For the past 40 years, Edward had felt he'd been safe. Embodied with confidence from the knowledge that he was safe. That his whole family was safe. He'd felt only brief worry on the day each of his sons were born, since they spent minutes without a blocker.

 

And at both births, Edward had been there, injector in hand. Ready. His first son had turned out normal, passing the age of preadolescence without anything strange happening. But a few years later, Jongdae had displayed his power. 

 

Edward knew the boy would be alright. And since he'd always been such a sweet and good natured boy, he had never made the other people in town the least bit uncomfortable. The other children played with him. The adults bought the pieces of fulgurite his mother convinced him to sell. But then, Edward had begun to feel very unsettled. As if something wasn't quite right. With Jongdae, or anything. He held it in for as long as he could. Thinking that it was just him getting older. His mind losing his sharpness. He wanted to appear composed in front of his family. If he was scared, they would be too. 

 

*

 

It had taken him years to find a suitable mother for his children. Someone who would be as strong as himself, but also filled with the softness of heart he couldn't show. It wasn't a very romantic process, searching through articles of lineage. Passing up good quality women for one reason or another. But unlike some of the others, he wanted to do it the new way and leave it to chance. He wanted at least that much to be out of his control. And he did meet the perfect woman. After a not so coincidental encounter in a coffee shop, he had met Min. 

 

She was beautiful, intelligent and witty. And he knew in the first few moments of meeting her that he was in love. He also knew that she would be powerless to his charms, so she would fall in love with him too. And love, as it was always told, made the most special babies.

 

He was lucky they hadn't stopped at one. In his arrogance he had assumed that one was all they would need. But she had insisted that they have one more, hoping it would be a girl. Since he already had his boy. But Jongdae was born and they were happy no matter his gender. 

 

He grew up favoured more by his mother, even after Edward found out he was the one and not his older son. Edward knew the kind of compassion his mother taught him, would serve him in the future. 

 

He wanted to ask Jongdae if he still had the device inside him. He hadn't noticed a scar or bandage on the boy's arm so he guessed it was still there. But something still concerned him. Jongdae had been acting even more strangely the last little while. And Edward could tell he was keeping something from them. He just couldn't exactly tell if it was something important, yet.