[Third Person's PoV]
Cid stood nearby, giving Yuuka and her husband Yutaka a moment to savor their reunion. He watched as they clung to each other, faces damp with tears, and shared tender kisses, the joy of their reunion evident in their embrace.
When their kiss deepened, Cid averted his gaze to the night sky, clasping his hands behind his back as he admired the twinkling stars above. His expression remained neutral, as if their reunion was just another task checked off his list. After a moment, Yuuka turned to Cid, her face glowing with gratitude, and she bowed deeply alongside her husband.
"Thank you, merciful God," she said, her voice full of heartfelt appreciation.
Cid's eyes flicked to her, his face betraying a hint of amusement as he stared at her impassively. Realizing her mistake, Yuuka quickly corrected herself, her cheeks flushing. "Oh, right… I mean, Monarch. Oh merciful Monarch."
With a subtle hand gesture that conveyed a silent 'There you go,' Cid replied, "Just remember, this doesn't change the fact that you're going to be a maid."
Yutaka blinked, looking from Yuuka to Cid with confusion and concern. "I'm sorry, what?"
Cid shrugged. "I assume you know Akane, right? Well, Yuuka tried to avenge what happened to you by manipulating Akane. She planned for Akane to lose control, injecting her with monster blood to make her berserk, hoping to prove that Akane was a monster. It was as much an act of revenge as it was a suicide attempt. Now, as punishment, I'm making her serve as Akane's maid."
"Yuuka… is that true?" Yutaka asked, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief.
Yuuka averted her gaze, too ashamed to look him in the eyes. She could feel the weight of her choices now, pressing down like stones.
Cid's attention drifted off as a grin spread across his face. He looked back toward the camp where his shadow soldiers had just finished clearing out the monsters, arranging themselves in the form of a message that spelled out "6 Days." Cid chuckled softly in amusement of their actions
"Anyway," he continued, bringing his attention back to Yuuka and Yutaka, "I'll take us back to the camp. Be prepared to answer when you're needed, but until then, do as you please." With a snap of his fingers, shadows engulfed all three of them, whisking them away to the outside of Akane's room.
Just before Cid went inside Akane's room, Yuuka called out, "I have to ask—would you really be able to stop the monsters from invading this world if you conquer it?"
Yutaka, startled, looked at her in disbelief, "I'm sorry, What? Conquer?"
Ignoring Yutaka's reaction, Cid replied, his tone distant, "I'll tell you this much: the monster invasion is caused by another Monarch. That should tell you all you need to know." Without further explanation, he walked into Akane's room, leaving Yuuka and Yutaka stunned outside.
Inside the quiet room, Cid pulled a chair close to Akane's bedside and took a seat. Before he could say anything, Akane's eyes fluttered open, glistening with tears. She looked at him, her expression one of profound sorrow.
"I killed all those people," she whispered, her voice thick with guilt.
Cid looked at her, bemused. "No, you didn't."
"But I did…" Akane raised trembling hands to her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I remember it all… I killed them… all of them… They're dead—every single one. Not just the men, but the women and children, too. I… I slaughtered them like animals."
Cid reached out, brushing her bangs back as she lay there. "It wasn't your fault, Akane. People warned Akira about what would happen if he continued experimenting on you. He knew the risks, and he ignored them. If there's anyone to blame, it's him. He's the one responsible for all of this—for pushing you to that breaking point."
Without warning, Akane flung herself into Cid's arms, clutching him tightly as she broke down. "I didn't mean to hurt them," she sobbed, her body shaking against his.
Cid wrapped an arm around her waist and placed his other hand on her head, gently comforting her. "I know."
Between sobs, Akane whispered, "I'm scared… I don't want to hurt anyone else…"
"Give me your hand," Cid said softly, loosening his embrace just enough to hold her hand in his.
