Flashback - The Solennes' Suite: The Birth of Iridea
Two babies took their first breaths on the same day, in the same world, within the same hospital but in rooms that couldn't have been more different.
Inside the Solenne family suite, the air was filled with warmth and quiet joy. Despite their affluent status, the Solennes preferred a more intimate celebration, surrounding themselves only with close family and trusted staff.
Calista Solenne cradled her newborn daughter, her eyes glistening as she traced the delicate features of the tiny girl. Beside her, Evander Solenne watched them with a tender, proud smile.
"She's beautiful," Calista whispered, her voice trembling.
"What will we name her?" Evander asked, his thumb brushing gently across his wife's knuckles.
Calista looked down at the baby, whose skin flashed with unpredictable bursts of colors – yellow, blue, pink – emotions fluctuating wildly as she cried.
"Iridea," Calista said softly. "Iridea Solenne."
Evander nodded, a smile touching his lips. "A perfect name."
But then, the baby's cries intensified, her skin flickering with even more erratic colors. It was as though her emotions were too intense for her tiny body to contain, a common reaction for newborns who hadn't received their first charm.
Evander exchanged a concerned glance with Calista. Without a word, he turned to his assistant, Lucien, who stood by the door. "Lucien, bring the charm box."
Moments later, Lucien returned with a small, velvet box. Inside was a delicate bracelet embedded with tiny, shimmering Aurelith gems , the first barrier that would keep Iridea's emotions in check.
Evander gently fastened the bracelet around Iridea's wrist. The gems glowed softly, absorbing the chaotic colors that danced across her skin. Gradually, her complexion returned to its natural tone, calm and undisturbed.
Calista and Evander shared a silent sigh of relief. In a world where emotions had to be hidden, the bracelet would be the first of many charms that would shield Iridea, and her secret from the world.
---
Flashback – The Virs' Suite: The Birth of Nullen
Inside the Vir family suite, the air was thick with tension and anticipation. Valeria Vir cradled her newborn son in her arms, her eyes fixed on his face. Magnus Vir stood nearby, his gaze sharp and intent as he observed the baby.
Beside them, Dr. Seraphin Lux lingered, his expression tense. The room was unusually silent.
The baby remained calm ,unnervingly so. Unlike other newborns whose emotions often erupted in flashes of colors, Nullen's skin remained blank. There were no colors, just nothing.
Dr. Lux stepped closer, his brow furrowed. "I've never seen a newborn who couldn't express even a flicker of color," he muttered. "Since I started practicing, this is the first."
Magnus's jaw clenched. "What are you saying, Doctor?"
Dr. Lux lowered his voice. "In Aurellia, emotions are as natural as breathing. If a child can't express them through colors, it's… considered a defect."
Valeria's eyes widened, her arms instinctively tightening around the baby. "A defect?"
Dr. Lux nodded grimly. "They're called Dyscols , individuals who are unable to express emotions visibly. It's rare. Very rare."
Magnus exchanged a look with Valeria. The Virs controlled the hospital, and the last thing they wanted was for the world to know their son was a Dyscol.
Magnus's expression hardened as he reached for a black, leather-bound book and opened it, revealing a ceremonial seal. "What you've seen here doesn't leave this room," Magnus said, his voice icy. "Sign the Oath of Silence."
Dr. Lux's hands shook as he pressed his thumb against the seal, marking it with his blood. The seal glowed briefly before fading, binding his words to silence.
As the door closed, Valeria looked down at her son, her heart aching.
Magnus leaned over, brushing a gentle kiss against the baby's forehead. "He may be a Dyscol, but he's still our son. And we will love him, no matter what."
Valeria swallowed, her eyes glistening. "What should we name him?"
Magnus's gaze softened. "Nullen."
---
_Present Day_
Dr. Xevin stood inside Mr. Veyar's shop, his eyes narrowing as he watched Iridea leave. His charm, which was designed to detect abnormal emotional surges, pulsed faintly. The sensation felt familiar, echoing the day he had sensed an unusual surge in the hospital years ago, the day the Solenne heir was born.
"So, that's the Solenne daughter," Dr. Xevin murmured, his lips curling into a dark smile. "So you're the baby I sensed back then."
What he didn't know was that the Virs had concealed a secret just as powerful , a Dyscol who couldn't emit any color at all.