The mansion loomed ahead, bathed in the soft glow of midnight.

Exhausted and wounded from our recent battle, we trudged up the grand staircase, yearning for rest.

Yet, as we entered, the silence was broken by a high-pitched cry.

“Mommy!”

I barely had time to turn before my little boy, Xavier, came sprinting down the stairs, his small feet pounding against the marble.

I raised an eyebrow, surprised to see him awake at such an hour, but any concern melted the moment he leaped into my ...