Finn's horns and eyes suddenly went from blue to crimson as his wings followed the color change. That murderous aura erupted from his core.
"Cousin, back away. I won't hold back if you do something stupid." Brielle warned.
This was the first time I had heard her call him anything other than her king. Everyone in the room was deathly quiet as Finn grabbed onto her blade, which sliced into his palm.
"Back away! Hah… Someone raped my precious jewel, and you, out of everyone, want me to back away!" He snapped, devoid of any emotion.
"What?" I mumbled, shaking my head.
Raped? I… I wasn't…
The words from my beloved's lips left me struggling to register them.
"I don't know about the origins of the cause, m'lord. It's fascinating to see a nesting behavior that's rare for the normal inhabitants of this world." Rizak was excited about this turn of events.
No, that isn't right!
"Wait, wait! No one raped me! The only one I've been with is you, Finn." I blurted out, reaching to him only for Brielle to stop me.
"Don't; he isn't fully there right now." She warmed, tugging my arm away from him as the man I loved was cursed bound.
His eyes were colder than ever before as a sharp growl escaped his lips, "Impossible, demons can't get anyone pregnant."
Pregnant?! No, I can't be. Demons can't… all that was just dirty talk! I haven't been with anyone else, so… this all has to be…
Shaking my head, "I can't be. It's impossible."
A sharp snicker came from the generals in the room.
"Wow! Now that's something! Our saint returns from the human lands and now has a future heir in her! Something is fishy if you ask me!" Vorex gasped sarcastically as Finn turned towards his generals.
"Silence," Finn's voice echoed through the room as gargles of blood erupted from the vampire's lips as he gagged on the blood dripping from his lips.
Everything had turned so hostile, and I was the root cause. In an instant, all the earlier bravado was gone, and I felt all the warmth drain from my body.
"If you're to be believed, Sylvia, you're the first human to conceive a demon hybrid. Perhaps there's something special about you after all." Sebastian smirked, gazing at me weirdly.
Unlike the Vorex, his tone showed a different emotion as I couldn't help but grab onto my arms.
"Fuck off! All of you out now!" Finn roared, making my eardrums tremble.
In an instant, they were gone. Blood was where they once were, as Astred, Levaira, and Vabaru were the only ones left. They were the only ones silently watching. Anything would trigger this demon's wrath, which was on a rampage.
"Old friend, explain yourself. You checked her hours ago! How can she be nesting now out of all times!" The demon king snapped, slamming his tail on the floor, creating cracks where he hit.
This… all has to be a mistake! It has to be!
My eyes shifted to Finn, who glared at the owl with a malice I hadn't seen before.
Ah… is this all reminding you of… that day?
"I didn't check for another life. It was weird that I couldn't find traces of the curse. So, I thought it was remnants mutated by her burst of magic." Rizak answered, spreading his wings towards me.
He waved his wing, triggering a blue light to shine from me before the same light from before erupted from me.
"Extraordinary, she's expecting." He added, eyes wide open.
"W-What's happening?" I mumbled, turning to Finn before gripping Brielle, who seemed like the only one who wasn't a threat.
"You've got a parasite in you." He voiced, shifting his sight towards me.
The demon's lord's gaze froze me as I couldn't register it fast enough.
"Hm… It also explains why your magic and emotions have been out of balance. I still remember my mother burning down a pack of paper when she was pregnant with my baby brother." Rizak chuckled, remembering fond times.
"It's probably why Maxwell is so messed up in the head." Brielle sighed, focusing on Finn, who hadn't taken his sight off me.
At that point, my brain had stopped working. Nothing was registering anymore.
"W-What?" I kept repeating.
I didn't feel any different other than the emotional mess I was in.
I-I can't be pregnant! Me? I can't! I'm not fit to be a mother!
Before I knew it, Finn reached towards me only to be met by Brielle's blade.
"I said to stay away, cousin. Something tells me you'll do something you'll regret if you touch her."
"I need to get rid of it." He growled, slamming her blade to the ground.
My mother had me and left me in a world that didn't want me. I knew how cruel that could be, yet the simple thought of hurting a baby—one who didn't do anything to deserve death chilled me to my core.
Get rid of it? Will this baby also be unwanted? You're baby…? No…. No!
Instinctively, I took a few steps from my beloved as I shook my head. "No!"
In an instant, everyone else in the room appeared to be hit with a gravity spell that prevented them from moving. Brielle was no longer by my side as she struggled to get away from the wall that she was pinned to.
"No? What are you saying?!" Finn snapped, grabbing onto my arm before tugging me towards him.
I felt something different for the first time since he first lost his senses to the curse. In his eyes was the same pain as before, but this time, I couldn't…
"This wasn't supposed to happen! Or are you saying you wish to hold a rapist's child in—" He wouldn't finish when Solas launched to his arm, sinking his teeth into it.
