Having now revealed the identity of Dom's parents, Pops settled into his chair, a lit cigarette between his fingers and one leg crossed over the other. He took his time, letting the smoke curl lazily into the air as he recalled his long-suppressed past.
Dom sat on the edge of the bed, eyes wide with anticipation, while Dae watched with curiosity as the seconds stretched on…
"Our team," Pops began, "...was the main unit deployed to handle Rebel conflicts with the East." He looked up at the ceiling in thought. "I think it was a year before our last mission when it happened."
Dom leaned forward subconsciously, drawn into the story.
"We were sent to take out a group of rebels. They called themselves the JCA. Some big-shot rebel group last seen in the East-Land border," Pops continued, shaking his head with a sigh.
"It took some time, but we were able to track down their base and raid them. But those bastards really gave us a run for our money. In the end, we managed to accomplish our objective… but a lot of us ended up getting separated in the chaos."
He paused, exhaling another smoke cloud.
"A few days later, we regrouped on the South's side of the border… but Klaus was still MIA on the East's side."
Pops smirked as he remembered. "I actually thought that bastard finally kicked the bucket back then." He chuckled, then looked down at the floor, still wearing that same bittersweet smile. "I led a small search party across the border to find him. It took us almost a month."
"Why did it take so long?" Dom asked.
"The weather?" Dae asked, tapping his chin. "Unlike the other lands, it's said that the East has very strange and harsh climate changes. It's what made them so difficult to invade during the war."
"That's right," Pops said, frowning. "The land has unique climates across its different regions. The border area is the snowy region. So the blizzard made our search almost impossible."
Dom smiled faintly. "But you didn't give up." He said.
"Of course not. Klaus and I grew up in the army. We were basically brothers. I wasn't going to leave him until I at least found his body." Pops commented, then took a slow drag from his cigarette. "We were relieved to find him still kicking… but…" He glanced at Dom. "…we didn't expect him to have company."
Dom smirked, catching Pops' meaning.
Dae leaned forward, curiosity sharpening his gaze. "What was she doing there?" He asked.
Pops' expression darkened. "After Klaus got separated, chased by remnants of the JCA and weakened by the cold, he was at his limit. But before he passed out, he saw an injured woman being pursued by assassins."
Dom's eyes widened.
"Being the man he was, he chose to use the last of his strength to save her," Pops commented, then smirked at the memory. "Normally, I would've punched him for throwing away his life like that… but it was that same choice that kept him alive."
Dom's smile faded, gaze drifting to the floor. "Then that means…" He murmured.
Pops narrowed his eyes. "I didn't know why they were after her back then. They never told us." He said, his tone serious. "But after what you just told me, I think I finally understand."
Dae glanced at Dom thoughtfully. "So that's where the Silva genes came from," He remarked.
Dom frowned, touching his white hair.
Pops exhaled again, thick curls wrapping around his face as he leaned his head on his hand. "I admit that I had my doubts about her at first." He continued, "She was a strange woman from a foreign land, and everything about her screamed trouble."
"Sounds familiar," Dae scoffed, and Dom raised a brow at the jab.
"But after Klaus saved her, she kept him alive for all those weeks," Pops said with a warm smile. "If not for her, Klaus would have been a frozen corpse we might have never found. No matter what doubts we had, we were extremely grateful to her."
Dom gripped the picture frame tightly. "Do you have a picture of her?" He asked.
Pops shook his head. "Clara never shared her past,st and she always refused to have portraits taken." He replied.
"Oh," Dom mumbled, shoulders slumping in disappointment.
"She was just protecting your people from the truth," Dae commented.
Pops nodded slowly. "Yeah. I know that now." He said as he tapped his cigarette against the ashtray.
Dom squeezed the photo frame in his hand, still staring at Klaus' image. "What… what was she like?" He asked almost shyly.
Pops looked up at the ceiling, recalling her. "Clara was… interesting. She was undoubtedly beautiful, an amazing singer, a phenomenal cook. She was gentle and innocent…"
Dom smiled, imagining such a woman.
"But that was just on the outside," Pops added, with a cheeky smirk. "But on the inside, she was hot-headed, cocky, and loved teasing people."
