BLEEDING SILVER

Prologue

In a dark, narrow room surrounded by enclosed brick walls, a group of four silently hides from the echoing shouts due to the unannounced chaos on the marketplace. Sweat slowly runs through a 28-year-old female's forehead. Her supposed pinkish skin already turned pale as she groans in pain through her gritted teeth. Her disheveled midnight black hair was now drenched in her tears as her left hand aggressively pulls the sheets she lays on.

"A bit more," a blonde male of his early thirties worriedly stared at the woman with his deep brown eyes as he firmly holds on female's right hand.

"They are nearing," another female of her thirties with chestnut brown hair warily whispers as her cyan pupils spy on an approaching mob of people wearing white garments through the translucent windows. "Hurry up!"

"I can see the head," states a midwife. "Push harder," she calmly commands whilst minding her business.

With one last desperate squeal, an infant's cry was subsequently heard.

Meanwhile, one of the nearby the authority picked up a suspicious shriek from the former group and alerted the others of it. Their leader immediately responded with an urgent nod, signaling his team to bust in. Entering with a forcibly cracked door, they are greeted with only two people watching a prerecorded video of a newly born baby.

The seemingly puzzled couple stood and spontaneously bowed their heads to greet them. "Greetings, brethren," said the male.

"This is unexpected," the female spoke as she displays a smile on the corner of her lips. "And yet we thought that the gathering as to worship of the sun god is supposed to be tomorrow."

The leader of the raid composed himself as he replied, "But of course. We came here upon hearing a shriek."

"Oh," the female raised her eyebrows as she pointed at the wide-screen TV. "My cousin from abroad just notified me of their infant's birth. We were watching how it went. Were we too loud?"

"You see, we cannot really understand what he was saying as it is kind of noisy outside," the male backed up with an apologetic look.

The raid team silently inspected the area with their roaming eyes until the leader spoke, "It will be appreciated if you will turn down the volume."

"Yes, of course. We are sorry for causing you trouble," the female bowed as she gazed at the floor.

"No, please don't," the leader spoke as he interrupted the bow. "A fellow Helios is of equal status. We just came to check on your safety. Please lock the door as we leave," he remarked but later paused. "Oh," he said as he glanced at the broken entrance, "how foolish of us."

The female giggled at the apparent situation. She slings her arms on the male by his side and said, "Worry not. My husband is good at carpentry."

"If you will excuse us then," the leader stated and later exited with the group.

Upon the absence of their presence, the couple's face turned grim as they went back to the room. There, they saw the midwife carrying the already calmed infant and the infant's mother lying cold on her bed.

"She did not make it," said the midwife. Then the couple's tears finally showed. "Listen carefully, Sirius," the midwife said as she addressed her statement to the male. "As this child is blessed by the moon, she is a Lunox." Sirius's eyes widened at the end of her statement. "Hear my words," she sternly stared at Sirius. "If you and Ellen would wish to keep this child, bear in mind that she is the only female of the five pure-blooded Lunox children I birthed with tonight. As you already know, all lineage of the silver bloods will be put to an end right after the raid. She, together with the four other male infants, will be the last of them. I know that you and Ellen truly cherish Stella like a true family since childhood but keeping her baby alive may cause greater calamity for the Helios in the future. If this child is informed of the purge, knowing that she is also a Lunox, she will surely become the Great Mother to seek vengeance among the Helios. With respect to Stella's death on giving birth, I would rather give the responsibility of choosing between the Helios's will and this child's fate on your shoulders." She then carefully passed the baby to Sirius. "Whatever your decision is, then so be it. Worry not, for your secret will die with me."