Three more months slipped by in the Crimson Veil, carrying the Voss Clan into a season of quiet transformation, the whole clan was buzzing with barely contained excitement.
Seraphina's pregnancy was nearing its end, and the Voss estate felt alive with anticipation. Disciples grinned wider during training, elders swapped proud boasts in the halls, and even the crimson mist seemed to swirl with extra vigor, as if the land itself couldn't wait for the new arrival. Everyone remembered the thunderous signs of Kairos's birth and half-hoped—half-expected—the heavens to roar again. Whispers spread through the halls: perhaps the heavens would mark this child too, a sign that the Voss bloodline was destined for even greater heights. Elders prepared subtle arrays to monitor any celestial shifts, disciples paused in training to glance skyward, and common folk in the continent's villages lit extra lanterns in quiet prayer.
The birth came on a calm evening, in the same birthing pavilion where Kairos had entered the world, the binary suns painting the sky in bold crimson and gold.
Seraphina labored like a champion, her Blood Vitality Dao turning pain into power. Elders formed a circle around her, pumping soothing essence arrays into the air that infused the room with calming vitality, she breathed steadily through the contractions.While Arcturus gripped her hand, his usual iron composure cracked with a huge, proud grin. "You've got this, love. Another Voss warrior coming!." His Core Formation aura extended gently, a protective shield that steadied the pavilion's Qi flows.
Then it happened.
A loud, fierce cry exploded through the estate shaking it—sharp, and commanding, the kind of roar that sent goosebumps racing across every listener's skin. For one wild moment, the entire clan froze, hearts pounding as if they'd been dropped onto a battlefield amid a thousand war cries—fierce, unyielding roars that echoed with primal violence, stirring bloodlust in the veins and sending shivers down spines. Disciples dropped their training weapons. Guards gripped their spears tighter. Elders' eyes lit up.
"Here we go!" someone shouted from the courtyard. "The heavens are gonna shout again!"
But... nothing.
No pulsing stars. No world-shaking waves. The suns set calmly, the mist danced its usual dance, and Lunara spun on without a single cosmic fireworks show.
The clan exhaled in collective relief, though a tinge of disappointment lingered among some elders who had hoped for another sign of heaven's favor. Yet joy quickly overtook it—this was a birth of their own, unmarred by cosmic drama.
A daughter!
A daughter was born to the Voss family. They named her Liora Voss—a name that rang with light, strength, and just the right touch of menace, perfect for the family's rising legacy.
Liora was anything but ordinary, even without the heavens throwing a party.
From her first breath, she carried an innate grace that masked a deeper intensity. Her cry might have faded, but it left an echo of raw, controlled fury—the kind that promised calm waters one moment and devastating storms the next. Her skin glowed with that same Voss luminescence, but cooler, like moonlight on a desolate battlefield. Her tiny fists clenched with surprising force, and her eyes—deep crimson shot through—locked onto faces with an intensity that made grown warriors swallow hard. She looked peaceful sleeping, but wake her, and those eyes promised she'd grow into someone who could smile sweetly while planning your downfall.
Elders checked her discreetly and came away grinning. "Blood Dao strong as her brother's," Valeria announced. "Vitality core with a violent edge—calm on the surface, but ready to explode when needed. She's going to be a terror on the battlefield and a nightmare for anyone who crosses her."
The clan didn't need heavenly signs—they had their own proof. The Voss bloodline was stacking legends.
Joy exploded through the estate.
Arcturus burst out of the pavilion carrying Liora like a trophy, his face split in the biggest grin anyone had ever seen on the Patriarch. "A daughter!" he bellowed to the waiting crowd. "Strong lungs, stronger spirit! The Voss Clan grows unstoppable!"
Cheers thundered back. Disciples banged weapons on shields. Branch families roared approval. Someone started an impromptu chant: "Voss! Voss! Voss!"
Seraphina, recovering fast with her Dao's help, joined them soon after, radiant and laughing as Arcturus passed Liora to her. "She's beautiful," she declared, voice ringing with pride.
Then came the best part.
Kairos, three and a half and already acting like the big brother of the century, marched in with all the seriousness a toddler could muster. He climbed onto a stool by the cradle, peered at Liora, and announced loudly, "She is my sister! I will protect her!"
He immediately flopped beside her, cuddling close with one arm protectively around the bundle. Liora, sensing family, grabbed his finger with surprising strength. Kairos beamed like he'd won a war. "She is strong! Like me!"
The whole room melted. Elders wiped suspiciously misty eyes. Disciples cooed shamelessly. Arcturus laughed so hard his shoulders shook, pulling Seraphina close. "Look at him—already the proud general."
That night, the family pavilion turned into pure celebration. Essence wine flowed (in moderation for the new mother). Elders told exaggerated tales of Voss glory days. Kairos "fed" Liora by holding a soft cloth of vitality milk, narrating dramatically: "Eat, sister! Grow big and beat bad guys with me!"
Liora gurgled, kicked happily, and gripped his finger tighter.
Arcturus raised a cup, voice booming with bravado. "To Liora Voss—may she grow fierce and unbreakable! To Kairos—our Future! And to the Voss Clan—rising higher than any before us!"
The toast echoed through the estate, met with roars of approval.
In the days that followed, joyful moments piled up like treasures.
Kairos became Liora's constant shadow—dragging toys to her cradle, "reading" picture scrolls with enthusiastic (and mostly made-up) stories, and proudly showing her off to anyone who visited. "See? My sister! Pretty and strong!"
One afternoon, he sat humming his mist tune, and the crimson haze formed a playful crown over Liora's head. She kicked in delight, her own tiny Qi ripple answering with a faint, fierce pulse that cracked the crown a little.
Seraphina and Arcturus watched, grinning. "They're going to be unstoppable," Arcturus said.
"Together," Seraphina added, "they'll conquer anything."
The Voss Clan celebrated with bravado and heart—quiet to the outside world, but loud and proud within.
A daughter had arrived.
And the bloodline burned brighter than ever.