1. NIGHTMARE

"You think you can run away from me!"

An exclamation sounded not far behind Clara. The woman runs as fast as possible, trying to avoid someone who is chasing her. The characteristic aroma wafted out. Throughout hers contact with Jasper, she knew one thing about how the Black Witcher lured prey using that intoxicating-smelling potion.

Clara hissed. She endured the extreme pain in the lower part of her abdomen. Something feels pushing out of there. "Just a moment, Baby. Please, help Mom to get to your father!" she whispered.

The purple flash flashed, then glowed. Like locking Clara's movements, a fence began to form. The woman hit a transparent wall to the ground. The pain in her abdomen radiated to her back and hips.

"Please, no!"

A hooded man seemed to walk up to Clara. His long cane was directed directly at Clara's bulging belly covered by the white dress. The woman looked towards her belly and began to feel the turmoil there.

"Argh, what are you doing? No!"

Clara began to groan. Something felt like it was starting to flow down there, while one hand was clutching the belly and the other was gripping the origin of something around it. The hooded figure ignored Clara's screams. He kept pointing his wand until a purple ball enveloped the big belly and made something in it kick.

"No! Please, no!"

The pain could not be restrained. Clara groaned in pain with her whole body like numbness. A barrage of kicks was given from inside her belly as if her baby was also in pain.

"No! Please!"

Clara shouted again. Her voice echoed in the depths of the forest, making the birds fly into the sky. The woman squirmed, trying to contain the pain. However, it was useless, the baby pushed to tear her bottom apart immediately and break out. Moreover, the clear liquid mixed with blood and mucus had already flowed wet Clara's feet now.

"No, Baby! No! Stop it!"

The Black Witcher's laughter echoed, filling the forest sky. He looked at the woman in front of him with his eyes flashing. "Die!"

Clara's eyes widened. She shook her head. "No! Jasper! Jasper!!!"

***

Clara opened her eyes quickly. She hurriedly got up and unpacked her white quilt. The pajamas were still clean, as were the bed sheets. Her belly still looks bulging. Not so big because Clara had just gotten the news of her pregnancy a month ago. It has only been one month, but the size of the belly is already like a woman who is five months pregnant.

She sighed for a moment, then grabbed the phone on the nightstand next to her bed. Her hand typed something until finally a call made her startled. Clara hurried to pick up the phone.

"You said we were leaving today, right?" a man's voice, making Clara carve out a smile.

The woman moved off the mattress and approached the window. Her hand unfurled the white curtains covering the quadrangular blade and found a man had leaned against a car parked in front of Clara's house. The man waved goodbye.

"I just woke up," Clara said. "Wait a few minutes—"

"How many minutes?"

"Ten minutes. Okay?"

The man gave a thumbs up, then turned off the call.

Clara put her phone back on the nightstand. Her hand snatched the towel behind the door, and then switched to entering the bathroom. A few minutes later, the woman had walked out of the house in a floral dress and a bag draped over her shoulders. She walked up to the man with glasses who had been leaning against his car since just now.

"Is it long?" asked Clara.

The man knelt down, then kissed Clara's big belly. "I can wait a little longer when it comes to our son's business," he said with a smile engraved on the corner of his lips.

"Jasper!" Clara leaned over, telling her man to stand up. "The neighbors must have seen!"

Jasper Owen, the black-haired man then took off his glasses. "Why? After all, it's true that you are pregnant with our child," he said.

Clara clucked as she rolled her eyeballs. She immediately took Jasper into the car. The man's private vehicle drove for a few seconds next.

"Is the portal getting wider open?" asked Clara.

"Why do you ask like that?" retorted Jasper. Every now and then he turned to look at the female beside him. One hand of him that didn't hold the steering wheel stretched out and gently stroked Clara's belly.

"I had that dream again," Clara said softly. Her hazel eyes looked forward.

"Black Witcher?" Jasper made sure. He sees Clara nodding. "Are nightmares natural for pregnant women?"

Clara thrust her shoulders. "I don't know." She replied. "The dream felt real and ... I'm scared." She looked at the belly, then stroked it lightly.

Jasper was silent. He glanced briefly at the woman who had become his wife. "Do you remember Lyra's message at the time the ritual was performed?"

Jasper's question made Clara turn to the man. "At the time of our wedding?" She saw the man nodded, then thought for a while and cleared her throat. "I remember. Why?"

"After it, the Black Witcher will be more aggressively targeting you. It's targeting us and our kids later," Jasper said without turning his head. He focused on paying attention to the streets.

Clara trailed off. She remembered that if she returned to this world was just a mortal and did not have any abilities, even after her death by accident in the human world and brought her here. All her life changed drastically, including the closer relationship between herself and a man named Jasper Owen.

Jasper sighed. "Seal on your neck," he said. "If it is passed down to our kids, then it will be a great responsibility for the Immortals to protect you."

Clara then fingered something on the back of her neck. Sometimes, something feels throbbing and hot there. She couldn't see it except through the mirror. Clara knew if the owner of the phoenix-shaped seal was targeted by the Black Witchers.

Meanwhile, the Black Witcher is a group of humans like Clara who live in a changing dimensions. They can visit the human world and the Immortal world many times with their black magic ability. Actually, Clara also knew about the White Witcher with their pure magic, but the group was very difficult to trace.

According to Jasper, since a long time ago the owner of the phoenix seal has been the target of the Black Witchers. The blood of the owner of the seal will make those who drink it live in eternity. Clara didn't know why she had the seal. Shse got it from the moment she was born in the human world.

"Are you hungry, Dear?" asked Jasper, untangling Clara's reverie.

Clara murmured. "What if we eat after the inspection?" she said.

Jasper turned his head. His blue eyes seemed to flash, very rare for himself who was a werewolf. The man was silent, weighing something. "Alright if that's what you want," he replied as he smiled with his hands ruffling Clara's hair with a resounding eye.

The woman put away Jasper's hand in annoyance. She looked at her husband's handsome face. Firm jaws with a slight beard hair and a guarded mustache are very short. The nose is high as well as the sharp look in the eyes. Absolutely perfect. Until now, Clara didn't understand why she loved Jasper so deeply.

Suddenly Jasper braked the car. Made Clara's seatbealt-protected body come forward and almost hit the dashboard. Luckily, Jasper's hand immediately stretched out right in front of the woman. Clara chimed in. She looked at Jasper.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

Jasper didn't turn his head. He pointed his chin forward, making Clara look in the same direction. The woman took a sip of saliva.

A streak of accidents.

***