The following monts happened in a blur. My heart stood in my throat as I watched the elderly maids troop out of the main building with Lucia in tow.
From María José’s scream, I knew there was no ti to rush her to the pack’s hospital. The maids seed to understand that too, because so of them carried items like towels, pillows, large bowls filled with water, and blankets.
Moreover, there was the gnawing question at the back of all our minds.
Was it nine months yet?
Definitely not. María José’s childbirth was three months early.
I would be lying if I said that it did not scare the crap out of .
I held my wife’s hand gently as I whispered words of comfort, which frankly, were for both of us.
"Axellll!" She scread my na, her back arching with a strained movent. Her nails dug into my arm, drawing blood. I didn’t mind that. She could draw as much blood as she needed. As long as the pain could go away, even if it was just a fraction.
"Por favor, Diosa, let her be safe," I muttered under my breath.
The maids soon arrived before us. The eldest amongst them, a woman in her sixties, yelled orders to the others.
"Bring the pillows! Soone should keep her head warm. I need so assistance over here! ¡rápido!"
I shifted back to give them room to work, but María José suddenly grabbed my hand.
"Don’t you dare leave, Axel, or I swear to the Moon Goddess!"
I swallowed and nodded repeatedly. "I’m here, mi vida. I’m here." I gently held her hand as I forced myself to remain wide-eyed through the experience.
Was this how every other father felt?
Despite my seemingly calm expression, a thousand questions were bubbling in my mind. I was still worried about the safety of the babies, seeing as it would be a premature birth. I was also worried about María José.
She had been especially weak lately, barely being able to walk without help. I wondered if the delivery would go smoothly.
And of course... There was also that terrifying possibility.
I didn’t want to think about it, but damn, it stuck to my mind like glue.
"It will be yours." Hugo said with a degree of confidence that scared even further.
I shouldn’t even be thinking about that right now! I clicked my tongue and looked at my dear María José. Her lips were tightly clamped together as she tried hard to heed the guidance of the maids.
"Breathe, Señorita María... and Push!"
"Push!"
That word echoed in my head, along with one lengthy ear-piercing grunt.
I tightly held my wife’s hand, supporting her through such an arduous mont.
And then... I heard a sharp gasp, and I saw María José’s chest drop. Her breathing slowed a little and one of the maids wiped her forehead with a warm towel.
My eyes instantly darted towards her legs. My breath ceased for a mont as I watched one of the maids slowly raise a baby wrapped in a white blanket. However, from the way the maid’s eyes flickered, I could tell sothing wasn’t right.
The woman muttered, "Sus ojos..."
Eyes?
I didn’t understand until I received the baby from her hands. And then, I froze too.
"...Axel?" María José’s exhausted voice sounded beside . "Let ... hold... my baby... déja ver..."
I swallowed, unsure what to do. Unsure how to feel.
The baby in my hands was... strange.
All around , I began to hear the hushed whispers of the maids.
"The baby isn’t crying..."
"Look at his eyes..."
"Axel..." María José called again. "What’s wrong?"
What was I supposed to tell her? How was I supposed to tell her?
Indeed, the newborn child had his eyes open already. And, strangely enough, his pupils were rectangular and horizontal. Just like that of a...
The realization suddenly dawned on .
"Hahaha hahaha haha!" Just then, I heard the deranged laughter of the person I loathed the most in the entire world. Luis.
He word around and laughed in a nauseatingly annoying manner.
That bastard. How dare he? HOW DARE HE?!
Before I could act, Álvaro struck him on my behalf. His fist bashed Luis’s face with sheer rage and so of the bastard’s teeth were sent flying.
"Shut up, maldito! I spit on your existence!"
Luis didn’t stop laughing, despite his sorry state. He raised his head with difficulty and said with obvious mockery, "Has it finally dawned on all of you? Haha, María José is carrying MY child! Well, more precisely, that of the devil!"
Gasps erupted around , and I felt my blood run cold. My fear had co to pass.
He continued in his crazed manner, "Did you really think the baby was yours, huh, Axel?! I have defiled her more tis than you can imagine! You have no right to call her yours! She’s mine, and will be mine forever!"
Álvaro struck him once more, this ti, more forcefully than before.
"W-what is he saying?" María José asked with a trembling voice. "What is he talking about, Axel? Tell it’s not true? Please let see my baby..."
My gaze shifted to her, then to the maids. They all looked at with pitiful, pained expressions.
I didn’t know what to say.
"My love..." I began to speak, but then, I suddenly felt the air tremble.
A cold wind wafted by as a dread unlike before clutched my heart. All around , I saw the maids collapse to the floor with pained screams. Sothing terrifying was coming.
Lucia rushed towards , her expression filled with panic. She said with a bellow, "It’s the devil! The devil is coming!"
Luis continued laughing in his deranged manner.
"That’s right! My forr master, the devil, is coming right here! To claim , and to claim what is his!"
"What?" I clenched my teeth, forcing myself to stay conscious. María José was barely clinging on too.
With this "devil" approaching, everything was bound to go wrong. None of us would survive. There was only doom ahead of us.
"However!" Luis’s loud voice slithered through the howling winds and encroaching darkness. "I know a way to banish him back to the depths of hell. With a certain condition, of course."
My eyes, darted to Lucia, then to Álvaro, then to María José who was slowly losing consciousness.
I gritted my teeth and turned to Luis.
"Tell ."
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