The secret of the Moondrop

Chapter 1: 14 years ago...

Quirin's POV:

It had been eleven years since the last time Quirin had seen the opal, eleven years since he had watched as it almost destroyed King Edmund. That day, he'd promised himself to never return to the Dark Kingdom. And yet, there he was, back to the cursed place where no one was supposed to be.
But that time, he was there for a different reason other than to protect the opal from being discovered.
He was there to end the problem, once and for all.
His wife and newborn son were also there, something he deeply regretted. But that misterios woman had been clear, she needed a child for the procedure. Varian was that child.
She said it would cause no harm to the baby, that they just had to cut the hair afterwards and it would be as if nothing had happened.
Quirin patted the clippers in his pocket and looked at his wife.
Her auburn hair had been neatly pulled in her usual tight bun, but unlike any other day, she wasn't smiling. In fact, Quirin had never seen her so nervous, it made him feel guilty. He knew she hadn't been pleased when he'd explained the plan to her, and neither she was in that moment. You only had to see how she clutched the baby in her arms to know she was afraid.
Quirin's eyes were now placed on his only son's small shape. He was starting to doubt if all that was a good idea himself.
He shook his head.
For the Dark Kingdom, he thought.
"I'm sorry for being late, you weren't kidding when you said this place was almost unreachable" came a woman's voice from behind the family.
Quirin recognized the black curly hair and red dress instantly. She was also wearing a hood, which partially covered her face in shadows.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Gothel" he slightly bowed.
His wife pulled Varian closer as she frowned.
Gothel took a step forward and smiled, a fake unsettling smile, in Quirin's opinion.
"Oh, please" she said smoothly as she pulled the hood back "you can just call me Gothel"
She then locked eyes with Quirin's wife and extended her arms.
"Shall we proceed?" she asked her.
The woman took one last glance at her son and kissed his forehead before handing it over to the witch. Quirin squeezed her hand in support.
"I think it would be better if you waited here until it's over" he whispered in her ear.
She nodded slightly.
"You'd better not hurt him" she warned Gothel with a cold voice.
Gothel examined the baby in her hands, which was currently staring at her curiously with his big round-shaped eyes.
"Don't worry, dear, your baby is in good hands" she responded.
She looked at her husband, as if knowing it would be the last time. "Take care of him".
She then let her hand slip from his and walked out of the Dark Kingdom's hall.

Quirin and Gothel walked in silence until reaching their destination, the meteorite. And inside of it and covered with a blue glow, was the opal.
Gothel's smile widened in a way Quirin was tempted to take the baby away from her.
She placed Varian in the dark floor next to the meteorite while the baby yawned and looked at his dad.
Quirin smiled at him, hoping he would interpret it as if everything was okay.
"Now, I'd like you to step back and let me do my thing, do NOT interrupt me" Gothel said pushing Quirin back.
"But..."
"No buts, I know better" she replied harshly.
Quirin swallowed a reply and just waited were she'd told him.
"It will all be over soon" he muttered to himself.
He watched as Gothel pulled her hood back on place and kneeled facing the baby.
She cleared her throat, and then, at Quirin's amazement, Gothel started singing:

"Power shine and flow...
Lead me through the night,
Help me if I'm lost,
tell me what's wrong, what's right...

Heal me when I'm hurt,
shield from Fate's design.
Guide those who need route
tell me what's wrong, what's right...

..What's wrong, what's right?..."

Before Quirin could even blink, the opal had started shining. Energy seemed to flow through it and reach Varian, whose hair was slowly turning white. But something was wrong, his eyes had started closing, and Gothel didn't seem like she was going to stop singing.
The place was all shaking, dark rocks being sliced each time energy escaped. The palace was about to rumble down, what would his wife be thinking right now?
The light now came from both Varian and the opal, Quirin was going to tackle Gothel and stop the chanting... But suddenly, he was blinded by a light explosion.

When Quirin's eyes adjusted after the explosion, the first thing he did was to look for his son.
That wasn't too difficult, as he was now the only source of light in the room.
Quirin took Varian in his arms, whose hair was now a shiny white and blue. He didn't seem hurt, in fact, he was laughing. His blue eyes reflected the glow from his hair like a mirror, it was something incredible and imposible.
But then, the surprised father remembered what had to be done.
He took the clippers from his pocket and prepared himself to cut the baby's hair. That was, until Gothel snapped the scissors from his hand and sent them flying across the room.
"What do you think you are doing!?" she exclaimed infuriated.
Quirin's surprise turned into anger in a split second.
"This is what we agreed, Gothel" he said sternly "to save The Dark Kingdom and to save the world..."
"We also agreed you would give me whatever I asked after the job was done" the witch cut him off.
Quirin paled, suddenly aware of what Gothel really wanted.
"You swore it" she remembered him. "and I want the baby"
He looked at the baby and scowled.
"There's no way I'm giving you my son" he responded furiously.
There was a moment when Quirin thought Gothel might try to take Varian from him, but that only lasted one second replaced by Gothel's cold reply.
"I think you don't quite get it, dear" she said calmly "you're breaking and oath with a witch, you know what that might mean to you?"
"I know it means I won't have to give my son to a crazy woman like you!" Quirin grumbled.
She scoffed. "Suit yourself, don't say I didn't warn you"

After that, Gothel disappeared, literally. The only thing left from her was her black hood. Quirin cut the baby's hair except for a blue streak the scissors weren't able to cut.
He then took Varian in his arms and happily went to look for his wife.
What Quirin saw left him destroyed, the entire palace had fallen into pieces, there was nothing left. Not even her.
Quirin stayed there for another three days until he was sure she couldn't have survived.
He sadly remembered Gothel's warning.
That was the price he was paying for breaking an oath with a witch.
And even though the sadness in his heart was almost unbearable and he had been left alone to rise his son. He knew it had been the right choice.
Four words were repeated in his mind, her last words: Take care of him.
"I will" he promised.

Chapter end.
So, what do you think? Should I write more chapters?
P.D. I didn't know Varian's mothers name so I just didn't say it.