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Those words, ones he’d uttered before, caused her bottom lip to tremble even more. She pressed her face against the mattress and sobbed, her heart racing as it awaited the next clutch of pain and tension.

“I cannot even be there, as you are outside my mist.”

“Th-then bring me to your realm.”

“I cannot do that either. You are in a fragile state, and I’m worried we will harm them if you return to Tenebris. You must stay on Earth until you are done.”

So, she was truly and utterly alone.

She knew it wasn’t his fault he couldn’t be there or do anything. From the beginning, he’d told her of that, but right now, she needed a miracle from him. She needed kindness, compassion, and not obliterating emptiness, while she physically felt the opposite.

She wanted warmth, even if it was just words. To be cared for in some way as she did one of the hardest things she’d ever done, in a home where her life had been ripped away from her. She wanted... more.

Just something.

The past seven weeks had been hard. If she hadn’t required food, she would have stayed in Weldir’s realm, but there was nothing for her to eat there.

She’d been forced to eat from the forest surrounding the Veil, which wasn’t entirely fruitful and abundant.

She hadn’t wanted to scrounge in the dirt, but sometimes there were only hares or edible roots for her to eat – and she’d had to learn quickly how to make herself fire from nothing.

At least she’d learned a few survival skills in the process.

She’d gone through a range of emotions, most of them frantic and confused.

She’d had no one to turn to, no one to rely on for advice – because who would know anything about an otherworldly pregnancy or the birth of a god’s child?

She’d gone from sick and terrified, to horny, to sad and angry, constantly rotating on those emotions, but not once had she felt an ounce of happiness or hope.

Yet she’d protected and provided to the best of her abilities, eating in abundance, making sure she was warm and cared for. Lindi, despite her reservations, had made sure it had the best chance of life and health because, even if she didn’t love it, the child deserved her best efforts.

It didn’t help that Weldir spoke so indifferently regarding them.

She often wondered if he spoke more fondly towards her and about them, rather than calling them a servant or just offspring, whether she may have felt better regarding all this. But he was cold and detached in everything he did, and she didn’t think he was even aware of how that made her feel.

She was human. People were full of life, love, and tenderness. To be starved of that for six years, when he could have been something she could have leaned on, was taking its toll on her.

When she’d bonded with him, she’d expected more.

Not once had he truly tried to assuage her fears, which just made her discontented and spiteful. Not once had he tried to learn of her, her life, or anything about her – he hadn’t even deigned to know her name until she’d screamed it at him.

She felt like a tool, and nothing more. Not a wife. Not a lover, as she expected. Not even a friend in their forced companionship. Nothing.

Then, just as she was giving up hope, a spark of something materialised out of thin air.

Lindi gasped in surprise and rushed to her feet. She backed away when a bright-white light, obscured by black sheer ribbons of material wisping around it, formed inside her room. It coalesced tighter and faster, the light getting brighter as the darkness spread and developed a sandy glitter to it.

Her back hit the wall, shooting pain down her legs, just as a half-being materialised in her bedroom and seemed to fill it at the same time.

Black mist spread outwards as Weldir appeared as he usually did. Except... there was more to him than usual. She could see more of his torso, his legs, and even half his face. And, for the first time, she noted the horn on the left side of head and the short hair flowing around it.

She’d always thought his body was lean, but it looked long and tall – especially since he towered over her as if he wanted the tip of his segmented horn to reach the low ceiling. His left hand, the only one visible for now, was tipped with claws.

His face lacked hair, revealing chiselled features. A sharp jaw was coated in glittered chalk, as was his strong nose, full lips, and high cheekbones. Her eyes widened at the most attractive features she’d ever seen, and it was the first time she’d even seen them!

Even his lashes were unfairly long and fluttery, with more chalky sand easily flickering off them to join the rest of his cloud. His eyes were just two black glossy pools of nothingness, and she had no idea where he was looking as he turned his head to her.

The impression of his face moved, showing her a different part while hiding his pointed chin and lips until his chalky self re-formed there... only to disappear again.

