At 9 p.m., a pale-looking woman with a dark mark around her neck and a swollen stomach lay on the sofa of her 3rd-floor apartment, three buildings away from the road. Her empire-waist dress clung tightly to her body. With her left hand she clutched her belly, her gaze locked on the door. 

 At this very moment, she should have been in the hospital.

  After all, she was pregnant.

  A sharp wave of pain ripped through her, forcing a scream. “Ouch! Ah!”

  Her voice climbed higher, louder, echoing into the corridor beyond her door. She stared at it with desperate intensity, willing anyone who passed along the 3rd floor to hear her agony.

  I should have known better when I saw the time. There was no need to wait for him any longer. My stubbornness has put me in this predicament. And yet… even now, I still hope he will walk through this door. What is taking my husband so long? She thought

  She shook her head, sweat clinging to her hair, and screamed again. “Ouch! Ah!”

  Please. Anybody. No matter who you are—come help me. Even if I die, please, I don’t want my baby to die with me. In despair she thought

  She wasn’t poor, money for hospital bills had never been a problem. after all She lived in luxury here in Oberon. In one of the town’s finest apartments. But now, alone, her wealth meant nothing.

  It happened that a woman named Margo had strolled past the pregnant woman’s room, heels clicking softly, on her way to a soiree. She chose the stairs instead of the elevator, descended quickly, slipped outside, and passed three more buildings before reaching the roadside. There, she waited for a car.

  Head tilted, she stared at the sky.

  “Tsk. Talk about the weather. Now I’ll have to go back for my umbrella.” she muttered

  The clouds were heavy and threatening. So Margo hurried back into the apartment.

  She made it inside just before the first drops fell. Then her phone rang and she answered without pause. “Allo.” she whispered.

  And a man’s voice cut through. “You know your presence here is important, right?”

  “Yes,” she said calmly.

  “Why aren’t you here already?” shouted the man through the phone.

  Margo knew perfectly well: the soiree was for his promotion and her presence was crucial. Without her, the event would feel incomplete.

 And since she wasn't yet there, the man suspected she intended to sabotage it.

  “It’s not what you think.” Margo tried to clarified her self

 But the man silence was sharp, disbelieving. “Oh? Then—” he muttered.

 Strangely Margo wasn’t bothered by being late. But she didn’t want to appear careless. “The rain stopped me from coming on time. Sorry, I’ll be late. Please, be understanding.” she clarified her self.

 Then the man muttered “What else can I say? … Hurry, then.”

 Before the line went dead.

  Margo sighed and turned toward her room, quickening her pace.

 a scream echoed “Ouch!”

 Which force Margo to stop as she froze

 The cry came from the corridor she’d just passed.

  “Did I just hear something?” muttered Margo before she retraced her steps slowly. 

 And again, the sound echoed. “Ouch.”

 Margo pulse spiked. “What are these screams? Don’t tell me—” she whispered before another cry echoed right after she stood beside the door.

 This time there was no mistaken it thought Margo whose curiosity burned hotter than hesitation. And without thinking, she pushed the door open.

  Creak.

  Inside, the pale woman writhed. Margo stared, momentarily stunned.

  Why would this woman—

  Margo was the kind person who will always helped others, yet sympathy wasn’t what moved her. What drove her now was the force that had shaped her since childhood. If she saw something unusual, she had to act.

  “Don’t feel disturbed,” Margo said gently.

  As soon as a weak reply came out of the pregnant woman “Uhmn." Margo Muttered “I know some nursing. Just wait a little—I’ll be right back.” before she walked out of the room

 The pregnant woman sagged with relief at those words.

  The apartment had a management office. And there Margo hurried.

  “Hello, miss.” muttered margo as she stood before the person incharge of the management office who replied her in a welcoming manner “Hello, madam. In which way can I help you?”

  “I don’t know… uhmn, do you have the instrument supplies for birth aid necessities?” Margo voice carried unease before the answer steadied her. “Yes, madam.”

