Demios pov
So, this is what they meant by light at the end of the tunnel. It is my time to go up to heaven. I've lived... no, barely lived; it would have been nice to live a bit longer. A bit longer, huh? I deserved much more, right?
Nah Nah Nah, how is that allowed to run? I mean 90-year olds are begging for death, but I am dying now. Bloody now! I don't want to die, man, I really don't want to die, I still got a lot of stuff I want to do.
.... actually thinking about it, what did I want to do?
Erm, Hmm, what did I want to achieve by helping that kid? Helping that mother? Should I have just helped the homeless guy instead? Why was I the one? Why me?
Why did it have to be me?
Wait a minute! That should be an issue, right? The world needs to call a meeting right now! I can't die like this! Was I just living like a mindless robot? Just saying yes to whatever people told me to do. Am I really that empty? This should be an international problem, right? Oh, what am I going to do?
Hold on, why am I panicking now? There's no point, since I'm dead. Wait, if I'm dead, am I just a living consciousness, or is my body still here? Or am I just sleeping? Maybe I am sleeping? Oh, I'm bugging, bugging, I can't even think straight!
Well, if I am dead, I've always wanted to smile like one-piece characters when facing death. Goodbye, world, you lost another great soul that has failed to accomplish anything. I mean, I did win 100m once because all the fast people thought they should rebel against the teachers.
Oh, the good times. The great times. My life's greatest highlight.
Hmm, what is that touching me? Hands? Does this happen to everyone in the afterlife? It's creepy, keep your hands off of me! Honestly, someone is touching me all over right now; I know it has to be someone's hands. That rough but smooth texture feels kind of nice. It's so difficult to open my eyes. Who the fuck told me to do the whole one-piece crap? I can barely see anything. Where am I? A wooden cottage? What's that above me? Black with flickering lights? It looks like it is sucking up all the logs; I can't see it clearly.
Hahahahaha
This is a joke, right? A black hole?! Are you serious right now? A freaking black hole!? That's the only way to describe that. It's getting difficult to breathe. I can't wait to tell my friends about this dream; they would probably be laughing their heads off about my imagination. Did I even have friends?
Ok, I know I am not dead, this is too real, there's a lady... Oh God, and some black guy who keeps walking and muttering to himself. Am I lucid dreaming? Where the hell am I? All right, this is pointless. I really have to stop this habit of mine.
Let's calm down, no think, think, look! I'm in a room with a black hole above my head sucking up everything in sight except us, a couple seems to be preparing to take out a baby. There's another lady here, glowing lights outside and...
My head hurts.
What is this? Why is there a blanket around my chest?
Oh, God! Take me back, man, you've made a mistake. Why in the world does this have to happen to me? Fuck this shit! Reincarnation, that's the only explanation. Does it make fucking sense? How am I supposed to go through childhood again? I have to act and do goo goo gaa ga or make up some weird crap! Wait, am I dead, or am I lucid dreaming? What in the world is going on? Why is the wood shaking? Are we having an earthquake? Did I cause this? Why is this man's back sweating so much?
Oh, it seems the baby's out.
Bolts of Lightning are coming down now.
I give up.
I don't want to do this anymore, man. I didn't ask for this, I didn't even sign up for this whole thing.
How fucked am I!
If I didn't die before? I am definitely dying now, black holes and now lightning bolts! Hmm, why does the baby have one grey eye and another blue? Does he have heterochromia, something, something…heterochromia iridium, well-done mate, that's twenty marks for you.
Am I mistaken? That baby's blue eye is flashing weird colours at me; who put me here, man?
"Aweededefe!" Someone's mumbling to themselves, and I'm nearly 100 per cent sure it's not the woman giving birth,
I guess they don't speak English, as I can't understand a single word they are saying.
This is so stressful, damn, I feel like my brain blew a fuse or two.
A purple bird just flew in the sky right now. What kind of bird is that? Why is it on fire? Isn't that fire heading straight at us? Man reincarnation and destruction all in one day. I've seriously done it now.
Oh, someone is crying. She gave birth to triplets?
Ahh! Why me, man?
~~~~~
A year later
"Stop copying me!"
Outside a stone-age village, a small hut with flowers planted on either side of the entrance had eight handprints of varying sizes on the right wall.
It was the home of a family of eight, including beasts, that moved in two months ago. The man of the house, Grey, works alongside the other men of the village to go hunting for food and herbs. His brutish strength and charming smile were key to his adaptation into the village's hunting squad.
Although it was uncomfortable for Grey to have to use large amounts of Orbis to alter his face. It was needed for the greater cause, as many men in the stone village would have lost their wives the moment Grey revealed his handsome exterior. Although his family's alluring appearances in the village had many questioning if a charming smile and disposition could really get him such a perfect family. Especially the trio of brothers who looked nothing like their father.
"He must have adopted them as his children," or "Maybe she had them before him,"
Throughout the village, rumours of that nature spread quickly among the local housewives and young couples. Even the village head had his doubts and would jokingly ask Grey where he found his family.
"A blessing from the heavens," Grey would say in response.
The Ether family also refused the village's numerous advances to move in, especially from the village elders who valued the number of animals hunted by Grey, but also for the inhumane strength the trio of brothers already had despite their young age, with some villagers said to have seen the brothers lifting and smashing heavy boulders after learning how to run.
"If we can build deeper relationships with the family, our village would become the number one village on this Glacier range"
"To marry my daughter off to one of their sons would provide immense wealth and fame,"
"If we favour them, they would feel the need to help our village beyond what we could ever imagine,"
These were the staple statements made at the monthly village meeting by the elders, which the village head had a parrot create an automated response in response.
