Chapter 31: A Trust Not Given Lightly

  Morning unfurled gently over the Starfall mansion, casting long golden streaks across the ivory walls and polished floors. The scent of dew and distant blooms lingered in the breeze that drifted through the slightly cracked window, stirring the silk curtains like a whisper. Within the quiet chamber on the east wing, the world felt paused, untouched by the chaos that had shaped both of their lives.

  Cassian stood near the dresser, his shirt half-buttoned, pale morning light catching on the dark strands of his hair. The room, though elegantly furnished, bore little warmth—just silence, punctuated only by the occasional chirp of a distant skylark and the slow, deliberate movements of the boy behind him.

  He turned toward the comm panel embedded in the wall, fingers hovering.

  “I’ll call the maid to prepare your bath,” he said quietly, his tone flat, mechanical—habitual.

  But the response came quicker than expected, soft yet unwavering.

  “No.”

  Cassian froze. One syllable—gentle, but edged with resistance. He turned, his eyes falling on the small figure curled on the bed’s edge. Sky sat cross-legged, tangled in blankets too large for his frame, dark hair messy from sleep, and those piercing blue eyes fixed stubbornly on Cassian.

  Cassian’s gaze narrowed slightly, not out of annoyance, but in quiet calculation. “Why not?” he asked, carefully.

  Sky hesitated, then looked down, his fingers twisting in the sheets. “I want you to do it.”

  There was no demand in his voice, no manipulation. Just a soft, raw honesty that hit harder than anything Cassian had expected to face that morning. A quiet request, wrapped in childlike trust.

  Cassian rubbed his forehead, exhaling. “Kid… you’re making this difficult.”

  Sky pouted, crossing his arms. “You’re the one making it difficult.”

  Cassian groaned. “I don’t see why you can’t ask a maid. That’s literally what they’re here for.”

  Sky’s expression didn’t change.

  Then, in a quieter voice, he said, “I don’t trust them.”

  Cassian stilled.

  It wasn’t the words themselves that made his stomach tighten—it was the way Sky said them. As if it were a simple, inarguable fact. As if the idea of trusting someone was something inherently unnatural to him.

  And that…

  That was too damn familiar.

  Cassian sighed, rubbing his eyes before letting his hand fall. “Fine.”

  Sky immediately brightened, his silver eyes gleaming. “Really?”

  Cassian pointed a warning finger at him. “No funny business, brat.”

  Sky grinned mischievously. “Would I ever?”

  Cassian pinched the bridge of his nose. “I hate my life.”

  Sky giggled. “You love it.”

  Cassian ignored him.

  With reluctant steps, he led the toddler toward the bathing chamber.

  —

  The bathroom was as extravagant as the rest of the manor—polished marble floors, intricate silver detailing, and a large bathing pool deep enough for an adult to drown in if they weren’t careful.

  Cassian eyed it with disapproval.

  Too big. Too luxurious. Too much.

  Sky, on the other hand, practically skipped inside. “Okay, brother! Let’s do this.”

  Cassian scowled. “Don’t say it like that.”

  Sky giggled, already undoing the buttons of his nightwear. “You’re acting like it’s a crime, brother. You’ve done this before.”

  Cassian clicked his tongue, turning around to give the kid privacy. “Doesn’t mean I want to do it again.”

  Sky just hummed happily. “Well, I want you to do it again, so that makes it fair.”

  Cassian snorted. “That’s not how fairness works, brat.”

  A splash echoed behind him, and Cassian turned just enough to see Sky already settled in the water, his black hair floating around him like ink. He looked tiny—smaller than he usually did. His blue eyes glowed in the soft candlelight as he kicked his feet beneath the water.

  Cassian sighed. He knelt beside the bath, rolling up his sleeves before reaching for the scented soap. “Alright, stay still.”

  Sky grinned. “Yes, sir.”

  Cassian dipped his hand into the warm water, beginning to wash Sky’s hair. The kid purred, literally purred, like a spoiled cat.

  Cassian arched a brow. “Are you serious?”

  Sky hummed in contentment. “This is nice.”

  Cassian sighed but didn’t stop. The repetitive motion was oddly soothing, the warmth of the water making his hands feel almost lighter.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Sky spoke suddenly. “Brother?”

  Cassian paused. “What?”

  A beat of silence.

  Then—

  “ Why you don’t like being touched?”

  Cassian stiffened.

