From Marcus' Perspective
Scene 1: The Call
The Guild dormitory was unusually still. Rain tapped gently at the windows, and for the first time since his exile to Earth, Marcus felt… calm.
He was flipping through a book Jeremiah had lent him—Mythos and Meta-Legends—when his holowatch blinked.
> Katherine: "Hey. It's happening. My mom's in labor. We're heading to St. Bernadette's. Wanna come?"
Marcus stared at the message, fingers pausing mid-flip. For a moment, the Prince of the Obsidian Citadel hesitated—not from fear, but from the strange sense that this… mattered. Birth. Family. Something no Nexus-Born creature could mimic.
> Marcus: "I'll be there."
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Scene 2: The Waiting Room
The hospital was warm, almost stifling. Marcus kept his cloak folded over his arm and stood awkwardly by a coffee dispenser, watching Katherine pace near the doors.
Caleb, holding a wrapped bouquet of blue flowers, leaned against the wall. Mark sat cross-legged with a portable console in his lap, oblivious to the gravity around him.
When Katherine caught Marcus watching, she gave a small, nervous smile. "She's been in labor for five hours," she muttered. "Dad's inside with her. I wish I could help, but she said no meta abilities near the room."
Marcus nodded quietly. "It's an organic ritual. Pure. Untouched by enhancements."
She glanced at him. "You sound like you've seen a lot of this."
"I haven't," he said softly. "Where I come from… we don't celebrate birth like this."
That made her look at him, really look. "Well, you're about to see the messy, terrifying, beautiful part of it. Hope you're ready."
He wasn't. But he stayed.
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Scene 3: The Cry
The tension cracked at 4:42 AM.
A nurse burst through the doors, beaming. "It's a boy! Healthy and loud, just like big sister predicted!"
Cheers erupted. Katherine hugged Caleb, then spun to Mark who looked both sleepy and stunned. She laughed through tears and glanced toward Marcus.
He stood frozen—then gave a rare, true smile. "Congratulations," he said.
"Come meet him," Katherine said, tugging his sleeve. "You're part of this now."
Those words felt heavier than any spell or command he'd heard from his father.
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Scene 4: The Room of Light
Katherine's mom—Lillian Vance—looked radiant, exhausted, and regal. Her hair was matted with sweat, her hand still clasping her husband's, but her smile was pure warmth.
A nurse gently handed her the bundled baby, who squeaked once before settling into that deep, dreaming silence unique to newborns.
Lillian looked up. "You must be Marcus."
He stiffened. "Yes, ma'am."
She offered a tired smile. "Katherine talks about you. Says you've helped her a lot."
"I've… tried."
"You're welcome here," Lillian said, surprising him. "Whatever your story is."
Katherine touched Marcus' arm and nodded toward the baby. "Want to hold him?"
"Would that be… safe?"
"Safer than you think."
Gently, Marcus accepted the tiny bundle. The child opened cloudy eyes, blinked, then closed them again. So small. So fragile. So… alive.
His fingers trembled.
"Do you have a name?" Marcus asked.
"Ezra," Katherine said. "Ezra Vance."
Ezra. A name with weight. Peace. Hope.
The Obsidian heir held the human infant and felt, for the first time, not the burden of power, but the possibility of something better.
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Scene 5: Afterglow
Outside the hospital, dawn was breaking.
Marcus stood with Katherine on the steps, the sky a pale wash of pink and gold.
"You handled that like a pro," she said softly.
He shook his head. "That was… overwhelming. Beautiful. Terrifying. I think your mother has more strength than ten warriors."
"She's amazing," Katherine said. Then, after a beat: "Thank you for being here."
He turned to her. "I wanted to understand what you fight for. I think… now I do."
Katherine smiled and looped her arm through his.
And for the first time, Marcus didn't feel like a spy.
He felt like… a brother.
A friend.
Maybe even… human.