An elf’s pregnancy was the most unpredictable when it came to duration. Some gave birth within the first few months, even before experiencing all the hardships a normal human would, while others endured the same hell a pregnant omega went through before bringing life into the world.

Yusha was the latter, experiencing every bit of pain and suffering to give life to his child.

And finally came the day when the physician declared that he would give birth—after countless false alarms.

At night, Enzo began staying by his side to ensure no mishap occurred. Yusha’s health deteriorated countless times, but the man kept it a secret, his lips sealed tight. When Ren and Enzo finally learned how bad his condition truly was, they exploded on him, scolding him endlessly.

It was raining outside. The weather was warmer compared to last month. The snow had long melted, and the dead grass had begun to reappear, as if fresh green blades would bloom at any moment.

It was just another calm night—at least until Yusha’s water broke. The mansion filled with his cries, chaos erupting all around.

Yusha groaned in pain, one hand clutching his stomach as if it were about to burst open.

Enzo held his free hand while Ren patted his sweat-damp hair.

The physician continued guiding the omega, his voice steady. His hands pressed down, then lifted again.

"Breathe," he paused before continuing. "Now push."

At first, no one noticed it. The way the white sheets darkened with scarlet liquid. The sharp scent of blood grew thicker in the air. The thick liquid kept flowing—slow at first, then far too fast, soaking through the cloth meant to absorb it.

The elder man stiffened. His fingers trembled before he hid them beneath his sleeves.

This much blood...

It was more than it should be. Far more.

"Push harder," he urged, softer now.

Almost pleading. He was unsure if both the father and child could make it through the night.

A few mages stood by the door, waiting to assist in case something went wrong. The General had prepared everything to make sure nothing happened to the omega.

Yusha heard nothing. The room faded, voices dissolving into a distant hum. His mind emptied itself, leaving only an aching stillness behind. Tears slid down his temples. He had not known pain greater than this. Unbearable. Making one wish to die.

He knew he had seen it all. That nothing could hurt him anymore. But this was beyond his imagination.

His breaths came shallow and uneven, refusing to obey him.

And though he despised it, even within this agony, the only person left in his thoughts was Liam.

His handsome face.

His bright smile when he spoke of the things they would do together in the future.

His gentle eyes whenever he called Yusha’s name.

His soft lips that collided against his with a tenderness Yusha never knew.

His careful touch every time they made love.

Everything.

He began to miss everything about the man he loved.

Everything he had lost.

The cry of a child tore through the room.

Relief broke out in soft gasps—voices overlapping, feet moving hurriedly.

He had survived. That much was certain.

But Yusha felt nothing.

The child he had bled for was placed against him, small and warm, breathing softly. However, Yusha did not move. Did not smile. Did not reach out. His body lay heavy, foreign, his lower half screaming in a dull, endless ache—as though something inside him had been torn open and left that way.

Ren and Enzo cleaned him with the help of the maids, careful and quiet, as if afraid he might shatter if touched too roughly. When they finally sat beside the bed, the room became unbearably still.

Too quiet for a place where a child had just been born.

Yusha stared at the ceiling, eyes unfocused, as though whatever part of him that should have felt joy had drained out with the blood.

Ren broke the silence first.

"Is something wrong?" His eyebrows lifted, worry written all over his face.

Yusha parted his lips, but no sound came out. He didn’t know what to say—didn’t know what he was supposed to feel. His fingers curled tightly into the blanket as his gaze drifted to the child.

It had bright purple eyes. Like shining jewels. The rare kind.

"Your eyes remind me of amethysts. When I have enough money, I will get one for you." Liam’s voice echoed in his mind, warm and unbearably clear.

"No," Yusha whispered. "Nothing is wrong."

The lie tasted bitter.

His chest tightened with every breath he took in. Gently, almost mechanically, he wrapped an arm around the baby and held it against his chest, closing his eyes. Yet nothing came—no warmth, no relief, no love. Nothing like what he imagined happened.