  Sky’s voice remained soft. “But… you let...me”

  Cassian felt something press against his ribs, tight and uncomfortable.

  He focused on lathering the soap. “You’re a kid.”

  “So?”

  Cassian huffed, rinsing the suds from Sky’s hair. “Kids are different.”

  Sky blinked water from his lashes, tilting his head. “Why?”

  Cassian didn’t answer immediately.

  He didn’t know why.

  Maybe because Sky was small. Maybe because Sky didn’t expect anything from him. Maybe because—

  Sky didn’t hurt him.

  Cassian shook his head, ignoring the thoughts. “You ask too many questions, brat.”

  Sky grinned. “And you never answer them.”

  Cassian flicked water at his face. “Because I don’t have to.”

  Sky spluttered before laughing. “Mean.”

  Cassian smirked, grabbing a towel. “Come on, let’s dry you off.”

  Sky allowed Cassian to wrap him in the oversized towel, his small form practically swallowed by the fabric.

  For a moment, Cassian just looked at him.

  Trust wasn’t something lightly given.

  He knew that better than anyone.

  And yet—

  Sky had given his so easily.

  Cassian didn’t know whether that was bravery or recklessness.

  Maybe both.

  But either way—

  He would make sure not to break it.

  Sky took the uniform from Cassian’s hands, holding it up to his small frame. The black-and-silver fabric looked crisp and pristine, untouched by the wear of daily use. The polished academy insignia gleamed under the soft morning light.

  Sky scrunched his nose. “It looks boring.”

  Cassian arched a brow. “It’s a uniform. It’s supposed to look boring.”

  Sky twirled the fabric between his fingers, pouting slightly. “I was hoping for something cooler. Maybe a cape. Or something with sparkles.”

  Cassian snorted. “You’d look ridiculous.”

  Sky gasped dramatically. “You wound me, brother.”

  Cassian rolled his eyes. “Hurry up and change, brat. I’m taking my bath.”

  Sky stuck out his tongue before turning toward the wardrobe to dress. Cassian, with one last glance, grabbed his own uniform and headed toward the bath.

  The water was still warm from earlier. Steam curled along the surface, twisting in delicate tendrils before vanishing into the air.

  Cassian stared into the water for a moment.

  His reflection stared back.

  Black hair, hazel eyes. A stranger’s face.

  Not Cassian Starfall’s. Not really.

  Cassian Drayven.

  A name that no longer mattered.

  Cassian exhaled sharply, stripping off his shirt. Scars littered his skin—some old, some newer, all of them reminders of the life he’d led before this. A life that, no matter how much he pretended, could never fully be erased.

  Sliding into the bath, he let the warmth seep into his muscles, loosening the tight knots of tension he hadn’t even realized were there.

  For a few minutes, he allowed himself silence.

  Allowed himself stillness.

  But it didn’t last long.

  His thoughts swirled—memories of last night’s meditation creeping back like shadows in the edges of his mind.

  That presence.

  The cryptic voice.

  The gift.

  Cassian glanced toward the door, ensuring it was locked, before lifting his hand. A flicker of thought called forth the book—the one that had materialized before him this morning.

  It appeared instantly, hovering just above the water.

  Cassian caught it before it could fall, flipping it open.

  Blank pages.

  Just like before.

  Cassian’s grip tightened. “This is useless.”

  But the moment the words left his lips—

  Ink bled across the pages.

  Cassian stiffened.

  The letters formed slowly, as if something unseen was writing them in real time.

  “A tool is only useless if one does not know how to use it.”

  Cassian’s breath hitched.

  The ink shifted again.

  “When the time comes, you will know.”

  Cassian stared at the book, unease curling down his spine.

  This…

  This was not normal.

  Even in a world filled with magic and strange forces, this felt like something different.

  Something beyond his understanding.

  Cassian snapped the book shut.

  Whatever this was—whoever had given it to him—he didn’t trust it.

  Not yet.

  Placing the book aside, he dunked his head beneath the water, letting the warmth swallow him whole.

  By the time he stepped out, dressed and ready, Sky was already waiting in the hallway.

  The toddler grinned up at him. “You take forever, brother.”

  Cassian flicked his forehead. “Shut up.”

  Sky giggled. “We’re gonna be late!”

  Cassian rolled his eyes. “It’s still early.”

  Sky grabbed his hand, tugging him forward. “Come on, let’s go!”

  Cassian allowed himself to be pulled along, glancing down at Sky’s small fingers wrapped around his own.