CHINA
Jessica lay on the narrow hospital bed, pale and still, while her husband stood beside her, gripping the metal rail as if it were the only thing keeping him upright. Daniel had rushed her there after she fainted without warning, fear driving every mile.
The doctor returned a few minutes later, a smile already forming.
"Congratulations", he said. "You're pregnant."
Daniel blinked. "My wife is… pregnant?"
"Yes, about one month along."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Daniel laughed—soft, disbelieving—and bent to pull Jessica into his arms, kissing her forehead again and again. A child. They were going to have a child.
When they arrived home later that evening, Rong Lee was waiting.
She stood near the doorway, hands clasped tightly together, eyes sharp with expectation.
"We're back," Jessica said, smiling.
Rong didn't return it. "What did the doctor say?"
Jessica exchanged a glance with Daniel before answering. "I'm pregnant."
Daniel grinned. Rong's face drained of colour.
"What is the gender?" she asked.
Jessica's smile faltered. "Mom —"
"What is the gender?" Rong repeated.
"We don't know," Daniel said carefully. "It's too early."
Rong stared at Jessica's stomach as if willing it to answer her.
"Please", Jessica said softly. "Be happy. Don't think about… anything else."
Rong said nothing.
The next morning, Jessica insisted on visiting the temple. They weren't deeply religious—neither she nor Daniel was—but Rong was. Respect mattered.
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Inside, incense hung heavy in the air. Prayers were whispered. Silence settled.
As they stepped outside, a monk suddenly blocked their path.
He was old, his expression unreadable.
"Some beings exist to be met," he said calmly, his gaze resting on Jessica's stomach. "It is not always for us to decide when."
Then he turned and walked away.
Daniel stared after him. "What the hell was that?"
Jessica didn't answer. Her hand rested against her belly, unease coiling beneath her ribs.
They were nearly at the car when another figure stopped them.
A shaman.
"If she meets what waits beyond," the woman said quietly, "the world will not remain as it is."
Jessica felt the words settle into her bones.
"Better safe than sorry", the shaman added. "Better distance."
And then she was gone.
Daniel exhaled sharply. "That's it. People are insane."
But Jessica knew better.
At home, she went straight to her mother.
Rong listened in silence as Jessica repeated every word spoken at the temple. When she finished, Rong sank into a chair, her face ashen.
"So it is true," she murmured.
"No," Jessica said quickly. "It can't be. They're just trying to scare us."
Rong didn't respond. Instead, she opened a drawer and withdrew a necklace—simple and delicate, with a small heart resting at its centre.
"Put this on", she said. "It will keep you safe, both of you."
Jessica smiled, relief washing over her as she fastened it around her neck.
Rong turned toward the window.
"Prepare your luggage," she said. "We're moving to New York."
Jessica froze. "What?"
"I'm not taking any risks."
Jessica swallowed. She didn't want to believe any of it—but deep down, she understood.
They would do anything to keep the child hidden.
Even if it meant keeping her from what waited beyond the threshold.