Azure stared wide-eyed at the door as it slowly opened. The figure standing there was none other than his mother. Her eyes swept the room, locking onto the shattered glass on the floor and the crib—now conspicuously empty.
"Oh shoot, I'm dead... very, very dead." Azure thought, panic rushing through him.
Selene's expression shifted from confusion to alarm in a split second, her voice sharp as she shouted, "LENNY, GET OVER HERE, NOW!"
Her tone wasn't the usual gentle one Azure had heard during the fleeting moments he'd been conscious; this was the voice of a mother on the edge of hysteria.
From the next room, Lenny's voice answered, calm but a little puzzled. "Yeah, okay, Selene... What's the—" He trailed off as he entered the room and took in the scene. His eyes fell first on the mess, then slowly followed Selene's gaze to the small figure of Azure sitting on the floor, clearly out of the crib.
Lenny's eyes went wide as saucers. "What... Selene, what in the world...?"
His wife didn't take her eyes off Azure. "Look." She pointed, her voice quieter now but still carrying a hint of shock. "Our son... He crawled out of the crib."
They stared at each other in disbelief.
"Is it just me, or did our son start crawling... on the second day?" Lenny finally asked, his voice tinged with both awe and confusion.
Selene nodded slowly, not trusting herself to speak. The silence stretched between them for a moment, thick with realization.
And then, out of nowhere, both of them began to cry. Tears streamed down their faces as they rushed over to Azure, dropping to their knees and wrapping their arms around him in a tight embrace.
"Oh, God, this is a miracle," Lenny sobbed, holding Azure close. "Not only did we get a son when everyone said it was impossible, but now... he's already crawling. This... this can't be real."
Selene nodded, her tears mixing with Lenny's as she clung to their child. "I can't believe it. We were so worried for so long that something might go wrong, that he wouldn't be healthy... but he's not only healthy, he's... special." Her voice cracked with emotion, and more tears followed.
Azure blinked, completely caught off-guard by the flood of emotions coming from his parents. He tried to squirm a little, but the sheer strength of their love and relief was overwhelming. "Uh... I'm not that great," he thought to himself, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I mean, if you consider the fact that I already have the brain of a teenager, then sure, I guess crawling on the second day isn't that crazy... but these two don't know that. This must be so weird for them."
After a few more minutes of sobbing and holding onto their miracle child, Selene pulled back, wiping her face with the sleeve of her robe. "But how did he even get out? The crib was set high enough so he couldn't fall... What if he hurt himself when he crawled out?" Her voice became tinged with panic again, her hands moving over Azure's small body as if checking for any sign of injury.
Lenny shook his head, still smiling. "Nah, he's fine. Look at him—he's not crying, not fussing. If he'd hurt himself, believe me, we'd know. Babies are loud when something's wrong." He paused, thinking. "You know... now that I think about it, didn't your brother and sister leave the crib down earlier?"
Selene's face scrunched up in thought before she nodded slowly. "Yes... yes, I think you're right. They did leave it down. But didn't I put it back up after they left?" Her face suddenly darkened, and she gasped, guilt flooding her features. "Oh no... I must have forgotten! Lenny, I could've hurt our child! What kind of mother am I?!"
Her voice cracked again, and fresh tears threatened to spill over. She hugged Azure tightly, as if holding him closer would undo her mistake.
"Shhh, shh," Lenny soothed, rubbing her back. "Nonsense, Selene. It's our first kid. Of course, we're going to make mistakes here and there. Heck, we might make a thousand mistakes, but that's how it is. Parenting's no easy ride." He chuckled softly, his warm tone easing some of the tension. "But look at the bright side, sweetheart. We've been blessed with a child—a perfect child—that many said we'd never have. And now he's crawling on his second day? I'm telling you, this boy's going to be a genius when he grows up. A genius!"
Selene sniffled and gave him a weak smile, her heart still heavy but now lightened by his words. "I suppose you're right," she admitted. "But I still have to be careful. And you do too, Lenny. We need to make sure we do everything right, especially with him being... different. And what if he can't use mana? What if he can't cultivate or grow strong?" Her voice wavered, fear seeping into her words once more.
"Hey, hey, Selene," Lenny said, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It's going to be alright. So what if he can't use mana? So what if he can't become some great warrior or mage? He'll still be our son. Our perfect little boy."
Selene closed her eyes and took a deep breath, nodding in agreement. "You're right. He'll still be ours. Our Azure."
Lenny grinned, his usual optimism returning in full force. "Exactly. And as for your brother and sister, let them off the hook, will you? They probably didn't mean to leave the crib down."
Selene's lips tightened into a thin line. "Hmph. Nonsense. I'll be keeping a close eye on them from now on."
Lenny couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright. But for now, why don't we put our son back to bed? It's been a long day for the little guy, and I think he's earned some rest after all that crawling. He's still just two days old, after all. Not ready for the manly stuff yet!" He chuckled, patting Azure's tiny head affectionately.
Selene smiled warmly and gently lifted Azure back into the crib, making sure the rail was securely up this time. "Good night, sweetie," she whispered, kissing his forehead softly. "Please don't do anything like that again, okay? We don't need any more scares." She smiled down at him, her love for him shining through her tear-streaked face.
Azure's tiny lips curled into a smile as he thought, 'I won't, Mom. Don't worry.' He let out a soft sigh, feeling warmth spread through him. 'It's... really nice to have a mom who worries about me and a dad who's always so positive. I wish things could stay like this forever.'
"Good night, my little Azure," Selene whispered one last time, her voice soft and filled with love.
Lenny stepped up beside her, his smile gentle. "Good night, son," he said, leaning down to kiss Azure's forehead.
Azure felt his body grow heavy with sleep, their words comforting him as he drifted off. His parents watched him for a moment longer, their hearts full, before quietly leaving the room.
"Whew, I'm so tired... Crawling must have taken more out of me than I thought. I wonder why."
As Azure's consciousness faded into the realm of dreams, Ive's voice echoed softly in the back of his mind.
'Host, while you rest, I have begun the process of building your mana seed. The integration of your bloodlines and the formation of a stable seed will take anywhere from two to four years, but worry not. I am monitoring every step to ensure the maximum possible chance so we won't fail. Warning failure could lead to death, we should proceed with caution and with urgency in order to succeed.'
'Thanks, Ive,' Azure thought sleepily without thinking what she stated. 'No rush... I've got time.'
With that, Azure succumbed to the pull of sleep, his tiny body finally at rest after an eventful day. Unaware of the untold things that await him in the future.