5. THE LOSS

Jasper waited anxiously in front of a room. Every now and then he stood up from the stool and paced back and forth as he looked at the closed door of the room. He sighed, scrambling his waist, with a firm look.

A loud noise from the room was inevitable. Clara's shout made Jasper about to get in there, but his steps were restrained by Aiden. The brunette young man blocked Jasper's shoulders and made the man turn around.

"Aiden! I have to look at Clara!" exclaimed Jasper with teary eyes. "She is my wife!"

"I know, Jasper." Aiden rubbed his old brother's shoulder until Jasper landed his head on his shoulder. "We have to obey Hendrick if we want Clara to survive."

"But what about our baby?" Jasper looked at Aiden. His eyes were already flushed.

Aiden did not answer. His tongue was out of sight of his brother becoming so weak. "Jasper!!!"

Jasper suddenly turned around and quickly smashed open the door of the room. His blue eyes looked at Clara who was moaning in pain and trying to push her baby out. The red liquid had stained the bed sheets and several tubs filled with warm water. Jasper immediately approached, ignoring Aiden's screeching that had caught up with him earlier. Several servants asked Aiden to leave the room, and then closed the door back.

"Clara! Clara! It's me. Jasper." The man whispered next to Clara's ear. His hand rubbed his wife's forehead, while the other gently stroked Clara's bulging belly.

The woman did not retaliate and was busy enduring the pain and heat all over the body. Her breathing was gasped. Her face was sickly pale with sweat flowing freely. She went back to straining and producing nothing down there.

"Jasper," Hendrick called.

The obstetrician who handled Clara's pregnancy from the beginning stared at Jasper. He motioned for the blue-eyed man to talk to him for a while. Jasper immediately stood up, lunging at Hendrick who led him to the corner of the room. Meanwhile, Hendrick's two assistants continue to help Clara to deliver her baby immediately.

"I'm sorry, but ...." Hendrick hung up his remarks. He looked at Jasper.

"What? Why?" Jasper squeezed Hendrick's shoulders, asking for an answer quickly. "What's wrong, Hendrick?"

Hendrick took a sip of saliva for a moment. "We can't save your baby," he said lowering intonation.

Jasper fell silent immediately. "W-what?"

"Black Witcher probably attacked your baby before Clara fell," Hendrick said. He looked at Clara who was straining hard, then looked back at Jasper. "Let me drug Clara and take out the baby's body. It will take some time because of the limited medical equipment I brought, so—"

"So, what?" Jasper looked at Hendrick with an inexplicable look on his face. The handle on the doctor's shoulder loosened.

"I'm going to do surgery to save Clara," Hendrick said. "If I didn't do it, Clara wouldn't be able to be saved."

Jasper's blue eyes were immediately directed at Hendrick. He shook his head. "I don't want her to go back there—"

"You think she'll be back there if she doesn't manage to give birth to your baby?" interrupted Hendrick. "He's going to be completely dead, Jasper!"

Jasper fell even more speechless. Hendrick, who had run out of time, then walked up to the servants and asked them to escort Jasper out of the room so that he could perform a caesarean section on Clara. Two maids led Jasper's washed body to the door. The man's blue eyes saw his wife screaming in pain on the bed, before finally the door closed again.

"Jasper!"

Aiden walked up to his old brother. He stared at Jasper, asking for the man's explanation of what was going on inside. Meanwhile, several people waiting there are also waiting for the man's statement. Jasper scooped up his face, revealing his blue eyes that were about to cry.

"Clara had to have surgery," he said. "Our son is dead."

***

The day seemed to end so soon. Hendrick had successfully performed surgery on Clara's abdomen. It took him about five hours because Jasper's wife was also bleeding. Luckily, Clara was able to be saved even though she had to lose her baby.

The raindrops began to inundate the surroundings. It wets the foliage and gives rise to a pentrichor aroma. Jasper stepped towards the mansion after returning from burying his son's body. Aiden and several people were seen teasing him. They looked at each other, summing up the feelings of the blue-eyed man now.

Jasper's steps stalled at the intersection of the corridor. Aiden walked up to him quietly. He stood beside his brother.

"Gather everyone," Jasper said without turning his head in the slightest. "One more hour, we move."

After saying the decree, Jasper stepped away. Aiden turned to the people who had accompanied them since just now. They rejoiced in each other. Aiden's saliva was sputtered as he looked at Jasper's back that disappeared into the corridor.

From a long time ago, the man's decree was not fooling around. Jasper will only gather everyone if there is something very important. However, this time the word 'move' seemed to be the most serious order he had ever given throughout his tenure in the Owen Clan.

Jasper headed for the room where Clara was still lying there. He opened the door quietly, and then walked in. His steps, which were originally firm, have now turned lunge. Jasper sat down beside Clara.

The woman's eyes were still closed. Transparent dark circles were clearly visible surrounding her eyes. Her body is still weak. Jasper grasped Clara's hand, draining something bluish-glowing there that spread throughout his wife's body. The man was downcast. His eyes looked at Clara.

"I'm sorry, Clara," said him.

The look in his eyes instantly turned sharply. His mind was tied to the people who made Clara's condition deteriorate. Of course, who else if not the Black Witcher? Those black witchcraft believers have ruined their life.

"I really won't forgive you," Jasper hissed. His growl was clearly heard as telepathy to all the creatures that were around his mansion. His hatred level increased drastically after he lost his son.

***

Elsewhere, Brandon appeared to be waiting on a tree. He deliberately leaned on the trunk of the tree he was visiting. His red eyes seemed to flash with dim moonlit highlights. This night was not so bright as the black clouds were struggling around the Luna. It rained about a few minutes ago and made every branch of the tree slippery. Brandon sighed when the moan in a mansion he was visiting was over. He turned to Anne and Eden who were sitting on the surrounding branches. They put their chins on him.

"Is it done?" asked him.

Eden looked back at the white mansion down there. "Soon, they'll make a move," he said. "Are you going to wait here anyway?"

Brandon nodded. The moonlight shone on the half of his handsome face that was not covered by the hood. "I have to bring my wife back," he retorted.

Eden exhaled. "Alright." He prepared something in the waist bag. "Anne, tell the others to spread out immediately after they move."

Anne—who had been paying attention to their conversation—nodded. The female jumped to the side of another branch, catching up with their colleagues who had been preparing somewhere. Meanwhile, Eden looked back at the blonde-haired man beside him.

From the first time he broke into the Immortal world after the ritual, Brandon hadn't changed the look on his face at all. Anger and hatred are implied there and Eden can guess it because he also has the same feelings for the Immortals. If only they hadn't made the younger sister enamored with the world, Elana might still be by his side now.

Eden patted Brandon on the shoulder, making the man turn his head. "You can go in after I give you the code. Don't let your guard down!"

***