The cloth that had been bitten into the woman’s mouth as she lay face down finally fell to the floor. Tarhan, who had heard stories of women dying in childbirth because they bit their tongues, took the cloth.

He pushed it back into Enya’s mouth.

It was the first time he had witnessed such a painful scene. At this rate, it seemed like she might actually bite her tongue and die. The man, sharing the woman’s desperate breaths as if both were dying together, was in utter despair.

The labor pains had been continuing throughout the night.

“Haa… Huuuu…”

The pregnant woman, who had to endure the recurring pain that seemed unbearable, couldn’t hold on any longer.

He knelt beside the woman wandering through the ordeal in the same state.

The man’s face, which seemed fearless in a world with nothing to fear, was completely terrified at that moment—a situation where nothing could be done. In the dimly lit room, what befell the two was the evil terror itself.

Tarhan pleaded.

“Enya, try to breathe. Please, don’t lose consciousness.”

In the midst of the excruciating pain that seemed to squeeze every inch of her body, the woman, whose barely opened eyes were blurry, couldn’t speak properly.

Perhaps overwhelmed by the unbearable sensations once again, she clenched at the carpet with a beastly groan. It seemed as if even the body of the person watching was being torn apart into pieces as well.

“Aahk…! Haah…uuhhh…”

The young woman’s body, who didn’t know how to exert force properly, gradually slumped down. Her body, which had struggled with the pain engulfing her brain, finally collapsed to the ground.

Enya, who had been sporadically calling Tarhan’s name, began to moan silently. Her pale face twisted severely within the intense pain. Sweat poured down like rain, and with a sound resembling something bursting, something wet gushed between her legs.

“Enya…!”

Tarhan, who was watching her, burst out a scream of pain. Even the sound of crackling firewood seemed to fade in his mind. In a hurried attempt to lift the unconscious woman’s face, his expression was as pale as an extinguished candlestick.

Something’s wrong. Too much blood was coming out.

As the sensation in his entire body gradually disappeared, her body became as motionless as a broken plant stem.

At the same time, he also felt the vitality draining from his own body.

Finally, Enya’s body completely relinquished everything and slumped down. Tarhan, who had been lying in front of the woman like a corpse, suddenly lifted his head. Life returned to his eyes, which had been extinguished like a dying flame.

It was the sound of footsteps.

Someone was running towards them.

Tarhan, still holding Enya’s hand with trembling hands, turned his gaze towards the door. The shadow that appeared was in complete disarray, bearing a miserable appearance.

It was Piache.

Her body was soaked and trembling, and her disheveled hair hung loosely. The old woman, as if running frantically right after finishing the chieftain’s treatment, rushed into the house, breathing heavily as if she was going to collapse from exhaustion at the doorstep.

As soon as their eyes met, the disheveled Piache, who looked menacing, shouted abruptly.

“Enya, Enya… the child…?”

Whether she had rushed here, the old woman’s breath, gasping and wheezing, seemed like it could collapse at any moment.

“…Hah!”

The old woman’s face, covered in sweat and blood, turned white as soon as she saw the scene inside the room.

Surprisingly, upon seeing Piache’s face, he felt blood circulating again in his once cold head. He had no resentment towards her at that moment. Solely as if requesting a helping hand, Tarhan gasped, finally releasing the held breath.

He shouted with forceful breaths.

“Enya, Enya is not breathing! Piache, I…”

Seeing the desperation in his eyes, Piache’s eyes grew wider.

The old woman, who had fallen at the door and seemed unable to move, responded to his plea. She crawled across the floor.

Tarhan rambled without control in endless helplessness.

“She lost too much blood. Piache, I…”

Upon seeing the red stains on the carpet, where Enya’s legs lay lifeless, Piache’s face turned pale. She muttered something like a curse. Wiping the sweat flowing down her temple, the old lady exclaimed in a hoarse voice.

“We need to lay her down. I’ll hold her legs, and you support Enya’s upper body!”

Those words felt like a whip cracking on Tarhan’s back. Groaning in despair, he rose abruptly as if springing up to give Piache space.

At that moment, something grabbed his hand.

It was Enya’s hand, lying limp on the sweat and blood-soaked carpet. Her writhing mouth exhaled a labored breath as if telling him not to go. Seeing that, Tarhan couldn’t move as physical pain and various thoughts pressed down on his mind.

Then, the old woman’s wrinkled hand pulled his immobilized hand away from Enya’s slender fingers. Piache, gently brushing Enya’s hair soaked in sweat, whispered.

“Tarhan is not leaving. Just adjust your posture. Good girl, come on…”

Piache told Enya to release her strength and regulate her breathing.

Tarhan, influenced by Piache’s tender voice, experienced a bizarre relaxation throughout his entire body as if his entire being was submerged in waves.

