Amiriah pov
The last few hours had been a flurry of preparation. My team—and it was strange to think of them that way again after everything—had rallied around me with an efficiency that was both comforting and unsettling. Their easy acceptance of Lani, their determination to help us... it made the walls I'd built around my heart feel suddenly fragile.
At dinner, Catanlia kept trying to get Lani to call her "Auntie Cat," but my stubborn little treasure had her own ideas.
"Catcat!" she'd exclaimed, pointing her small finger at Catanlia, whose exasperated expression only made Lani giggle more.
She'd given them all nicknames—"Bri" for Briyah, "JackJack" for Jackson, and most amusing of all, "Milkeal" for Mikeal, which had the entire table erupting in laughter as she struggled with the pronunciation.
"Mil-keal!" she'd insisted, her little face scrunched in concentration.
"It's Mi-keal," he'd corrected gently, only to be met with another confident "Milkeal!"
After dinner, they helped load our few belongings into the car. Jackson handed me an envelope containing our new identities—IDs, passports, car information, and details about an underground safe house in S City.
Looking at Lani's birth certificate brought back memories so vivid they almost stole my breath. Jackson had asked me when she was born, and I remembered that night like it had happened yesterday...
I'd been lying in bed, uncomfortable and restless, the television providing background noise as I tried to find a position that didn't make my back ache. I must have dozed off, but Lani's kicks woke me—stronger than usual, insistent. I'd rubbed my belly, trying to soothe her, but the movements only intensified. Then came the pain—sharp, taking me by surprise. I'd screamed, sitting up to find the bed wet beneath me.
Panic had flooded through me as I tried to stand, only to be doubled over by another wave of pain, forcing me to grip the edge of the bed for support.
"It's too early," I'd whispered to my belly, tears streaming down my face. "It's not time for you to come yet."
Afraid and alone, I'd retreated into my darkness—the one place I felt safe. But there was no escaping what was happening. The contractions came harder, faster.
"Ahhhhhhh!" I'd screamed, trying to catch my breath between waves of pain. "AHHHHHH! Why does this hurt so bad?"
Using my darkness, I'd created a mirror in front of me. When I saw her head beginning to emerge, something primal took over. I pushed harder, screaming louder as she slid out. My darkness caught her, bringing her to my arms.
Looking at the tiny, fragile being in my hands had terrified me. I was just a girl myself—what did I know about being a mother? I'd stared at her, afraid I would hurt her somehow, until she opened her eyes—perfect brown mirrors of my own. Something shifted inside me then, a love so fierce and sudden it felt like being struck by lightning.
"It's nice to finally meet you, my sweet girl," I'd whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm your mother. Your name is Kehlani."
I'd watched her fall asleep, then used my darkness to heal myself before leaving its sanctuary. In the bathroom, I'd cleaned us both, still dazed by the reality that I was now responsible for this tiny person. After changing the sheets, I'd lain down with her on my chest, making a promise that I would keep her hidden and safe from the cruel world that had shown me so little mercy.
"September 19, 3799, at night," I told Jackson, coming back to the present. He smiled, finalizing the birth certificate with practiced hands.
Mikeal handed me bank statements and sleek black and gold cards. "More than enough to get you established," he said, his eyes serious. "And untraceable."
When we arrived at the team's private jet, I stepped out of the car with a very sleepy Lani in my arms. Before boarding, I turned to face them. It felt important somehow, this moment. Like a dividing line between past and future.
"Thanks for everything, guys," I said, surprising myself by stepping forward to hug each of them with Lani still cradled against me. "I mean it."
Catanlia and Briyah smiled warmly, while Jackson and Mikeal looked at me with something like pride in their eyes.
"Remember, call us if you need anything," Catanila insisted, squeezing my shoulder. "And I mean anything."
They all looked at Lani, smiling softly. "Bye, little one. Call us sometimes."
Lani, her eyes heavy with sleep, managed a small smile. "Ok, byebye Auntie BriBri and Auntie Cat, Uncle JackJack, and Uncle Mickey," she whispered.
Their shocked expressions were priceless. Mikeal actually beamed, turning to the others. "You guys heard that? I'm Uncle Mickey!"
I couldn't help but smile as I waved goodbye one final time before boarding Jackson's self-flying jet. As we settled in, I instructed it to take us to S City in stealth mode. After changing Lani into her pajamas and doing the same for myself, I lay beside her in the bed, listening to her soft breathing as my thoughts tumbled forward.
Four years. It had been four years since I'd set foot in S City. Now I was willingly walking back into the lion's den—the dark world I'd grown up in, the place where it had all started. But this time, I wasn't alone. My treasure, my light, my Lani was walking into that city with me.
That thought scared me more than anything—enough to make me want to hide her away in my darkness forever. Facing my so-called family after all these years filled me with dread. The complicated tangle of hate, betrayal, and love I still felt for them threatened to overwhelm me.
What if my walls came crashing down? What if the darkness that lived inside me consumed me completely? What if I couldn't protect Lani from the shadows of my past?
But beneath those fears was a determination that burned even brighter. I would find answers. I would discover who Kai was and why his name could break me apart. I would confront my family and the lies they had told. And through it all, I would keep Lani safe—even if it meant burning S City to the ground.
I looked down at my sleeping daughter, her face peaceful in slumber, and gently brushed a her little pony tail out her face from her forehead. Whatever came next, we would face it together. My little treasure and I against the world—just as it had always been.