I finished packing everything for the day. Clothes, toys, and any other important belongings I had collected over the years.


    It felt strange seeing my room so empty, but it would save time when we left. No last-minute rushing. No hassle.


    As I closed my bag, I heard footsteps behind me.


    "Is everything alright?" Mother stood in the doorway, her gaze flicking to my packed belongings.


    I shrugged, "Yeah. Just figured I''d get it over with."


    She walked in and rested her arms over my shoulders, "Do you want to stay?"


    I hesitated, then forced a grin, "If it''s for Dad’s work, then I shouldn’t complain, right? I had fun here, made some trouble with the other kids... but this is just the next chapter of my life."


    Mom smiled and ruffled my hair, "As long as we’re together as a family, everything will be fine."


    And she was right.


    A knock at the front door broke the sweet family moment.


    Mother perked up, excitement in her steps as she hurried to answer. I stayed hidden in the hallway, watching curiously from the corner.


    She opened the door to reveal a young girl, draped in a brown cloak.


    A villager’s kid, maybe? People knew we were moving soon, so it wasn’t too surprising. But something about her felt... different.


    Mother gave her usual warm smile, "Hello dear. Are you a friend of Nero’s?" She glanced in my direction, throwing me a playful thumbs-up.


    The girl shook her head, "Is Henry Rosewick here?" Her voice was blunt, direct.


    Mother’s smile faltered, "No, he won’t be back until next week to help us move. If you’d like, I can pass along a message?"


    The girl tightened her grip on the edges of her cloak, her fingers trembling slightly.


    Mother kneeled and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "It’s okay. Whatever my husband can do to help you, I promise he will."


    The girl wiped her eyes, then took a deep breath.


    "Henry is my father… I came to meet him."


    Silence.


    The warmth drained from Mother’s face. Her hands froze mid-motion.


    "Now, it''s not funny to make-"


    Before she could finish, the girl reached into her cloak and pulled out a golden necklace. A small, worn picture frame dangled from the chain.


    Inside it, a younger Henry stood beside a red-haired woman.


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    "My mother died three weeks ago from a heart virus. Before she passed, she told me my father was Henry Rosewick. One of the strongest knights in the world. And that I should go live with him." A week tearful smile appeared on her face.


    She clenched her fists, "But now… I see he already has a family of his own. No wonder he never visited us."


    The necklace slipped from her fingers, landing against the wooden floor as she broke into sobs.


    Mother didn’t move. Her eyes stayed locked on the necklace.


    I stared at the girl, at her black hair and purple eyes. At the birthmark on her neck...just like mine.


    Dad once told me that everyone in his family was born with a flower-shaped birthmark. The placement depended on which hand was dominant.


    Mine was on my right.


    Dad’s was on his left.


    And hers…was on her right.


    There was no denying it now.


    This girl could be my half-sister.


    Mom most likely doesn’t know what to do. How could she? Her husband travels for months at a time, barely spending time at home. And now… this?


    I swallowed hard, my mind racing with questions.


    How many other women are you seeing behind Mom’s back, Dad?


    And more importantly… how the hell are you going to get yourself out of this mess?


    ---


    The tension hung thick in the air as I sat across from the girl.


    We couldn''t even look at each other.


    She had stopped crying, but her expression was still tight with frustration, her hands gripping the fabric of her cloak.


    I didn’t know what to say, and judging by the way she kept sneaking glances at me, she didn’t either.


    "So… you''re Henry’s son?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.


    "Yeah, the name is Nero. And yours?" I asked back.


    She scoffed looking at the countless picture frame, "Jade."


    I also most feel bad for her...if she keeps looking at the picture frame. She might have a meltdown.


    "You got to grow up with him. Hard believe he looks completely different from a picture taken eight years ago." She said looking at the picture of us at my seventh birthday.


    Wait she eight? Damn it, that means that deadbeat knocked someone up and ran to find the right milk.


    Dad and mom were married for twenty years...was he unhappy with her at that time???


    "It''s not like he’s around much. He travels a lot given his status."


    "Looks like I might have other surprise siblings waiting across the land." She looks annoyed.


    Hope this is the only surprise family member I will meet.


    I leaned back, arms crossed, "What about your mom?"


    Jade flinched slightly, but she didn’t look away, "She was bar waitress. She raised me alone and never once told me who my father was...until she was too sick to hide it anymore."


    I felt a pang of guilt, "Sorry that you came here only to get the worst possible news."


    Jade shrugged, "Not your fault."


    "What you going to do now? After you met him?" I asked.


    Silence settled between us again.


    I glanced toward Mother’s room, where the faint sound of muffled sobs had gone quiet.


    She had shut herself inside the moment Jade stopped crying.


    I could only imagine what she was feeling.


    After what felt like forever, the door creaked open. Mother stepped out, her eyes red and puffy, but her posture composed.


    She walked over to Jade and kneeled down, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind the girl’s ear.


    "You can stay here. At least until Henry comes home. Then, we’ll figure out where to go from there. Can''t let you sleep outside." Mom tried to look at her but just couldn''t bring herself to.


    Jade blinked in surprise, "...Are you sure?"


    Mother smiled, "Of course." But I can tell whether mom smile are genuine or not. And that was the fakest smile I have ever seen from her.


    Jade hesitated, then nodded, "...Thank you."


    ---


    (Later that day)


    I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts tangled with everything that had happened.


    Jade.


    My father.


    The look on Mother’s face.


    All I know is that this will be one hell of argument from mom when she sees him.


    I sat up, glancing toward the window. The sky, once dark and calm, had shifted into a deep shade of purple.


    Eclipse is about to start.


    Then, as the eclipse began...


    A sudden pulse of energy surged through the air.


    A pillar of black and red light erupted in the distance, stretching high into the heavens.


    The ground trembled. The wind howled.


    And then something appeared flying across the sky.


    Creatures, soaring across the sky, their distorted forms twisting unnaturally as they descended upon the land.