Third person's POV
The car slowly emerged from the underground garage, breaking through the darkness into the open air.
The streets were adorned with mistletoe trees, people bustling about in preparation for Christmas.
"It's been years since we celebrated together," Derek said suddenly, his voice tinged with nostalgia.
"Yeah." In those days when survival was all that mattered, Tabitha hadn't had the luxury of thinking about holidays.
"It's the last day of the year. Where are you taking me?" Tabitha glanced at Derek.
"You'll see."
The car wound its way out of the city, into the countryside. Snowflakes danced in the air, painting the world in white.
The road grew steeper, the landscape wilder. Soon, there were no buildings in sight—just endless trees and snow.
Tabitha gripped the armrest as the car jolted over uneven terrain. After what felt like hours, they reached a remote valley deep in the mountains. Even their phones lost signal.
"There's a signal jammer here," Derek explained.
Where on earth were they going?
Suddenly, the view opened up. Nestled among the mountains was a sprawling training ground—shooting ranges, obstacle courses, and a group of boys running drills in the snow.
The car approached slowly. Through the falling snow, Tabitha saw a line of children, most around ten years old. At the very end was a much smaller boy, no older than five.
Dressed in the same uniform and heavy boots as the others, he struggled to keep up, his tiny legs sinking into the snow.
He was lagging far behind, his breath visible in the cold air. Exhausted but determined, he pressed on.
Tabitha's heart clenched. She grabbed Derek's wrist. "Is that… our child?"
"Yes. That's Kyrian."
"He's so young! How could you do this to him?" Her voice trembled with emotion.
This was the child she had carried and birthed. When she thought he was Daphne's, she still cared him deeply. Now, knowing he was her own, the pain was unbearable.
"Tabitha, I have to teach him to protect himself. Coddling him would only harm him. Besides, he's stronger than you think. This was his choice. Look…"
Kyrian stumbled and fell face-first into the snow. Tabitha's heart ached as she watched him struggle.
She reached for the door handle, ready to rush to him, but Derek stopped her.
"Tabitha, once we've handed him over to the trainers, we can't interfere. Rules are everything here. If you want to see him, wait until he completes his tasks."
Tabitha pressed her face against the window.
A tall man—likely the instructor—approached Kyrian and offered a hand, asking if he needed a break. Given Kyrian's status, the instructor showed some leniency.
But Kyrian shook his head. "I… I can do it."
With tiny hands, he pushed himself up from the snow, his small frame trembling with effort.
He stood, took a deep breath, and began running again, determined to catch up with the others.
Tabitha watched, her heart breaking. What could possibly drive such a young child to push himself so hard?
Kyrian didn't give up. Even after falling, he got back up without hesitation, and even if he couldn't keep up with the others, he still pushed forward, step by step...
Tabitha always felt that she owed too much to Kyrian. Tears fell down her cheeks.
In her eyes, Kyrian was just a little boy. She couldn't imagine what kind of life Derek was putting him through.
When Kyrian finally finished, the older boys had already gone to eat.
By the time he reached the cafeteria, only cold pizza and fries remained.
Tabitha couldn't hold back. "He's just a child! If he can't even eat properly, how will he grow? I'm taking him home."
Derek tried to calm her. "Tabitha, think. He's been fine all this time without you. They have nutritionists here. Look at him—he's taller and healthier than most kids his age. He's my son too. Do you think I don't care about him?"
Just then, Tabitha noticed Kyrian sitting quietly, unfazed by the cold meal.
As he was about to eat, a cafeteria worker brought him a freshly made burger and a large cup of soda. "Here, sweetie. I saved this for you," the woman said kindly.
Kyrian smiled. "Thank you, ma'am."
The woman sighed. "Poor thing. So young, and your parents just left you here. Eat up, dear."
Kyrian's smile didn't waver. "My parents didn't leave me. I wanted to come. They're good people."