Alana stared at the man in her living room. He looked much more haggard compared to the last time she saw him. His ruffled form made her think that it had been a while since he last rested.

"You look like you haven't slept?" Alana commented. Her tone detached.

It has been two weeks and five days since his absence and he returned to her looking distraught and disheveled.

She was angry at the fact that he had neglected her, again. Forgetting that she now carried his child. Did he not realise that she planned to sacrifice not just her life to give him what he's been yearning for?

Lylas did not reply. He just stared lamely at her stomach.

It took his look for Alana to quickly forgive him. That look of a lost sorry child was surely dangerous to her heart. She was instantly by his side.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I-I—" He frowned as he placed his hand on her stomach. His palm shone brightly in a golden colour that hovered over her stomach. His eyes were closed as if in deep concentration and when he opened them again, he looked vastly distressed.

"Lylas?" Alana was curious about what was happening. What made him this way?

"Two weeks ago, I discovered the vial I carried no longer shone with Luka's soul...I went searching on every corner of the realms after making sure Natan didn't come to steal from me. My instincts were that someone had dared to break into my realm and wanted to test me. However, everywhere I looked for even the breath of his essence and soul, it was no where to be found..."

Alana gasped. His and Anala child's soul had disappeared? Alana realised the extent of this situation. That child meant so much to him. More than her life. More than his life.

"How did he suddenly disappear?" Alana asked worriedly.

Lylas shook his head, his eyes at her stomach again. "I don't know how it happened Alana...nor how it could be possible, it wasn't in my control exactly ...but I think—no, I am certain—the child you're carrying right now is Luka."

"What?" Alana blanched.

The shock of his statement was tremendous and her heart stopped momentarily before accelerating in a faster pace.

"He has immortal fairie essence. Our child would only be a mortal with neither fairie, nor demon essence. Feeling him just then confirmed it..." Lylas's spoke too quickly. Whether from excitement or anxiousness, Alana couldn't tell.

Suddenly she recalled Natan's words that night she met him again during her birthday party.

"...Little demoness, why does the child you carry have fairie essence."

She hadn't payed attention then because she thought he had spoken the truth. She had thought her child with Lylas would be special because he would have half of his father blood. It turns out their child would have only inherited her mortality. It turns out their child hadn't existed at all.

"....somehow his soul broke the seal of the red crystal sphere and entered your womb." Lylas continued.

Alana felt her head swimming. "H-How?"

"Such a thing can only be cause of the primordial heavens...it's beyond me."

"So, I'm not carrying my own child, but yours and Naala's?" Alana asked, still not understanding fully.

He nodded. Then looked into her eyes. "Are you disappointed?"

Alana felt goosebumps as he clarified it. "I don't really know how to feel...I'm just shocked.... you said before that he will need a brand's new life form and thus taking it from the child we made...so I've been mentally preparing myself for that."

She partly lied. It was true that she had been mentally trying to prepare herself for this during the past fortnight. However, she ended up failing to accept the reality of the situation. She ended falling in love with the thought of hers and Lylas's child. She ended up contemplating running away with that child.

It turns out she fell in love with the wrong child.

"I'm quite at wits end myself.... because that was what Derak told me. But, miraculously his primordial soul is whole inside you without needing another life form...it's only him inside you somehow." Lylas was in awe.

Alana felt conflicted and unsure of herself. It turns out she was fated to that woman from the beginning because she will carry her child. It turns out that in the end, she was merely a means of a surrogate.

Alana's emotions were complicated but relief was most prevalent. She now realised she didn't have to sacrifice anyone else apart herself. It was only her life she would have to sacrifice. If it was only her life, then she would gladly carry this child throughout pregnancy.

If it was only her that would suffer in the end, for Lylas, she would do anything to give him his happiness.

And it was through this final resolve in her heart that the tears began shedding down her eyes.

"This is good news right?" She inquired, wanting confirmation from him that she was doing the right thing.

Seeing her cry pained Lylas. He hugged her close to comfort her. Such a love and devotion, Alana was surprising him at every turn. Such a mortal with selfless heart was truly a rare find. He considered himself blessed to have met her.

***

That day Lylas explained that because she was carrying an immortal child, Alana couldn't remain in the mortal realm anymore. The safest place to carry out her pregnancy to full term was back in his realm.

Alana understood and obliged him. However, before she could truly spend the remainder of her days in his realm. She requested for a day or two to pack her things and say goodbye to her loved ones on earth.

Alana had prepared for this day ever since she found out she was pregnant. She had called her lawyer and asked him to string some documents so that the shares she had to the company would go to Pam and Jake.

Since this process required their signatures, she had lied to her friends that she had recently went to the doctors and got nervous about her health. She was very vague in telling them truth. She didn't want to traumatise them about her potential death.

They signed the documents nonetheless and for those past two weeks and five days, Alana had slowly distanced herself from them by working at home.

