Date: 07/09/3374
On this date, the countdown began.
At midnight, under the sound of heavy rain and thunder in the sky, someone could be heard running through the streets, heading towards a certain house.
Knock, knock, knock.
The man: "Caesar! Caesar! Open the door... Caesar!"
Sarah, drowsy: "Mmm... Who is knocking at this hour? It's Edmund!"
She continued anxiously: "Caesar, Caesar, wake up! It's Edmund!"
Her husband stirred in bed slightly.
Caesar: "Mmm... What's going on, Sarah?"
Then, paying attention: "... What is this?"
Sarah: "It's Edmund. Did something happen?!"
Caesar jumped up quickly to see what was wrong with his close friend.
Caesar: "What's wrong, Edmund? Are you al..."
Edmund, interrupting: "Sarah! Where is Sarah, Caesar? Sophia is about to give birth!"
Sarah screamed as she rushed towards them after hearing what Edmund said.
Sarah: "What are you saying? But she's only seven months pregnant?!"
Edmund: "I don't know either, but all I know is that she's in labor now! So hurry, Sarah! I don't know what to do for her!"
Sarah raced against the wind to reach her closest friend, not waiting for her husband or his friend, as anxiety crept into her heart. She knew that a dark cloud was looming on the horizon.
And so did the two men trying to catch up with her, each thinking about what would happen next, praying that this night would pass safely. After that, let whatever comes, come.
A few minutes later, they all arrived at Edmund's house.
But they didn't hear Sophia screaming.
Sarah was very surprised, and Edmund rushed inside to see his wife, with Sarah following him, while Caesar waited outside the room.
Sarah was shocked by what she saw—Sophia was desperately trying to stifle her screams, sweating profusely, and looking extremely exhausted.
Sarah: "Sophia! What are you doing? Scream, Sophie , Why are you suppressing your cries like this?!"
Sophia, weakly: "I-I'm afraid... ahh... that they will know I'm giving birth now... S-Sarah, this is our chance! If I... aah... give birth now and... mm... we escape... maybe, maybe... we'll have a chance... aah!"
Edmund rushed to hold his beloved wife.
Edmund: "Don't be afraid, Sophie. I will protect you and our baby with all my strength! I won't let anyone hurt you!"
Sarah: "Edmund, it's okay, go out now... and take care of yourself, alright?"
Edmund left the room, but he didn't see his friend inside the house. He stepped outside to look for him, only to find that Caesar had returned to his house and brought his car along with a small bag.
Edmund: "What is this, Caesar? Where did you go?"
Caesar: "I went home to get my documents and Sarah's. We have to leave immediately after your wife gives birth. Go inside and get your documents so we can leave at once."
Edmund, refusing: "No, I will travel with my wife and child alone, Caesar."
Caesar, angrily: "What... what are you saying?! Are you insane?! Of course, I'm coming with you!"
Edmund: "No! You will not come with me! I won't drag you into this! I..."
Caesar, interrupting: "Stop! Stop talking right now! I won't listen to another word you say!"
He continued, furious: "Do you think I will leave you to face this alone?! Never, Edmund! Never!"
Edmund: "Are you crazy?! Things will never be the same again! I have a child now... now they will try to kill us—to kill me and kill Sarah!"
"If you are with me now, they will kill you too! So no! You will not come with us!"
A look of sorrow appeared on Edmund's face.
Edmund, sadly: "Caesar... I want my son to have someone beside him when he grows up. I don't want him to grow up alone. And now... your wife is pregnant and will give birth in a few months. As for me... you know... some men have always appeared whenever our family gives birth to a boy."
"They show up to kill the parents. They appeared on the day I was born and killed my parents. And because my parents gave me some of their memories when I was born, I saw those men... and I heard them say that this will happen again and again."
"I saw those memories when I turned 20. I've been wondering all this time... does this have anything to do with this mark?!"
Edmund touched the dragon mark on his left shoulder—it was shaped like a dragon coiling around itself.
Continuing: "This mark is inherited in our family. I saw it on my father's shoulder in his memories. There is so much mystery surrounding our family... our fate... and my fate... I don't know. But destiny, my friend, we can never escape it. And I'd rather not drag you into this. Those men are extremely powerful, if..."
Their conversation was cut short by a loud scream from Sophia, followed by the sound of a baby crying.
Edmund rushed inside to see his newborn child and his wife.
