'Dying? Bullshit. I won't let it happen.' Luna cursed at life and ran inside the operating room.
The life of a mother was crucial to their children. Esther was not only her good friend but also someone who treated her with kindness every time they met. Why was life so cruel that it took away the lives of good people? The mother might not be able to see her child. It was the most painful fate of all.
Luna slammed open the door of the OR. Cold sweat started running down her body as she saw the obstetricians trying to save Esther's life.
"Move out of the way!" Luna yelled. She couldn't encourage those who did this difficult task of saving this woman. Her psyche had been shaken up to the point of insanity. The surgical team understood Luna's temperament and stepped aside.
The team did a great job following through the procedures. The placenta had been removed, so the only job left was to supply her with life force. Luna focused her energy on Esther and spread it throughout Esther's body. The incision started to shut by itself. It left no scar on Esther's abdomen whatsoever. This was the miracle that Luna had been producing since becoming a Resonator.
However, Esther's condition didn't seem to improve despite Luna's valiant efforts. Not only was she rejecting the life force Luna injected into her, but something was taking it away also.
"Why isn't this fucking working? Esther! Please live to see your son... Please!" Luna hopelessly called out to the unconscious Esther. She held the hand that was getting colder and colder as time passed.
"Luna. Calm down and focus. Don't risk deviating your energy and speed up the tempo if needed." The director at the time entered the room and advised Luna.
He heard the tragic news and ran here from the military base. He wasn't a notable Resonator by any means, but his knowledge of Echo Energy was second to none.
"Yes, director," Luna replied softly.
She calmed the clashing waves in her mind and focused one more time. Her auroral energy spread out, warming the cold operating room. The energy was so pure that the fatigue the obstetricians had was washed away. Luna kept channeling her energy to where the injury was.
Everyone except Luna knew the fate that was placed upon Esther. Her life force was depleted to a critical state, so Luna was only prolonging the feeble life that had already been crossing the bridge of death.
Luna eventually passed out due to excessive transferral of life force. The silent daybreak watched over the mournful atmosphere of the hospital. The sun started peeking out of the horizon as if to witness the last of this beautiful world. Clouds mingled to form shapes of various objects. Why was this scene so familiar?
As Esther took her final breath, the newborn cried more uncontrollably. It was Luciel's first cry in his life. It was one of the only two times he had ever shed tears. The instincts of a child sensing his mother's warmth slipping away gave way for the tears to fall. Luciel, without an ounce of consciousness, cried to mourn his mother's death.
***
"Here's a tissue, Luna."
"Use it for yourself. You're crying more than I am."
Two women were crying in a hospital office like two teenage girls sharing sob stories. The memories of ten years ago were still vivid in Luna's mind. The guilt of letting a dear friend die in front of her was unbearable.
"Do you need a break? I'll buy something to eat."
"My junior is so kind today~ Why aren't you like this every day, huh? Buy me food every day."
"Tch. I don't feel like going anymore. Just tell me the rest of the story."
Elina was saddened that the mother had met death to bring Luciel to life, but she was also relieved that Luciel was born healthily. She heard that uterine rupture was the most dangerous complication that could happen during childbirth, and it could be fatal to both the mother and the baby. Elina thanked Esther in her mind that she had tried her best. Elina wanted to tell her that her son was alive and well.
"Okay. But you must buy me dinner later," Luna said cheerfully.
"That's a must since you're doing me a favor, but I'm choosing the restaurant. I can't eat your kind of food."
"What do you mean 'my kind of food'? You just lack refined taste and eat fast food all the time." Luna snickered.
"I don't eat steak every day like you do. What are you? A lion?"
"Yes. A beautiful lioness," Luna shamelessly replied with her head held high.
"I'm so done with you. Please get on with the story..."
"Ahem." Luna coughed in embarrassment. The depressing atmosphere was gone in an instant. This was the power of these two girls whenever they were together. It was an endless amount of bickering and sarcastic remarks.
"When I woke up, I heard some pretty shocking news..."
***
12:39 PM. New Year's Eve.
"You're awake?"
"Director..." Luna groaned. Her eyes weren't fully open because of the bright lights. "What happened? Did she... make it?"
The director looked at Luna with solemn eyes. That expression told Luna everything. Her efforts weren't enough to save the precious life of a mother. She couldn't even make it through to witness Esther's dying breath. Guilt overwhelmed her.
Just then, the director comforted her with the words of a sage. "You have done more than enough, Luna. Don't burden yourself. Life goes on."
As Luna listened to those compassionate words, she broke into tears. She had been keeping them in when she had to focus on keeping Esther alive. The tears swamped her emerald eyes like ocean waves.
Seeing that Luna was unable to speak, the director kept talking. "It was all thanks to you that her son came to be extraordinarily healthy. Go visit him as soon as possible."
"I will. I have to take care of him like my own flesh and blood. That's the only way I could relieve this guilt."
"I'm glad to hear that, but"—the director turned towards the window—"I'm afraid it's not possible."
"What do you mean by that?" Luna sensed a feeling of foreboding as she heard those words.
"The army wants the baby. He has the Stigma of the Echo."
"WHAT!?" Luna's eyes were in a daze.
"Is that even possible? Are you sure it wasn't a mark that someone drew on the baby?" Luna asked a series of questions because she couldn't believe what she heard.
"It's the first time I've seen this phenomenon too. The stigma only appears after the age of 16, but this instance is special."
"A-Are you sure? Have you checked his condition thoroughly?"
"We did. We speculated that the stigma formed even before he was born to the outside world. It's just that we didn't expect this to occur, so we didn't prepare any measures to detect the Echo Energy inside of him. However, we have concrete proof of faint Echo Energy now."
Luna was at a loss for words. She recalled the memories of her energy being sucked in as she performed healing for Esther and came to an assumption. 'Did the baby eat up both my energy and his mother's? No, no, that's just impossible.'
"You said the army wanted him? I understand that this is a special case, but the baby is someone's son. The father is Novalis, no less. Has he even approved of this?"
"Novalis is still on the battlefield as of now, but he has heard the news. He can't go back because the enemies are on the offensive assault."
"That... Even the Grand Marshal wants the baby?"
"It's only the four other Legion Commanders and the scientists. The Grand Marshal is away to Hakuryuu to plan a settlement deal with its government."
"This is bad timing. The Legion Commanders are exploiting their positions when the Grand Marshal is away." Luna clutched the hospital's blanket and seethed in anger. Even if the baby had the stigma, he was only a baby. Someone who was just born was involved in dirty politics already.
"We need to stop them, director! Novalis and the baby don't deserve this absurd ruling," Luna hurriedly got up and faced the back of the director.
"I understand your sentiment, Luna, but we are powerless. All we can do is to watch the situation unfold on its own." The director didn't show his gloomy face to Luna. He didn't want her to see this director falter in front of hardships.
"B-But..." Luna wanted to deny the director's words, but it was true. The Legion Commanders' rulings were absolute. This tradition had been set for generations and couldn't be reversed. If the Grand Marshal wanted to punish them, he needed to bring evidence that could incriminate the commanders.
'Nova. Please come back and win this battlefield on your home turf.' Luna could only pray now. She silently walked out of the room after saying goodbyes to the director.
She headed towards the private nursery room that the director mentioned. Luna entered the room and saw the baby sleeping soundly with his mouth open. Luna smiled unconsciously when she saw how peaceful the baby was. She climbed on the sofa next to the baby's crib and slept soundly until afternoon.