Chapter 120: Millennium Apart

The late-morning sunlight streamed through the open windows of Clara’s bedroom, casting a warm glow over the spacious bathing area where a small, hard-plastic tub sat on a cushioned stand. The room smelled faintly of lavender and baby soap, and the gentle splashing of water filled the otherwise quiet space. Clara sat on a low stool beside the tub, her sleeves rolled up as she carefully bathed her three-month-old daughter, Angel. One hand supported the baby’s head and neck while the other scooped warm water over her tiny shoulders, gently washing away the soap with the ease and practiced care of an experienced mother who knew how to handle her little ones. Angel kicked her small legs, sending a sudden wave of water over the rim and right down the front of Clara’s dress.

A bright, breathless giggle bubbled out of the baby as she reached for the floating wooden duck, her round green eyes lighting up with delight as she swatted at the little toy. Clara watched her daughter’s antics with an amused smile, shaking her head when Angel kicked again, seemingly pleased with the splashes she had created. "Look at you, my little princess," Clara murmured, smiling as Angel kicked her chubby legs again. "You seem to be enjoying today’s bath time more than ever. Just look at how you’re splashing water everywhere. What am I going to do with you?" She laughed softly when a few more droplets landed on her dress, then leaned closer to press a kiss against Angel’s damp forehead. "Never mind. You can make as much of a mess as you want. You’re my baby, and I’ll clean up after you."

Angel responded with another delighted gurgle, waving her tiny fists as though she understood every word her mother said. Clara dipped a small washcloth into the water and gently wiped Angel’s arms, taking her time as she spoke to her daughter. "You know what, sweetheart? Your daddy will be coming home today if things go well up there. Can you believe that? You’re finally going to meet Daddy. He has no idea what awaits him."Her smile widened as she brushed a damp strand of hair away from her face.

"He left before he even knew you were growing inside my tummy. Just imagine his surprise when he discovers that his little girl is already three months old." She lowered her voice conspiratorially, as though she were sharing a secret with Angel. "I wonder what his face will look like when he sees you for the first time."

Angel babbled in response, splashing her hands again and kicking furiously until the water hummed with little ripples. "Are you that excited to see Daddy?" Clara cooed, pouring a little warm water over Angel’s belly. "Are you excited to meet him? I know you are. You can’t wait to see Daddy, can you?" She tickled the baby’s side with one finger, earning another happy giggle.

Angel kicked both legs at once, sending a small wave of water over the rim of the tub and onto Clara’s lap. Clara gasped in mock surprise before laughing along with her daughter. "Oh, so that’s your answer? You’re so excited that you’ve decided to flood the whole room before he even gets here. What will your daddy say when he sees how mischievous you are?" Angel answered with another excited squeal, flailing her arms so enthusiastically that the little wooden duck spun in circles across the water. Clara caught the toy before it drifted beyond the baby’s reach, then placed it back in front of her daughter, who immediately slapped the water again.

"You really are determined to make a mess, aren’t you?" Clara said, laughing as she gently steadied Angel with one hand while the little girl continued splashing happily in the water.

Clara’s thoughts drifted back to the night Lucius had told her he was going to be imprisoned in the Abyssal Prison once again for interfering in a domain over which he had no authority. She could still remember how her heart had sunk when he explained the punishment, how desperately she had tried to persuade him to reconsider and just beg whichever celestials he had offended even though she knew there was little chance of changing his mind. She had been angry, frightened, and helpless all at once, unable to understand why her husband could not simply leave matters alone when the consequences of his actions would fall upon him and the family he was leaving behind. Yet she had known Lucius well enough to understand that asking him to abandon someone in need was like asking him to stop breathing. His kind and fearless heart would never allow him to turn away from mortals who were suffering when he possessed the power to help them.

Whenever Clara tried to persuade him otherwise, reminding him of the laws forbidding gods from interfering in realms over which they held no authority, Lucius would merely give her that familiar, infuriating smile. He had never understood how gods could possess the power to make life easier for those beneath them yet choose to stand aside and watch them suffer until they begged and cried for help. He despised gods who treated their power as a privilege to be admired rather than a responsibility to be carried, and he had a particular name for those who deliberately ignored the suffering they could prevent. "A bunch of self-righteous cowards," he would call them, his voice dripping with contempt whenever he spoke of their indifference.

Clara could still hear the conviction in his voice whenever he said it, and despite everything, a smile spread across her face at the memory. It was one of the many things she loved about him, even if it was also the very thing that had led him into trouble time and time again. Her smile softened as she realized it had been thirteen months since Lucius had left home to serve his sentence in the Abyssal Prison, and throughout all that time, he had remained unaware that their family had grown by one. Clara herself had not known she was pregnant when he departed.

The signs had been too subtle at first, and by the time she discovered the truth, Lucius was already beyond her reach, imprisoned in a place where no ordinary message could reach him. Their daughter had been born three months ago, and ever since that day, Clara had found herself imagining his reaction when he finally laid eyes on Angel. She had imagined it so many times that she could almost see him standing before her, his usual composure crumbling as he realized he had a daughter he had never known existed. She had never imagined having to wait this long for him to return home, much less that he would spend what amounted to a millennium in the Celestial Realm while she raised their newborn daughter in the mortal world.

The thought of the difference between their experiences never failed to make her chest tighten. To those living in the Human Realm, Lucius had been gone for only thirteen months, but within the Celestial Realm, time moved at a vastly different pace. For every single day that passed in the Human Realm, more than two and a half years passed within the Abyssal Prison. Every hour became weeks, every week stretched into decades, and every month became years upon years of endless confinement. By the time thirteen months had passed for his family, nearly a thousand years would have crawled by for Lucius. While Clara had spent a little over a year waiting for her husband to return, he had endured a millennium of imprisonment, separated from everything he loved and with no way of knowing how much his family had changed in his absence. She could scarcely bear to imagine what those centuries must have felt like to him, trapped in a place where time dragged on while the people he longed to see continued living their lives beyond his reach.

Angel suddenly smacked both palms against the water, sending droplets flying across Clara’s arms and chin. Clara blinked in surprise before looking down at her daughter, who was grinning up at her with the innocent satisfaction of someone who had just accomplished something remarkable. A laugh escaped Clara as she wiped the water from her face, then gently caught Angel’s wandering hands before the baby could repeat her performance. "You little rascal," she murmured, kissing the tips of Angel’s damp fingers. Her heart swelled with affection as she studied the tiny face before her, taking in the round green eyes, the soft cheeks, and the little mouth that seemed perpetually ready to break into another smile. Yet beneath her happiness lay a nervous anticipation she could not quite suppress. She had spent so many nights wondering how Lucius would react when he learned they had welcomed their third child without him ever knowing about the pregnancy. Would he be angry that he had missed those precious months and the day Angel was born? Would he regret not being there to hold her during her first moments in the world? Knowing Lucius, Clara was certain he would blame himself for every moment he had missed, even though none of it had been his choice.