Cradle Novels & Stories

I look at the door before I shift my gaze back to my screen, then I open the text. ARA: Held up? ME: I’m sorry. I don’t think I can make it tonight. Family emergencies. Tomorrow? There’s no response immediately, and I let out a sigh before I slide my phone into my pocket. I turn to Zack and cross my arms to my chest. "Amanda Hazard. Who exactly is she?" He smiles. "I thought you might ask about that. So she’s the daughter of Tyler Hazard. Tyler was the CEO of Hazard Enterprises before that title was passed down to Amanda."

She kept the news close, shared only with Hope, Zuri, and Ella. “I want to carry this child in peace,” she told them. “Then let us protect that peace,” Ella said, pressing a palm to her belly. “You’re not doing this alone.” One afternoon, Liam brought home a gift. They weren’t diamonds. Or keys to a vacation estate. It was a tiny carved cradle. Made of olive wood. Smoothed with oil. Etched along the rim with the words: Born of fire, carried in love. Nova ran her fingers over the inscription, tears catching in her throat.

It was the heart of a thriving village they called "The Cradle." The Cradle was a place of impossible life. The moss had become grass, soft and resilient, covering the ground between the lovingly repaired crystal structures. The single tree had become a grove, its children sprouting from seeds carried on the now-gentle wind. Vines, heavy with glowing, blue fruit, climbed the walls, their light pushing back the eternal twilight. A spring, coaxed from the deep earth by Leo's persistent communion with the land, bubbled in the central plaza, its water clear and sweet.

They had won! I ignored their celebration and continued with the second announcement. "Second, to compensate everyone, the company will switch to providing childcare allowances." The crowd quieted. They stared at me expectantly. I cleared my throat and announced the number they had never dared to dream in their wildest fantasies. "For all eligible working mothers," I read, "each will receive a monthly childcare allowance of 200 dollars." The room went utterly silent. Keira's phone, poised to flaunt her victory, slipped from her hands with a loud crash, the screen shattering.

She held it in front of her and observed it by the light of the flash beam. She examined the drawings of the mountain terrain, the layout of the mountain face they had climbed, its various ledges and areas of stable ground, and the three X’s that surrounded that question mark, what Damon thought to be the location of the Mourner’s Cradle—where she stood right now.

One by one, bags were placed by the servants on her bed and Mayra just stood there staring at Tanya confusingly. Tanya chuckled and gestured for her to wait. At last, two servants came in holding a beautiful cradle and placed it beside the study table. Mayra grinned watching it and instantly rushed towards it to see. It was the most beautiful thing Mayra had ever seen. The white cradle had a silver net dragging from the top with stars hanging on it. The bedding was soft and it had two silversides which were adjustable. Mayra just stood there and checked it thoroughly for the baby.

The Two Paths The Architects projected two possible futures onto the shimmering atmosphere of the Cradle. The Path of AscensionThe Path of the Return LocationThe Cradle of the Architects. StatusImmortality, perfect health, and infinite knowledge. CostThe loss of the "Human Struggle" and unpredictable evolution. "In the Cradle," the Architects beckoned, "the Earth will be a masterpiece. No more hunger, no more 'Mimic Wars,' no more Thorne-Vance blood-debts. You will be the curators of the next universe."

Isla squirms like an eel in Serena’s arms, and Noah tries to scale my shoulder like I’m a damn jungle gym. By the time we finally get them back into their cribs, Serena and I are completely disheveled. She slumps against the doorframe, out of breath. “We have to fix this. Now.” I nod, equally wrecked. “We need… a plan.” We both turn to G****e, frantically searching: “How to stop toddlers from escaping cribs.” Serena groans, scrolling. “We need crib tents.” “What the hell is a crib tent?” She holds up her phone. “It’s like… a little canopy that goes over the crib so they can’t climb out.”

The first thing Creed did after waking up the next day was checkup on the baby Inca in the cave. He closed his eyes and the clone's memory of the previous day flooded. His clone was still inside the cave, taking care of the creature. The baby Inca was still the same; a dumb bird. Apparently, rolling on the ground was his most favorite activity. Creed's clone hunted some purple lizards to feed the creature. Fortunately, there was still no hostility or menace in his aura.

She saw Elara in dreams—sometimes pleading, screaming. “The seal is fracturing,” Lyra warned. “The balance inside her is crumbling.” “And if it breaks?” Aiden asked. “Then Elara wins. Through Iris.” Scene 5: The Cradle Unveiled On the seventh night, they reached it. The Cradle of the Eclipse. A valley untouched by time. The air shimmered with raw magic. At the center stood a colossal monolith—veined with lunar ore and obsidian, humming with celestial power. And atop it… Elara waited.