He didn’t cry. He didn’t scream.

Only a hollow stillness in his empty chest.

And somewhere beneath it, a quiet, terrifying thought overwhelmed him.

What if this emptiness never leaves?

"It’s a girl," Enzo beamed, running his fingers gently through the young man’s hair.

Yusha looked at him, surprised.

"A girl," he repeated, his gaze drifting back to the child in his arms.

It had never crossed his mind that she could be a girl.

All this time, he had imagined a boy—someone who would resemble Liam, or perhaps himself. A smaller version of what they once were.

Somewhere deep inside, a fragile sense of relief settled in his chest.

Now, he wouldn’t be reminded of the man who had broken him more than he already was. He wouldn’t look at his child and wonder what kind of life they might have had together—what happiness might have looked like, if things had been different.

The thought made his chest ache.

Yet even then, the relief felt distant, absent—like an emotion he knew he should feel, but couldn’t fully reach.

"Yusha," Ren breathed. "Are you not happy?"

The purple-haired young man looked up at him and curled his lips. Muscle memory—a smile practiced so many times it formed on its own, never quite reaching his eyes.

"Of course."

Another lie.

At this point, he felt like the worst person alive—lying to the very friends who had stood by him through everything, who had held him together when he was falling apart—when he couldn’t escape Liam’s clutches.

***

Liam sat in his office, head leaning back as he stared at the ceiling. He was lost in a trance, unaware of how much time had passed since everyone else had gone home.

It was only when the man in charge of locking the doors appeared that he noticed the sun had begun to set.

"When are you going to leave, my lord?" the man asked, standing at the threshold.

"Now," Liam replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

He grabbed the long coat hanging on the rack, slipping it on before leaving the room with hurried steps. As he slid his hand into his pocket, his fingers brushed against something hard. He paused, then pulled it out.

A violet gem. Small, diamond-shaped.

A low laugh escaped his lips. An amethyst.

One he had once promised Yusha.

He had been so certain the omega would never leave him that he took his time fulfilling that promise. He had planned to ask for Yusha’s hand in marriage the moment he received the title of Marquess.

But that day never came.

As if that weren’t enough, his father had begun pressuring him to marry, dismissing his excuse, that his fiancée had betrayed him, as pathetic.

And perhaps it was.

A lie he told the world.

One he told himself.

Just to keep Yusha by his side a little longer.

And yet, he had been abandoned by the very man he was willing to risk everything for—for the first time in his life.

By now... Yusha must have already given birth.

The thought crept in quietly, uninvited, and settled deep in his chest. Somewhere out there, Yusha would be lying in a bed that wasn’t his, holding a child that wasn’t meant to exist like this. Surrounded by people who were not him.

His fingers tightened around the amethyst until its edges bit into his skin.

So this was it.

So easily replaced.

The child would be with him now. Nestled against Yusha’s chest. Stealing the warmth that had once belonged to Liam alone. The first cries, the first touch, the first everything—things Liam had never even been given the chance to imagine properly.

A bitter laugh escaped him.

He was supposed to love me.

The thought burned.

Solely.

Completely.

Recklessly.

So why had he left him for that... that child?

Liam’s jaw clenched, his breath turning sharp. The image in his mind twisted—Yusha smiling softly at the baby, eyes warm in a way Liam had once believed was meant only for him.

Jealousy curdled into something darker. Something shameful.

He knew it was wrong. He knew it was cruel. He caused this mess. And yet, he couldn’t stop the thought from forming.

That child had taken his place—the only being that could anchor Yusha to life itself.

Not with malice. Nor was it intentional. But all the same, it had taken everything Liam had been yearning for—and everything he had been too slow to claim.

His grip loosened, and the gem slipped back into his palm. The amethyst gleamed softly, indifferent to his resentment.

Too late, a quieter realization followed.

Yusha hadn’t chosen the child over him. He had chosen freedom. What he always craved was breaking every shackles that held him back. And Liam had been the one left behind.