Jon wasted no time. That same night, he reinforced the entire perimeter of his home with anti-teleportation sigils, shadow-sealing wards, and silent alarms crafted from both modern magic and ancient spirit art Asha helped him adapt.
Asha sat with him in the glow of protective runes, her hands resting over her belly.
Asha:
"They're coming for me. For the baby. Because of what we carry."
Jon:
"What do you mean?"
She looked into his eyes, fear and hope mingling.
Asha:
"I… wasn't just any girl in Seirei no Tami. My husband was Dryas's chosen apprentice. And I am… I was… next in line to become a Spirit Oracle."
Jon blinked.
Jon:
"You're royalty?"
Asha (shaking her head):
"No. We don't have kings or queens. But Oracles are chosen to commune with the highest spirits—entities that even the elders fear. I was gifted. So was my child."
She paused.
Asha:
"I don't know why, but these cultists want to end the child's life before it's born. They fear what it may become. And… so do some of my people."
Jon stood and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Jon:
"Then we'll protect the child together. And when the time comes… I'll take you back to Seirei no Tami, no matter who stands in our way."
---
Later that night, while Asha slept, Jon sat alone under the stars, scanning the dark horizon. His mind was calm, but his heart was not.
The Desolate Expanse was no longer just a mercenary's playground. Now, it had become the staging ground for something greater—a war of shadows, ancient bloodlines, and unborn power.
As the wind whispered through the cliffs, Jon whispered back.
Jon:
"If the child is a light in the dark… then I'll become the blade that cuts through the night."