Through her tear-blurred vision, Akane watched as Cid traced a glowing magic circle over the back of her hand. "This will help," he explained. "It's a binding seal to prevent your mana from going berserk. It's made up of four locks—each one will release more mana gradually. But if you unlock all four, there's a risk of you going full Super Saiyan on us again."
He barely finished his explanation before Akane leaned forward and kissed him, her tears still wet against her cheeks. When she pulled away, she gazed into his eyes, her voice full of gratitude. "Thank you…"
After a moment, she leaned back, brushing away the last of her tears and steadying her breathing.
"So you're Shadow, huh?" Akane asked, looking at Cid a bit teasingly but there was still a profound sadness in her gaze.
"I wasn't lying when I told you I was an incarnation of death before," Cid shrugged with a smirk.
But before either could speak again, Gamma suddenly burst out of Cid's shadow, flipping and crashing clumsily against the door, upside down.
"Gamma?" Cid asked, tilting his head in surprise.
Gamma scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide with panic. "It's Alpha! She's… she's going into labor!"
Cid's eyes shot open and stood up pushing his seat back as he looked towards Gamma in disbelief. "WHAAAT!?"
[Third Person's PoV ]
"Alright, nobody panic! Nobody panic!" Cid exclaimed, his voice trembling as he looked around frantically.
"What's going on?" Akane asked, blinking in confusion.
Cid turned to her with wild eyes. "Didn't you hear what she said, woman!? My wife is giving birth!" He sounded both excited and terrified. His shadow pulsed and expanded, swallowing all three of them and pulling them into the shadow realm.
Akane gasped, stumbling slightly as she looked around at their new surroundings. "Where… where are we?"
"This is our husband's personal domain, the Shadow Realm," Gamma explained with a smile. Before she could elaborate, Cid's voice rang out in a tone full of urgency.
"DON'T WORRY, ALPHA! YOUR HUSBAND IS COMING!"
"Pfft…" Akane couldn't help but stifle a laugh as she watched Cid take off towards a towering castle in the distance, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.
Gamma giggled too, then turned to Akane with an inviting smile. "Come on, let's go! We wouldn't want to miss it!"
"Are… are you sure it's okay for me to be there? I'm a stranger here, and this seems like such a personal moment."
Gamma chuckled, dismissing Akane's concerns with a wave. "Don't worry, we know who you are. Our husband has told us all about you. Now, stop hesitating!" With a sharp whistle, a broom appeared, hovering in midair. "Get on," she instructed, climbing on herself and patting the space behind her.
…
Inside the grand castle, Cid burst into a lavish room, where Alpha lay on a bed, her legs spread and raised as Eta, wearing a surgical mask and gloves, prepared to assist with the delivery. A flurry of other women moved around the room in a mix of excitement and nervous energy.
"Cid!" Alpha's face lit up with relief as she spotted him. Tears glistened in her eyes as she reached out for him.
Rushing to her side, Cid wrapped her in a tight embrace. Alpha melted against him, clinging as if drawing strength from his presence.
"I thought this wasn't happening for a while?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion.
Alpha smiled apologetically. "It's my fault. I was training, trying to understand the power of the sun like I was supposed to."
"In the shadow realm… where there's no sun?" Cid raised a brow, unable to hide his confusion.
Alpha giggled softly. "Exactly. The lack of sun actually helped me understand it better, it helped me understand it's importance and power. When I finally managed to do this…" She cupped her hands together, drawing her fingers slowly apart, and within the gap, a small ball of light began to form, rotating and glowing until it resembled a miniature sun. But as soon as it fully took shape, Alpha grimaced.
"Ugh!" she gasped, as the tiny sun flickered out. "That's when the contractions started," she said, breathing heavily and clutching her stomach.
"Well, that's certainly something," Cid muttered as Gamma and Akane entered the room, both covered in a fine layer of dust. Akane glared at Gamma, while Gamma gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her neck.
Cid snapped his fingers in their direction, magically cleaning the dust off them with a pointed glare.
Eta, observing Alpha's labor with half-lidded eyes, offered an opinion. "I say a C-section would be simpler," she suggested nonchalantly.
