Chapter Text
The room was in chaos.
"Breathe, my lady! One more push!"
Jour Henituse barely heard them. The pain was unbearable, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself through it.
And then—
A loud, piercing cry filled the air.
"A boy!" The healer's voice trembled with relief. "A healthy boy!"
The words barely registered as exhaustion hit her like a wave. She slumped back against the pillows, gasping for air.
The healers and maids moved quickly, their voices a distant hum. Hands worked to clean the newborn, wrapping his tiny form in soft linens.
Jour blinked, her vision hazy.
Red hair. A tiny wrinkled face.
His face scrunched in displeasure as he wailed, crying as if his very life depended on it.
Her son.
A shaky breath left her lips. Relief. It was over. She had done it.
The doors burst open.
"Jour!"
Deruth Henituse rushed in, his face pale, his hands trembling. His eyes darted to the baby in the maid's arms.
"A son?" His voice cracked.
The maid smiled, bowing her head slightly. "Congratulations, my lord. A healthy baby boy."
Deruth let out a shaky breath, his shoulders sagging with relief. He stepped closer, brushing his fingertips across the baby's cheek before carefully taking him in his arms.
"He looks just like you." He murmured, his own breath shaky.
Jour smiled, wanted to respond, to tell him that their son will be strong, that everything would be okay now...
But then she saw the look on the healer's face.
Panic.
"My lady," the woman whispered, eyes wide. "You must push again."
Jour's body stiffened.
"What?"
"There's... another."
The words barely made sense.
Another?
The room spun. No, that couldn't be right. There had only been one, she had prepared for one.
She turned her head slightly, her blurred vision locking onto the healer's pale, tense face. Around the room, the other attendants shifted uneasily.
Deruth stiffened beside her. His hands, which had been reaching for her, faltered. "Jour?" His voice was soft, careful, but she could hear the shock and worry in it.
A sharp pain tore through her, snapping her back into reality.
"Breathe, my lady! Just one more time!"
Another pain surged through her body. No time to think. No time to breathe.
The room blurred, her body screaming in protest.
Jour gasped, sweat dripping down her temples as she pushed again, her strength draining with every second. Her limbs trembled, her mind hazy, but she forced herself to keep going.
Then, a second cry.
Softer. Weaker.
Quieter.
Gasps filled the room. Jour barely had the strength to lift her head, but she forced her tired eyes open. The healer carefully lifted the second baby, identical to the first.
Another boy.
Another son.
Twins.
She couldn't breathe.
"Twins!" Deruth's voice broke into laughter, full of joy. "Two sons! Jour, my love, do you see them? This is a blessing!"
She didn't respond. She couldn't.
Her heart pounded as she stared at the two infants. She couldn't tear her eyes away. One has been expected. One was supposed to exist. But this second child...
His time was warped.
A reincarnater.
Her fingers curled against the sheets, nails digging into the fabric. She felt disgusted.
Jour swallowed hard, her hands trembling as the healer placed both babies beside her. The firstborn was still crying, loud and strong. The second lay quietly, his tiny breaths soft against her skin.
Two of them.
One was her own, in soul and in everything that matters. The other, was not.
Deruth knelt beside the bed, his eyes shining. "Jour, love, they're beautiful. I—" He let out a breathless laugh. "I never imagined we'd be so lucky."
Lucky.
She wasn't sure if she could call it that.
Her hands, still weak, hovered over the second child. She hesitated, fingers trembling before finally making contact. She touched the baby's cheek. He was warm, Small, Fragile.
Perfect.
She should have been happy.
But all she felt was fear.