoughts were interrupted when she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, getting to her feet. "I brought the rewards that Jonny and Luke wanted!"

She disappeared into the hut for a moment before returning with a carefully wrapped book. Handing it to Jonny, she smiled.

"Here. Just as you asked."

Jonny's eyes widened in shock. His fingers trembled as he reached for the book, his breath catching in his throat. A real book. Something he had only ever dreamed of having.

As soon as it was in his hands, he forgot about the food entirely, flipping through the pages with the wonder of a child seeing the world for the first time. His golden-brown eyes glowed faintly—his skill already at work as he scanned through the words at a rapid pace.

Seeing his excitement, Seraphina turned to Luke and placed a handful of small, gleaming stones in his hands.

"These are for you," she said. "I'm not sure what kind of metal they are, but the shopkeeper called them some sort of rare mineral. They looked valuable, so I thought you might like them."

Luke's squinted eyes narrowed even further as he inspected them. His expression was unreadable, but after a long pause, he sighed.

"…These aren't even metal."

Seraphina froze. "Huh?!"

She forced a laugh, trying to brush off her mistake. "Ahaha… i-is that so?"

But before she could change the subject, Lucian suddenly spoke up.

"Wait." His gaze sharpened as he reached for one of the stones. Holding it under the dim light, his expression darkened. "How much did you spend on these?"

"Uhm…" Seraphina hesitated before answering honestly, "Five silver coins."

Silence.

The children, who had been cheerfully eating and chatting moments ago, stiffened.

Luke let out a choked sound, his expression twisting in pure agony. "We bought a whole month's worth of food for four silver coins—and you wasted five on rocks?!"

Seraphina flinched. "So what!? I spent twenty silver on Jonny's book!" she retorted, pointing at Jonny.

Jonny, who had been happily reading, suddenly froze. He turned pale.

"T-Twenty?" he stammered, gripping the book like it might suddenly disappear.

Ralph, still clinging to Seraphina's side, tugged at her sleeve. "Sister…" He looked up at her with big, round eyes, his voice soft but accusing. "You're a… squanderer."

Seraphina's face turned red in embarrassment.

"No, I'm not!" she protested, flailing her arms. "And where did you even learn that word!?"

Across from her, Rose was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. She clutched her stomach, pointing at Seraphina with tears in her eyes.

But then—Lucian cleared his throat, silencing the group.

"She's not a squanderer," he said. His usual calm voice was strangely serious. He held up one of the stones, turning it in his fingers. "She's a swindler."

Seraphina blinked. "…Huh?"

"These aren't just ordinary stones," Lucian continued, his blue eyes gleaming in the dim firelight. "They're magic stones. Even the lowest quality ones are worth at least ten gold coins." He examined them closer before adding, "And these seem to be mid-tier."

A beat of silence.

Luke, who had been glaring at Seraphina in disbelief, suddenly stared at the stones in his hands as if they had turned into solid gold. His fingers trembled. His face twisted into something bizarrely unsettling.

Then—his lips curled into a creepy, almost maniacal grin.

"Ehehehe… heheheheheh…"

The children shivered. Even Rose stopped laughing.

"L-Luke…?" Seraphina whispered.

But before anyone could comment further, Lucian suddenly stood up.

His entire demeanor shifted. The warmth that had been on his face just moments ago vanished—his expression going completely cold.

"Seraphina," he commanded, his voice sharp and unwavering. "Take the children inside. Now."

Seraphina's body tensed.

Lucian was rarely this serious.

She turned toward the entrance of the alley—and that's when she saw them.

Dark figures loomed in the shadows, their silhouettes barely visible under the flickering streetlamps. Too many. The air grew thick with a heavy, suffocating presence.

Seraphina didn't argue. She immediately grabbed Ralph's hand, motioning for Jonny and the others to follow as she hurried them into the nearest hut.

Meanwhile, Lucian, Rose, Luke, Alaric, and Adrian stood their ground.

A slow, wet chuckle echoed through the alley.

A fat, greasy man emerged from the shadows, his stubby fingers adorned with thick, jeweled rings. His fur-lined coat barely fit around his massive belly, and the stench of cheap perfume mixed with his natural sweat and filth was enough to make someone gag.

His dark, beady eyes scanned the group of children before curling his lips into a disgusting grin.

"I heard you little rats hit the jackpot," he sneered, his chubby fingers stroking the rings on his hand. "Now, now… don't be greedy. Sharing is caring."

His words were thick with mockery. Even though he sat on a mountain of stolen wealth, his bloated form a clear contrast to the half-starved children, he spoke as if he was the one in need.

The sheer audacity of his words made Lucian's blood boil.

His expression twisted into something dark. Dangerous. The cold fury in his blue eyes sent an almost visible chill through the air.

"Leave," Lucian said, his voice low, quiet—but filled with a silent, deadly promise.

The Pig Boss let out a disgusting snort-laugh. "Oh? You think you can order me around, kid?"

With a snap of his fingers, more men emerged from the shadows. They surrounded the children on all sides.

Lucian's fists clenched at his sides.

There were too many of them. Too many.

For the first time in a long while…

The situation was dangerous.

Too dangerous.

And Lucian knew it.