«Where the hell it went?»

You thought you left it there, but when you returned to your room, the stone was no longer on the nightstand. Someone had taken it and maybe you knew who, but in the end you didn't care much, better that a haunted thing wasn't with you...its expression changed from day to day and once, you even thought it was crying.

«Time to go, Y/n.»

Grunbeld's voice distracted you from your research, he had just come to pick you up to leave the fortress at the first light of dawn. You were partly tired of being there, but at the same time you didn't know what the reason for this journey was or where you would go. The other knights were already on their horses and so were Sonia and Griffith, who turned towards you as soon as they saw you.

«Given your condition, you can't ride a horse alone, so you need extra help this time...» The White Falcon said and accordingly, the giant knight took a step forward, it was obviously his job but Griffith dismounted from his horse «You will use mine, Y/n.»

A silence fell among the men, as Sonia tried to contain her dismay at hearing those words. Griffith reached out and as much as it bothered you, you took his arm in your hands.

«I want to know where we're going...it has to do with me, right?» You dared to say looking down at him, you thought he would stay on foot but he jumped on the horse to sit behind you.

«You'll find out for yourself. For now, enjoy the view and believe me, it will be worth it.» His breath brushed your ear as he spoke, you weren't comfortable having him behind and he was pleased with that, as you couldn't run away from him «I have to admit, you're particularly beautiful. Now I understand why he likes you, you are different from most women...»

You wanted to get away from that man as much as possible, his contact was disturbing you and the same was when he mentioned Guts, making you turn partially towards that pair of crystalline eyes, which were anything but clear as they should be.

«Is this another one of your tricks to get me on your side? Because I tell you it won't work, not after what you did to me.»

Griffith chuckled and grabbed the reins in front of you, his arms wrapping around you like a cage. You wore a brown cloak on your clothes, but the material wasn't thick enough to keep your body from colliding with his when the horse began to ride; Griffith took up position at the front to lead the group, with Sonia and the captains only a few paces behind, as the rest of the army stretched out for miles.

«You're not just the supreme commander as they say...who are you really?»

They were heading northeast, the opposite direction from where you had come and of course, from Falconia. From here on, it was unknown land for you and unknown were the intentions of the knight sitting behind you, who was observing the distant horizon in the meantime...he had no map with him, but he knew exactly which road to take to get to that place.

«In this world, some people are born like keys that move the world and exist having no connection to the social hierarchy established by man...you're not much different from me Y/n, and only by shaping your destiny, you can become the best version of yourself.»

His answer wasn't entirely obvious, but something told you that he had gone through a lot to become what he was today but still, there was something dark in it, otherwise the nightmares you had couldn't be explained...they were vivid and you remembered everything as if you had experienced them in person.

«How do you know Guts, was he also part of the Band of The Falcon? What happened then...»

Griffith admired your intelligence and it was almost his duty to answer you, if it weren't for one detail that he absolutely wanted to point out to you.

«Yes, he was an excellent soldier. A true friend, to be honest.» He explained and that surprised you, since Guts had never told about it «But even the best friend ends up betraying you and so he did, turning his back on me...he wanted to find his own way.»

You remained silent listening to his story and partly, that of the Black Swordsman. You didn't blame him, after all you had known Guts as a rude and solitary guy, but you hadn't forgotten his words when he told you about a fallen angel who became a devil, what if he was referring to Griffith?

Anyway, you didn't say anything and waited for the rest of the story, which you probably didn't expect.

«But after some years, he returned and while I accepted my imprisonment from the king for loving princess Charlotte, he attempted to reclaim the Band of the Falcon by misleading the only woman in the army in whom I placed all my trust...I think you've seen her in your dreams, her name is Casca.»

Casca. You finally put a name to the face of that tanned woman moaning under Guts's limbs in that perverse nightmare and you patted your swollen belly nervously.

«So, it was all true...what if he came back to her now?» Of all the things he had said, that was the one you memorized and in seeing your attitude change, Griffith touched your shoulder as if he wanted to comfort you, but his smile was hiding something else.

«If you're wondering, yes, they are together now. He met her shortly after you left Falconia and–»

«STOP NOW.» You could no longer contain your emotions and the horse stopped moving, your voice was loud enough to alert the captains and Locus was the first to show himself.

