VRRUUMMM.
The yellow taxi rumbled across the gravel field with a subtle creak, its headlights briefly illuminating the entrance to the Kent house. The windows cast a golden glow over the damp lawn. It was night in Smallville, and the wind carried the fresh scent of hay, wet earth, and wood.
Emily stepped out of the car slowly, her shoes sinking slightly into the soft ground. The headlight's beam drew elongated shadows around her legs. She turned to the driver, her voice steady despite the chill trembling in her hands.
"Wait for me. This won't take long."
The man merely nodded, pulling his cap over his eyes and keeping the engine running.
CREC.
The wooden porch creaked under Emily's steps. The house's lights cast a warm glow against the darkness of the surrounding fields. In her chest, her heart pounded hard. Each step felt heavier.
'This is the house.'
The front door opened before she could knock. Jonathan Kent appeared in the doorway, his sturdy silhouette framed by the indoor light. His gaze went straight to her eyes.
"Good evening. Everything alright?"
Emily paused, adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder. The cold breeze brushed her face.
"Sorry for coming so late. I saw an ad… about a job. Thought you might still be hiring."
Jonathan frowned, stepping forward. His hands were in his coat pockets, and there was tension in his gaze.
"You from town?"
"Yes. Smallville. Born here."
"Name?"
"Emily Dinsmore."
He narrowed his eyes, trying to place the name.
Martha appeared at the door, wiping her hands with a dish towel. When she saw Emily's face, her eyes softened.
"I remember you."
Emily turned, surprised.
"You were at the hospital. When… when we had the ultrasound."
Martha nodded slowly, her eyes lowering for a moment.
"Yes."
She stepped closer to her husband, placing a hand on his arm.
"Jon… let her come in. It's cold out there."
Jonathan hesitated for a second, then stepped back. Emily climbed the final steps with short strides and entered the house.
The interior was warm, smelling of coffee and old wood. The light from the lamps contrasted with the biting cold outside. Emily stayed near the door, clutching her bag tightly.
"You can sit if you want."
Martha's voice was gentle, almost maternal.
Emily settled on the edge of the sofa, her eyes taking in everything. Family photos, a knitting project on the armchair, a steaming teapot on the sideboard.
Jonathan stood by the fireplace, arms crossed.
"Got any experience?"
"Yes. I've worked in homes, cooked, looked after kids. Also worked at a daycare for a while."
Martha sat beside Emily, her hands resting on her knees.
"Are you okay?"
Emily blinked, her gaze distant.
"I'm… better. Trying to move forward."
Martha felt a pang in her heart.
'Poor girl… believes she has a child who never existed. A pregnancy imagined with so much feeling… and now, alone.'
'I can't ignore this.'
"Actually, Jon and I were talking about hiring help. With the pregnancy progressing, it's getting harder to keep everything in order."
Jonathan took a deep breath.
"Martha…"
She turned to him, firm.
"I know what I'm doing."
He stayed silent for a few seconds, his eyes fixed on Emily.
"Let's take it slow."
Martha nodded, turning back to the young woman beside her.
"You can start tomorrow morning. Help with the basics. Laundry, cooking, some cleaning. If it goes well, we can talk about something permanent."
Emily looked up, her heart racing.
"Thank you. Really. I… needed this."
Jonathan shifted subtly, his heavy steps sounding against the wooden floor.
'He doesn't like me.'
'He knows.'
'He's watching me. Judging me.'
'This man…'
'He'll get in my way.'
'He'll try to keep me from my son.'
'But I won't let him.'
'If I have to… I'll eliminate him.'
Emily stood, adjusting the strap of her bag. Her eyes locked onto Martha's, gleaming with something almost grateful.
"I'll be here tomorrow morning. Thank you again."
Martha walked her to the door. The cold wind rushed into the house as she opened it.
"Good night, Emily. Drive safe."
"Good night, Mrs. Kent."
She descended the steps, the night breeze chilling her skin. The taxi still waited, its low beams glowing.
