"This father did not steal his wife's child. He took him to the doctor."
The Village Chief sighed, shaking his head.
"Ehhhhhhh!?"
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Some scratched their heads in confusion; others muttered to each other in disbelief.
The Chief watched the chaos brew—blame cast like stones, loud and aimless. He growled under his breath, pulled back both arms, and slammed his palms together.
[SLAM!]
A shockwave exploded from the impact, shaking the earth and stripping the trees of their leaves.
All eyes snapped back to him—wide and trembling—as his mana surged, making the weaker demons wheeze under the pressure.
"Oi, listen up, you fools!" the Chief barked, eyes burning with rage. "While you lot were busy beating up Miss Sasha's husband—wrongly accusing him—I spoke to Sasha herself. Her mind's not right, she couldn't find the words. But the truth's clear now."
He furrowed his brow, his tone sharpening. Then his gaze fell to the dirt.
"Ethan. How long do you plan to keep kissing the ground? You've got a wife waiting."
Ethan groaned, bruised but determined. "Y-yes... I'll go now."
He pushed himself up, pain etched into every movement, but he limped forward.
The Chief watched him go, one hand clutched over his stomach, and turned back to the villagers. Their faces had darkened with guilt.
He jabbed a finger toward Ethan's retreating figure. "See that? That is a real man! Now—is anyone going to give him a shoulder, or are you content letting him drag himself through the dirt?"
The villagers glanced between each other and the Chief, then bowed low.
"We're sorry, Sir!"
"You fools!" the Chief roared. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to! It's Ethan—the man you beat! Are your skulls that thick?!"
He cracked his knuckles as his mana flared again.
"ARGH! I SAID, DON'T APOLOGIZE TO ME!"
The villagers fled in a flurry of apologies and fear.
"Ahhhhhh! We're sorry, Village Chief!"
At Ethan's house…
He leaned against the doorway, catching his breath. Peeking in, he saw a blur of motion—women hurrying about, tending to Sasha.
One woman spotted him and rushed forward, offering her shoulder.
"Mr. Ethan! Thank the spirits. Sasha's resting in her room."
"Is she… okay?" he asked, voice trembling.
She gave a small, tired smile and nodded.
Before Ethan could speak again, a familiar voice called from inside—soft, delicate.
"Ethan? Is that you?"
His heart leapt. Ignoring his bruises, he surged forward.
"Huhu, if only my husband rushed like that…" the woman muttered with a playful pout.
In the room, Sasha reached out to him, and he gently took her hand.
"Is… is our son going to be alright?" she whispered, eyes searching for hope.
Ethan smiled, but his expression faltered. Tears welled up as he bowed his head.
"I don't know, love… we have to wait for the doctor." His voice broke as he covered his face.
Sasha's hand brushed his cheek, warm and steady.
"Don't lose hope so quickly, silly. I know he'll make it."
"How can you be so sure?" he asked, barely able to speak.
"Because I'm a mother. And a mother knows when her child is coming back." She smiled through the pain.
His tears slowed. Her words, filled with calm certainty, stitched him back together. He stood straighter, stronger.
"You're right. I'm his father… how could I ever give up?"
They clasped hands.
"Let's go to him."
At the Doctor's clinic…
"What is this thing?" the Doctor snarled, pacing wildly. He slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a deep dent.
"There's nothing I can do! I don't even know if Sirus is still in there!"
From the black cocoon on his table, the sounds began—cracking, snapping, popping.
[CRACK!]
[SNAP!]
[CRIP!]
Bone-like echoes filled the air. The Doctor stumbled back in horror, collapsing to the floor.
The door burst open. A petite female demon rushed in—curly pink hair, black coat, white skirt.
"Dad!" she shouted, eyes wide. He was frozen in fear, fixated on the cocoon.
She dropped beside him, shaking him. "Dad, snap out of it! What's going on?!"
He didn't answer—just staggered up and grabbed a heavy tool.
"Dad? What are you doing?" she asked, eyes narrowing.
His grin was cold, unhinged. "I'm going to break it."
"DAD, WAIT!" she cried—too late.
[BANG!]
[ZZZZZAP!]
Lightning arced. The Doctor was hurled across the room, slamming into the wall and falling unconscious.
His daughter stood in stunned silence. The cocoon remained untouched, though the table had split in two.
The room fell deathly silent. Then—
"What happened here?!"
Ethan burst in, Sasha close behind. Chaos greeted them: broken furniture, unconscious doctor, a humming cocoon.
The daughter turned, shaken. "W-who are you two?!"
"It doesn't matter!" Sasha snapped. "What's going on?!"
"I-I don't know," the girl stammered, staring at the cocoon. "What… what is this thing?"