Dae turned to Dom with an extremely skeptical stare. "That explains it," He muttered.
"Can it, Grinch," Dom grumbled.
"Oh no, you're right, Dae." Pops chuckled as he looked at Dom. "A lot of Dom's features definitely came from her," He gestured casually. "Klaus was the serious, calm type, while Clara… she was fiery, fun, and full-of-life type. And honestly, you don't even need a portrait. You're the spitting image of her."
Dom smirked. "Seriously?"
"Seriously," Pops replied, pointing at Dom's head. "The only real difference, other than the obvious, is that her white hair only covered some parts of her head, not all of it like yours."
"So she wasn't fully manifested," Dae remarked, glancing over to finally notice Lucy, who was already asleep on the bed, her tail twitching irregularly as she mumbled something.
"But…" Pops added, his expression turning serious. "There's one feature she had that really stood out… she had fucking guts."
He closed his eyes, a nostalgic smile tugging at his lips as he remembered her.
"From the day we met her, we never saw her cry, get upset, or show any fear. Even when surrounded by big, scary soldiers like us, she didn't even flinch." His smile widened. "I still don't know if she was a fighter, but I do know this--she was a strong woman."
Dom's eyes shone at the praise. If only he could step into Pops' memories, he thought, just to see this incredible woman for himself.
Pops shook off the memory, smirking at Dom. "We quickly warmed up to her. I think we all saw her like a little sister. And of course, it didn't surprise us when Klaus started dating her."
Dom's finger traced Klaus' face on the photo, imagining them together.
"Because of the bombardment of missions back then, Klaus couldn't settle down… but we were all rooting for them," Pops continued, voice softening. "Then before our last mission, he told us he was finally going to propose when we returned."
Pops clenched his fists, and Dom frowned at the conflicted tone in his voice.
"Even though I promised to personally bring him back, I…" He gritted his teeth, crushing his cigarette between them.
Dae noticed the sudden tension, as did Dom, staring intently at the portrait.
Pops took a deep breath, calming himself, then continued. "Klaus made a safe house for Clara. To protect her from those assassins. Only a few of us knew where it was. After it happened, I wanted to tell her myself… but I couldn't." He ran a hand across his face. "How could I tell her that I let the man who saved her--who loved her, die?"
Dom's expression darkened further. He had heard this story countless times… but this part—this part was new. A chapter that Pops had always left out.
"I was going insane with guilt. From losing Klaus, my friends, Clara--everything." He added, leaning forward with his hands gripping his temple. "I didn't know what to do…" He muttered, his voice barely audible.
Dom and Dae frowned at the depressing sight before them.
"So…" Pops said as he raised his head. "I ran… from the army, from my past… from her."
"Pops," Dom whispered as Pops removed his crushed cigarette and extinguished it on the ashtray with a low hiss.
"This town…" Pops added, looking around. "… it was Klaus' hometown. I thought… I thought I could live out the rest of my days like this… for his sake, and for the squad's. Hoping that my meaningless life would make them happy on the other side."
He paused, tears filling his eyes as he offered them a weak, almost guilty smile. "You probably think I was stupid, right?" He asked.
"No, I don't," Dae answered first, his own smile pained. "Losing your family… especially when you were there and couldn't do anything to stop it…" His brows furrowed as a certain memory crossed his mind. "It can make you do… irrational things."
Dom frowned at Dae's sudden, morbid tone.
Pops nodded slowly, his face still etched with conflict.
"So…" He continued, "… some months went by. I haven't created the restaurant back then yet. I was just… living… eating the money I had saved up until I was barely holding on."
He paused, frowning as he recalled the moment that changed his life forever.
"That's when she showed up."
Dom's eyes widened as the pieces of the story finally fell into place in his mind.
Pops leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling, lost in the memory of that fateful night… a scene that Dom could vividly imagine as if he were there himself.
< 19 years ago…
Night fell over the little town, and a fierce thunderstorm lashed the streets. The rain hammered down relentlessly, emptying the roads as people took refuge in their homes.
In one modest house--newer than it would become years later--Alex, a young Pops at this time, sat alone in the quiet kitchen. Outside, the wind howled, and inside, the only other sound was the meal burning on the stove.
