By the way, for those who might not know, "Pov" stands for "Point of View." I'll be using this a lot in the novel as we switch between different characters' perspectives—especially like between the Mother, Father, and Azure's points of view.
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Isabella's POV
"Hi there. Selene here again."
The quill scratches gently against the parchment as I begin writing once more in my new diary, a record of our family's daily adventures. This is something I've been meaning to start for a while now. Honestly, I'm a little late in getting it going, but I wanted to capture these moments before they fade away.
"This is my new diary, where I'll write about what's happening with me, Lenny, and our son, Azure. It's nothing fancy—just a place for me to document the little things that fill our lives. Although, I must admit, I'm starting this later than I'd hoped."
I pause for a moment, smiling softly as I think about our precious Azure. "It's been about five weeks since our son was born... and only four days since he took his first steps."
My heart swells with pride as I write that, but the memory of what happened just a few days ago wipes the smile from my face.
"But... just six days ago, our son scared the living daylights out of us."
My hand trembles slightly as I recall that harrowing moment.
"He was playing with monsters—of all things. A group of spiderlings, to be exact. And there, not too far from him, was their mother, watching her little ones play. We were terrified, completely helpless. The mother spider was guarding them so fiercely that we couldn't even get close to Azure."
I remember Lenny and me shouting from a distance, begging Azure to come back to us. "We called his name over and over again, but he didn't listen. He was too busy playing with the spiderlings, like it was the most normal thing in the world. An entire day passed before he finally came back, long after the spiders had left."
I wipe away the tear threatening to fall as I recall the relief we felt when we finally got him back in our arms. "We cried when we held him. Cried and thanked the gods that nothing happened to him. It was the most terrifying day of my life."
With a deep breath, I try to calm myself. "And I swore, I promised myself, that something like that would never happen again."
But it did.
"The very next day, it happened again. There he was, playing with the spiders. Only this time, we were even more terrified. The mother of the spiderlings was a Mid-core level monster—a creature far too dangerous for us to even think about challenging. Her venom alone could have killed us in seconds. They are said to be as strong or perhaps stronger than Adept's."
My hand shakes slightly as I relive the panic of that day. "And to think... just weeks before that, he had already surprised us by crawling the day after he was born."
I shake my head, still in disbelief. "Yes, you heard me right. The day after he was born, he crawled. I was stunned, but I also thanked the gods for blessing us with such an incredible child."
I pause, the quill hovering above the page. "Although, when he started playing with Spiderlings, my prayers shifted. I wasn't thanking the gods anymore—I was begging them. Begging them to keep my son safe and bring him back to me."
I take another breath, trying to focus. "There were so many other moments that scared us to death. One time, he was playing with a snake. When I saw that snake wrapped around him, I nearly fainted—until I realized it was dead."
I chuckle softly, though the memory still sends shivers down my spine. "Another time, we lost him while visiting the street market. It took us an entire day to find him, only to discover him fast asleep in the horse stables."
At that moment, I wondered if I could ever have a normal day with him. "There were days when all I wanted was for him to be like a normal baby, to just stay close and safe. But then there were other times when I was grateful for how unique he is."
My thoughts drift to today's events.
"Speaking of today... we visited Lenny's friend Lucas for his son's wedding."
The memory of the beautiful ceremony fills me with warmth. "The wedding was absolutely lovely, peaceful and full of joy. But, of course, it didn't stay that way for long."
I can't help but smile as I recall what happened next. "In the middle of the celebration, a thief broke in and tried to steal the wedding rings and gifts."
Now, most people would expect a thief to make a quick escape, right? "But no," I write with a grin, "that's not what happened."
"Our son—yes, little Azure—was sitting near the gifts, holding the box with the wedding rings. And when the thief tried to grab it, Azure didn't hesitate. He grabbed the thief by the leg, causing him to lose his balance and fall into the river nearby."
The scene was chaotic, but also strangely hilarious in hindsight.
"The wedding was near a river, and as the thief struggled in the water, the mayor of a nearby town, who was attending the wedding, summoned his contracted beast—a Mid-core water serpent—to retrieve the thief."
I can still see the terror in the thief's eyes when he saw that enormous serpent looming over him. "I think the poor man nearly fainted when that serpent approached him."
I continue writing, the events of the day still fresh in my mind. "The mayor, impressed with Azure's quick thinking, declared our son the hero of the day. He even gave us a gift of three silver/gold coins as a reward."
I pause, thinking about how shocked we were when we received the coins. "Lenny and I were completely speechless. We tried to give the coins back, but the mayor insisted we keep them. Silver/gold coins are incredibly valuable, and I can't believe we were given three of them.
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For those who don't know, silver/gold coins are a rare form of currency, highly valuable because they contain a mix of both silver and gold."
I make a note to explain the currency system in more detail later.
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"Thanks to those coins, we won't have to worry about money for the next three years. Lenny, of course, still wants to work, but he's decided to find a new job—one that keeps him close to us and doesn't put his life at risk like adventuring."
I smile as I remember Lucas's bride, Sophia, doting on Azure throughout the entire wedding. "Sophia kept Azure by her side the whole time, saying how much she wanted to have a son just like him."
I chuckle, imagining little Azure as the life of the party. "Honestly, I think Azure had more fun than anyone else at the wedding."
As I write, I recall the parting gifts Lucas and Sophia gave Azure. "When the party ended, Lucas thanked us and gave Azure a special gift—a Double-Edged Spear, made of rare materials. The spear itself is worth about five silver coins, and it contains a rare Ice Magic Core, worth another five silver coins."
I shake my head in disbelief. "Of course, we tried to refuse such a generous gift, but Lucas insisted it was for Azure. He said it would be perfect for when Azure grows up and needs a good weapon of his own to train and fight with."
And Sophia, not wanting to be outdone, gave Azure a training book filled with techniques for spearmen. "It's unbelievable how much they've given us."
With a soft sigh, I finish my entry. "So that's what happened today. It was an eventful day, but one filled with joy, love, and a bit of excitement."
As I close the diary, I glance at Azure, fast asleep in his crib. "I know there's going to be so much more to write about in the days to come."
In my final line, I write, "With love and hope, Selene."