Even though he was regarded as the most powerful wizard of his age, Cedric led a life of solitude. He distanced himself from old companions, never took a wife, and certainly left no heir. Whether by choice or because he found the presence of others too burdensome, none could say for sure. To most, he was a distant figure—an enigmatic recluse hidden away in his tower.

That quiet existence, however, changed forever on the day a baby was left upon his doorstep. Abandoned, fragile, and likely meant to perish, the child was spared by Cedric’s hand. At first, he took the infant in with a single intention: to one day shape them into his apprentice. Yet, as the years passed, that intention softened, and something far warmer began to take root.

“Kiddo, stop playing and come have lunch!” he called from the doorway of the tower, his robes swaying in the breeze as his sharp eyes followed the little figure darting across the grass. The child was laughing, clutching a frog that looked nearly bigger than their own head.

“By the powers of the River of Neskar... what in the world is that?” Cedric exclaimed, though the stern tone quickly gave way to the faintest trace of amusement. Despite his best efforts to remain the distant master, moments like these betrayed the fondness that had begun to flourish within him.