He looked at his arm, which held Enya’s hand tightly for a long time. It had dried blood and nail marks. However, he couldn’t afford to continue enjoying that brief respite.

For him, taking the time to wipe away the blood on his chest was a luxury.

Finally, Piache began to move skillfully. Despite her worn-out expression, the old woman’s small body moved quite nimbly. Tarhan’s eyes, affected by the eerie experience of relaxation, melted.

For a long time, Enya’s hand had been gripping his hand, leaving dried blood and nail marks. However, he couldn’t continue to enjoy that brief respite. For him, taking the time to wipe away the blood on his chest was a luxury.

Eventually, Piache started to move briskly. Despite her weary expression, the old woman’s small body moved quite nimbly.

Enya’s tangled and blood-stained hair hung down on her wet shoulders.

The two of them slowly moved the pregnant woman’s body as it rolled on the carpet that was covered in straw and blood.

Following Piache’s instructions, Tarhan helped position Enya’s weak, sagging body and leaned her against his chest. In the meantime, Piache, who had briefly left the room, returned with supplies. She approached after wiping her hands with a cloth and rinsing them with hot water.

Tarhan accepted the sterilized dry cloth in his hands. Despite the bright light from the hearth, the surroundings felt hazy.

The crimson light seemed to flicker.

He sensed that his body was trembling violently. Then, a firm grip forcefully slapped his cheek. It was Piache.

“Snap out of it! I understand your feelings, but you can’t afford to be like this!”

Piache scolded the dazed man angrily.

Tarhan opened his eyes with a sensation that he could breathe freely. The words seemed to jolt him back to consciousness.

“It took too long. The mother’s strength has diminished too much, and… it seems like what we feared has happened.”

Old Lady Piache wiped down Enya’s exhausted body with a towel soaked in hot water. The old woman’s intensely red eyes scanned the weary woman with a sharp gaze.

“Enya, can you hear me? You have to come to your senses. We need to take out the baby!”

Not ‘deliver’ but ‘take out’ added to the awkwardness of the moment, and Tarhan couldn’t grasp the oddity in that moment.

Piache once again inserted a clean cloth into Enya’s mouth.

As her rough touch swept Enya’s bare shoulders, patting her pale cheeks, at some point, the girl exhaled a shallow breath.

Right after that, the voice that Tarhan desperately wanted to hear echoed in his ears.

“Wa, water…”

Tarhan, who had been holding her body, stiffened momentarily. Unable to move, Piache took the chilled water she brought and gently touched it to Enya’s lips. More water flowed down her mouth and chin than through her throat.

Enya, who had momentarily choked, opened her eyes.

He watched her with a feeling of his stomach tightening.

The woman’s eyes, which captured the sight of the man with a very bloody body, weakly widened. She tried to say something with her parched lips, but nothing but a stifled groan came out.

His pupils, looking down at that sight, shook desperately.

“Now, slowly breathe in and out. The more strength goes into your body now, the more you’ll suffer.”

Old Lady Piache consoled her from the side. As Enya started to breathe in and out with difficulty, Piache continued her guidance.

“I know it’s tough. Still, you have to gather your strength. When the pain comes again, start giving strength. Until the baby comes out.”

Tarhan was the one who gasped at those words.

In this situation, Piache, who could tell him to gather strength, now looked ruthless to Tarhan. However, the old lady ignored his reaction and began to encourage Enya again.

Surprisingly, despite the old woman’s words, Tarhan felt the woman in his arms adjusting her posture. Even with Piache’s statement that they had to go through the experience again, Enya seemed to be preparing for the upcoming pain as if it were not frightening.

“Yes, take a deep breath…”

Inside the tent, where the flames burned, the warm air mixed with the chilly wind from outside.

Tarhan watched the entire scene in horror. At that moment, it felt as if he was the only coward in that room.

…How much time had passed?

Once again, at the familiar pain surging, Enya’s limbs stiffened. She groped Tarhan’s forearm with a groan as her arms and legs stiffened. With a face that had lost its soul, Tarhan grabbed her hand with his own.

“Now, from now on, you have to exert strength. Keep breathing. Don’t lose consciousness…!”

Piache, the healer and midwife, sharply exclaimed.

Piache’s arms continued to shake around Enya’s weakened arms and face. Like Tarhan, she also seemed fearful that Enya might lose consciousness again. Despite her trembling hands, the old lady didn’t stop.

Wiping away the blood flowing between Enya’s legs, she comforted her.

“There, there. It’s all done. You’ve done it… You have to gather strength. Just a few more times…”

In the midst of the shock, he was unable to regain his composure. Tarhan watched the entire scene from start to finish.

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