Chapter– Bloodlines and Landmines

Lucien didn’t move.

Didn’t speak.

The woman’s words hung between us like a live wire, crackling with things we weren’t ready to face.

“Lucien… he’s your son.”

The boy—his son—stood silently by the bookshelf, small fingers still wrapped around the spine of a book. His eyes flickered between us, unreadable and hauntingly calm.

Lucien stepped back, like the air had been knocked from his chest.

I could feel the tension bleeding from his skin, a silent battle between disbelief and the unmistakable truth staring him in the face.

“What’s his name?” I asked gently, moving toward them with cautious steps.

The woman’s jaw tightened. “Nico.”

I...