~ Lucian’s POV

I jolted awake, my heart pounding in my chest. My room was still dark, the early morning light barely peeking through the curtains, but the vividness of my dream left me unsettled. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the memory that had invaded my sleep, the memory of my mother.

The dream had taken me back to that terrible day, the day I would never forget. I was just a boy, helpless and too young to understand the full weight of what was happening. My mother had been my world, her soft voice always comforting, her gentle smile always making me feel safe.

But that...