The sky roared with fury, thunder echoing as if racing lightning—warning those who lived under the vast heavens of a coming storm.
On 06 / 07 / 8976, the countdown began.
Under the heavy rain, in a village far from sight, a man was seen running at full speed until he reached a specific house.
He knocked hard on the door.
Man: "Caesar! It's me, Edmund! Caesar! Caesar!"
Inside the house – In the bedroom –
A couple slept beside one another.
The wife began to stir from the noise and chaos outside.
Sarah, drowsily: "What are those sounds?"
She began to recognize the voice immediately—Edmund.
Sarah, worried: "Edmund!"
She shook her sleeping husband urgently.
Sarah: "Caesar, wake up! Caesar!"
Caesar, annoyed: "What is it, Sarah?"
Sarah: …
She didn't get the chance to speak—the constant knocking and Edmund's voice made Caesar realize something was wrong.
Caesar, worried: "Edmund!"
He jumped out of bed and rushed to the door to find out what was happening with his close friend, while Sarah hurried to the wardrobe to quickly change her clothes.
He opened the door in haste.
Caesar, anxious: "Edmund, what's going on?"
Edmund, tense: "Sophia… she's giving birth. Right now."
Caesar, shocked: "What?!"
Hearing the conversation as she was stepping out, Sarah raised her voice in disbelief.
Sarah: "How?! She's only seven months pregnant!"
Edmund: "I don't know how—but she's in labor now. I don't know what to do. And I'm scared to take her to the hospital… they might find out..."
Sarah: "I'll help her."
She dashed out, racing toward Edmund's house, faster than the wind, knowing her best friend was now living the most dangerous moments of her life—and none of them might survive this night.
Caesar closed the door quickly behind him without checking it properly. After all, they might not live long enough for that to matter.
Edmund and Caesar ran after her. Luckily, the house wasn't too far, and the storm had left the path empty.
When they arrived, they were completely soaked. Sarah wiped her face with her hand.
Sarah, worried: "Edmund, why is it so silent?"
Edmund, anxious: "I don't know."
He ran inside quickly, and both Sarah and Caesar followed him.
The house looked exactly as he had left it.
Edmund: "It's all the same..."
Sarah hurried into the bedroom to look for Sophia, while Edmund searched the rest of the house.
She didn't find her in the room, so she stepped out to check the rest of the house—but a faint moan near the bed stopped her.
She moved quietly toward the sound—only to be shocked by the sight of blood, and Sophia clinging tightly to the bed, biting down on a cloth.
Sarah, shocked: "Sophia!!"
Sophia, in pain: "S... Sarah..."
Sarah, loudly: "I found her!"
Edmund and Caesar rushed in.
Sarah was about to sit beside her but noticed she was still completely wet. She grabbed some of Sophia's clothes and quickly changed.
Edmund: "Sophia, my love, why are you holding back your screams?"
Sarah returned swiftly.
Sarah: "Grab some clothes from here and leave—now."
Caesar: "Why?"
Sarah: "So you two can change. Hurry up—move!"
Edmund: "Alright..."
Sarah made sure all windows were sealed tightly, brought more pillows and blankets, and helped Sophia adjust her position.
Edmund returned after changing.
Edmund: "Let me help lift her."
Sarah: "No."
Sophia pulled the blankets close, clutching them tightly.
Sophia, in pain: "No, Edmund. Maybe... maybe if I give birth in silence and in secret… no one will know… and then we'll have a chance to escape with our child."
Edmund held her tightly.
Edmund: "Don't be afraid, Sophia. I'll protect you and our baby with everything I have."
Sarah: "Edmund, please leave now and let me take care of things here."
She added, "You and Caesar keep watch outside and take care of yourselves, alright?"
Edmund: "Take care of her, Sarah."
Sarah, smiling: "Don't worry."
He kissed his wife's forehead and left the room.
Sweat poured down Sophia's face as the pain intensified.
Sarah: "Sophie, push, sweetheart. Push hard!"
Sophia, crying: "Mmmmmm!"
Outside –
Edmund couldn't find Caesar and grew worried, but soon relaxed when he saw him returning, holding a small suitcase.
Edmund: "Caesar, where did you go? What's with the bag?"
Caesar: "We have to leave as soon as Sophia gives birth. I brought the travel documents for me and Sarah. You need to get your bags and Sophia's ready—fast."
Edmund, refusing: "Only Sophia and I will leave."
Caesar, angry: "What?! What are you saying? Are you crazy? I'm coming with you. I won't let you face those men alone!"
Edmund: "Yes, you will. I've already dragged you into enough. You need to—"
Caesar, cutting him off with sarcasm: "You really think I'm going to listen to that? You didn't drag anyone into anything. It's those criminals chasing your family for no clear reason!"
He continued, voice rising:
Caesar: "You think I'll let you face this alone?! Never, Edmund. Never!"
Edmund: "Have you lost your mind?! Things will never be the same again. I have a child now… now they'll try to kill us. Me. Sophia. If you stay with us, they'll kill you too. So no—you're not coming with us."
His face darkened with sorrow.