  “Ok then, I will borrow them—actually, there is a woman about to give birth and she is in critical condition—” Exclaimed Margo 

  But the woman responded professionally “I understand your concern. Please wait a moment.”

  “Tch, what a cold woman,” Margo muttered under her breath.

  The person encharge of the management services began to slid papers across the desk.

 And after she found what she was looking for. “Fill this document and sign, then give it back to me.” she muttered after she gave the documents to Margo who replied with “Ok.” 

  Even though she thought Someone’s life is on the line, and all she thinks about are measly papers. as she signed before floding back the document

 “Here it is.” she uttered

 Then the woman checked the form, tucked it away, and turned to unlock the supply room door.

  Creak.

  And after She walked through the corridor up to the locker in the room where the full birth-aid kit where, she retrieved and shut the locker, and returned.

 During that the the impatient Margo thought. What is taking that woman so long? Drumming her fingers.

  Then—

  Creak.

  “Oh, speak of the angel. Finally.” she whispered.

  Snatched the kit after she signed some additional. documents, and rushed back to the apartment. Opened the pregnant womans door, knelt beside her, grasped her hand, and injected oxytocin before she began the birth process

 Margo began to give special instructions to the lady during the birth process “Take a deep breath, then release it. Focus on breathing—it will ease the pain....I’ll be applying perineal massage, right here, to help.”

 The woman began to push. Then Margo braced her back and hips, offering steady words.

 And after a while....

  “He’s coming out. Harder, just a little harder—you’re almost there!”

  Yet before the woman gave birth, suddenly, the air changed. The sky outside darkened, thunder rumbling low. A swirl of spiritual energy converged, funneling directly into the woman’s belly.

 “What is happening?” Margo stared in disbelief. What is this strange phenomenon? she thought before she uttered it

  «There is something great that will manifest in this child.»

 Before she focus back on the delivery process.

 Then as the baby head came out. Heart racing, Margo set a suction cup against the baby’s head. And with one final push—

  Echoed a cry “Wail. Wail.”

  “Wow—finally.” breathed Margo tears blurred her vision. “There, see this? You’ve given birth to a fine boy. Just look at how cute he is.” she exclaimed in joy.

  …But the mother was silent. Too silent.

  Then in that silent Margo thought Why isn’t she reacting? before she glance at the woman and got shock “No, no, don’t die on me!” she muttered as she tried to bring back the woman back alive after she had place the baby some where save.

  “Ah—” she screamed so loud

  But it was too late. The woman was gone.

  A storm of feelings struck Margo, but she didn’t let them root. Raising the child herself was never in her plans.

  “Don’t worry, boy. I’ll send you to a place where they will take good care of you." she murmured as she raised the baby upward before naming him "Let’s call you JUN.”

  That same night, tragedy struck again.

  A car accident tore across the bridge after the strange phenomenon faded. Speed and panic had stolen control from the driver.

  The driver was Jun’s father.

  He had been rushing to reach his wife, trapped earlier in heavy traffic. His tire exploded, his car swerved, crashed through the bridge railing, and sank into the river below.

 Afterward time flew since Jun was born and by the week’s end, Jun was sent to a dormitory school. One which Margo paid ten years’ worth of fees. before she vanished from his life and never returned.

  Seven years later.....

  “Man, today’s training was brutal. And while we were beating ourselves up, some lazy gossiping bud was hiding here in the restroom,” said a tall boy, grinning.

  “Just leave them be. We won’t see them again after the trial,” replied his friend.

  Inside the restroom, hidden voices whispered. And among them a boy whose eyes were fixed on Yul began a strange conversation. "It’s been a while since your parents sent you to Francisca Catholic Dormitory, Yul. Doesn’t it mean you were discarded a long time ago?" He Chuckles after

  “You mean because of the seven-year trial? You may not be right, but you’re not wrong either. If you come back alive, your parents can take you back if they meet the conditions,” replied a boy that sat beside Yul, on his left side.

  “Come back alive? In the last seven years trial, only two managed it—and it was only because they avoided the blood reapers..... Everyone knows those monsters kill for their blood-extraction ritual,” Yul said grimly.

