The Eclipse Moons Grimoire: Lilith's Soft Whispers

Codex 0: Sequentia II: Fragmentum XXIV: Distress

A few days later, just as the sun began to set, Seraphina returned to Raven's Crest Castle. The golden light of dusk bathed the ancient stone walls, casting long shadows as her carriage rolled to a stop. During her journey, she had diligently sifted through the documents given to her by the Matriarchs..

Tia came running to receive his mother, his small feet pattering against the cobblestones, with Emma and Alaric following closely behind. His face lit up with joy at the sight of his mother getting off the carriage. During these days he has been feeling very lonely without Vina and Sera. Even he did not realize that he would miss them so much.

"Welcome back, Mother..." Tia, who drew closer to Sera, suddenly stopped in his tracks, his face turned solemn.

"I'm back, Tia. Have you been a good girl? You didn't give Emma any trouble, did you?" Sera hugged Tia with a warm smile.

Tia remained silent, his eyes scrutinizing Sera.

"Of course not. She is a very well behaved child. Unlike the devil spawns in my family, always up to no good." Emma chuckled.

Sera turned to Emma and Alaric, "Thank you, both of you, for looking after her."

"It was no trouble at all." Alaric said.

"Don't mention it. It was a good break for me too." added Emma. "So, how was your trip?"

"Hmm. It was drab. I am exhausted. Both of you should head home now."

"Okay. The maids have prepared dinner. Get some rest tonight. We'll catch up tomorrow."

"Alright," Sera nodded and moved to enter the castle, Tia quietly followed at her side.

*********

As they made their way back, Alaric glanced at Emma, with concern. "Is it just me, or does she seem a bit... depressed?"

Emma nodded thoughtfully. "She usually doesn't allow much emotion to show on her face, but something's clearly weighing on her now. She might not have slept properly too."

"What do you think happened?"

"I'm not sure, Whatever it is, she doesn't seem ready to talk about it. Maybe she heard some bad news from the Countess."

"If she's keeping it to herself, it must be personal," Alaric mused.

"Hmm."

"I like to think we're good friends. Although she shares a lot of things with me, she hides a lot of things which truly matter," Emma smiled deprecatingly.

"I just wish she'd share some of her burdens with us."

"Yeah," Alaric sighed. "We might not be able to do much but, at least her heart should feel a bit lighter. Her children are still too young for her to rely on them."

**********

That night, Sera and Tia shared a quiet dinner. Neither spoke a word.

Afterward, they bathed and slipped into their chemises, heading straight to bed.

'She seems really depressed. Something bad must have happened during her visit to Grandma's place.' Tia thought.

'I've never seen her like this before. She looks...tired, maybe she hasn't slept well. How can I make her feel better?' Tia silently brainstormed for various ways to elevate Sera's mood in vain.

Frustrated, he finally decided to do the only thing he could now—to silently stay by her side.

Without a word, Tia snuggled closer to Sera, wrapping his small arms around her.