Khar to his brothers, who, for once, agreed with their elder sibling
Khar had not expected this.
During the chase, his treacherous imagination had tormented him with visions of Lily suffering unspeakable agonies, sometimes even whispering that she might already be dead. But even then, he had not imagined the Corvus cry would become their greatest problem.
He knew it existed, of course. Yet its use had been forbidden for chrono-centuries. Sapiens species, unless deliberately halted, still followed the old paths of evolution. Khar had assumed Horos, descended from generations of Corvus who no longer used the cry in mating, would have nothing more than a withered, vestigial ability.
The moment Khar laid eyes on Lily, he was almost certain nothing had changed. His sight and scent were far sharper than any Human female’s. He believed he would sense it instantly if anything had begun inside her.
But he had not dared tell her that.
What if he was wrong?
The final step of Corvus mating required a bite, and Lily insisted no such thing had happened. What if she had not been conscious? Khar had seen no wound on the scan, so he ruled it out, yet he still refused to contradict her. The cruelty of false reassurance followed by a devastating result was beyond what he would inflict on her.
Overall, Khar believed Horos had thought far too much of himself. He had convinced himself he possessed his ancestors’ dangerous talent. That arrogant delusion was likely what had driven him to kidnap Lily and steal the Vitro in the first place.
But all of that mattered far less than Lily’s well-being.
And on that front, Khar felt he had failed. He should have shown more empathy. He should have made the unshakable nature of his feelings clearer.
So while the scan processed, he decided to record her a message.
“Lily. I’m waiting for the deep scan to finish. I haven’t seen the result yet.”
He turned the camera toward the medical display, letting it capture the slow, rhythmic sweep of scanning beams, then angled it back to his face. Even to himself he looked exhausted, but he had no patience for his own condition.
“I am so sorry I could not protect you. That failure will weigh on me until I die, but I will not let it destroy me. I will use the guilt to become better. Better at keeping you safe, and better at listening to you. In both, I proved lacking. But there is one thing about which there has never been even the faintest uncertainty.”
Khar drew a long breath, steadying his voice.
“Lily, no matter what happens, I will always love you. I will stay with you, whatever comes, for as long as you allow me to walk beside you. Nothing life brings will ever change that. Only you.”
He ended the recording. Anything else would only repeat what he had already said.
A thick, black tear slipped free. He wiped it away quickly and forced a heavy breath through his nose. He had to stay strong.
By the time Lily woke, he had pulled himself together.
The moment the scanner chimed completion, her eyes flew open and immediately sought him out. Khar did not spare a glance for the display. He stepped to her side and gently closed his hand around hers.
“How do you feel?”
Lily pushed herself upright and rolled her neck.
“I’m alright. Khar, the results…”
Khar shook his head.
“I haven’t looked without you. Do you want to check together, or…”
Lily lowered her head, pale and troubled.
“No. I think I want to see it alone.”
Khar’s heart cracked at the sight, but he honored her wish.
“Very well. I left you a message. Listen to it later. I’ll be outside. Call for me if you need anything.”