  “Ah bah, then it means the rest were weak,” scoffed a boy who sat with hands on his back. He froze when three pairs of eyes snapped toward him. “What? What did I say wrong?” he muttered as his gaze driffted through them all

  “Weak… I already know my destiny. And if it was as you said—” muttered a boy who sat next to Yul, on his right side.

  Then Yul’s gaze darkened.

  “The issue is this: the first payment is seven years, no less. Only after that can parents return to claim their child—if he’s still alive. If they don’t, you go under the church order’s tutelage, but only if you survive the trial. Now, if parents paid more than seven years in advance, they can return anytime after that. That’s the new rule since our badge arrived.” muttered the boy whose eyes was fix on Yul.

  “When you said paying more than seven years, were you talking about the case from seven years ago? A parent who paid ten years and abandoned their child?” asked the boy on Yul left side

  “Correct.” 

  “The boy you’re talking about is JUN. A very mysterious one. He disappears at the same time every day since his second year here, and nobody knows where he goes,” said another boy. This one sat just beside the boy who has is eyes fix on Yul.

  “JUN,” Exclaimed three of them before the boy who sat opposit them confirmed “Yes.”

  Then as if summoned, Jun appeared. A slim boy with white hair, red eyes, and white skin walked past them, silent.

  They all stared, dumbstruck. Except one boy who sat among them all

  Yes among the five gossipers, one boy had remained quiet, and now finally, he spoke. “Instead of chatting, better decide how to die honorably, for those who know the can’t win.... Everyone knows themselves. Some of you didn't even realize that the seven-year trial starts this Saturday. And today is already Tuesday.”

  His words cut the air and the five boys gasped. “Really?” which suprised him as he said “You… you weren’t informed?”

  But Jun ignored them. Settling on a bench in the training yard, he closed his eyes, meditating. Before memories stirred.

  He saw himself younger, training alone, when an old man stopped to watch. “You can circulate strength flow at the age of two? Who taught you?” muttered the old man.

  “Nobody. Ah… what is strength flow?” Jun asked

  “Oh, gods. Don’t tell me you don’t even know what you were doing!” Exclaimed the old man as he put his hand on his fore head.

  “I know there was this surge in me for a while, but I couldn’t release it. Then suddenly I could, so I came here to test it.” came Jun words which made the old man asked.

  “A surge, tests… and what is it you want to test?”

 The old man words made Jun struggled for words. And decided to demonstrate what he mean later as, flames burst out from his body, formed and condensed into spheres, then hardened into a small, glowing pill.

 It was a fire pill, one that could rejuvenate fire-magic users.

  “You… you can even wield magic power." stammared the old man in shock before he gave Jun some lessons. " Listen, kid: that surge you felt is strength flow. Only when it circulates through your body and reaches its maturity can magic power then awaken.”

  “So that’s how it is. Thanks, pops.”

  “Don’t call me that. But strange… it takes years of training to comprehend, perceive, circulate, stabilize, and quantify strength flow before magic can be used. For you, it came naturally.”

  “So is what’s happening to me abnormal?” Jun asked and got a complimented by the old man “Certainly not. It’s called being gifted. Since you can use both, upon maturity a union will form. If that union fails, the aftermath is the birth of a transforming essence.”

 And thus Jun’s eyes then snapped open in the present. He muttered to himself: “I must focus.” before he stood up and walked his way out of the restroom.

  Moment later as he, walked down the corridor, someone called out to him. “Jun, wait!”

  He turned, steady gaze meeting the boy. “Is there a problem?” he asked.

  “Your thoughts… about the seven-year trial. I mean, aren’t we all seven? What can we possibly accomplish?” asked the person that called out to him.

 But irritated by the question Jun answered “Don’t disturb me with nonsense.”

  “Always the same. Ah, well. But if someone can master strength circulation, he can survive—unless he meets the blood reapers.” muttered Jun caller before they parted ways.

 On his way as he walked alone Jun lingered. Blood reapers… They seek the essence within blood. Will I be able to fight them, if ever we meet?