The chamber's door exploded open, shattering centuries-old stillness.
Brandon stepped out, urgency in every move.
*Ba-dum* *Da-dumm* *Da-dumm*
With his heart racing from the newfound paternal fear, Brandon's steps echoed with urgency as he left the chamber behind.
'Jade! Baron!'
He screamed in his mind.
The scene that unfolded before him was one of surreal calmness, a stark contrast to the turmoil within.
But as he rushed out, ready to face anything, he came to an abrupt halt.
There, squatting by one of the streams of viscous golden liquid that flowed through the room, was a tiny figure.
Jade.
His daughter.
Her tiny fingers played with the luminous stream, drawing absent circles into the golden flow.
Her head was bowed, her back facing him.
The scene was hauntingly innocent amidst the vast, ancient chamber.
The chamber was vast, echoes of history and power reverberating off its walls.
But in that expansive space, it was as though only Brandon and Jade existed.
He searched frantically, his eyes darting around.
They were alone—no Baron, no sign of anyone else.
Just him and this small, delicate life that he had not long ago learned was a part of him.
Approaching her, his footsteps softened, each step laden with an emotion he couldn't quite grasp.
He halted right behind her, a towering figure looming over a child so small, so vulnerable.
He wanted to call out to her, to hear her voice, to take her into his arms and protect her from the world, but something stopped him.
An uncertainty, a hesitation he had never felt before in his life.
Throughout his tumultuous life as a killer, a mercenary, and a leader, Brandon had always known how to react, how to move forward.
But this moment, with his daughter right in front of him, paralyzed him.
Flashbacks of the numbered hours since his reunion with Jade and Baron flashed across his mind.
The times where Jade would retreat behind Crystal…
He knew that while Baron had accepted his presence, there was a divide between him and this adorable daughter of his.
The weight of what he had missed, the years he hadn't been there, bore down on him.
Brandon's breath caught in his throat as the reality of the situation sunk in.
Just moments ago, he had felt a desperate panic for the safety of his kids.
And it was that intense fear, that profound worry that truly awoken him to the depth of his newfound parenthood.
He hadn't been there for Jade's first word, her first step, her first smile.
And while it wasn't his fault, the ache of regret was overwhelming.
He hadn't chosen this absence, but the guilt was undeniable.
There he stood, a warrior brought to his knees by the emotions of fatherhood, a torrent of love, regret, and yearning.
Tears, unbidden, welled in Brandon's eyes—a man who had faced death without flinching, now undone by the sight of his own child.
His hands, calloused and scarred from battles, ached to reach out, to bridge the gap of years and lost moments.
"Jade…"
He whispered, his voice a ragged thread of emotion.
The name felt familiar, yet painfully foreign on his lips.
In that whisper, there was an unspoken promise, a vow to this little girl who represented a world he had never known—a world of gentleness, of nurturing, of love unmarred by the harsh realities he had always known.
Slowly, Jade turned back, her small frame trembling.
Brandon caught the faintest glint of moisture in her big beady eyes, just enough to amplify the burning he felt in his own.
Her fragile face was a mirror of struggle, lips quivering and eyes shiny with the weight of emotions too big for such a small soul.
The brave facade of a little girl trying to keep it all together.
Her small shoulders shook with the effort, the strain of keeping her composure.
She bit her bottom lip, a valiant effort to hold back the dam of tears, but the slight tremble in her frame betrayed the battle within.
Brandon's heart clenched, a painful thud echoing in his chest.
And then their eyes met.
Her face crumpled, all her brave attempts at composure shattered.
The little dams she'd built broke, and the torrent flowed freely.
"Da…Daddy…Wahhhh~!"
Her cry was a piercing, heart-rending sound that cut through the chamber, echoing off the ancient walls.
Without hesitation, Brandon sank to his knees, his arms reaching out instinctively.
Jade, with tiny steps hastened by her overwhelming emotions, threw herself into them, seeking the sanctuary that only a father's embrace could offer.
Jade, with a child's unbridled emotion, ran into his embrace, her tiny arms wrapping around his neck as she buried her face into his shoulder.
*Sob…* *Sob…* *Sob…*
Her body shook with sobs, each one echoing in Brandon's heart.
As he held her, Brandon's heart swelled with a fierce, protective love.
The walls he had built around himself, the armor he wore against the world, melted away under the warmth of his daughter's tears.
He held her tight, his own tears mingling with hers, a silent vow forming in the depths of his soul.
'Jade…'
He thought, feeling her tiny heart race against his,
'I promise, with every fiber of my being, to protect you, to love you, to be the father you deserve. Never again will you cry these tears. Never again will you face the world without me by your side.'
Jade's small frame shook slightly with each sniffle, her voice quivering as she tried to weave her words through tears.
"Da… Daddy… Did I… What happened to… the other me?"
Every word punctuated with an aggressive sniffle, her eyes glistening and red from crying.
Brandon felt a tug at his heart, realizing the depth of understanding his young daughter sought.
"She has become a part of you... Now you'll never be alone."
He gently stroked her hair, his voice a soothing balm to her troubled spirit.
"R..rweally…?"
The word came out as a soft, almost inaudible whisper.
Jade's big eyes, shimmering with a mix of tears and hope, searched Brandon's for assurance.
"Yes, my dear baby girl~"
Brandon assured, his voice a soft melody of reassurance.
"And Daddy will forever be with you as well... There is no need to cry..."
As they shared this tender moment, a tiny yet surprisingly loud sound, almost comical in its timing, broke through.
"Grrrrr~"
The rumble emanated from Jade's tummy, interrupting the emotional current between them.
The somber atmosphere was instantly pierced, replaced by a brief, awkward silence.
Jade's face turned a shade of pink, her eyes widening in surprise, the remnant tears making way for a different expression.
Brandon, momentarily taken aback, soon broke into a big, warm smile, the kind that reached his eyes and lit up his entire face.
"Oh, is my little princess hungry? Haha~"
He chuckled, the atmosphere in the room shifting from heavy emotion to a lighter, more heartwarming mood.
"Hehe~"
Jade, still blushing, giggled, the sound like music to Brandon's ears.
Leaning in, he planted a big, loving kiss on her cheek, feeling her giggle vibrate through her.
*MUAHHH!*