1.

A sharp, piercing pang in my lower abdomen jolted me awake from a restless sleep.

It wasn't normal pain. It wasn't even close. My lower back and pelvis burned in an agony so excruciating I thought my bones were shattering from the inside. My abdomen twisted violently, the sensation so foreign it stole the air from my lungs.

Then came the wetness.

In my half-conscious state, I assumed I had peed myself. But something was off—wrong. This wasn't urine. It was too warm, too fast, too much. And it wasn't coming from where I expected.

A clear, gushing fluid soaked my sheets, pooling beneath me.

Terror seized my chest. What the hell was happening to me?

"Levi!"

My voice barely escaped as a whisper, hoarse and weak, but the pain made it impossible to move, let alone think.

"Leviii!" My second cry was desperate, strangled.

I was drowning in agony. My body trembled violently, tears streaming down my face. My sobs and gasping breaths filled the empty room, swallowed only by the pounding of my own heart.

It felt like an eternity before I heard it—rushing footsteps.

Up the stairs. Down the hall.

Then—

The door burst open, slamming against the wall.

"D-Darcy?!" Levi's voice cracked as he took in the scene before him. His horror mirrored my own as he rushed to my side, hands hovering helplessly over my shaking form. "What's wrong? What the hell is happening?! Where does it hurt?!"

Everything hurt.

"H-help... please..."

That was all I could get out before the world faded to black.

And I welcomed the darkness, grateful to escape the pain.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Hang in there, Dar! We're almost there!"

"Yeah, I'm her brother!"

"Doctor! Doctor! Please, help her!"

"She's waking up—give her air!"

"Darcy?"

The world returned in blinding brightness. My vision blurred before it cleared, revealing my brother Levi's panicked face. Beside him stood my mother, her eyes red-rimmed with worry. And finally, a man in a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck—the doctor.

"Levi... Mom...?" My throat was raw, dry as sandpaper.

"My baby, you're okay—Mama's here," my mother sobbed, grabbing my hand, squeezing it tight.

I weakly squeezed back, turning my attention to the doctor, who now stepped forward, his expression unreadable.

"Darcy Seville?" he confirmed, glancing at his clipboard. My mother and brother stepped aside, giving him space.

"Well, I'm Doctor Jonathan, and I'll be attending to you today."

I gave a sluggish nod, too drained to do more.

He sighed, his gaze flicking between me and my brother. "According to your file, you just turned eighteen last week?"

"Yeah, she did," Levi cut in, voice sharp. "Doctor, just tell us what's wrong with her already. Is it something serious?"

"No, actually." The doctor let out a dry chuckle before sighing. "Quite the opposite."

My stomach knotted. "Then what is it?"

He exhaled slowly. "Congratulations, Miss Seville. You're 38 weeks pregnant... and in active labor."

Silence.

Then—

"WHAT?!"

Our screams ricocheted off the hospital walls. Levi's was by far the loudest.

"I-It's impossible!" My voice cracked as I sat up too fast, the pain punishing me instantly. "Doctor, that—that can't be right!"

I was shaking, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps. My heart thundered violently in my chest. "I would know if I was pregnant!"

Wouldn't I?

The doctor gave me a patient look. "I understand this is a shock, but I assure you, all the tests confirm it. You're having a baby, and your water has already broken. Your contractions will resume soon, and we'll need to perform a C-section immediately."

No.

No, no, no, no.

I stared at him, my ears ringing, my mind spinning out of control. This was insane. A nightmare.

"I-It's impossible, Doctor! What kind of joke is this?!" My voice trembled as I stared at him in disbelief. "I've never had regular periods, and I only had sex once! And we used protection! There has to be a mistake!"

I had always known my body was a little different. My periods had been irregular since they started at twelve—sometimes months apart, sometimes barely lasting a day. It was something that embarrassed me to my core, but I had come to accept it.

But hold on—if I had periods, that meant my reproductive system was functional, right? Oh God, I never paid attention in biology!

"And besides, look at her stomach! Does that look like someone who's nine months pregnant?!" Levi shouted, pulling up my hospital gown to reveal my flat—or, well, somewhat soft—stomach.

But now that I looked at it closely, it wasn't exactly flat anymore. The slight weight gain I had dismissed as normal... wasn't. My lower abdomen was firm, not the soft chubbiness I had assumed.

Oh my God... am I that much of an idiot?! How could I not notice a baby growing inside me for nine months?!

The doctor sighed. "Believe me, I understand how shocking this is. But we've run every test—bloodwork, ultrasounds—and they all confirm the same thing. You're pregnant, and your water has already broken. Any moment now, your contractions will resume. Given the circumstances, we'll need to proceed with a cesarean section for a safe delivery like I said."

"But how?! How did she not know?!" my brother snapped, his voice rising.

"This is a rare phenomenon known as cryptic pregnancy," the doctor explained. "It occurs when a woman is unaware of her pregnancy until the late stages—or even until labor begins. There are little to no symptoms in the early weeks, and in some cases, even urine tests fail to detect it."

No. No, no, no! This can't be real.

I stared at my stomach, my hands trembling as they hovered over where, supposedly, a baby had been growing inside me this entire time.

I'm only 18. A senior in high school. What will people think? My friends, my classmates... them.

What will my family think?

I turned to my brother, trying to gauge his reaction.

To the outside world, he looked calm—indifferent, even.

But I saw it.

The rage simmering in his fiery eyes. The sharp intakes of breath he was barely controlling. I could practically see the smoke coming from his agitated form.

Oh, no.

"Who got you pregnant?" His voice was eerily calm.

"Levi..." my mom started, finally sensing his storm brewing.

"Uhmm... no one?" I blurted out, suddenly very interested in the hospital room's checkered floor tiles.

"No one?" He let out a dry laugh, void of humor.

Oh, God.

But I had no time to process his reaction—because suddenly, like an old enemy, the piercing pain returned, shooting through my abdomen. This time, it was lower. And so much worse.

"Ahhh!" I cried out, clutching my stomach, desperate to ease the pain.

"Nurse!" the doctor shouted. Within moments, several nurses rushed into the room.

"Her contractions are intensifying," one of them said urgently.

"She needs an emergency C-section," the doctor confirmed. "Darcy, you're legally an adult, so you need to sign consent for the procedure. Do you understand?"

Consent. Right.

My hands were trembling so badly that when a clipboard was thrust in front of me, I nearly dropped the pen. My vision blurred as I stared at the form. The words meant nothing. All I knew was that the pain was unbearable, and I wanted it to stop.

"Darcy, sign it," Levi urged. "Just sign it."

I scrawled my name across the page.

"Get her prepped," the doctor ordered as soon as the signature was down.

The nurses moved quickly, placing me into a wheelchair, adjusting IVs, making rapid preparations.

Levi and my mom flanked me as I was wheeled toward the operating room.

"Levi... Mom..." I sobbed, fear gripping me.

"It's going to be okay, Dar," Levi reassured me, pressing a kiss to my forehead before stepping back. His face was pale, his breaths unsteady, but he was trying to be strong for me.

My mom hugged me, her eyes brimming with tears. "We're right here, sweetheart. Stay strong."

And then, I was wheeled away, the pain overwhelming me.

I had no choice but to be strong—for myself.

For my...baby.

As the anesthesia took over, darkness claimed me once again.

And I could only hope I'd see the light when I woke up.