He had a beautiful baby boy—his hair was golden, and his eyes were a stunning shade of yellow.
"She fainted from exhaustion," said Sarah, who was sitting beside Sophia.
Caesar, from outside: "Sarah! Help Sophia get ready so we can leave quickly!"
Edmund came out carrying his little boy in his arms, shouting at Caesar.
Edmund: "Cae..."
Caesar, interrupting: "Don't waste time talking to me! Listen! None of those men are here. They were probably expecting the birth in two months, but it happened today. That might be our luck! So let's go 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... Enough!"
He turned his gaze toward the baby and smiled.
Caesar: "In the name of God... wow! Your son is incredibly handsome! If my wife has a daughter, I'll marry her to this handsome guy when they grow up!"
Sarah, after ensuring Sophie was okay, came out. Her husband noticed she seemed lost in thought.
Caesar: "What's wrong, Sarah? Is everything okay? Are you feeling unwell?"
Sarah, puzzled: "Edmund..."
Edmund: "Yes?"
Sarah: "Did you look at your son's shoulder?"
Both Edmund and Caesar looked at her in confusion. Edmund removed the small blanket from his son's shoulder and saw the dragon mark... but they were both shocked—this dragon had two heads, while the inherited mark had always been a single-headed dragon.
Caesar, astonished: "W-w-what is this?! Is this really a two-headed dragon?!"
Edmund: "I don't know what this means!!"
Sarah, interrupting: "We're not staying here to figure it out, are we? We need to leave now!"
Caesar: "Yes! Let's go now! Edmund, go inside and get Sophia—the car is ready!"
Sarah: "A car?! Are we leaving by car? Aren't we going to use our powers to escape?"
Caesar: "Of course not! If we use our abilities, they will track our energy, and they'll catch us quickly."
Meanwhile, Edmund entered the room to find his wife had regained consciousness. She was eagerly looking at his hands—he knew she was longing to hold her newborn baby. He went to her and gently placed the child in her arms.
Tears of joy welled up in Sophia's eyes as she held her baby for the first time.
Sophia: "See? Our little boy is so beautiful! Doesn't he look like me? But he has your eye color."
Sophia was a beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, at 25 years old.
Edmund, on the other hand, was tall, with black hair and striking golden eyes. He was 27 years old.
At first, he hadn't wanted to marry Sophia. He knew that by being with him, she might be killed. But Sophia was persistent—she kept following him from place to place. Eventually, she told him she knew the truth. She had overheard his conversation with Caesar. From that moment on, their fate became one.
Edmund felt a wave of sadness as he embraced his wife and child.
Edmund: "Didn't I tell you... you shouldn't have married me? Then you wouldn't have to fear for your son... or for your own life. You shouldn't have done this... and I shouldn't have agreed."
Sophia gave him a small smile.
Sophia: "My life? Edmund, I wouldn't have lived if you had married someone else. I would have died—haha—if another woman had married you, you are mine."
She looked at her baby with love.
Sophia: "Look at our beautiful son... he's so adorable. Stop talking so much—you'll disturb our little Jack."
Edmund, surprised: "Who? Jack? Did you name our son Jack?"
Sophia: "Yes, his name is Jack Anderson, son of Edmund Anderson, my beloved husband."
Knock, knock, knock.
Caesar: "Edmund, can I come in?"
Edmund allowed him to enter.
Caesar: "Sophia, congratulations on your baby."
Sarah: "Congratulations, Sophie!"
Sophia: "Thank you both."
Sarah: "Did you name the baby?"
Sophia: "Yes, his name is Jack."
Sophia suddenly stopped speaking as her eyes widened in shock. She had just noticed the mark on her baby's shoulder. She turned to her husband in confusion.
Edmund: "Don't worry, Sophie. We'll figure out what this mark means. But we need to leave now—the sun is about to rise."
Edmund sealed his child's powers so no one could sense them. Then, they set off.
And so, they fled into the unknown.
They didn't take much, only a few essential things. Then, they burned down their homes.
The five of them—Caesar, his pregnant wife Sarah, Edmund, his wife Sophia, and their newborn child—were all alone in the car.
No one knew where they were heading.
They all wondered what awaited them after this longest night of their lives.
As silence filled the car, exhaustion was clear on their faces. But as their smiles faded, the earth was illuminated by the light of its Lord.
And they knew... no matter how long the night, the sun will always rise.
To be continued...