[10 minutes before]
A man in his early forties is walking back and forth outside the door which seems to be old, sometimes peeking in through the keyhole and sometimes looking down towards the staircase.
Anyone could see the nervousness, happiness, and fear on his finely aged face. The man with a circular beard, and dark brown eyes, wearing a black and white check shirt and baggy brown pants with slippers on his feet.
One could hear the screams and groans of a woman coming from inside the door. It was a great moment for every man as his wife was there inside the room going through labor and at any moment he could be a father. But for him, it was more than that.
While he was going back and forth, a man in around thirties ran towards him with heavy steps carrying a small wooden basket in his left hand covered with a small blanket. He stood right in front of the man and said, "Richard, we found a girl born just a few minutes ago with no spirit animals."
Richard breathed a sigh of relief. But as there were still many problems on his way, he was tensed and his face clearly showed it.
"Thanks a lot, Max. Did you bring her?" Richard asked back shifting his gaze towards the basket.
"Of course! Who am I, the most handsome, loving, and intelligent..."
"Thief".
Max was bragging about himself when Richard cut him off.
Maxwell Brown in short Max was well known to be the most diligent among the thieves who did his work properly and kept his promise even when he faced death.
So, Richard hired Max to bring a girl who was newly born. After his wife started having labor pains Max went in search of the newborn baby girl.
Max gave a side eye to Richard and opened his mouth but closed it again as Richard again said, "Stop making a fuss about it. Did anyone see you while bringing her or anyone who knows about this?"
"Nah," Max said boringly with no intention to have a proper conversation after being cut off twice.
"Hanna said that I will have a daughter so before anyone else knows about it, I must..."
This time Max cuts him off and says," Oh man, you are overthinking and everyone knows that Hanna is no longer an oracle, few years ago she lost all her powers."
Then he went near to Richard's right ear and whispered, "Someone has seen her eyes and according to that person they are not blue anymore. It means only one thing and you know it pretty well."
Rubbing his ear where Max just whispered Richard said in a serious tone, "Still, there is nothing wrong in being cautious, if it's a girl then a dragon is going to be born. I have promised Maria that I will protect our daughter at any cost, I must."
Richard removed the blanket from the basket and looked at the girl inside the basket deeply before asking, "Was she born dead, or did you kill her?"
"Hey, what do you take me for, I admit that I am a thief, not a murderer. She was born dead ok." Max shouted not believing what he just heard.
'Thank you I don't know who you are but thank you, you will be the savior of my daughter', Richard thought to himself and covered the girl with the blanket.
Richard then faced the door putting his left hand on the door, right hand in the pocket of his pants and his head down he started thinking 'I am sorry my love that I couldn't take you to the hospital. I wanted to but you were so against it and it's not that I don't understand you. You are afraid that if a daughter is born then she will die without even seeing her mom and dad. But, don't worry my love, I will protect our daughter. Take care of yourself and the baby for a while, I will be right there for both of you. Just a little bit love you can do it.'
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Inside the room, there is nothing but a table with materials required for delivering baby, a small bed and on the bed a woman covered with a long cloth is lying down giving her all to push the baby. She is surrounded by two more women one doctor and one nurse helping in her delivery.
The room is dark where nothing but only the bed is visible as the bulb is on the ceiling right above the bed and there the woman is trying her best but she is already very tired and there was still no sign of baby crowning. The nurse is providing the woman emotional support and calming her down.
Right then the doctor positioned the woman's right hand on her belly right below the rib cage and her left hand on her chest then said, "Maria, now take a deep breath in through your nose, and let your belly push your hand out. Your chest should not move and breathe out through pursed lips as if you were whistling." Saying this she again started to look if the top of her baby's head was seen through the opening of her vagina.
Maria followed her doctors word and started breathing the same way in between contraction. She was pushing hard, both the doctor and nurse were praising her for good work when finally the baby's head popped out along with the smile on the doctors lips. She then immediately took the baby's head on her hand and gently took the baby out from the vagina.
Maria finally stopped her screams and movements. Hanna's prophecy came true, it was a baby girl meaning that a dragon had taken birth.
Doctor then gave the baby to the nurse to carry, took clamps from the table and she put two clamps on the cord with a little space in between, finally being ready to cut the umbilical cord.
As everyone present there knew what was going to happen once the umbilical cord was cut they were ready for whatever the situation was about to unfold. Then the doctor said to the nurse, "I am cutting the cords, be ready Ms. Kim."
Ms. Kim nodded her head and doctor started a back count from three, "Three.. Two.. One". At one she cut the umbilical cord and as soon as she cut the cord, the baby started shining, the nurse shut her eyes and in a second the baby was flying in the mid air.
"Ahhhh!!" Ms. Kim shouted as her hands started to feel strong burning sensation.
The baby had started flying in the air within a second still the heat produced from her body had burnt Ms. Kim hand badly.
The baby girl started to shine so bright that her body began to emit strong light which shot right up straight to the sky. The light was so bright that everyone in the room could go blind if they looked at it. But they were safe as they all had shut their eyes.
Richard and Max could also see the brightness emitted as the light was coming out from the corners of the door.
After few seconds the baby stopped emitting light and the baby slowly landed down right beside her mother on the bed. Then the doctor took the baby in her hands although she was afraid the baby could still be hot but luckily the baby was already in normal condition.
She then wrapped the baby in a soft piece of cotton cloth. Then the doctor put the baby beside her mother when suddenly the baby girl started crying. Listening to the cry everyone in and out the room had bright smiles on their faces.
Max started congratulating Richard, "Congrats man, you are a dad now. Looks like it's a baby girl seeing that light before. Don't forget my contribution if she remains alive." Max stated and pulled Richard into the hug.
"Thanks Max, I wont forget but.. I don't think we are close enough to hug each other." Richard said but those words somehow felt creepy and dangerous.
"Huh, what do yo..."
"Stab!"
Before Max could even complete his words he could feel a sharp knife pierced on his back towards the lower spine.
"Thud!"
Max dropped the basket with baby which he was holding with his left hand.
Richard then pulled the knife out, broke the hug and "Stab! Stab!" stabbed Max twice, once at his stomach and another at his heart. Max could not speak anymore but he did curse Richard a lot in his heart.
Richard then threw Max on the floor where he died right on the spot without any notice.
Richard then looked at the dead Max with cold eyes which had no warmth or guilt on them but ruthlessness which had now suddenly changed it's color to red.