Derek's eyes locked on Vanessa. The moment he saw her, his mind spun in circles.
'Can she remember me? Can she remember anything from our last life? If she can, then maybe… maybe she can tell me what she saw that day—about this power inside me.'
The thoughts tangled faster, pulling him into a storm of hope and fear.
And then suddenly....
Vanessa stopped.
She had been walking cheerfully, hand in hand with a man in his mid-twenties just a bit ahead of the wagon, but as if sensing something, her steps froze. Slowly, she turned her head toward the wagon which was slowly advancing.
Her gaze met Derek's.
For a single heartbeat, the world seemed to halt. Derek's chest tightened. His young heart skipped a beat. 'Yes…' His thoughts flared. 'Maybe she does remember something. Maybe she recognizes me, even like this.'
But the illusion shattered in an instant.
Vanessa raised her left hand, pulled at the skin beneath her eye with a finger, stuck her tongue out, and chirped—
"Booooo!"
Then she turned away, laughing, and strolled forward happily as if nothing had happened.
'Shit.' Derek cursed inwardly. 'She remembers nothing. Even if she did, there's no way she'd connect me to who I was back then. After all, we only met when I was already twenty in my last life.'
He kept staring without realizing it, frustration written all over his little face.
That was when his mother noticed. Martha followed her son's line of sight and spotted Vanessa ahead with her companion. A mischievous smile tugged at her lips.
"Huh. Derek, darling…" she teased lightly, "you haven't even grown up yet, and you're already staring at girls? Is my son getting his first crush so early?"
'Wha—?!' Derek almost fell over in shock. His cheeks flushed red. 'Mother! What are you even saying?! Don't embarrass me like this!'
Oliver, who had been watching curiously, jumped in with a grin. "Oh ho! My nephew is already thinking of girlfriends? So fast!"
Rudeous said nothing, but the faint smile spreading across his face betrayed his amusement.
'Unbelievable…' Derek groaned inwardly. 'Where are you all even going with this conversation?'
Arthur, however, wore a completely serious expression. He folded his arms and declared, "No. Little brother, you shouldn't be thinking about these things right now. First, it should be your elder brother's turn. Then yours."
His tone was firm, as if this were some sacred law of life.
Daisy, sitting beside him, rolled her eyes and pinched his ear. "Stop spouting nonsense and focus on training instead, pervert." She glared with her big round eyes.
"Okay, okay! I was just joking!" Arthur yelped, rubbing his ear nervously.
The siblings' banter was too much.
"Pfft—" Oliver burst into laughter. Martha followed, her soft chuckles blending with Daisy's mock-angry scolding. Even Rudeous couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh.
The road filled with warm, ringing laughter.
Meanwhile, Derek could only lower his head in despair. Inwardly, he facepalmed. 'Seriously… I was thinking about my past life, about fate, about whether she remembers me… and you people are turning it into a comedy skit. Where are you even going with this?!'
The wagon rolled on, laughter still lingering from earlier.
"It's already noon," Oliver suggested with a smile. "Let's head home first, have something to eat, and rest a little. Then in the afternoon, we can go out for shopping and sightseeing."
"Alright," Rudeous agreed. 'I will utilize that time to buy the necessary things.'
The plan settled, the wagon followed Oliver's directions through quieter streets. Before long, they arrived at a small neighborhood where houses stood close together, the sound of children's voices echoing faintly.
At last, the wagon stopped before a tall, two-storied house.
"We're here," Oliver announced as he stepped down from the wagon.
Just as the family's eyes settled on it, a cheerful voice floated down from the balcony.
"Daisy! Is that you?!"
They all looked up. A little girl about Daisy's age leaned over the railing, her silver hair glinting in the light, her blue eyes shining with excitement.
Before anyone could reply, she spun around and disappeared inside. Moments later, the sound of small footsteps echoed from within the house.
And then the door of the house swung open as the same girl came rushing out.
Daisy jumped down from the wagon at once. The two of them met halfway and hugged tightly, their laughter echoing through the yard.
"How have you been, Sandy?" Daisy asked with a bright smile.
"You can see for yourself," Sandy giggled. But then her eyes fell on Derek, who was in Martha's arms as she carefully stepped down from the wagon.
Her little eyes sparkled. "Is that your new baby brother?" she asked excitedly.
"Yes. Isn't he adorable?" Daisy replied proudly.
Meanwhile, Arthur stepped down from the wagon, puffing his cheeks in mock annoyance. "Yeah, and it's not like I exist here," he muttered with a hint of grievance.
Sandy laughed, reached over, and pinched his cheek. "Oh, come on. I only asked because I saw someone new. How could I ever forget my monkey-faced brother?"
Arthur flinched, but Daisy burst into laughter. For once, she looked like the little girl she truly was—no longer the responsible elder sister, just a child laughing with friends.
When Sandy reached out to carry Derek, Martha carefully handed him over, her voice gentle. "Be careful, Sandy darling, alright?"
"Of course, Aunty," Sandy replied sweetly, hugging Derek close.
'She looks like a lively child now,' Derek thought, watching her. 'Unlike the strict elder sister she was the first time around.'
From within the house, a woman appeared, her silver hair gleaming just like Sandy's, her blue eyes shining warmly. She looked around twenty-nine or thirty years old, her face delighted as she stepped forward to welcome them. This was Juliana, Oliver's wife.
The air around them grew lively, full of chatter and laughter as the family followed Oliver inside. The cheerful voices even spilled out into the street, filling the air with warmth.
_____
Somewhere else at the same time.....
The space above a barren plain began to ripple, twisting unnaturally. Within moments, it warped into a distorted rift, widening until it became a gate.
From within, two figures emerged.
The first was a woman clad in a tight black dress. She was no human—two horns jutted from her head, and within both her eyes, the digit 1 glowed ominously.
Beside her stepped a tall, broad-shouldered man. A massive sword hung across his back, and metal guards covered his forearms, but his chest was bare. His black hair fell to his shoulders, framing a face hard as stone.
After stepping into the world, his voice came out low and gravelly. "Is this the planet from where we sensed the bloodline?"
"Yes, General," the horned woman replied. "This is the one. The inhabitants here… they call it Earth."