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It was night when Callum made his way back to his room in the Castle of Evrkynd, his back bent under the weight of books and his staff. Six years had passed since Aaravos’s “death,” and he still found the kingdom’s uneventful life strange. His brother had promised that peace would prevail and that any act of violence would be met with severe punishment. It wasn’t meant as a complaint, but his body missed the adrenaline of battle, having a mission to save the Human Realm and Xadia, traveling with Rayla at his side, and visiting magical regions no human had ever explored.
Speaking of Rayla, the elf had officially become a Dragon Guard — a blessing granted by the newly crowned Dragon King, Azymondias. The ceremony had taken place at the Storm Spire, and Callum never thought he’d see Runaan crying with emotion as his daughter recited the Guard’s oath and then received a primal necklace from the dragon itself. His girlfriend was deeply moved to stand where her parents once had, and the legacy brought her comfort.
Callum, however, couldn’t feel the same. Holding the same position Viren once had under King Harrow, a role that had caused so much cruelty and suffering across the kingdoms, he couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of being corrupted by dark magic again. The citizens’ theories haunted him: “High mages always go mad in the end and turn into angels of death". The words used were harsher, but that was how he chose to relay them to Ezran when his brother called him in for an honest conversation about the rumors surrounding him.
“Relax, Callum,” Ezran said, resting the Nova Blade against the arm of the throne. “The older folks know you. They know you wouldn’t hurt them.”
“That doesn’t mean safety, Ez,” Callum warned, tapping his finger against his grimoire. “They think this position is cursed. Every dark mage before me met a horrific, tragic end. I have an unwanted connection to Aaravos. If they find out I was his vessel...”
“Callum, I know we’re afraid, but we have to trust each other. I promise you that when Aaravos returns, I’ll kill him, and all your worries about being controlled or corrupted will be over. I know your life with Rayla is a separate matter that makes you reflect.”
“I’m afraid of hurting her. Of losing what little humanity I have left and…” He trailed off, lowering his head and rubbing his goatee. “It keeps running through my mind, and I don’t know how to escape it.”
“You’re not the only one who feels that way, Callum,” Ezran said softly, his voice tinged with pain. “I think about it too.”
The memory of their conversation faded as Callum reached his bedroom door. He set the books down, opened it carefully so as not to make noise, then picked them up again and stepped inside, locking the door behind him. He placed them on a table cluttered with empty bottles, maps of Xadia, and dry cloths. Rayla hadn’t been feeling well that afternoon and had spent most of the day in bed, receiving medical attention from the castle’s healers. Truth be told, she’d been acting strange for weeks, craving unusual foods and experiencing drastic mood swings.
Callum found it confusing and occasionally said wrong things, but he always managed to make her laugh. Seeing the Moonshadow elf smile was enough to make his day better.
For a disciplined elf, she could be stubborn. She had insisted on attending the meeting so strongly that Opeli finally told her she wouldn’t be able to focus while she was in pain and could simply review the topics with Soren and Corvus the next day. That was what convinced Rayla —begrudgingly— to remain locked away in the room.
“You took a while,” she said, appearing with her hair tied into a bun as she ate a jelly tart. “Did Ezran talk to you?”
“Yeah. About Aanya,” Callum replied, setting his staff aside and rolling his tense neck before walking over to her. The hug was nearly instant, the elf’s fingers slipping into his long hair as he kissed her forehead. “Are you okay?”
“I’m a little better, but my bones still ache,” she said, sitting on the bed and patting the empty space beside her. “And you?”
“I’ve been thinking,” the mage admitted, gazing at the full moon casting its light across the wooden floor. “About a lot of things. Including, you know, the imminent return of a star god or the fact that my brother is practically dating someone.”
“What’s weighing on your mind, Callum?” Rayla’s fingertips brushed his face, and he leaned into her touch, allowing himself that comfort. “You don’t need to answer. I know you’re worried about your soul being corrupted by dark magic again. I notice when you slip out of bed and stand at the window, staring at the horizon while fiddling with that cube. You haven’t stopped thinking about it since we came to live here and before you try to lie, I know you’re afraid of hurting the people around you.”
“Sometimes it feels like he’s still here, with me,” Callum said, nervously brushing his bangs aside. “It’s strange, but at the same time, I don’t think I’ll be able to rest until we know for certain he’s never coming back.”
“You know that kind of certainty is nearly impossible.”
“I know. That’s why I worry so much", they sat back down, Rayla massaging his back and resting her chin on his shoulder before pulling him into another embrace. “I may not have finished the spell, but I know the darkness is haunting me again,” he continued. “It shows up in my dreams, trying to convince me to fully corrupt what’s left of my mind, and…” He looked at the moon—so beautiful, just like the woman he was lucky to have beside him—and turned away. “It creates possibilities where the people I love are… dead. Because of me.”
“Callum, you know you would never hurt us. Or any innocent person,” Rayla said firmly. “You learned to resist Aaravos’s power. You’ve already proven you’re stronger than you think.”
“How can you be sure?” he asked. “How can you guarantee that when Aaravos returns, I’ll be able to resist his control and not end up like Viren?”
“You’re right,” Rayla admitted. “There are no guarantees that everything will be fine when Aaravos comes back. But we still have time to plan our next steps. It may be short, but I want this to be a time of peace, the peace your brother fought so hard to bring to the continent, without more war or bloodshed. And besides…” She smiled softly. “We need to stay alive for our family.”
“Wait, what?” Callum pulled back, staring at her as butterflies filled his stomach and tightened his throat. “Family? What do you mean?”
“Callum, I need to tell you something.” She placed a hand over her stomach, a shy smile spreading across her face. She looked at the moon, her primal source, and said, “I’m pregnant.”
It took a moment for the Archmage to fully grasp that she was serious. When it finally sank in, he nearly suffocated her with kisses, covering her face in them. She lost count of how many before kissing him back, relieved to finally share the secret she’d been holding in her chest.
“I’m so happy, Rayla!” he cried, kissing her forehead through tears of joy. “You have no idea how much this just made my day. How long have you known?”
“I found out this week. Now listen to me,” she said softly. “We’re going to be okay. This child needs their parents, and we’ll be the best parents we can be. And I promise you that I won’t let you die. That’s not an option. Promise me you’ll stop thinking about that. At least for now.”
“I promise,” Callum replied, his beard tugging upward with a gentle smile as he rested in her arms beneath the moonlight. “For now.”