«If she's bothering you, I can continue escorting her, sir.» You didn't look anyone in the face, until the glint of a blade hit your eye but you ended up ignoring it. It would have been useless to fight, not in your current condition, but Griffith shook his head to the captain of the lancers, declaring that everything was fine.

«She's just tired. Let the others know we'll be camping soon.» Locus looked at him and then lingered on your still figure, before spreading the order to the army; though Griffith knew what he was doing, he couldn't tolerate that woman's arrogance but as he was thinking like that, his gaze met that of the red giant, he also had heard your scream and feared it was for another reason.

«I didn't mean to upset you, but it's your right to know the truth about a man like him...you are carrying his baby after all.»

The White Falcon's voice sounded more sincere now but you didn't react, no matter how much he tried to be kind, you already knew his true colors and you wouldn't fall for it anymore...however, your heart was beating wildly and you started sweating on your forehead, whether it was true or not, if Guts was with another woman it was only your fault, you separated from him after he proposed a life together.

Maybe, if things had gone differently and you hadn't gotten pregnant...maybe, if you hadn't kept it all inside and had fully accepted your feelings for him, maybe you wouldn't be in this situation now and you would still be in Falconia - or somewhere else, but next to the only man you ever wanted. And as painful as that thing was, you didn't dare let a tear fall down your pale face.

«Maybe that's how it was supposed to go.» You concluded by wiping your face with a sleeve and removing every trace of misery.

• • •

The next few days were a constant repetition of riding, stopping, and idle chatter. Not knowing what was to come, you learned to devour all your meals and ride by yourself, albeit with due surveillance from the militia. Instead of Griffith, there was Grunbeld marching beside your horse, he didn't need it anyway and neither did the group of giants who followed him, as if he were a sort of king. Definitely, if it wasn't for the silver-haired man, he would have been fit for the role of supreme commander.

«How are you feeling?» He asked you often and you always responded with a nod. When you stopped, he helped you off the horse and made sure you didn't stumble, he gave you personal space and exchanged deep glances with you.

You had no objection, but you had other things to think about, such as frequent stomach cramps. It wasn't food's fault, for sure, and when you put both hands, you felt something unimaginable.

Right there, something had kicked inside your belly. You pressed the same spot with your fingers and again, you got the same reaction, the baby was moving and every time you touched your belly, he responded as if was communicating with you.

«Mpf, are you fighting or what?» You grimaced as you accepted the unusual challenge, it was as if the little creature was telling you to keep going, that very soon you would no longer be alone. What would happen when he was born, you thought, would Griffith let you go in the end? He knew full well that you had nothing and that going too far with just a tiny weight in your hands would be a stupid decision...

But you knew you would leave, one way or another.

«I'll do what's necessary. Then I'll leave this place behind...we'll leave this place together.»

Even though you didn't speak out loud, you knew he (or she) could hear you from inside, as you knew you wouldn't leave this child to anyone. Not as long as you were alive.

The thick wilderness surrounded the armed cavalry, the fortress had become a distant memory and you had the feeling of having now reached the borders of Midland; it was there you wanted to go months ago, before your solitary journey was abruptly interrupted by a cursed, talking stone...you had thought of returning to your old, military camp and having an abortion, but now you were eight months pregnant, in the company of people who were anything but friendly and armed to the teeth as if they were going to war.

But the strangest thing was, the soldiers didn't say a word and none of them dared to look you in the face. Maybe they had been forced by Griffith to behave like this, but it seemed unusual to you they kept their eyes hidden in their helmets, without even checking if there were any hidden dangers in nature...the more time passed, the more you wanted to close your eyes for a while, you needed to rest your mind during that journey which seemed to have no end.

«Just a little bit...»

Suddenly, your horse stopped moving, making you wobble in your seat. Grunbeld was still beside you, before asking you to follow him to the front line.

«Lord Griffith wants you to reach him.» He just added with his giant hammer resting on his shoulder, as if it weighed nothing and you swung the reins, running through the entire line of soldiers again. When you arrived, the sunset light hit your eyes, preventing you from immediately seeing the unknown landscape.

«We're almost there. I guess you recognize this place, don't you Y/n?»

The leader of the Band of the Falcon said with a satisfied smile and this time, you raised a hand to shield yourself from the setting sun and to understand what he was referring to...you thought - hoped it was a trick of your eye, because there was no way you had gotten there just by chance.