The family exuded an air of peace. To the point that they even managed to coax some elders into providing them with any intel regarding newcomers or changes to the town. The triplets born almost a year ago surprised their parents with their efforts to walk at four months and their ability to speak simple words like "Mama, or Food."
But now, those boys are enjoying sprints in the back garden. All of them were close to the height of a two-year-old toddler, wearing little bodysuits that matched their eye colours.
The oldest of the triplets, Demios, wore a gold bodysuit; Miko, an ocean-blue one; and the last-born, Hyde, a purple one. Sharing their father's curls, the brothers' afros glistened under the radiant sun.
"Come on, Miko, it's easy, just copy Demios," Hyde laughed while suggesting to Miko.
"I know that already, but I am trying to put a twist to it. I think I can go faster if I move my body like this," Miko responded.
"Oh, what if you turn this way and move your body like this?" Hyde said, readjusting Miko's body shape.
Following Hyde's instructions, Miko sprinted and, upon reaching the tree opposite their house, realised, "That's the way Demios did it!" His cheeks flushed a bright red.
"Hahahaha, I can't believe you fell for it," Hyde laughed, rolling on the floor as he held his stomach.
Kicking Hyde out of embarrassment, Miko fell beside the injured Hyde and asked, "By the way, where is Demios?"
"Mum forced him to watch her cook since he tried to go into the village again," Hyde said, flashing his two teeth.
"Isn't that the thirteenth time, or was it fourteenth?" Miko muttered.
"Get inside now! If you don't bring your bottoms here right now, I'll..."
"Coming, Mum,"
Meanwhile, Demios was sitting at the table, his face distorting from time to time as he grimaced at the situation before him, sneaking glances at his Uncle Black and Uncle Frey to his sides on the large dinner table.
~~~~~
Demios Pov
I've adapted too well, way too well, to this family. First of all, I have beast Uncles and an Aunty who watches us in the night. She just sits there on the branch like an owl watching us sleep. I almost had a heart attack when I first saw her under the moonlight. Her blue eyes closely resembled Miko's, but hers were even more ocean blue.
Learning their language didn't take too long, either. I mean, my Uncle Frey would take us into a corner after dinner and have us recite thousands of words while writing on a notepad. He kept muttering something about "being rejected as a teacher of something" and that he was destined to teach us, or some gibberish like that. To be honest, I haven't completely mastered it, but I get the gist of most of what they are saying for now.
I wonder how long we are going to stay here this time. I overheard my uncles talking about some people being after our lives for something my dad did.
I feel like I still lack a lot of information about this world and our circumstances. There are barely any books in this house, but I have a feeling Uncle Frey is hiding them from me. I also can't sneak out of this house without someone in this family bringing me back. Man, I feel so out of the loop, and the only one I can have a real conversation with is me. I am going to lose it.
It's not like I can talk with those brothers of mine since they wouldn't understand what I am talking about. Argh, this is so frustrating.
*pop*
~~~
"Did you start overthinking again"? Rose said, laying out the cutlery, "How many times do you do this to yourself? You need to relax, or that big brain of yours will blow on itself".
"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time", Demios muttered before receiving a swift backhand to his head.
"Watch your tongue,"
"Sorry, mum," Demios said, rubbing the back of his head.
" By the way, Mum, what do you think of the flowers that we brought for the front garden?"
"Oh, you mean the ones you added to the lavender flowers out front?" Rose replied nonchalantly.
" Yeah, I brought the bluebells because Miko wanted to bring the gladiolus flower that I found by the way, and Hyde just picked up the daffodils on the side of the road," Demios grumbled, appearing slightly annoyed as he picked up his fork.
Rose giggled while thinking, " My sons are so cute, After finding out that everyone in the village has flowers in front of their door, they searched everywhere for flowers for us. Aww, look at him mauling over such trivial stuff,"
"It looks like we came in at the right time. Boys bring in my spoils while I help your mum put the final touches to our dinner," Grey laughed, as he motioned for them to go to the front of the house.
"Alright, I'll leave everything to you, Mr Chef", Rose sighed, taking one last glance at her workstation.
"If we let you cook, there would be no food, "Grey thought while slicing carrots.
Stopping for a moment, Rose bit her lip "What if they take it off, Grey? "
She said, studiously watching Grey's movements.
"Oh, you're talking about that thing, they couldn't take it off if they wanted to, you should trust me a little bit more, you know".
"I trust you, but you saw how their bodies looked,"
"Yeah, their bodies couldn't handle the Orbis flowing in them. It's just like the others, it's fine, all bloodlines come with those effects, and ours is no different"
"Don't say it like that!"
"If I don't say it like this, I will start to get worried, you know. It's partially our fault that it happened; after all, I'm just glad the gem could serve as a mediator. Without it, I fear..."
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, it's because of that damn stone that hundreds are after us!"
"It's part of the reason, but it's not the whole reason," Grey smiled.
"Its,"
"Demios, why are you standing there? Dad is waiting inside, you know," Hyde shouted.
*Ugh*
Punching Hyde in the stomach on reflex, Demios could feel his mum's presence behind him, causing his hairs to stand on edge.
"I'm sorry, sorry it was by accident", Demios pleaded. Carefully dropping the stringed beef in his hands.
Holding his brother's arm, Demios looked at his mother with reverent fear in his eyes while thinking, "Please have mercy on me".
"Can somebody help me please? It's heavy!"Miko shouted.
"You're strong enough," Hyde scoffed.
"Give it here, Miko," Rose smiled, rubbing her son's curls "You all need to get along"
"Yes, mum,"
"I wonder if it's the future we should worry about or the present?" Frey muttered as he filtered through his note cards.
"The present?" Hyde inquired
"You heard me? Don't worry, we're fine," Frey smiled, but his eyes told a different story.