*Chapter 4: Luis Nimero*
Morning.
Sunlight cut through the shutters in thin, clean lines.
Julia Nimero yawned at the doorframe, milk bucket in hand. Thirty-two years old. Adopted by nobles. Once, she'd been called one of the strongest mages in Artesik.
Now she had cows.
_My Skill Shard is too strong,_ she thought, walking to the shed. _At one time, I could have leveled this town by accident. Then I found my love. Married him. Had Emily. And today... today I get a son too._
From the house: shouting.
"—should be Drake!" Emily's voice.
"No, stupid! He looks like a—" Her husband's voice.
Julia smiled into the cow's flank. Milk hit the bucket. Steady. _ping, ping, ping._
She walked back in, bucket full, peace over.
"Emily, where's your uniform? Fast. And honey, go to work."
They both snapped to attention. "Yes, ma'am!"
Emily's father kissed Julia's cheek on the way out. "I'll come home early today."
"Okay, honey," Julia said.
Emily dragged her uniform on. "Mom, when are you going to the police station to get the baby?"
"After you go to school."
"I don't want to go to school. I want to come with you."
Julia's voice didn't rise. It just got heavier. "Go. To. School."
A knock. Outside: "Emy, where are you? We have to go to school!" Ryan.
Emily grabbed her bag. "I'm coming!" She glared at Julia. "Fine."
The door slammed. Kite's quiet "morning, Mrs. Nimero" floated through wood.
Silence.
Julia exhaled. Looked at the empty house. Looked at the milk.
Time to work.
---
*1 PM.*
Julia walked through town like a storm with a shopping list.
Cloth shop: "Six sets. Soft. For newborns."
Food shop: "Milk. Goat's milk. And what do babies eat at four days?"
General store: "Blankets. Soap. A cradle—no, too big. A basket will do."
Her arms filled. Then her back. Then she hired a boy with a cart.
She reached the police station. Kicked the door open with her foot.
The officer looked up from his desk. Looked at the mountain of goods. Looked at her.
"What is this?" he said. "How much did you _buy_, Julia?"
"Hehe," Julia said, dumping bags beside her. "So. Where's the baby?"
The officer blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I'm here to adopt him."
His face changed. Hard lines went soft. "Oh."
---
The walk home was different.
Julia carried the basket. Inside: four days old, sleeping, red-faced, whole worlds balanced on his breath.
She couldn't stop talking. "What should we name you? You're so small. Do you like cows? We have cows. Oh, Emily will name you after her crush, I just know it."
Behind her, the officer's assistant huffed under bags and boxes. Sweat on his brow.
In his head: _Where did you send me, sir? I'm an officer's aide, not a mule._
They reached the house. He set everything down with a grunt.
"Mrs. Nimero," he said, catching his breath. "My master—Officer Gems—wants you to come back to the Adventure Guild."
Julia didn't look up from the baby. "Why?"
"The war. Bandits. Thieves. They're coming in from the border. We need experienced—"
"Tell your sir I'm not going to join," Julia said. Voice mild. Final. "So stop asking me."
The assistant straightened. "Yes, ma'am."
He left. Fast.
---
*Night.*
The armory was always loud. Today was worse. Swords for farmers. Axes for miners. Everyone scared of bandits, buying steel to feel safe.
Emily's father — Chris Nimero — turned the key in his shop's lock. Arms heavy. Back sore.
He walked home. The moon was up. He thought about dinner. About sleep.
He opened his front door.
"—I TOLD YOU TO BRING THE DIAPER! I LEFT IT ON THE TABLE!"
"Emily: I don't know, Mom!"
A baby was crying. Thin. Angry.
Chris froze in the doorway. "So. What's going on?"
Julia spun, baby in one arm, face flushed. "Honey. Go get diapers. Kitchen."
"What?" Then the crying hit his ears properly. "Right. Diapers."
Later.
Dinner table. Stew. Bread.
Emily started to flick a pea. Julia's eyes snapped to her. Emily put the pea in her mouth instead. Chewed. Miserable.
Chris watched the baby. Asleep now, on the couch. A cocoon of blankets Julia bought.
"What should we name him?" Chris asked.
Emily shot up. "Drake!"
Julia didn't even look. "Not after your crush, Emily. Mom."
Julia turned to Chris. "Honey. You decide."
Chris went quiet.
Memory hit him. He was fourteen again. Forest. Night. Wolves. A circle of yellow eyes and wet teeth. He'd been so scared he couldn't scream.
Then a sound. _shing._
A man walked out of the dark. One sword. One wing of light.
"Who are you, kid?" the man said. "What are you doing here in the jungle?"
The wolves jumped.
The man moved once.
When Chris opened his eyes, the wolves were pieces. The forest was quiet.
The man sheathed his sword. Looked at Chris. "You okay?"
"My name's Chris Nimero," Chris had whispered.
The man smiled. Tired. Kind. "My name is Luis."
Chris blinked. Back at his dinner table. Thirty-two now, not fourteen. A baby on his couch. His wife and daughter watching him.
"So," Chris said. "His name will be Luis Nimero."
The house went quiet. Even the baby seemed to breathe softer.
*Scene shift: Luis.*
He slept. Four days old. Nameless for four days. Now Luis.
Outside, the moon watched. Somewhere far away, a war burned.
But here, in a house with a retired mage and an armorer and a girl who hated peas, Luis Nimero slept.
---
*To be continued...*