In her last day with Pam and Jake, Alana told them the half truth since she didn't want to leave those friends' curiosity hanging when she wouldn't visit or call them in the future. She told them she was pregnant and was going to move country with Lylas.

She lied that her doctor had diagnosed her pregnancy to have complications in the future. Therefore, she couldn't stay in the UK and had to move where the medication she required was in a legalised country. Although she made it seem as if she would never speak to them again. Her friends didn't catch this and were initially happy about the news of her pregnancy and then worried about the rare diagnosis.

Alana hugged them more tightly that day, holding back her tears. She was so ever grateful for Pam and Jake. They had truly took her in their wing. They had took in a nervous grieving teenager who had been alone in city she didn't know, and watched her grow into a refined talented artist capable of holding her own.

"When I die, erase their memories of me, please." Alana had begged Lylas that evening after her final goodbyes.

"I don't want them to be sad. I'd rather never leave my mark. I don't want to leave broken hearts behind. I cant bear anyone grieving for my sake." She requested this from Lylas.

Lylas had only nodded and stared at her weirdly the whole day. Alana had ignored his deep regard and concentrated on her tasks.

The next task after saying goodbye to Pam and Jake was to pack her things. Lylas had promised her, that for the rest of her stuff, Zenos and others would come and collect them. So that when they returned to his realm, all her things would there ready for her use again.

Alana still insisted in taking her family photo album with her. Her USB drive with all her important documents. She also wrapped and packed neatly that painting of that woman.

Alana had decided she wouldn't destroy it. Although she didn't want to show it to Lylas, incase he destroyed it himself. She decided the person whom would appreciate that painting more was, Mena, and so, she planned on gifting it to her.

Alana insisted twice and thrice for Lylas to make sure when Zenos came to collect her paintings to give the wrapped one to Mena. To make sure no one apart from Mena herself opened it.

When Lylas asked what the painting was of, Alana lied and told him she had painted Mena and wanted to surprise her.

Before the final stop to Lylas realm, Alana begged Lylas for them to stay at that island. She wanted to smell the sea air and be with him privately for a few days.

Deep down, she told herself those few days with him will be her last of being intimate with him. Lylas had obliged her request without question.

However as soon as they got to the island, he didn't touch her.

The first few days in the island, Alana had tried her best to seduce him and get him to be intimate with her. However, Lylas rejected her, insisting that they had to be more careful with the baby. He didn't want to hurt them both.

Alana couldn't take his rejection, she persisted that she was fine. That apart from her breasts and hips expanding, she was yet to experience any terrible symptoms of pregnancy.

And yet Lylas still rejected her.

For a full week in that island, Lylas evaded Alana's seduction. And the more he refused her, the more frustrated she became. The more frustrated she became, the more her insecurity began plaguing the better of her. Alana became insecure about not being attractive enough to tempt him.

With his downward refusal to touch her, Alana felt that he abhorred her. She slowly began resenting him. Although he was attentive to her by being very gentle and so careful, more caring toward her well-being than before. It infuriated Alana. She began to realise he was so very caring of her because the child she carried inside her was Luka.

The more Alana resented him, the more she stopped talking to him. And then finally, after another added week in that island of keeping all her feelings inside. Alana exploded.

"Leave me alone!" She shouted, slapping Lylas's hand away. The hand that carried a spoon of porridge to her mouth.

The fact that he was babying her as to spoon-feed her, truly irritated Alana.

"Alana, be mindful. Your stress levels, affects the baby."

"All you care about is your baby! You don't care about me!" She lashed. She blamed her for hormones making her so erratic and moody.

"Alana—"

"Don't touch me! I know you don't love me. I know you will never love me so don't touch me! Go away!" She shouted, angry tears steaming endlessly all of a sudden.

Seeing her tears suspended Lylas in shock. He looked lost for a moment as be gazed at her tear-stained eyes. Then he sighed, as if understandingly.

"Alana, I know you're more sensitive because of the pregnancy, but you don't really want me to go away." He probed gently.

"I do! You're the worse, get away! And stay away! Never come back! Me and Luka are better off without you. Maybe that's why his mother decide to leave you!" As soon as those words left her mouth, Alana regretted them instantly.

Those words were a dagger that struck at him and finally impaled his heart. The darkness in his eyes became unfathomable. However, he was neither angry nor sad. He looked so vulnerable as if his deepest darkness demons had surfaced and were slowly eating away at him.

Before Alana could step forward and take it back, he disappeared in golden smoke in front of her.

Alana began to weep in remorse after his departure. The tears had slowly streamed for while before gushing out as sobs wreaked her body.

"I'm sorry." She whimpered at the air. As if waiting for him to materialise again.

"Come back."

The regret bound her body and soul, as the seconds turned to minutes and then to hours.

Alana was still sobbing on the same spot he disappeared at. Eventually the sun was replaced by the moon and yet stubbornly she stood waiting for him in that spot.

As everything darkened around her, she realised that he really wasn't going to come back anymore. The darkness entered her soul.