«But this is...! No, it's not possible that we got here...»

Although it was now a green wasteland, you remembered every inch of what had been there years before and every tent that had been pitched in the barren earth; the more you stared, the more the past fed your memory with every sound and word you had heard from those hellish days.

But it wasn't seeing the place you were born and raised that disturbed you, but how this man knew every damn thing about you.

«I understand your confusion. But the truth is, Y/n, there's nothing that doesn't escape my perception and though I haven't visited this place before, I know exactly where it is, because this is where you were meant to be from the start...and where all this will end.»

Griffith had the calmest expression he could show and didn't move a muscle, yet your horse neighed and kicked its hooves in panic, as if a viper had just bitten it; you tried to tame the animal by hitting its flanks and commanding with your voice, before it stood up on two legs with the intent of making you fall badly.

«W-what the hell you did to him!» You were yelling at him this time, no one was stepping in to help you and you weren't sure you could hold out much longer, until a touch from Griffith was enough to calm the animal down.

You knew he was doing it on purpose.

«There's not much left yet. We'll have to hurry before the baby is born.»

The pains returned to your stomach and were more intense than earlier, to the point that you couldn't breathe properly, as if several blades had pierced you deeply...you had lost count of the times real weapons had hit you or simply scratched, but you had never been caught unprepared like in this moment.

«It's too early to go out now! It must be his fault, he's the one making me suffer like this, damn it.»

You lost touch with reality as they crossed the green and silent land, apparently they intended to push beyond the hill, where there was something much more interesting to Griffith.

And something very important to you.

«You'll feel better Y/n. Hold on.» The giant's reassuring voice echoed in your ears, but you didn't pay attention and tightened your grip on the fabric, it helped get over your abdominal cramps. With your eyes half-closed, you would have definitely thought it wasn't him but Guts, but he wasn't there and the pain increased when you knew, you would never see him in a place like this.

«This is not the time to think about it. They're heading towards the tree, I have to stop them!» You managed to think through gritted teeth. The smell of cherry blossoms was getting closer, whatever he had in mind, you shouldn't have let him get close to it.

«This is where your mother lies, right? I can feel her energy beyond the wood.» Griffith got off his horse to reach the roots of the tree, with that pink foliage it was as beautiful as you remembered; he placed a glove over the trunk and suddenly, a stormy wind rose among you...you looked up at the sky and there, you saw it filled with black clouds.

«Something's wrong here.» You thought taking a deep breath, the pain seemed to have subsided for now. When you lived there, you had never seen such bad weather and couldn't help but look back at Griffith, motionless under the immense plant.

«Everything red...red in the setting sun shining upon the blood...» There, you heard Sonia prophesying with her eyes closed «This scene should be only gruesome...however...instead...it's like an inimitable painting. Now you can see it too.»

She opened her bright eyes to look in your direction, you had never heard her speak like that and it made you restless, until you looked at the army; everyone was kneeling now, also Grunbeld and the other Apostles and behind you, you heard a noise similar to a wingspan...when you turned to Griffith, a strange creature was standing in his place, with black wings that enveloped the figure as if it were a bat.

You couldn't believe what you were witnessing. His eye was red as blood, causing something inexplicable when he looked at you; Griffith, or whatever he had become, spread his wings and soared into the sky, as all the light had completely disappeared, plunging the world into deep darkness.

«He is Femto. A member of the God Hand.» Sonia walked and knelt down beside you, unaffected by what was happening in that place «Now that we're all here, he'll start the ceremony and you'll become his next Apostle. There's only one price to pay and you know exactly what it is...»

• • •

You suddenly fell to the ground. The earth was shaking so hard that it ended up splitting right next to your feet, where a chasm opened up. The tree was still intact, but your vision was clouded by hot steam rising from deep underground, that sanctuary so dear to you had suddenly become a reign of fire.

The Beherit appeared in her hands to finally leave it to its owner, but instead of that, you grabbed the knife the blonde girl was wearing in her belt and pointed it at her or anyone who came near you.

«You don't understand, you have to sacrifice the baby or–!»

