the books of hidden worlds

chapter twenty-six: Alden

     In the past, Ursula is with her sister, Esmeralda. "Where have you been, Jha?" Esmeralda asked, hugging her. "Oh, what happened to you?"

Ursula gasped, “You're choking me, sis!”

"Oh, sorry!" Esmeralda let go, grinning. "Come on, let's eat."

As they settled in, an ominous figure appeared, known only as Shadow and Bone—a wizard from another world. This sorcerer was part of a family of brothers: Kent, Shaun, and Louis.

Shaun, the eldest at 20, stood at 5'7" with blond hair, his eyes a mix of brown and black. He was skilled with animals and had a passion for history. His favorite color was brown.

Kent, 19, was slightly clumsy yet endearing, with jet-black hair and standing at 5'6". His love for muffins and sunflowers softened his warrior’s spirit. Art and reading were his greatest joys.

Louis, the youngest at 18, was called “Lu” by Kent and “Teddy” by Shaun, though he found the nicknames peculiar. With brown hair, black eyes, and a height of 5'7", Louis loved dark chocolate cake. His smiles often turned his eyes into crescents.

Their family was infamous for stealing other wizards' powers. Back in 1942, the brothers attended a school called Velodrome in England. Although dedicated students, they treated school as a game, having been trained at home by their parents in science, history, sports, and combat.

Louis’s father taught him archery, which he practiced daily. Shaun was tutored by his mother in science and history, while Kent trained in combat with his father.

In the present day, Shaun noticed Louis couldn’t sleep. “Still awake, Louis?” he asked, as Kent, deep in a book, looked up.

"I just miss Mom and Dad," Louis confessed.

“We all do,” Shaun replied softly.

"Hide and seek?” Louis suggested, smiling mischievously.

"Are you serious, Lu?" Kent scoffed. "That’s a kid’s game.”

“Come on, Kent, just this once!” Louis urged.

Kent sighed, giving in. “Fine.”

The two hurried to hide in the secret room within the library as Shaun finished counting and began searching the house. Eventually, he found the hidden door and opened it, catching the two brothers.

“Found you!” Shaun announced triumphantly.

“See? I told you, Lu, that hiding here was a bad idea,” Kent muttered.

Shaun smiled. “Feeling sleepy yet, Teddy?”

Louis shook his head, still wide awake. “I think I’ll just read a bit longer.”

“Fine,” Shaun sighed, “but Kent and I will stay with you, right?”

Kent groaned, “I guess so…”

Shaun left briefly to bring back some bread and hot chocolate. Louis eagerly reached for his cup, but winced, “Ouch! It’s hot!”

“Take it easy, Teddy,” Shaun chuckled. “Here, Kent, take one too.”

"Thank you," Kent replied, taking a sip.

Meanwhile, in their own room, Elias and his siblings sat together, sharing quiet moments. Alden looked over at Salem, who smiled, thankful for this day. As the evening grew darker, everything faded, and Elias found himself in a vision, watching three brothers in a library, eating bread and sipping hot chocolate, their faces full of joy.

He snapped back to reality, startled. “Alden, are you alright?” Rowan asked.

“Yes… I’m fine. I just saw something. But don’t worry about it; let’s enjoy tonight.”

In the present, Louis tried to sleep again. “Shaun, can you tell me a story to help me fall asleep?”

Shaun hesitated, “Are you serious?”

But Kent sighed, “Just do it already.”

Shaun smiled and began a tale about a king and a soldier. Before long, Louis drifted off to sleep, his breathing soft and steady.

The next morning, Shaun nudged Kent. “Wake up. Let’s make breakfast for Lu’s birthday while he’s still asleep.”

Kent groaned, “You woke me up to make breakfast?”

“Yes,” Shaun smirked. “It’s his birthday, after all.”

After hours of cooking, Louis finally awoke. Surprised by the food on the table, he watched his brothers sing “Happy Birthday,” a soft smile spreading across his face.

“Thanks, guys. You didn’t have to go through the trouble,” he said, touched.

“Of course we did—it’s your day!” Shaun replied, beaming. “Now, blow out the candle!”

As Louis blew out the candle, Shaun handed him a small gift. Kent, apologizing for having no present, offered him a handwritten card instead. Louis smiled warmly. “Thank you, Kenny.”

Elsewhere, Elias and his brothers prepared to leave, wondering if they’d see their father soon. Rowan beamed, “Tomorrow we’ll finally be home!”

Alden stepped outside and found Salem sketching under a tree. Smiling, Salem kissed his cheek. “I’ll miss you so much,” he whispered, gazing into Alden’s eyes.

Alden’s heart swelled as he looked at Salem. “I’ll miss you too. Please, don’t forget me,” he said softly.

Salem grinned, his voice gentle. “Never. I’ll carry you in my heart forever, like a portrait only I can see.” Holding Alden’s hand, he whispered, “I love you.”