Magic swelled around me as I yanked my hand away, thanks to the pup's help.
"It isn't a rapist's child. It's yours, and even if it was because of rape, I—" Bitting my lip, I scrunched my eyes.
The words were difficult to form, thanks to the knot in my throat.
Mom… is this how you felt when you had me? All you wanted was to give me a chance. Is this what you…
"I'm the product of a rape too! Even if it was because of that, I couldn't give up on it when I was one, too! I'm one, too! Do you mean I shouldn't have been born too?!" I screamed, gripping my chest.
A second later, Finn took a few steps back, wincing and reaching to his head.
"Back off, m'lord. I don't want to fight you, but I won't allow you to harm her in any way." Solas warned, radiating the same energy I was.
"Sylvia… I didn't…" Finn shook his head as the red slowly drained away.
"I-I don't know what you're thinking, but this is your baby! I won't allow you or anyone to take it from me!" I yelled, straining my voice as it cracked at the end.
Why won't you believe me?
"You told me you wanted me to carry your child! Now that I might, you don't want it?! What a hypocrite?!" I broke as tears streaked down my cheeks.
The weight hadn't sunk in yet as I struggled to stay in one piece.
Oh my god, am I pregnant? This has to be a dream… Yeah… I'm going to wake up and…
My breathing was erratic, and my body trembled as a soft, silvery hue came from my body.
You won't be wanted, but I don't have it in me to end you. Why… Why is this…
Finn shook his head before taking a singular step toward me as I flinched at his approach.
"Sparks, I'm sorry. My nature got the best of me. Please come here." He reached out to me.
Instead of running to him, I stepped back, clasping onto my shirt.
"N-No!" My voice was unsteady as mana surged around me.
Not even Solas could hold it back while my emotions were running rampant. In my hand, a fading image of Twilight was appearing. I was ready to fight everyone in this room. No one was going to take anything from me without me choosing first.
Sadly, I didn't know what I wanted yet.
Why… is it so hard to know what I…
"Sylvia, I won't do anything you don't want. Please…" His voice was painful to hear.
It triggered me to gaze at him and see he was no better. His extended hand trembled as his pupils dilated for the first time, alerting me he probably didn't know how to feel either.
If that happens, you'll be more special than you already are. His words echoed within me.
If I'm carrying your child, all of this is new to you too. This… isn't something that is supposed to happen yet… Why…
His arms were open to me, waiting for me even though his mind was probably as chaotic as mine. Without a second thought, I ran to him, only to be engulfed by him.
"It's okay. I'm sorry, Sylvia, we'll figure it out." His voice trembled.
"Why's everything going haywire?" I mumbled, trying to hold my tears in.
The true storm had arrived—one I didn't even know how to survive. Our world was already crumbling, leaving me with even more pressure. Not only was I supposed to lift the demonic curse, but I had to do it with a little living thing in me.
My first instinct was to protect it, but I didn't know what to do with it. I was young and dumb, but I knew this could be my link to this world.
Could the curse have caused me to ovulate a special egg, and with all the fucking, I got pregnant? That doesn't make any sense! Demons aren't supposed to be compatible with humans, but I've only been with Finn!
I didn't know what was going on anymore. My mind was spinning, which made me bury myself in Finn's chest.
"I don't feel so good," I mumbled, gripping his shirt.
It suddenly felt like I was under more pressure than ever, becoming too much to handle.
"Fools, if you keep stressing her. She might have a miscarriage. Don't you know women are delicate in their first months?" Astred suddenly spoke up.
Her voice triggered Finn to radiate that malicious aura again.
"Shut up! This is your fucking fault!" he snarled, holding me close as his tail wrapped around my waist.
A weird giggle came from the succubi, who crossed her arms. "My curse doesn't make people get pregnant, m'lord. It makes you sex crazy—something you helped her with. A little too much, if I may add."
"What the fuck do you know?" he retorted, narrowing his eyes.
His voice could cut through stone, yet his hold on me was tender. I was creating this conflict, all while the world was burning outside. The humans were going through a mass extinction event, while I was having a crisis about a child who may or may not come to be.
Pregnancies were usually declared three months into it, all because miscarriages could happen at any time within the first few trimesters. I didn't even know how far along I was, thanks to my irregular periods.
"Well, out of all of us, I'm the one who had a kid before the fall. I also used to be a doctor. Do any of you know how to care for a pregnant girl? No, one who's the first of her kind?" Astred pulled no punches.
Her words caused me to glance at her—something about her demeanor told me she wasn't lying. There was more to this woman than her primal nature, yet her words were the ones that caught me the most.
You believe me. Why?
Everyone in the room remained silent as she shrugged. "No? I thought so."