The contrast of viewing him in his darkness compared to the wooden walls and compacted dirt flooring of her home was startling. With her eyes wide and her mouth agape, if it wasn’t for the pain, she wouldn’t have realised her insides felt like they were ripping as she stared at him.

“You told me you couldn’t leave your mist!” she whisper-shouted, barely believing her eyes.

His head cocked, which made the coalesced parts around his horn and short hair disappear until all she could make out was the right side of his face. His brow on that side furrowed, and she imagined the other one had as well.

“Not usually,” he stated, and his voice sounded so much louder than when she usually heard it on Earth. It had the same boom and sinful depth to it, like when she was a Phantom in his world. “But I can see that you do not wish to be alone.”

Then Weldir signalled his right arm – which suddenly formed like swirling smoke – to part open his torso. The white light from earlier was actually a flame, and it sat between his navel and chest.

“I have consumed a soul in order to be with you.”

Her eyes widened further. “You can do that?!”

His head straightened. “Of course. I just choose not to, as it is wasteful and has a negative impact on the reserves of my mana.”

When the biggest contraction yet assaulted her, Lindi stopped caring as she braced her hand upon the wall.

With the other hand, she kneaded her back with her knuckles as best as she could, almost hurting herself to get through the pain.

When it let up, she paced, as she had many times during this, with deep and controlled breaths sawing in and out of her.

The ending of this was nigh – she could feel it – but now she limped and hissed between steps.

She flinched when Weldir came closer, like he wanted to steady her when she wobbled on her feet. She went to pull her arm out of his hold, but she went completely through him. The coldness of his form brushed over her skin, making the dark hairs on her arms lift, but there was nothing else.

Not even the more solid parts of him were tangible to her.

“I cannot touch you,” he stated with a hint of... something. “That means neither can my mana.”

No matter if it was sadness or disappointment in his tone, or even both, for some reason, gratitude radiated through her. At least he’d tried. It was more than she’d been expecting.

“I-it’s fine.” After pacing a little more to work the tension out of her stiff muscles, she returned to her kneeling spot next to the bed and added, “Thank you for... being with me.”

“Although I cannot always adhere to this promise, I will always try to be here for you,” Weldir muttered quietly as he hovered closer.

Then he appeared to crouch beside her on one knee, while facing her, and his body floated a few millimetres from the ground.

Lindi gave him a grimacing nod. His face had disappeared almost completely, before the thickest parts of his mist recollected to give her just an eye, cheek, and temple.

She grabbed the bedding like before and squeezed as she pushed when her body told her to.

She rocked back and forth occasionally, often shifting her weight to loosen her body as much as she could.

It was impossible to stay still, and her head was aflame – hot and near delirious.

The task was gruelling, and being watched by someone who could do nothing to assist left her feeling a little awkward, but she was still appreciative of his presence.

It was nice to know she actually wasn’t entirely alone. The fact that he’d done this of his own volition meant he wanted to be there – although she didn’t know if that was because he actually cared or if it was just in morbid curiosity.

But it was comforting when he muttered, “You are doing well, little female. They are doing good.”

Blowing out and sucking in calming breaths, she eyed his strange form. “Y-you can tell?”

“Their soul is still bright within yours, so yes.” Then, as if to demonstrate, he held a hand out and her reddish-orange soul flame appeared. There was a multicoloured spot within its pelvis.

Lindi laid her forehead against the bed, and her lips parted with reassurance. She hadn’t known he could see them, but she was grateful to know all was well. Doing this was daunting, by herself even more so, but her worry for them eased exponentially.

Then, when she knew it was the right time, Lindi cupped her hands between her thighs. She bit into her bedding to quieten her determined scream and gave it all her might.

Something hot, bloodied, and solid fell into her awaiting palms. Lindi gulped with relief that the worst was over.

She gently laid them down, her arms weak as her body caved. Tiredness clung to her sweat-slicked body, but at least the worst was done – despite the urge to keep pushing like she wasn’t quite done.