We flew past the checkpoint of the 4th district, the horse's hooves throwing up thick sprays of slush and snow as we tore down the main thoroughfare. My contractions were hitting much harder now, a tight, crushing pressure that made my crimson blood wings flare rigidly beneath my heavy winter cloak.
Within minutes, the massive iron gates of the 5th district loomed ahead. Standing guard under the stone archway was Betch, wrapped tightly in his heavy winter uniform. The moment he saw a horse charging down the lane at a full gallop, he stepped out and raised a stern hand.
"Halt! Toll and status card!" Betch barked, his voice carrying the strict, unyielding weight of official Bureau protocol.
Renny didn't even slow the horse down. Recognizing his fellow gatekeeper instantly, Renny screamed at the top of his lungs, "Shut up, Betch! Here's the damn toll!"
With a swift flick of his wrist, Renny dug into his pouch and threw three silver coins spinning through the freezing air. They hissed as they buried themselves straight into the thick snowbank near the guard post. Betch's eyes tracked the coins, but as the horse drew closer, his gaze shifted up to the saddle. He caught a full view of my drenched green kirtle, my massive, trembling nine-month belly, and the terrifying, sharp-fanged grimace plastered across my face beneath my hood.
Betch's face went completely pale. Realizing this was an absolute biological emergency, he didn't say another word. He threw himself against the heavy iron mechanism, swinging the gates wide open just in time for us to blast straight through into the 5th district.
We clattered down the narrow, snow-slicked alleyways until the towering, crowded structures of the Tenements rose up around us. The horse slid to a heavy, panting halt right outside the main residential entrance. Renny and Evelyn quickly moved to help my heavy frame down from the saddle, my boots sinking deep into the freezing snow as another sharp contraction ripped through my core.
Renny held the reins, his breath coming out in thick white plumes as he looked at us with deep concern. "Well, shall I escort you all the way inside? The lower levels can get rough in the winter."
"Thanks, Renny," I wheezed out, dropping my voice into a strained but grateful version of my usual deadpan. "But Evelyn and I will be going from here. You've done more than enough. Go get your coins out of the snow before someone else finds them."
"Good luck, Eirene!" Renny called out, giving a quick nod as he turned the horse back toward his post.
Evelyn threw my arm over her shoulder, bearing as much of my weight as her smaller frame could handle. Together, we hurried past the freezing tenement corridors, moving quickly toward the hidden, heavy iron door that led down into the subterranean warmth of the lower district. We pushed it open and descended the stone steps, heading straight into the underground clinic where Doctor Bob was waiting to bring little Cliff into the world.
We navigated the dim, winding tunnels of the underground district as fast as my heavy legs could carry me, each step feeling like a battle against the crushing weight in my abdomen. When we finally reached the heavy reinforced door of the hidden clinic, Evelyn didn't just knock...she practically slammed her fists against the wood in a total panic.
The lock clicked, and Doctor Bob opened the door, a calm expression on his face. "Greetings, Eirene, what brings you..."
"Her water broke! The baby is coming right now!" Evelyn shrieked, completely cutting him off as she hauled me into the warm, sterile room.
Doctor Bob's medical instincts kicked in instantly. His eyes widened, and he immediately ushered me toward the clean, cushioned birthing bed. I didn't even argue. I collapsed onto the sheets, tossing my heavy winter cloak aside as my massive crimson blood wings unfolded, trembling slightly against the mattress from the sheer tension.
"Alright, Eirene, breathe," Doctor Bob commanded, quickly prepping his medical tools and washing his hands. "You're fully dilated. The baby is already in position. On the next contraction, I need you to push!"
A massive, wave of pressure locked up my core. I gripped the leather straps of the bed, my knuckles turning white as I gave a heavy, agonizing push. But the moment little Cliff started to move down the birth canal, a sharp, searing agony sliced through my lower body. I could feel it instantly...his razor-sharp, hybrid blood wings were instinctively flexing, their young, rigid edges literally tearing at my insides as he made his descent.
"Tsk. Easy," I thought through gritted teeth.
Before the pain could completely break my focus, I activated my Pain Manipulation skill. I localized the ability entirely to my pelvic region, forcing the agonizing, tearing sensations to go completely numb. The blinding white heat vanished from my nerve endings, replaced by a dull, heavy pressure that allowed me to keep my focus entirely on the delivery metrics.
"That's it, keep going!" Doctor Bob encouraged, tracking the progress with sharp focus. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "I see the head! He's almost here, Eirene! One more big push!"
I took a deep, steadying breath and threw the entirety of my remaining strength into one final, calculated push.
With a soft, fluid rush, the heavy pressure in my abdomen completely evaporated. The quiet underground clinic was instantly filled with the sharp, loud, and incredibly healthy cry of a newborn baby.
Doctor Bob worked with practiced, rapid precision. He carefully handled the newborn, expertly clamping and cutting the umbilical cord before cleaning him up and wrapping him snugly in a warm, clean cloth. He turned around, a genuine, rare smile breaking across his weathered face as he gently placed the small bundle right into my waiting arms.
I leaned back against the pillows, my breathing ragged as my crimson wings finally relaxed against the bed. I looked down at the tiny face resting against my chest, and my single jade-green eye softened into a warmth I had never felt in either of my two lifetimes.
He was absolutely beautiful.
The boy had a soft tuft of brown hair, peppered with a few distinct silver tips that he had clearly inherited from my own mane. His facial features were incredibly delicate and refined...a strikingly feminine face that looked almost exactly like a miniature version of me, making him look more like a beautiful little girl at first glance. But when his tiny eyelids fluttered open, blinking against the dim lamplight, he revealed a pair of striking hazel eyes...the undeniable, lingering legacy of Cameron.
