"Look, Father, I wrote this story!" Dylan proudly handed over a crumpled piece of paper, his eyes shining with excitement.

  Lucian took the paper from him, intrigued.

  A story, huh?

  He unfolded it and began reading aloud:

  ---

  Once upon a time, there was a brave warrior named Ian.

  Ian was strong and kind, and everyone loved him because he always protected the people.

  One day, an evil witch king named Rem came to the kingdom.

  King Rem was mean and wicked, and he trapped Princess Lucy in a big, dark tower.

  The princess couldn't escape, and all the villagers were scared because King Rem was too powerful.

  But Ian wasn't afraid! He grabbed his magic sword and rode his mighty horse, Blackie, to the tower.

  Along the way, he fought fierce wolves and crossed dangerous rivers.

  When he finally reached the tower, he saw the evil king laughing at him.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "'You can never defeat me, warrior,' the king said. 'I'm too powerful!'

  "'I'm not afraid of you, evil king!' Ian shouted, and he charged at Rem with all his might.

  They fought for hours, but Ian was clever and brave.

  He used his sword to block Rem's dark magic and finally struck the king's crown, breaking it into pieces.

  King Korrak fell to the ground and vanished forever.

  Ian freed Princess Lucy from the tower, and she thanked him with a big smile.

  'You're my hero, Ian,' she said.

  Ian smiled and said, 'I'm just doing what's right.'

  And so, the kingdom was saved, and everyone lived happily ever after.

  ---

  Lucian blinked in disbelief as he finished reading the story.

  Wow. This was written by a five-year-old?

  He looked at Dylan, his mouth slightly open.

  It's good. Really good. This kid has a talent for storytelling.

  He couldn't help but smile as he handed the story back to Dylan. "Is it bad?" Dylan asked, his face slightly flushed, his big eyes searching for approval.

  "No! It's perfect! You must've put a lot of effort into this. Good work," Lucian said, patting him on the head.

  Dylan beamed shyly, clearly pleased with the compliment.

  "Oho, this is good. Can I borrow it? I'd like to read it to my grandchildren," Agnes said, peering over Lucian's shoulder at the paper with a smile.

  "How about we make a book from it? We can add images to make it more appealing to children," Barret suggested, a gleam in his eye.

  Lucian's eyebrows shot up. "You've already developed that?"

  "Oh, I experimented while I was carving the letters. Look." Barret pulled out a wood plate, holding it out for Lucian to see. It was carved with a delicate line art image of the chapel, simple but beautiful.

  "This is beautiful," Lucian said, admiring the craftsmanship.

  Look at him.

  Barret had already surpassed the basic ideas he'd given him.

  The man was more creative than Lucian had expected.

  "You're surprisingly creative, even in delicate works like this one. It's unexpected with those muscles and large hands," Lucian teased, giving Barret a smirk.

  Barret chuckled. "Well, I've got more skills than you might think."

  "Then, I'll start making copies tomorrow," Marcus said, casually, his eyes glinting with mischief, casually trying to revoke his ban on the printing press.

  Lucian frowned. "Wait?! No. That's embarrassing! I made this for Father only!" Dylan argued, his face turning bright red.

  "Sorry. I didn't -"

  Suddenly, the sound of bells rang from the southern gate, cutting through the peaceful evening. The celebration was interrupted as the distant tolls echoed through the air.

  Lucian froze, his instincts immediately alert. Something was happening at the gates.

  "What's happened?" Barret asked, looking toward the sound.

  "I don't know. Children, stay here," Lucian said, his voice now serious as he stood up. He motioned for Theo, who had been quietly observing, to follow him.

  The sounds of the bells continued to echo, and Lucian's mind raced.

  This wasn't a usual signal.