The Devano Mansion was transformed today into a majestic winter palace. Alaric had no interest in a common birthday party; instead, he had the grand ballroom reimagined as a garden of eternal white roses, dusted with a coating of synthetic snow that was both safe to the touch and warm.
Aletheia was now a year old. She walked with a steady, confident gait, her coal-black hair now reaching her shoulders and often adorned with diamond-encrusted bows. Her face was a flawless synthesis of Anna's ethereal beauty and the sharp, uncompromising lines of Alaric's features.
Before the festivities commenced, we turn to the "Little Boss." Lucifer was now attending the Avernon International Nursery. He was the most feared and admired student in the institution. He didn't carry stuffed animals to school; he carried a small tactical backpack containing a metallic flask and a GPS watch linked directly to Alaric's encrypted phone.
