Chapter 284: Becoming A Father Part 3

Seraphina couldn't help but laugh softly as the little girl wriggled in delight, her tiny arms wrapping tighter around her neck. The sheer warmth in her embrace, the way she nuzzled so contentedly against her—it was enough to make Seraphina's heart swell in ways she hadn't expected.

The little one giggled again, a bright, bubbly sound that filled the air with joy. "Mama gives warm hugs!" she declared, beaming up at Seraphina with those mismatched eyes—one fiery red, the other platinum—so full of trust and happiness.

Seraphina found herself smiling despite the strangeness of it all. "Well, aren't you a little ball of sunshine?" she murmured, gently smoothing the child's silken hair. It was soft, strands shifting subtly between deep crimson and silver-white, an eerie yet beautiful effect.

"And what do you like, little one?" she asked, indulging the girl's infectious excitement.

The child tilted her head as if pondering the question. Then, with a wide grin, she chirped, "Hugs! And Papa! And Mama! And warm!"

Seraphina chuckled. "You just like affection, don't you?"

The girl nodded vigorously. "Hugs make happy! Mama and Papa make warm!" She stretched her tiny arms wide as if to emphasize her point before flopping back against Seraphina's chest with a contented sigh. "So happy… so safe…"

Seraphina felt a warmth bloom in her chest. This child—whoever she was—had chosen them with unquestionable certainty. There was no hesitation in her attachment, no fear or doubt. It was as if she had always known them, as if they were always meant to be her parents.

And somehow, Seraphina found herself not minding it at all.

She glanced over at Adrian, expecting him to still be watching them with mild amusement. Instead, she found him slightly apart, his expression thoughtful as he gazed at the child.

Adrian wasn't unsettled by her affection—if anything, he had already accepted it without much resistance—but there was something about this whole situation that left him uneasy.

A nameless child, hidden behind a seal. A child who aged unnaturally fast. A child who had seemingly been protected with someone's dying breath.

He had questions—so many of them.

Where had she come from? Who had sealed her away, and why? And most importantly, who had she been before waking up in his arms?

Something about her felt significant, as if she was part of something much bigger than what they understood at the moment.

But thinking wouldn't get them answers.

Adrian exhaled softly before stepping toward the corpse of the woman who had tried so desperately to shield the girl.

Her body was motionless, her long cloak still partially covering where the seal had been hidden. Even in death, she had been positioned protectively, as if trying to shield the girl until her last breath.

Kneeling beside her, Adrian carefully examined her robes, looking for anything that might help identify her.

His fingers brushed against the fabric, noting its fine craftsmanship—rich material, yet worn, as if she had traveled a long way.

Then, tucked within the folds of her cloak, he found something.

A small, metallic token.

It was round, slightly larger than a coin, with an intricate engraving of two wings—one dark, one light—interwoven in a spiral.

The craftsmanship was exquisite, the metal smooth and cool to the touch, yet there was something oddly ancient about it.

Around the edges, there were runes—symbols he didn't immediately recognize, though they carried the same mystical energy as the seal that had hidden the child.

Adrian turned it over in his palm, frowning slightly.

Seraphina, still holding the little girl, peered over his shoulder. "What did you find?"

"A token," Adrian murmured, studying the engravings carefully. "It might help us figure out who they are."

Seraphina tilted her head slightly. "It looks… old. Almost sacred."

Adrian hummed in agreement. "It's not just a simple trinket. Whatever this symbol represents, it meant something to her."

He glanced back at the woman's still form, feeling a quiet sense of respect for her. Whoever she had been, she had given everything to protect this child.

The girl, who had been watching him curiously, suddenly wriggled in Seraphina's arms. "Papa?" she called, her small voice tinged with curiosity. "What's that?"

Adrian looked up at her, then at the token in his hand.

"A clue," he said gently. "Maybe a way to find out more about you."

The child blinked, tilting her head. Then, after a moment, she simply beamed. "Papa is smart!" she declared, reaching out as if she wanted to touch it too.

Seraphina smirked. "She really has a lot of faith in you, huh?"

Adrian chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Looks like it."

For now, they didn't have all the answers. But at the very least, they had a starting point.

Adrian turned the token over in his palm once more, tracing the intricate engravings with his thumb.

The weight of it in his hand felt heavier than its actual mass, as if it carried with it a burden long left unresolved.

He exhaled, his gaze shifting back to the woman’s still form. There was no denying the sacrifices she had made to protect the child, and Adrian would not let her remain forgotten in an abandoned ruin.

“We should move,” he finally said, his voice steady but laced with an unspoken resolution.

Seraphina nodded in agreement. “Yes. The others need to know about this.” She adjusted her hold on the child, who remained nestled against her with a content sigh.

Before rising, Adrian reached into his coat and pulled out a spare storage ring. He hesitated for only a moment before gently placing his hand over the woman’s form.

He murmured a silent promise to ensure she received the respect she deserved, then activated the ring, storing her remains.

He turned his gaze to the little girl still nestled in Seraphina’s arms. Her mismatched eyes held nothing but trust and warmth, as if she had already decided that Adrian and Seraphina were her parents.

Shaking his head in amusement, Adrian exhaled and refocused. “Let’s head back. We need to meet with the others and inform them about what we found.”

Seraphina adjusted her hold on the child, securing her comfortably before nodding. “Agreed. The sooner we regroup, the better.”

With that, they turned toward the exit.