Rana's eyes fluttered open, her breath shallow, her limbs heavy. The air around her was warm, humming with residual energy, and the scent of scorched qi lingered like fading incense. Her vision blurred, then sharpened—and the first thing she saw were two crying infants nestled beside her.
Her heart skipped.
They were unfamiliar, yet something deep within her stirred. A bond—intangible but undeniable—tugged at her soul. These children… they were hers. She didn't understand how, didn't remember carrying twins, but the connection was real. Her body knew them. Her spirit recognized them. And yet, confusion gnawed at her.
Then her gaze shifted.
A few feet away, lying motionless on the stone floor, was Jalen.
Her breath caught. Jalen lay pale and still, as if lifeless. Beside him, a small child—barely two—curled in sleep, unmoving. She wanted to run to Jalen, to cradle him, to scream his name—but her body betrayed her. Weakness gripped her limbs like chains. She could barely lift her hand, let alone move.
Still, she tried.
Her fingers twitched. Her legs trembled. But it wasn't until hours later, after the sanctuary had settled into silence, that she could finally crawl toward him.
She pressed trembling fingers to his neck, searching for a pulse.
It was there—faint, but steady.
Relief flooded her, but it was short-lived. She extended her senses, probing his qi channels, and what she found chilled her. His reserves were bone dry. His dantian was hollow, like a cracked vessel. His cultivation… crippled.
"No…" she whispered, tears welling in her eyes.
Eventually, she turned to the child beside him. His qi was faint, flickering like a candle in the wind—but stable. He was unconscious, not just resting. His body was recovering, slowly, from something immense.
Then she looked to the newborns, now sleeping. Her heart ached. They were no longer crying—just sleeping peacefully, wrapped in warmth and light.
Are these… mine? she thought, her chest tightening.
She had only been pregnant with one child, and that child was barely two months old. She remembered the pain, the fear, and the cleansing ritual that had nearly destroyed her. She remembered the moment she thought she'd lost everything.
And now—two?
Her hands trembled as she reached toward them, but she stopped short. The thought was too heavy, too terrifying. She couldn't bear to hope.
She almost broke down.
___
It wasn't until the next morning that Jalen stirred.
His body twitched, his breath deepened, and then—with a groan like a man crushed beneath a mountain—he opened his eyes.
Pain lanced through him. His dantian still felt hollow, but his cores pulsed faintly. His primary core held only remnants of wind and flaming energy—traces gathered from the Flaming Lotus. His secondary core, however, still housed the fused Ice Dragon essence, glowing faintly like a buried star.
His meridians were damaged, but not beyond repair.
He sat up slowly, wincing, and the first thing he saw was Rana.
She was already moving toward him, her eyes wide with relief.
"You're alright!" she cried, throwing her arms around him.
Jalen chuckled weakly and patted her head. "Yes, I am, flame brain."
Rana laughed through her tears, burying her face in his shoulder.
Then urgency seemed to seep into Jalen's bones. "Where is Jael? Is he alright? The twins?"
"They're okay," Rana said, her voice trembling as she pointed over to where Jael lay curled beside the twins, all three of them asleep, their qi stable and calm. "Just resting."
Jalen sighed in relief.
"Who are these kids?" she asked, though deep in her gut she knew the answer.
"What do you mean?" Jalen replied, confused.
"They're our kids," he said simply.
Rana froze.
Her lips parted, but no words came. She stared at the twins, then back at Jalen, her mind racing.
"But… I was only pregnant with one," she whispered. "And she," her voice cracked up. "How?
Jalen sighed and reached for her hand. "I'll explain."
And he did.
He told her everything—well, almost everything. He left out all the parts concerning the Origin Shard. But he told her about the ritual, about Jael's help, and about the miracle that had unfolded in the sanctuary.
Rana listened, her eyes wide, her breath shallow.
"So… these two are our babies?" she asked, voice cracking.
Jalen nodded.
Tears spilled down her cheeks. She clutched her chest, overwhelmed by emotion. "I thought I killed our child," she whispered. "I thought I failed."
"You didn't," Jalen said gently. "You survived. They survived. That's all that matters."
Rana nodded, wiping her tears. Then her gaze shifted to Jael.
"And this is… baby Jael?" she asked. "It's finally nice to meet him despite the circumstances." When she and Jalen were at the Great Wave contentment making the twin, he had briefly mentioned Jael, his son, and the complication of their relations, which Rana found cute back then, and she wishes to meet the kid.
Jalen smiled softly as he nodded.
"He wanted to meet you so badly," Jalen's voice was tinged with sadness.
Rana reached out and brushed Jael's hair gently. "He's safe now," she said. "There's no need to feel sad."
Jalen looked away, guilt gnawing at him. "But I used him," he whispered. "I used my own son for something so dangerous."
Rana placed a hand on his cheek. "You did what you had to do. And it worked. We're all alive. I'm sure Jael wouldn't see you as a bad father."
Jalen nodded, though the guilt didn't fade.
He leaned back, staring at the sanctuary ceiling, his mind drifting.
The Solar Clan would not take this lightly.
He had stolen Rana from their grasp. He had defied their rituals and shattered their plans. And now, they would retaliate.
They would go to the Flare Family.
They would stir trouble.
And worst-case scenario—they would erase everyone he loved. His father. His mother. His brothers. Rana's parents. Nate.
He had brought Jael to the Flare Family for safety.
But now, he had put him in more danger than ever.
And the worst part?
He was too weak to stop it.
His cultivation was shattered. His qi reserves were dry. His body was barely holding together.
He clenched his fists, frustration boiling inside him.
He had to rebuild.
He had to protect them.
No matter the cost.