Yet Alex didn't notice.
He sat at the table, a lit cigarette between his fingers, a newspaper hiding his face.
Suddenly, a cold breeze forced open a window, scattering rain across the room and knocking the newspaper away. His reddened eyes, heavy with fatigue, were revealed. Lips chapped, eyes rimmed with exhaustion.
Even as the water met oil and hissed loudly, he didn't react immediately.
After a long sigh, he finally rose, turned off the stove, and closed the window--just as loud, insistent knocks rapped at the front door. He ignored them as he tossed his ruined meal into the overfilled trash.
But the knocking persisted.
"For fuck's sake," He muttered, sliding the cigarette back into his mouth, and walked towards the door. "I swear to God if it's some lit-" He opened the door, already opening his mouth to shout, but froze.
A slender figure in a thick, soaked cloak stood before him. And as she lifted her head, his jaw dropped, cigarette sliding out of his lips and hitting the wet porch with a faint hiss.
"Clara?" He whispered, stunned, thinking to himself that it must just be another nightmare. But that dark skin and blue eyes were more real than anything had been for months. He was about to say something just before noticing her shiver against the cold breeze.
"Oh… come in. Please." He said, opening the door for her.
A few moments later, Alex lit the fireplace, the light displaying the unkempt living room with clothes and dirty plates scattered everywhere. "I'm sorry. I haven't been cleaning much recently." He chuckled sheepishly as he tried to clear some of the mess.
Clara finally removed her hood, revealing her youthful, beautiful dark-skinned face. Her short, straight black hair was streaked with patches of white hair, the most notable being the completely white bang hanging over the left side of her face.
She stood silently in the living room entrance, watching him.
When Alex finished, he turned to her again.
Silence hung awkwardly between them as they both seemed to find it hard to start a conversation until the sound of water dripping drew his attention to the puddle under her feet.
"You should take that off. You'll catch a cold," He said softly.
Clara didn't respond at first. Then, she began unbuttoning her cloak while Alex looked away, both out of politeness and guilt.
He quietly listened to the sounds of cloth rumpling, followed by the wet thud against the floor--then he heard a small cry.
Turning back, he gasped at the sight before him.
Clara's cloak now pooled at her feet, revealing her now-damaged clothes hugging her attractive feminine physique and a thick strap across her torso--holding a baby.
"Is… is that…" Alex stammered, trembling.
Clara stepped closer, a warm smile tugging at her lips as she revealed the baby's face, a tiny mirror of her own, complete with striking white hair and eyebrows. The baby opened his eyes, tiny blue lights that danced around as he processed his new environment.
"It's our baby," She said gently. "His name's Dominic."
Alex's eyes welled with tears. The weight of guilt pressing on him grew heavier than ever.
Minutes passed as he watched Clara breastfeed Dom on the couch. The infant gripped his mother's breast tightly as he suckled energetically. She rubbed his head with a maternal smile before finally noticing Alex's stare.
"Are you really looking at my boobs right now? Perv." She teased.
Alex didn't laugh. He simply stared, questioning if she was real. If any of this was real. Finally, he straightened in his chair. "Clara… about… Klaus."
Her smile vanished. "Alex." She muttered.
"I should've sent a letter…" Alex pressed on. "… I should've called… used a fucking messenger, but I just…" He groaned, rubbing his face, tears welling again. "The team… everyone… they did their best… to save us. They sacrificed themselves so we could live."
Bitterness gripped his face.
"But… in the end… when we were so close… Klaus… he…"
Clara's grip on Dom tightened. "Please… stop," She said softly.
"He was going to propose to you, Clara!" Alex snapped as he shot to his feet.
Clara stiffened, eyes widening to their limit.
Baby Dom frowned and stopped feeding once he felt a tear hit his tiny face. "Mama?" He babbled as he squeezed her chest, as if attempting to hug and soothe his crying mother.
"It's okay, pooks." She said, sniffing as she encouraged him to keep feeding.
Alex, however, leaned his head back, gazing at the ceiling. "He was going to retire…" He said, fists tightly clenched at his sides. "… he wanted to spend his life with you… make you his purpose."
