Sacrifice…

July 2nd, 1988 - Earth-199999

Unknown Village - Hunan Province, China

David's infant mind swirled with confusion as he witnessed the chaos unfolding around him. The heartbreak etched on his father's face, juxtaposed with the chaos outside, and the inner strife left him reeling with unanswered questions. 'Why is there so much screaming outside? No, first of all, why am I a baby?' The dissonance between the external chaos and his internal turmoil overwhelmed him, forcing him into a sort of forced slumber.

Meanwhile, Calvin, hidden in the cupboard with his children, couldn't help but marvel at David's ability to sleep amidst the commotion. His attention shifted to the dire situation outside while he stayed hidden even as the last of the agents departed. Only then stepping out of hiding, Calvin emerged into the chaos outside, waiting to hear from the remaining villagers about the aftermath of the invasion.

"Calvin! They took all the elders, what do we do?" a voice called out, desperation lacing every word. "There's nothing else to do, we have to get her back!" Calvin's resolve echoed through the sombre atmosphere, his determination unwavering despite the odds stacked against them.

As the villagers debated their next course of action, Calvin's thoughts drifted to his children. With a heavy heart, he knew he had to bid them farewell before embarking on the perilous rescue mission. Approaching the twins' crib, he gently laid them down side by side, a heart-shaped locket adorning Daisy's neck and a necklace with a blue crystal around David's.

"My darlings… I have to go, mummy needs me, but I promise I'll be back." His words, tinged with sorrow, held a solemn vow to return to his beloved children. Daisy, the only one awake from the pair, seemed to sense his departure and began to cry. Tenderly soothing her, Calvin whispered reassurances until she, too, succumbed to sleep, joining her brother in peaceful slumber.

With a heavy heart and determined resolve, Calvin set off on the rescue mission that would alter the course of their lives forever.

July 14th, 1988

As Calvin knelt beside the mutilated remains of his wife, Jiaying, a primal scream burst from his throat, echoing throughout the ditch they discarded her in. His heart shattered watching her broken body, his grief an overwhelming torrent threatening to consume him whole. In the depths of his soul, a desperate resolve took hold – he couldn't bear to face his children with the devastating truth of their mother's untimely demise.

"How am I supposed to face them... I have to fix her," Calvin's thoughts raced as he grappled with the impossible task ahead. Jiaying's powers, her ability to heal and extend her lifespan at the expense of others, offered a glimmer of hope, no matter how little. With a strengthened resolve, Calvin set to work, his hands steady as he began the gruesome task of piecing her shattered form back together.

What followed could only be described as a grisly massacre, a sacrificial offering to sustain Jiaying's waning life force. In a desperate bid to save her, Calvin harvested the life energy of all the residents from their village, a harrowing choice born of love and desperation. As he worked tirelessly to mend her broken body, he failed to notice an entirely different team of secret agents that entered the village, bearing witness to a scene that would haunt them for the rest of their days.

Despite the carnage that continued to pile up around him, Calvin remained undeterred, his singular focus fixed on the woman he loved. Stitch by stitch, he painstakingly reconstructed Jiaying's form, his hands guided by a mixture of medical expertise and unwavering devotion. The air hung heavy with the weight of sacrifice, the price of Jiaying's survival exacted in blood and anguish.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Calvin's efforts bore fruit. Jiaying lay before him, her wounds mended and her breath steady once more. Relief flooded through him, tempered by the grim reality of the cost paid for her resurrection. As he gathered her fragile form into his arms, Calvin hadn't even noticed the absence of his children, he wouldn't see them again for a long time to come. His psyche would be forever changed and damaged in their pursuit, marked by the devastating choice he had made in the name of love.