Edmund, sadly: "Caesar… I want my son to have someone by his side when he grows up. I don't want him to grow up alone. You know this—every time a child is born in our family, those men appear. Just like they did the day I was born and killed my parents. My parents gave me some of their memories when I was born—I saw those men. They told them this would happen again and again. I saw it all when I turned twenty. And ever since, I've wondered… does all of this have something to do with this mark?!"
Edmund gently touched the dragon mark on his left shoulder — a symbol of a dragon coiling around itself.
Continuing, he said, "This mark has been passed down in our family. I saw it on my father's shoulder too, in his memories. There's a lot of mystery surrounding our family... its fate... and mine. I don't know. But fate, my friend, is something we can never escape. And I'd rather not drag you into this, Caesar. Those men… they are extremely powerful, and—"
Their conversation was abruptly cut off by a loud scream from Sophia, followed by the crying of a newborn baby.
Edmund rushed inside to find his wife and their newborn child.
He had been blessed with a beautiful baby — golden hair and eyes of a stunning yellow hue.
Sarah: "Edmund, help me."
He helped her wrap the baby snugly in a cotton blanket.
Sarah: "Sophia passed out from exhaustion. I'll try to help her regain consciousness. Take care of the baby."
He held the infant gently in his arms.
Edmund, with worry: "Sophia..."
Caesar, from outside: "Sarah, help Sophia get ready. We have to leave here immediately."
Edmund stepped out, carrying his newborn, and shouted at Caesar.
Edmund: "Caes—"
Caesar, interrupting: "Don't waste time talking. Listen to me. None of those men are here. They must have been expecting the birth in two months, but it happened today — maybe that's our stroke of luck. We must leave now; the night will be our best cover. If we die, we die together. If we live, we live together. I won't let you face this alone... That's final."
He then glanced at the baby and smiled.
Caesar: "In God's name... wow, your son is incredibly handsome. If my wife gives birth to a daughter, I'll marry her off to this charming boy when they grow up."
After ensuring Sophia was okay, Sarah came outside. Her husband noticed she seemed lost in thought.
Caesar: "What's wrong, Sarah? Is everything alright? Are you feeling unwell?"
Sarah, confused: "Edmund..."
Edmund: "Yes?"
Sarah: "Did you not look at your son's shoulder?"
Both Edmund and Caesar looked at her in confusion. Edmund then carefully pulled back the blanket from the baby's shoulder — and they were both stunned. The baby had a dragon mark too… but it had two heads, whereas the inherited mark had only one.
Caesar, shocked: "What… What does this mean? Is that a two-headed dragon?!"
Edmund: "I… I don't know what it means!"
Sarah interjected: "We're not going to stay here guessing, are we? We need to leave now."
Caesar: "Yes, let's go… Edmund, go get Sophia. The car is ready."
Sarah: "A car? Aren't we going to use our powers to escape?"
Caesar: "Of course not… They'll track our energy. If we use it, they'll find us in no time."
At that moment, Edmund returned to his wife and found her awake, her eyes eagerly fixed on his hands. He knew she wanted to hold the baby. He walked over and gently gave her the child.
Tears of joy welled in her eyes as she held her baby for the first time.
Sophia: "Look how beautiful our son is! Doesn't he look just like me? But he got your eye color."
Sophia was a beautiful woman with golden hair and blue eyes, 25 years old.
Edmund was tall, with black hair and bright yellow eyes, 27 years old.
At first, he didn't want to marry Sophia — he feared she might die because of him. But Sophia insisted and pursued him from one place to another. Eventually, she revealed that she knew the truth — she had overheard him talking with Caesar. Now, their fates were intertwined.
Edmund felt sorrow as he held his wife and child.
Edmund: "Didn't I tell you not to marry me? Then you wouldn't have to fear for your child, or your life. I shouldn't have let this happen."
She gave him a gentle smile.
Sophia: "My life? Edmund, I wouldn't be alive if you had married someone else. I'd have died. Haha, imagine another woman marrying you, you stubborn man."
She looked lovingly at her baby.
Sophia: "Isn't our baby beautiful? He's so perfect… Our little Jack."
Edmund, surprised: "Who? Jack? You named him Jack?"
Sophia: "Yes. His name is Jack Anderson, son of Edmund Anderson, my beloved husband."
Knock knock knock
Caesar: "Edmund, may I come in?"
Edmund gave him permission.
Caesar: "Sophia, congratulations on your baby."
Sarah: "Congratulations, Sophie."
Sophia: "Thank you, both."
Sarah: "Have you named him?"
Sophia: "Yes, his name is Jack."
Sophia fell silent when she saw the mark on her baby's shoulder. Shock overtook her as she looked at her husband for an explanation.
Edmund: "Don't worry, Sophie. We'll figure out what the mark means. But we have to leave now — the sun is about to rise."
Edmund sealed his baby's powers so no one could sense them, then handed the baby to Caesar.
He packed their bags while Sarah helped Sophia prepare to leave.
The three of them headed toward the door, but the sudden sound of heavy knocks made them freeze.
Sophia clung tightly to her husband, her gaze instinctively falling on her child, as if to absorb the sight of him.
Edmund and Caesar locked eyes, holding their breath.
Caesar pulled his wife close to shield her.
All of their eyes were fixed on what — or who — was coming next.
To be continued…