The summer heat was suffocating as the sun bore down upon the heads of all the townspeople and merchants that lived within the debaucherous land of Heathenport. Beaten old ships docked as sailors slowly moved, and the smell of the sea smelled rank as the heat beat upon it. The waves swayed ever so slightly and settled the waters while its citizens stood still and fanned themselves despite the sweat that ran down their brows and necks. There was a certain unsettled nature to the quietude of the early morning as rats stayed within the shades to conserve their energy and the beggars that often circled the streets had hidden away from the summer heat as well. 

However, further down a few miles into the heart of Heathenport's city, unbeknownst to them, DeLaRose, one of Heathenport's most famous brothels, stood with absolute elegance as if to withstand the test of nature. Its tall gates covered to the brim with the freshest roses gorgeously glittered under the sun, still blooming and thriving under infernal heat. Men and women, patrons and long-time clients alike, entered in and out of its gates with the objective to have a great time; enticed by the alluring smell of omegas that permeated its walls. 

DeLaRose, known for its prestige, was a brothel held to the highest regards as its practices and particular entertainment was known across the lands and enabled by the one true king. Nobles, merchants, philanderers, anybody with an ounce of money was welcomed with open arms into its spacious venues. Furthermore, it was encouraged and celebrated by the sound of laughter, dance, and drink which filled its streets and halls. The smells of pheromones mixed with the heavy scents of perfumes intertwined only to seduce the hearts of many a noble, capture the pockets of the unsuspecting victim, and alleviate the sexual desires of others. 

Today was like no other. All omegas wandered around going about their daily business as usual despite the trickling sweat that poured down their necks. But even despite the cantankerous of celebrations there was a lingering silence that filled the gaps in the air. A cause to be on edge. Deeper into DeLaRose-still-and within the personal chambers of Madam Rose's Main House, erupted the sound of pain. 

With great swiftness, the midwife took a quick look to survey the situation and saw the baby's head pushing out. She knew there was no stopping it. Worriedly, she glanced at the omega before her and shouted in support, "Push Aster c'mon just a bit more."

Aster's complexion was pallid and his thin dress was damp with sweat. He had been in labor for the past three hours, and the intense heat of the summer was not helping matters as it escalated the stuffiness of the room making it harder for him to breathe. His breaths were rapid as his open chest heaved up and down in the same rhythm. His hair, an unusual shade of pale yellow, only reflected his distress.

He looked at the ceiling every time he felt like passing out and cursed Madam Rose in his head for ordering that he not get any medicine to alleviate the symptoms of pain. He blinked the tears away and mustered the strength to stretch out his arms as he reached for the ropes they had hung on the ceiling for him to grasp onto. His fists clenched upon them as he mustered all he had within himself and pushed. 

The pain was unbearable. The infernal heat pounded upon his body and as he finished with that push he dropped heaving. His exhaustion blurred everything, and all he could hear was the faint and distant voice of Helen, the midwife, that for all she was worth was trying her best to get him through it. 

"The babe is almost out. A few more pushes! Don't give up now, " she urged with encouragement. 

Aster breathed through his mouth trying to get as much oxygen in his lungs before he decided to give this act another try. He felt the darkness closing in as his peripheral vision blurred. He blinked it away as his honey colored eyes stared and glistened with tears and managed another push. He cried out in pain.

"That's right! There we go. You can do it one more time! One more!" 

He let out a withered sob as he suddenly felt that tether, slow and burning, starting to become bolder and stronger every time he pushed. The silver thread, the beautiful chord, continued to form and bloom within his sights; the chord that no others could see. The one others couldn't feel. It was his baby reaching out and being born into this world.

He steeled himself to push again. He grabbed the ropes once more and he breathed long hard breaths; grabbing momentum. 

One.

Two. 

Three. 

He pushed and let out a deep guttural grunt; however, it felt as if the summer heat mocked him as the temperature rose bearing down on him like a hammer. Maybe it wasn't the summer heat, but rather the fact of his realization beating upon him with heaviness. 

He didn't want this child to come. 

