Dianna's POV
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Year 1241
I slowly opened my eyes to meet the penetrating gazes of my siblings.
"Seeing the look on your faces, I guess this is not the afterlife and I'm not dead. My plan failed," I said.
"Your plan was stupid and reckless! You burnt an entire colony down and wiped out a whole village just in a bid to kill yourself!" Gia said.
"Oh please, and when did you start caring about people or the destruction that befalls them, Gia?" I scoffed.
"Hell, we don't care about those imps," Eric said, "but what we do hate is running. Because of what you did, the village authorities are going to come after us, and while I'd be glad to make dinner out of them, that will only earn us more attention. In the end, we'll have to leave…. and run again."
"You think I like this?!" I yelled. "Always being on the run, alone, with a power I can't control, do you think I enjoy it?! All my life, I wanted nothing but to live simply, learn a trade, fall in love, have a family of my own, but I can't even do that. I can't do any of that now, courtesy of this stupid curse! I…. I can't even birth a child to call my own." I cried.
"In case you've forgotten sister," Ivan said, "the curse is on all Ravensons, though some deeper than others. If you're miserable, then I wonder what I should be. My right hand and leg spit fire constantly, and my left hand and leg exude lightning. I can't control it, neither can I turn it off. You know this, Dianna. I can't even touch someone with my bare hands without condemning them to immeasurable pain. Yet you don't see me going around burning every village I pass in a bid to kill myself. You're the eldest Ravenson, Dianna, so you'd better start acting like it."
Ivan turned and walked away.
**********
"That can't be true, doctor. You're definitely mistaken," I said.
"Here's the result, ma'am. You are three weeks pregnant," he said, handing me the test result.
I flipped through the result hurriedly, my mouth wide open.
"Let me see that," Ivan said, snatching the result from me. Eric and Gia moved closer to take a look.
"This is unbelievable. There must be a mistake somewhere," Ivan said.
"I'm quite certain you are three weeks pregnant, Miss Dianna," the doctor said.
"You don't understand, doctor. She can't have an offspring. None of us can!" Gia said.
"None of you can? Is.... is it a hereditary disease or something?"
"That's one name for it," Eric muttered.
"Well, sometimes there can be exceptions, even in long term hereditary conditions."
"Not in this case, doctor," Ivan said. "We've all tried. We cannot procreate. It's a curse, and there are no exceptions. there never were."
"If there are no exceptions, then she wouldn't be pregnant now, would she? The result clearly says otherwise. Your sister is pregnant. You all should be overjoyed," the doctor said, then turned to me.
"You'll have to be careful with everything you take and do from now on. It could affect your baby. You should come for counseling with the father of the baby. It will really help...."
"Stop, stop, stop!" I yelled. "Enough of this. I'm out of here."
I tore the IV drip from my arm and stood up.
"No, stop, you have to stay until you're fully recovered or it'll affect you and the baby...." The doctor reached for me, but Eric grabbed his hand.
"Do not touch her," Eric said coldly. "She wants to go. Let her go."
I walked out of the ward and my siblings followed.
"Get in. I'll drive," Ivan said, and we entered the car. The drive home was silent.
I walked slowly into the mansion, already knowing they would bombard me with questions, even ones I myself could not answer.
"What happened, sister? How… how are you pregnant?" Gia asked as soon as we stepped inside.
"Leave her, Gia. She needs rest. We'll talk later," Ivan said, walking away.
"He's right. Get some rest, sister. We can always talk later," Gia smiled and left.
"You were right. You didn't die today," Eric said with a faint grin.
"Rest," he added before leaving.
I went upstairs to my room and lay on my bed, staring at the blank ceiling.
How am I pregnant?
Is this really possible? Or is fate toying with me?
.....
"Sister, wake up." Gia tapped me gently.
"Gia…"
"It's dinnertime, sister."
"I'll be down in a bit," I replied, and she left.
I washed my face and went downstairs. Everyone was already eating, but they stopped the moment they saw me.
I sat down and Eric served my food with a smile.
"Eat," he said.
They continued eating, but I couldn't.
"I have no idea how it happened," I finally said. "You all know how I've always wanted a child of my own. For a thousand years, I tried everything to get pregnant, all to no avail. I made peace with my fate, I can't have a child. None of us can. The Ravenson line was supposed to end with us. So considering that, I.... indulged freely. Sex was never a big deal. So if I'm truly three weeks pregnant now, it's probably from a one night stand. And I've had several in the past month, so I have no idea who the father is."
"If you are pregnant…." Gia began, but I cut her off.
"I am pregnant, Gia. I can't explain how, but I can feel it now. There's a little human growing inside me." I placed my hand on my stomach.
Silence filled the room for a moment.
"Remember the Guardian's curse? Now that I'm pregnant, I cannot afford to die. This baby must be born. The Ravenson must not cease to exist in a year. I have to live for my baby," I said.
Ivan laughed quietly.
"The Guardian was right," he said. "'You shall be given what you wish for, but you shall want it no more.' That's what she said."
"We wished for death, and we were given it, we will all die in a year," Eric added. "But now…. things are different. There's a little Ravenson inside sister. We have to live for the baby. Dianna has to live."
"You're unusually making sense, Eric," Gia said. "Since you're pregnant, sister, we're behind you. Completely. The Ravenson line will finally not end with us. It will live on through your baby, Dianna. It's a dream come true."
"And what exactly is the point of that?" Ivan asked. We all turned to him. "A thousand years ago, the Guardian didn't just curse us. She cursed the Ravenson name. Anyone of our bloodline will be cursed too."
"You don't know that," I said sharply.
"Pretty sure it's common logic, Dianna. Your baby is a Ravenson. The curse will...."
"Shut up, Ivan!" I slammed my hand on the table. "My baby will not live like we did. She will not be cursed like we were. I will give birth to this child, and I will make sure the curse ends with us. I will find the Guardian again. I am not dying before I give birth. And I will make sure the curse doesn't pass on. You can help me, or you can keep quiet. Either way, I'm not losing this fight. I will find the Guardian. And I will save my baby, alone if necessary."
I stood up to leave.
"And what kind of aunt would that make me?" Gia stood up and held my hand. "This is our fight, sister."
"You're unusually making sense too, Gia," Eric said, rising to his feet. "You're not alone. Your baby has a strong uncle to depend on."
Ivan sighed deeply and looked up.
"Well.… I can't be the only bad uncle, can I? So, how do we find the Guardian?"
I smiled.