"Hey there, little Cliff," I whispered, my voice completely shedding its flat, unbothered deadpan, replaced by a soft, trembling tenderness as I gently brushed my thumb against his tiny, perfect cheek. "Welcome to Andromeda. Your mommy's got you now."
Evelyn stepped closer to the side of the bed, her hands clasped tightly against her chest as she stared down at the tiny, beautiful bundle in my arms. Her eyes were completely wide, shimmering with a sudden wave of emotion as she took in the delicate, feminine features of her newborn nephew.
"Oh, big sister... look at him," Evelyn whispered, her voice cracking slightly with pure affection. "He's absolutely perfect. He has your beautiful face... but those hazel eyes are so bright. He's really here."
Hearing her words, a sudden, overwhelming wave of emotion completely shattered my usual pragmatic, unbothered defenses. The heavy trauma of my past life, the brutal survival metrics of Andromeda, the months of hiding, and the terrifying weight of carrying this child all crashed down on me at once. For the first time in either of my lifetimes, I completely broke down. Hot, heavy tears spilled over my cheeks, blurring my single jade-green eye as I clutched little Cliff closer to my chest, my shoulders trembling as I began sobbing out of sheer, unadulterated relief and love.
"Yeah..." I choked out through my tears, my voice trembling as I gently kissed the soft brown hair with its silver tips. "He's really here, Evelyn. My beautiful boy is finally here."
As Evelyn reached out to soothe my shaking shoulders, Doctor Bob approached us from his workbench, carrying a large, heavy folder filled with freshly recorded medical data and parchment. His expression was serious, his posture rigid as he looked down at the documents before meeting my tear-stained gaze.
"Eirene, your son is a two-thirds human, one-third vampire hybrid," Doctor Bob said gravely, his voice echoing softly in the warm underground clinic. "The father's genes proved strong this time. He only developed the wings… no fangs, no full bloodlust."
My crimson eye instantly flashed with a deep, complex flicker of disappointment… the predatory, monstrous part of my vampire lord biology mourning that he wouldn't inherit the full, terrifying legacy of the Crimson Phantom. But just as quickly, my jade-green eye softened with profound, maternal concern.
"Then he'll live more like a human? Will he be safe in the surface world?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as I looked up from my crying child.
The doctor nodded slowly, checking a glowing rune chart that flickered gently on his clipboard.
"Yes. Your child has human capabilities," Doctor Bob explained, his tone reassuring. "He is immune to sunlight, possesses a reflection in mirrors, and inherits only a small portion of your abilities… heat signature detection, enhanced five senses, he inherits your poison immunity, and a very small portion of your lifesteal ability. But no fangs or claws. He won't crave blood; in fact, it would cause him disgust. He'll consume regular human food. A balanced hybrid. Rare, but survivable."
I pressed my cheek gently against the top of Cliff's tiny head, breathing in his sweet scent as my tears finally began to dry. My massive crimson blood wings softly curved inward, wrapping completely around the two of us like a protective, impenetrable shield against the rest of this brutal world.
"Oh, my sweet boy..." I whispered, my voice thick with a fierce, unbreakable motherly love that completely surpassed any tactical logic or survival metric. I looked up at Doctor Bob, my jade-green eye shining with absolute certainty. "I don't care if he didn't inherit my full power. In fact, I'm glad. I won't ever let him be raised as a weapon. Not by the Bureau, not by the factions, and not by anyone else."
I looked back down at his beautiful, delicate face, watching his little hazel eyes blink up at me in total, innocent trust.
"The Crimson Phantom has enough blood on her hands for ten lifetimes," I murmured, a soft, genuine smile breaking across my face as I gently stroked his tiny back, right over the small, hidden spots where his little wings rested under the cloth. "But you, Cliff... you get to just be human. You get to eat normal food, walk out in the bright sunlight without a cloak, and live a peaceful life. Your mommy is going to make sure of it."
Evelyn wiped a tear from her own eye, placing a warm, supportive hand on my shoulder as we both looked down at the tiny new life that had completely changed our world.
Doctor Bob reached over to his desk and pulled out an official parchment document, stepping forward to hand me the fresh birth certificate.
"So, the birth certificate says that your son needs a human skill. Should we hire an appraiser or…?"
"No, big sister is an certified appraiser. She can view cliff's stats."
And true to what Evelyn said, I have an inspect skill, so I stared at my baby boy and revealed it's stats.
Cliff Rynd
Skills: Necromancy, Language Comprehension
Vitality: 1
Strength: 1
Defense: 1
Agility: 1
Mana: 1
Necromancy - ability to revive dead beings.
Language Comprehension- ability to understand any kind of language, animals, foreign language and more.
And he was lucky.
"Doctor, he has necromancy and language comprehension." I said
"Well, isn't it surprising."
Since Cameron was gone… his legendary bounty verified and his life left behind in the chaotic politics of the factions… I was the only one who would be raising this boy. I took the document with a steady hand, looking over the blank fields ready for the official record.
"His legal name is Cliff Rynd," I said softly, my voice firm with absolute certainty. "He's taking my surname. He's my boy."
I watched as Doctor Bob dipped his quill into the dark ink, meticulously setting the information onto the parchment.
Name: Cliff Rynd
Mother: Eirene Rynd
Human Skills: Necromancy, Language Comprehension
Lineage: Hybrid (1 / 3 vampire, 2 / 3 human)
"There, It's official. You're a Rynd, little Cliff. No matter what the rest of Andromeda tries to throw at us, we're going to build a real, peaceful life on the surface. Just you, me, and your aunt Evelyn."