It wasn't because he didn't want it, but because he was afraid. After he pushed he breathed out and weakly spoke, "He-len…" 

Helen glanced at him and didn't say anything as she saw the light in Aster's golden eyes grow dim. His hair had turned paler than it was before and his face, too, had lost its color. She lifted his dress skirt and shivered as she saw the baby's head as well as the amount of blood. 

Unaware of his precarious situation, Aster faded in and out of his dizzy spells. He could not dare think of himself, but of the child he decided to birth into this world. He had never been afraid because being alone all this time meant he could suffer alone as well. 

But now, what would happen? 

The child he would bring into this world will suffer just like he had and it would be all his fault for making the decision to bring the child into it. He would never forgive himself if any harm came upon his baby. His nerves racked from within as he breathed out a sigh of pain. He was scared. He breathed once, twice, and on the third he pushed again. 

The pain. 

The pain was blinding.

Helen, who could feel Aster getting weaker with every push gently spoke, "Alright you're almost there Aster. Come now, you can do this. Just give me a good one."

Just then the doors of the room burst open making Helen jump where she kneeled and nervously turned to see who had entered. Aster didn't dare glance. He knew who it was before he saw her. He knew because it was ingrained into his body to know. The fear was all he'd ever known. From the corner of his eye he could feel Madam Rose overseeing the entire spectacle. She stood to the side, smiling cruelly, and taking pleasure at the drama of it all. But most importantly taking great pleasure in his plain visible agony. He was afraid. His hair turned from a pale yellow, to a gray, and then to black. 

Solid unnerved black. 

And in viewing his unwitting emotions in full display, Madam Rose smirked at the triumph her presence brought the omega before her. She knew Aster was afraid of her. After all, it was only right, for it had been God's plan for her to hold such power over such a feeble creature. 

Aster glanced at her and pushed whilst his energy depleted. His body which has been through strenuous pain for hours was worsened only by the state of his weakened body. This body of his which had been neglected the moment Madam Rose ordered him to be locked up in a cell until the day of the birth.

When Madam Rose had ordered for him to be locked away, Aster, in his solitude, had thought about the labor everyday. He had felt the dread approaching as the months passed by, because he did not know what Madam Rose could do or was capable of. He had mulled over the sin he had committed and the betrayal he had committed towards her. He knew he would never be so easily forgiven by Madam Rose. Even if she had once doted upon him and spoken words of care and love. 

He shook his head and tried to focus as he breathed out rapidly and regained his strength. He held onto the hung ropes and pushed. His entire being trembled from the power, the strength, the fear, everything, until there was nothing and he felt instant relief, as the sound of crying reached his ears.

The silver thread. 

The chord was strong and gentle.

Its silver form floated within his line of vision. It held true, beautiful and ethereal, aimlessly floating as it connected mother to child through their cors. The crying of the baby seemed to amplify it and send waves down his chest where his cor lay like a ringing of bells. The crying reached Aster's ears, and the sound was a stab to his heart as he felt those harsh and bold cries run down their connected threads in waves. His golden eyes glistened over and he fell down upon the bed completely exhausted.

"It's here!" cried Helen. 

She grabbed the crying baby and walked to the side of the room where a table had been set with warm cool water and towels. She began to clean it and inspect it. She made sure the baby was healthy despite being born a month early. Her skills were quick and efficient as she felt the glaring gaze of Madam Rose off to the side waiting for Helen to give her verdict. She knew Madam Rose was more interested in the baby's condition instead of Aster's, and because of it she hadn't dared to move a finger to help Aster from bleeding out.

In his exhaustion, Aster slowly turned his head, wanting to catch a glimpse of his baby, but Helen blocked his view. His rapid breathing began to finally settle, but with the adrenaline washing away he could feel himself slipping away as the blurriness crawled at the edges of his sight. 

Suddenly, Helen carried the crying baby over, rocking it gently in her bosom, as she placed the child in Aster's arms, "Congratulations Aster, it's a baby boy."

Aster held up his arms weakly to hold his baby, and as soon as the baby felt his mother's touch he quietly ceased to cry. The babe began cooing softly as it nestled its small head into Aster's open chest, damp by his sweat. Aster stared at his child and noticed that his hair wasn't silver white like his or that of his people, but rather held a soft brown hue. The child as if rocked to sleep by Aster's heartbeat quietly closed its eyes and began snoozing. 

