The cold of the early morning quietly seeped into the room; the fireplace still held its warmth, yet could not dispel the quiet atmosphere after the snow outside.
Sif lay on her side next to Louis, her short white hair had grown to shoulder length, spreading a few strands on the pillow, her breathing steady, yet her brows and eyes still carried that wild sharpness.
The bulge of her belly, ten months along, was pronounced, but it did not diminish her stance; instead, it made the strength in her body more evident.
Louis glanced at her gently, his fingers paused slightly beside her belly.
It should be any day now.
Suppressing a fleeting moment of tension from the depths of his heart, he quietly got out of bed, donned a thick robe, and walked over to the window.
The rooftops of Red Tide City were layered thinly with white from mist and snow, and chimneys from steam workshops in the distance were emitting fine smoke.
Louis raised his right hand, lightly flicked his fingers.