Alpha shot her a fierce glare. "We've already talked about this, Eta. You are not dissecting me!"
Eta looked away, clicking her tongue in mild disappointment.
Noticing Zeta's absence, Cid took it upon himself to summon her. Moments later, she appeared, her usual composed expression softening as she took in the scene. Though she and Alpha often disagreed on certain matters, Zeta still cared deeply for her; after all, they'd grown up together, training and fighting side by side.
With Cid by her side, Alpha took a deep breath, and together they began the breathing exercises they learned from other experiences.
"Arghhhhhh!" Alpha screamed, her face contorted in pain as she pushed, sweat beading on her brow. Beta, who stood at her other side, wiped Alpha's forehead with a wet cloth and held her hand firmly. Of all the women present, Beta had known Alpha the longest, and her face reflected a mixture of worry and anticipation.
Nearby, Aurora held little Celeste on her hip in the usual motherly stance, adjusting her hold as she glared pointedly at Cid. "Don't forget, you have the power to ease her pain."
Cid winced. "You're still holding a grudge on that?"
Aurora scoffed. "Focus on the woman giving birth!"
"Right, sorry." Sitting at Alpha's side, Cid kissed the top of her head, channeling his magic to soothe her pain, though it could only do so much.
Alpha's grip tightened on both Beta's and Cid's hands as another wave of pain surged through her. "AHHHHHH!"
After several more grueling minutes, Eta's voice finally broke through the tension. "I see a head crowning! Keep pushing!"
Alpha clenched her teeth, summoning the last of her strength. "Ughhhhhh!" she cried as she pushed, her scream echoing through the chamber.
Then, a new sound filled the room. "Waaaaah! Waaaaah! Waaaaah!"
A broad smile broke across everyone's faces as the baby's cries filled the air. Tears streamed down Alpha's cheeks as she gazed at her newborn.
"It's a boy!" Eta announced, gently passing the baby to Epsilon, who carefully cleaned him and wrapped him in a soft blanket.
When Epsilon placed the tiny bundle in Alpha's arms, she broke down into joyful tears, gazing in awe at her son. She kissed his tiny forehead and looked over at Cid, her eyes shining.
Before they could bask in the moment, Eta's voice interrupted them. "Hold off on the celebration! There's another on the way!"
Alpha nodded, handing their son to Cid. Although Cid had Celeste, he felt his own eyes sting as he cradled his newborn son. He rocked the tiny boy in his arms, murmuring soothingly as Alpha gripped his hand again, preparing for the next birth.
Eta glanced up with her usual clinical detachment. "The birth canal should be loosened now, so this one should come out more easily."
"Don't word it like that!" Alpha yelled, pushing again with all her might. "AHHHHHHHH!"
Moments later, a second wail filled the room. "Waaaaaah! Waaaaaah!"
"It's a girl!" Eta announced, beaming as she handed the baby to Epsilon for cleaning. The newborn was soon swaddled in a blanket and handed over to Alpha.
With tears streaming down her face, Alpha held her daughter, overwhelmed with love. Leaning toward Cid, she whispered, "Our babies… they're here."
Cid leaned in, their heads close as they held their newborns. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "You did amazing."
Alpha smiled back, murmuring, "Thank you…" They both stared at their twins babies, both had small patches of blond hair with purple eyes and small pointy ears.
Gamma, watching the tender moment, asked softly, "Have you two thought of names yet?"
Alpha's smile grew as she looked at Cid. "You choose the boy's name. I'll name the girl based on your choice."
Cid chuckled, gazing down at his son, who whimpered softly in his arms. "I'll name you… Lorion."
Alpha's face softened as she looked at her daughter. "Then I'll name her Loriel."
Cid's eyes lit up, his heart swelling with pride and love. "Radiant Sun and Life's Light," he murmured, admiring the meaning behind their names. "It's perfect."
(A/N: Images in the comment section)
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