«The only thing I'll do is leaving this place, my mother's grave that you all are dishonoring!» You screamed at her face, you had been silent for all the journey to regain your strength despite the cramps, but unfortunately you hadn't taken into account one more thing...those pains weren't random and Sonia looked down at you, smiling compassionately.

«There's no way you can leave, Y/n. And if you do, it will only be when you're dead.»

You wanted to hit her after those words, but you couldn't because of the sudden wetness between your legs. You didn't know what it was exactly, but you sensed that the time had come and moved away to take shelter at the foot of the cherry tree; the pain was so strong and almost fainting, but you held the stolen knife tightly, you wouldn't let anyone get in the way during the birth.

But that thought seemed to catch Femto's attention, because he landed just two steps away from your position.

«This child did nothing to you, leave him alone...if you want someone, take me.» You breathed deeply and quickly, you were completely alone and didn't know what would happen next, the child might not survive and in that case, you would have preferred to kill yourself than submit to that kind of monster.

But that's when he leaned over you and grabbed your sweaty chin in one quick movement. You could feel his claws scratching your skin, as his eyes stared at your suffering from behind a black helmet, which served as a mask.

«I'll tear both of you away from him. And you will be mine.» He spoke in the same voice as Griffith, but with a tone that was anything but human; you moved the face to stop that disgusting contact and he stood there, staring at your miserable condition.

«He's the son of the Black Swordsman, product of the Sacrifice and damned soul who lives on this world. His fate is already sealed and as such, the newborn must be given to the God Hand to cleanse him from the curse...you have no choice but to obey me, Y/n.»

Femto sentenced and even if you wanted to stab him, the contractions started and you threw yourself against the tree to support your weight, you didn't expect it would hurt so much and thought that a sword would hurt you less.

«Tsk! Like I'm gonna let you do that. Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't think it's going to end the way you want...I'll be the one to decide what to do with my fucking life.» You said contemptuously, you had fought a lot of battles and surely wouldn't skip this one because there was a birth coming. You had the idea to point the blade at your wrist, where the vein was and there, the dark demon's gaze narrowed.

«I'll cut myself, if you take one step.»

However, your hand was shaking due to your weakness and with a quick jerk, Femto planted you against the tree with a single wave of his hand; you felt a force oppressing you against your will, that was one of his powers and now, he was preventing you from moving. You didn't know how all of this was possible, including Griffith's transformation, all your suspicions were true and he was just using you to get revenge on Guts.

«Give in to utter despair, Y/n. This is how life comes into the world.» He said and after that, another pain pervaded your body and forced you to scream. Your clothes were in the way and without being able to oppose, your hands moved as if governed by a dark force and you threw your cloak off.

«I-it's too strong to oppose, damn it!»

Even though you were staring into his eyes with hatred, you couldn't see his face clearly, but it seemed to you that he wasn't showing any feelings and once you were left only in your dress, he "ordered" you to take off your underwear and lift your skirt just later...you gritted your teeth nervously when his scarlet eyes lowered at the sight of your private parts, but you stayed shocked when he grabbed your legs to spread them in the air.

From afar, Grunbeld jumped to his feet at the sight of that, but was immediately stopped by Locus' spear, no one was to interfere with their master's plan nor they could oppose a member of the God Hand.

«I made a promise to her, I can't break it.» The giant ignored the warning, also Sonia grabbed his arm but he shook her off, as devoted as she was to Griffith, he was astonished by her total indifference towards the giving birth woman.

«Stop, or you'll be considered a traitor.» Irvine aimed an arrow in his direction and as a result, some apostle soldiers stood on guard against the red knight «I understand that you're worried for that girl, but don't trample on the loyalty you have given him. She refused to become one of us, after all.»

The blind archer said lowering the weapon to his companion and Grunbeld gripped the hammer tighter, he didn't question Griffith's ambition to cleanse the world, but he felt it wasn't right for him to attack you and an innocent creature, even if he was the son of a marked man...the more he thought about that, the more time he wasted, until it stopped completely at the hearing of the shrill cry that you had condemned to this world.

Your body laid still against the tree, looking for the source of the little noise with your eyes and when you saw it, your heart stopped at the sight of the baby crying and moving beneath you, still tied to you with the umbilical cord.

It was a female. And when you found the short weapon on the ground, you held it tight in front of Griffith, straight ahead of you and eager to give that little bastard the Death's kiss.