A day old baby
800 Words
Disclaimer: This is a work of fantasy fiction. All characters, events, and cultures are entirely fictional and do not reflect real-world beliefs or systems.
Zafar stood in the smoke-covered streets, ashes thick over the once-clean soil. Tears stung his eyes as his father’s instincts screamed
“Marida! My love!” he cried, hurrying toward the maternity building.
Survivors stood outside, panting, coughing, their faces covered in soot. Some clutched newborns to their chests, while others sobbed, clinging to clan nurses for support. Zafar’s desperate gaze scanned the chaos, landing on an elderly nurse calming the panicked crowd.
“Marida! Where is Marida?” he demanded, gripping the nurse by the arms.
Her eyes softened. Her lips trembled, but no words came. She gently pulled away from the grieving woman she’d been comforting and took Zafar’s hands.
“Come with me,” she said quietly.
She led him away from the burning building to a smaller structure that the fire hadn’t touched. Inside, the air was tense and heavy. A few women lay on makeshift beds beside their crying infants; others groaned, bandaged and bloodied.
“Where is my wife and child?” Zafar asked, impatience and dread in his voice.
“Calm down,” the nurse said gently, her eyes full of sympathy.
They stepped into a room sealed off by translucent nylon. Inside, a baby lay in a cradle, sleeping peacefully as another nurse hummed a lullaby. Zafar looked from the child to the elderly woman beside him.
She nodded slowly, offering a weak smile.“He’s yours, Zafar.”
Tears welled up in his eyes. He stepped forward, scooping the baby into his arms and pressing him tightly against his chest. His body shook, tears rolling freely down his cheeks.
The child stirred with a soft coo, stretching at the sudden squeeze.
“I know you’re a new father, but don’t crush him,” the nurse said with a small smile. “He’s still fragile.”
Zafar loosened his hold, letting out a quiet laugh. For the first time, he kissed his son’s forehead, his lips trembling. But then a sudden ache returned to his heart—Marida.
“Where is Marida?” he asked again.
The nurse’s expression faltered. Her eyes said everything before her lips could. The flicker of joy in Zafar’s eyes vanished.
“It’s my fault,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I didn’t kill that woman. I failed my clan… I failed my wife.”
“No, Zafar, don’t say that,” the old nurse whispered. “I don’t know what happened out there, but it’s not too late to make things right.”
“Marida counted on me… she was my life.”
“Zafar, she died trying.”
“I killed her…”
“She was weak. The smoke got to her. But she gave everything she had to push the child out. She was thinking of you. She didn’t want your son to die.” The nurse sighed. “Your family isn’t gone—not entirely. This place was built by our ancestors, meant to shield the core of our kind. We were always the ones set up to take the first blow… the sacrificial lambs. There was no avoiding it.
How many more humans can we kill before they kill us first? The only place you should protect now is your birthland—where you rule, where your parents live. Go back. Find the woman you were supposed to sacrifice. Kill her on the day of the Silver Comet. Avenge your wife. Avenge all who died because of her. Save what’s left of your family.”
Zafar exhaled slowly.“The humans… they have a weapon. Something new. Arrows that disintegrate us. I’ve never seen anything like it. Our men turned to ash in seconds.”
The old woman stared at him in silence before clicking her tongue.“I don’t know how or why they’ve grown this powerful… but they’re more advanced than we are. Their tools are designed to kill even our strongest. That’s why you must uncover their secrets. Get close to them. Learn what you can. During the Silver Comet, we’ll strike—quietly, and with precision. Behind their backs.”
Zafar nodded, wiping his face.“When is the Silver Comet?”
“Three months.” Her tone grew urgent. “You don’t have much time. Start now. Take your sister with you—”
“No. Arial will deliver a message to my father. She can’t come. I won’t lose her too.”
The nurse gave a solemn nod.“Understood. Then leave the baby with me. It’s too dangerous to bring him.”
Silence fell over the room. Zafar’s eyes returned to his child.
“No. Ryan goes with me.”
- Writer