Her piercing gaze soon landed on me again, "Then how about you let me care for her? I'm not going to do anything to her. I kind of owe her for not letting you have me. Even I know what fate would've befallen me if it were up to you, M'lord."
Huh?
"After what you did? Fuck off, you aren't getting anywhere near her! Nyla knows plenty about how to care for her condition." Finn growled, holding me closer to his chest.
His heart was beating too fast, alerting me that he was more reactive than anything else.
"Hah? She would've gotten pregnant no matter what. When something is going to happen, it will happen. Just like our fucking curse, who took my baby from me!" she snapped, radiating the same red aura.
Ah… Fuck… Was your child part of the humans who didn't make it? How… Horrid. All of you… are…
"I don't repeat myself." He huffed.
She rolled her eyes, "Well, when she gets sick and dies on you. Don't come crying to me. Pregnancies are hard already. Her is an unknown. To hold a demon child in a human womb is unheard of, but it isn't impossible."
You're the only one…
Pulling myself away from Finn, I took a step towards her.
"Can you help me with this?" My voice trembled as I didn't know what to do.
"Sylvia, she's—" Finn tried to stop me, but she didn't let him continue.
"Of course, I may not know how to give birth to a demon child, but I do know about a human one and everything you need to do healthily. I'll ensure you meet all your baby's needs, though I suspect it may be more than just normal nutrition." She quickly intercepted.
I saved you from an eternity of torture. Is that why you are helping me? Or… Is this another trick? I have to be careful, but out of all these demons, you might be my only hope of making this fruitful.
A child between Finn and me was a fantasy but became a reality.
Something isn't right. I know I didn't sleep with anyone else, but why did it happen now?
"You're more delicate than before, not that our lord believes it. He seems stuck in the fact you're pregnant, trying to find blame on everything but himself." She added, glaring at the demon king who had broken her heart in more ways than I could ever see.
"Silence, Astred!" he snarled, startling me.
He waved his hand, but before he could, she continued.
"I don't know what I ever saw in you! You're nothing but another terrified man! Heck, I never knew you could be so pathetic, Finn Dragonheart! It's probably why we all ended up here!" she countered, standing her ground.
His eyes glossed as he winced before clasping onto his chest. Not only was he turned into a monster by others, but he blamed himself for how things turned out. In his mind, he should've fought, much like Serah had. Perhaps if he had, it would've turned out differently.
However, I knew…
If you had done anything, you wouldn't be alive today, and I wouldn't be able to be with you! I wouldn't have this life growing within me. Ah… I…
"Stop! Don't blame Finn! He did everything he could anymore, and he wouldn't be here with us today! You probably would've all died that day!" I jumped in between them.
The moment I did, I felt a cramp, making me reach down to my abdomen.
What?
A soft gasp left me as my body ran cold, leaving my legs to fail me.
"Sylvia!" Finn grabbed me, tugging me towards him and preventing a hard fall.
He quickly followed me onto the floor, grabbing onto my cheeks.
"Are you okay?" he breathed.
This demon was a mess like I was. This was the first time I had ever seen dark circles form under his eyes. Demons never needed rest, but this one was lost entirely—a weakness all the other demons would use against him.
I…
"I felt a cramp, and it scared me," I mumbled, realizing he was trembling, too.
Astred sighed, kneeling in front of me. "Are they constant? How bad is the pain?"
"No, it's light. I just got scared. They aren't supposed to happen, right?" I asked, voice shaky.
"Well, light cramps are normal after conceiving, and some spotting is also okay. Just rest for a couple of days and avoid any excessive exercise, which includes rough sex." She informed, shifting her eyes to Finn before rolling them.
She had never seen the demon king in such a state before, which probably made her realize he wasn't a god but a simple man.
"I-I don't k-know anything about this. I-I'm sure my body isn't even fit for a…" I trailed off, biting my lip.
I didn't want to get rid of this new life growing within me, yet I knew I wasn't fit to be a mother, and this world wasn't suitable for it either.
"Well, one of you lot tell Gael she's eating for two now. Ensure her meals are full of nutrients fit for a pregnancy." Astred huffed, gazing at the wolf and owl in the room.
They both had been quiet the entire time.
"If you think—" Brielle started, only to be interrupted by the Succubi.
"She's skin and bones; she still has to gain some pounds if that body of hers is going to support a baby. Until she gives birth, she needs a close medical eye. More now that she has a potential demon growing in her womb." She informed, getting up from the floor.
"Rizak has that covered." The she-wolf answered, pointing her blade at the succubus.
Astred clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "That owl…"
Instead of paying attention to them, Finn was entirely focused on me. His tail was tightly coiled around me. Our world was falling apart, and there was little to stop it, yet I didn't know the storm was just beginning to form into a raging hurricane, which meant the worst hadn't yet passed, and when it did.
This world would never be the same.