Raven cursed inwardly. Protecting Shu was already a Herculean task; protecting the secret growing within Shu's womb made it infinitely more complex. Raven would never let harm befall their child, even if Shu hated him for it. He lunged into the fray, deflecting a blast of sonic energy aimed at Shu's exposed back.
The sirens, Raven knew, were more than just creatures of beauty and song. They were conduits of powerful spiritual energy, capable of sensing the rawest of emotions and the faintest glimmer of a soul. One siren in particular, Melody, possessed a cunning intellect that made Raven's blood run cold.
His fears materialized as Melody chanted, her voice laced with an unsettling sweetness. She was weaving a curse, a particularly insidious one meant to strip its target of all spiritual power, rendering them… null. Useless. Mortal. It was a desperate move, Raven realized. Casting such a potent curse would leave Melody vulnerable, draining her own power. She was sacrificing herself for a chance to escape the losing battle.
He saw the trajectory of the magic, the subtle shift in the air currents as the curse coalesced. Shu was the target.
He gestured frantically to Jihu and Fang, urging them to flank Melody. They might not understand the nature of the threat, but they trusted his instincts. They moved, flanking the siren with practiced ease.
Then, chaos erupted. The air crackled with energy; explosions ripped through the water. Raven, ever vigilant, instinctively threw himself in front of Shu, a living shield. But the curse, like a heat-seeking missile, veered around Raven, its target locked.
It struck Raven full force.
An agonizing scream tore from his throat. He felt his very essence unravelling, his power bleeding away. He stumbled, his vision blurring, but a chilling thought pierced through the pain: Shu.
Summoning the last vestiges of his strength, Raven spun around, his heart hammering against his ribs. Shu lay sprawled on the sea floor, unconscious. Relief washed over him as he knelt beside Shu, checking for a pulse, for any sign of injury. The pregnant belly, thankfully, was untouched.
He gently placed a hand on Shu's stomach, whispering a silent prayer that their child was safe. Feeling the faint, subtle flicker of life within, Raven breathed a ragged sigh of relief. He carefully laid Shu down, his gaze hardening.
A shadow fell over him. Jihu and Fang stood beside him, their faces etched with concern. They stared at Raven, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"Raven… what happened to you?" Jihu asked, his voice hushed. "You… you look ancient!"
Raven ran a trembling hand through his hair. It came away white. His reflection in the shimmering water revealed an old man, his once vibrant face now lined and weathered, his eyes clouded with pain.
"I… I took the curse," Raven rasped, his voice thin and reedy. "If I hadn't… it would have destroyed Shu… and our child."
Fang's expression turned grim. "You know what this means, don't you? There's no cure! You may never regain your power, never become a vampire again!"
He hesitated, then added, almost apologetically, "And… Shu and the child could have been saved another way, maybe."
Maybe…" He trailed off in confusion. "Child? What do you mean, child? Whose child?"
Jihu stared at Raven, stunned. "Child? What are you talking about? Your child?"
"Are you saying Shu is pregnant?" Jihu finally asked, his voice a mixture of shock and disbelief. "She didn't tell us anything."
Raven managed a weak smile. "If she knew, she would have told you, wouldn't she? Only I know. Only I can feel it. My child is growing within her." He waved a shaky hand. "But that's not important now. I don't have much time."
He fumbled at his neck, unfastening a silver locket. He placed it around Shu's neck, whispering an ancient blessing. Then, with a heavy heart, he pulled a crimson stone locket from his pocket – a blood devil stone, pulsing with a faint, dark power.
He held it out to Jihu. "Give this to my child on their third birthday. Tell them… it's from their biological, unlucky father."
He turned away, his movements slow and deliberate. Each step was an agony, a reminder of his lost strength, his fading life. He ignored Jihu and Fang's cries, melting into the shadows, disappearing into the depths of the ocean as if he had become one with the sea itself. He was a ghost fading away, leaving behind the legacy of his love and sacrifice, a love Shu might never fully understand. He could only hope that his child would.
The name "Raven" cracked from Shu's lips, a jagged sound after the silence that followed her regaining consciousness. Jihu and Fang exchanged surprised glances. For three years, the mere mention of Raven had been enough to send Shu into a fit of rage and denial. Now, it was the first word she uttered.
Fang, ever the pragmatist, rushed to her side. "Shu, calm down. You're not well. Getting worked up isn't good for you, or the baby."
Shu's brow furrowed. "Baby?" She looked at Fang, confusion swirling in her eyes. "What baby?" She didn't remember…
Fang's eyes widened in horror. He clamped his teeth down on his own tongue, a desperate attempt to swallow the words he'd let slip.
Jihu, ever the steady hand, stepped in. "Why do you want to know about Raven? You've hated him since the grand return. What changed?"
Shu pushed herself up, her voice gaining strength with each word. "I remember everything, Jihu. Everything from three years ago. I know how terribly I treated Raven, how I forgot the person I loved. I couldn't recognize him, I insulted him. I won't have peace until I ask him for forgiveness. Where is he? Call him, Jihu, Fang, please. And how did you know I was… expecting?"
Jihu's face hardened. "We didn't know for sure. Raven told us. He said his child was growing inside you. That's why he left."
Shu's breath hitched. "Left? Where? He left because he hates me now, doesn't he? No, I have to bring him back."
Fang sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Maybe he doesn't want to be found, Shu. Maybe we'll never see him again."
"Why? What happened today, in this situation, that would make Raven never come back? Does he hate me that much, that he would never stand before me again?" The panic in her voice was palpable.
Jihu spoke softly, carefully choosing his words. "Don't feel guilty, Shu. Raven will never stand before any of us again, not just you. When Melody attacked you, Raven stepped in front of you. She hadn't intended to harm you physically, she meant to curse you. It was an unbreakable curse. When it hit him, it transferred. He's entered a state from which he may never return. He… he's becoming something… ugly. He left because he wanted to leave his child and you as his last, untainted gifts."
Shu gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Last gifts? What do you mean, last gifts?"
Jihu pointed to the delicate silver locket around her neck. "This. This is your last gift from Raven. And for your child, his gift awaits. On his third birthday, Ri will give him a gift from Raven, which is my hand . That is my duty now."
The sounds of battle outside faded as Ash, with Ri clinging to him, slowly made their way inside. Ri saw Shu's tears and rushed to her. "Shu? What happened? Why are you crying?"
Shu wrapped her arms around Ri, her sobs shaking them both. "Raven's gone. I'll never see him again. Maybe this is my punishment… the punishment for not recognizing him, for making him wait three years. When I finally woke up, I was punished for insulting him so horribly. I accept my punishment, Raven. I will wait for you. You waited for me for three years. I'll wait for you for thirty. Or three hundred, what does it matter?"
Shu stood, wiping her tears away with a fierce determination. "You're going home, Ri. I'm going home too. More importantly, you're not feeling well. You might start feeling pain anytime. You will have a baby soon. Don't get tense. I am fine."
She gave Ri a strained smile before turning and leaving, her shoulders squared.
After Shu left, Ri's composure cracked. He slumped, the weight of Jihu's words crushing him.
Jihu knelt beside him, pulling him into a hug. "Don't worry. We're all with Shu. Everything will be fine. Don't get tense, my baby, I will always be with you Ri."
Soon after, leaving the battlefield behind, each person began their journey home, carrying their own burdens of loss and hope for the future.