She slid into the backseat, closing the door with a soft click.
The car pulled away slowly, crossing the silent field again.
In the backseat, Emily touched the heart-shaped pendant.
'I did it.'
Her head leaned against the fogged window, her eyes lost in the darkness beyond the road. The lights of the Kent house faded behind her, like a vanishing dream.
'Now I'm close. So close.'
The pendant swayed against her chest.
'It wasn't Martha who tried to stop me. She saw. She understood. She feels it.'
Her face softened.
'If she hands over my son without complications… I might let her live.'
'But him…'
Her fingers tightened around the pendant.
'Jonathan Kent won't make it easy. That man knows. He looked at me like he could see my soul. Like he already wants to push me out.'
'He'll be a problem.'
The driver cleared his throat from the front, his eyes in the rearview mirror.
"Gonna charge for the time I waited back there, miss. This kind of trip isn't just one-way."
Emily blinked slowly, her thoughts forcibly interrupted.
"Fine. I'll pay when we get there."
The driver nodded, focusing back on the road.
'Intruder.'
'Doesn't even know what he interrupted.'
She took a deep breath, trying not to let anger take over.
---
At the farm, Jonathan ran his hands over his face, letting out a long sigh as the door closed behind Martha.
He sat slowly at the table, elbows propped up, eyes fixed on the weathered wood.
"That girl… she doesn't feel right."
Martha removed her coat, hanging it on the rack. Her hands rested briefly on her belly.
"I know. I felt it too."
She pulled a chair and sat across from her husband.
"But the truth is, I need help, Jon. The baby… it's wearing me out more than I expected."
Jonathan nodded slowly, his eyes full of concern.
"That's exactly it. The baby's getting to you. You're more sensitive."
He took one of her hands, his voice low.
"You gotta be careful, Martha. For you and the baby."
She gave a faint smile, but there was exhaustion there. A silent weight.
"I will. But look… when I looked into her eyes… I saw pain, Jon. So much pain. And I know you saw it too. I don't know what she's been through, but I know what it's like to want a child… and feel like the world doesn't understand."
Jonathan didn't reply. He just sat there, holding his wife's hand, as the kitchen clock ticked softly.
---
The taxi climbed the narrow road toward Emily's isolated house. The trees around swayed in the wind, shadows dancing across the field like silent specters.
The house appeared in the distance, humble, with only a faint light glowing in the back window.
Emily leaned forward.
"You can stop here."
The car slowed to a gentle stop. The driver turned, resting an arm on the passenger seat's headrest.
"Paying me now?"
Emily calmly pulled her wallet from her bag.
His eyes were impatient, his jaw tight.
"Took too long back there. That waiting time cost me."
Emily handed over the money with one hand.
The man's fingers brushed hers, pressing.
"Not gonna complain? Thought you'd say it's unfair."
She raised her face slowly.
Her eyes glinted, calm.
"You interrupted my thoughts."
"Huh?"
She twisted her wrist.
Touch.
Her hand rested on his forearm.
Time seemed to freeze for a second.
The man's skin paled, drying out from the inside.
His eyes widened, his entire body locking up.
"W-What… what's…"
His teeth gritted.
His skin began to crack.
Darkened veins crept up his neck.
"Please… what is this?!"
Emily tilted her head, her eyes cold as stone.
"Don't interrupt my thoughts ever again."
His scream pierced the night.
A shrill, desperate sound that faded into the trees as if the forest itself swallowed it.
His body shuddered one last time.
POF.
Ashes.
The driver's seat was now empty, save for the clothes and cap, which fell limply onto the cushion.
Emily opened the car door calmly.
The night air felt lighter.
She walked slowly toward the house, her eyes fixed on the lit door.
In her chest, the pendant still swayed.
'Now… no one else will interrupt.'
The breeze carried the ashes across the field.
And the night, at last, returned to silence.
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DXD: The Awakening of Phenex
Reincarnation, power, and a burning legacy — don't miss it!