Aster smiled and sent down a calm energy through that silver thread that connected them, and felt the child respond back. The power of his Helderian ancestors rang true as his hair, which had been black a few moments ago, slowly changed back to his original silver hair which held a soft pink hue in it. 

He was in love. 

He felt the soft fast heartbeat of the child beneath his chest. He was a fragile little thing, small, and so incredibly lovely. This child was a part of him now, so much so, he felt the chord that held them to each other quiver and sing into his own cor. It held the same familiar timbre of the faint trembling he felt the first day he had realized he was pregnant. He had seen a shadow of a chord then, not fully formed, but there to say hello all the same. However, this time it was different, it was real, and his baby was real.

Aster couldn't help but think of his own mother then. He wondered if this was how his mother felt when she had given birth to him. He could feel himself remembering the chord that connected her with him for years, until it had drawn taut and then snapped with her death. It had been agony. The pain, unlike any other. The memory of it was so vivid he instinctively squeezed his son hoping he could protect him from all the pain in this world. However, he knew he couldn't promise that his baby would not go through the same things he had.

This reminder was only emphasized by the sound of footsteps that approached his bed. A shadow cast over his body as Madam Rose carefully watched the situation as if calculating her profits. 

She finally spoke, her voice mockingly sustained by the eloquent smoothness in her voice, "He looks nothing like you. A pity. Will you be able to look at it, knowing that? Eight months having to carry the consequences of your actions, and yet that lousy rotten bastard that did this to you has yet to show his cowardly face. "

The elderly woman crossed her arms, "Oh poor little Aster. How does it feel that such a bastard has left you here to fend for yourself? Did I not teach you better? I still love you as you are, and after what you have done I am willing to look past it. So what say you? Why don't I sell this little piggy in exchange for the forgiveness you wish of me? The misgivings you've done to me will be forgotten, and we shall not owe each other anything. Sounds like a lovely exchange doesn't it?"

Aster blinked his fatigue away and ignored her. He gently poked the side of the baby's cheek. It was soft and warm.

Madam Rose shook her head as if she was hurt by the mere thought that her favorite omega was going through such an ordeal, "Oh Aster, you've worked so hard under my services. If you feel guilty about it, don't be. Many omegas in your position were more than willing to give up their children. Rather! Why don't you see this as an opportunity to come back into my good graces? Right Helen!"

Helen straightened her back and remained silent knowing full well not to get involved. The servant only nodded, if only to appease the madam.

"See!" Madam Rose exclaimed, "No need to feel ashamed! We've all committed mistakes!"

Aster blinked the dizziness away. He knew why she was so adamant. Even the great Madam Rose could not forcefully separate a child from their parent as decreed by law in the institutional rights for omegas in the Kingdom of Crystalline. He knew she could do no harm in this matter, so he met her cold dead brown eyes and his voice which was smooth was rendered hoarse in his disposition, "You speak such empty words, Madam Rose."

Madam Rose flinched at the rigidness in his voice. Her complexion changed from a twisted smirk to unbelievable gusto, "Ha!"

The madam grimaced, her age surpassed only by her pride. She continued her voice sustained with a sense of incredulity, frozen and dead, "How dare you look at me like that you piece of filth! Take a good look at your surroundings. I still own you. You won't take me on my offer? Is that so?"

She leaned down to look once more at the baby boy and then at Aster's face. She laughed as if to mock him, "This illusion of yours, about loving that thing is just because your head's not on straight and exhaustion is eating at you after childbirth. But once you wake up you'll hate this child more than life itself. I've seen it happen before. Omegas that beg me to keep their children end up hating them in the end, so much so that they eventually beg me to sell them. Always for the same reasons too; simply because it's too much of a burden to bear. So why don't you do yourself a favor and give up this bout of defiance."

He stared into her dark soulless eyes and although weak Aster willed himself to hold her gaze in silence. Silence, which was more deafening than anything else he could have said.