Clara continued to soothe Dom with her words even as more tears slid down her face as she listened to Alex.
"We… promised to make sure he came back. That if worst comes to worst, he had to come back to you…but…"
Tears spilled freely down his cheeks as he glared at his feet, his fists audibly squeezing with blood trickling through his fingers.
"When everything went to shit… there was an opening… a chance for one of us to escape. It should have been Klaus who took it. So, I tried to keep that opening wide for him." Alex said, his voice cracking with the weight of his unbearable emotions. "I knew I was going to die… I was ready to die… but Klaus saved me… and died instead."
He lifted his gaze, his wet eyes bitter and piercing as they fixed on Clara. "It's my fault…" He said, beating his chest as if punishing himself would soften his pain. "…they're dead…he's dead because of me. Because of my calls. My mistakes! IT'S MY FAULT THAT THEY'RE DEAD!"
The room immediately fell silent after his outbursts. Only the distant pattering of the rain against the roof, the crackling fire, and Dom's soft feeding sounds filled the void. The tension between them was thick enough that it could be palpated.
Alex's desperation finally broke the quiet. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you… or help you…"
"It's too late for apologies." She scoffed softly as she lifted Dom away from her chest, revealing the blood-stained bandages wrapped around her torso.
"The assassins?" Alex gasped.
"Klaus isn't here to cover me anymore," She said, as she patted Dom's back until he burped softly. "We lost the hideout a month ago."
"How… how did you find me?" Alex asked, frowning.
Clara smiled faintly, placing Dom back on her lap and wiping his milk-stained lips. "Let's just say I know you well enough to understand how you think." She said confidently. "It just took time for us to get here."
Alex smiled briefly, then frowned again at Dom's soft coos as he played with Clara's fingers.
As she played with Dom, Alex stared at the gentle scene before him and a wave of determination overshadowed his guilt.
"Clara." He said as he suddenly dropped to his knees with an audible thud. "You can hate me or insult me. I deserve it. But even though I've lost my Captain privileges… and even if it's too late… I promise to protect you." He glanced at Dom, who tilted his head curiously at him. "Both of you."
He smashed his head into the ground in a low bow.
"From now on… till the day I die. I will dedicate my life to protecting you and your child. I owe that to Klaus. To everyone."
Clara studied him with an unreadable expression, sensing the clear, genuine conviction in his body and words.
Then, she smiled warmly. "I don't hate you, Alex. I could never hate you." She said softly.
Alex gasped and looked up, eyes wide at her simple, yet heavy words.
"Sure, I was pissed when I found out about Klaus the hard way…" She said with a slightly harsh tone in her voice, but her smile remained. "… but if I hated you, I wouldn't be here right now."
Tears ran down his face. The acceptance from the one person he thought would despise him the most lifted most of the dark void that had been haunting him for months.
"Thank you." He muttered, his blood-stained fingers dragging across the floor as he stared at her with determination. "I won't let you or Dominic down again. I swear it on my life."
"Thanks. But I don't want your protection," She said, confusing him.
Once she covered her chest, she slowly rose to her feet, cradling her child with a cocky smirk on her face. "I'm not as weak as you think I am." She said.
Alex's eyes slowly narrowed; his senses perceived the dark tone in her glowing blue eyes and the complete lack of mana around her body. A trait that was impossible since even the weakest E-class mage would at least leak some amount of mana.
As he looked up at her again, his instincts reminded him of the same thing he thought when they first met in that icy forest.
"I always had a feeling," He said cautiously as he got to his feet. "For a Great Nation to send assassins after you… especially now, after all this time… it means you either did something really wrong… or you're just that dangerous."
Her grin widened under his intensely glowing eyes. "Sharp as always, Cap." She chuckled.
"But you won't tell me the real reason, will you?" He asked.
"Trust me," She said warmly, shaking her head. "It's better you don't know anything about me."
Alex studied her carefully, curiosity churning, but pushed the questions aside except for one. "Okay. If you're not here for protection…then why are you here?" He asked.
Clara looked down at Dom, tugging his tiny hand with a smile that earned her a soft babble. "I want you to look after Dom for me." She said bluntly.