The transition from the void to reality wasn't a flash of light; it was a sensory assault. The smell of sterile antiseptic replaced the scent of gasoline, and the infinite silence was shattered by a sharp, rhythmic thump-thump—a heartbeat.
Ren—no, the infant—opened his eyes. Everything was a blur of high-contrast shapes until his vision finally locked onto two faces hovering above him.
"He's beautiful," a weary, melodic voice whispered.
"He's got your eyes, Aina," a deeper, gravelly voice replied, filled with awe.
Ren felt himself being shifted, held against a warmth that felt instinctively familiar. He looked up, his vision slowly focusing on a woman with hair the color of midnight and eyes that held a gentle, shimmering light. Beside her stood a man with broad shoulders and a kind, rugged face—his father.
"Taiko Takeru," his mother, Aina, said softly. "Taiko for the soaring spirit... and Takeru for the warrior I know he will become."
His father, Kaito Taiko, leaned in and pressed a large, calloused hand gently against Takeru's tiny chest. "Welcome to the family, Takeru. We've been waiting for you."
Time skip: 1 year
As the months turned into years, Takeru's world began to take shape. His parents were a study in balance.
Aina was a woman of quiet strength. She was a master of the kitchen, her movements like a dance as she prepared meals that smelled of ginger and soy. She had a peculiar habit of talking to her houseplants and humming tunes that sounded like old lullabies. To the world, she was a civilian, but to Takeru, she was his first and most vital connection to this new reality.
Kaito, on the other hand, was the family's steady mountain. He worked as a construction foreman, his Quirk—TectonicGrip—allowing him to stabilize structures with his bare hands. He was a man of few words but immense affection, often lifting Takeru onto his shoulders to give him a "giant's view" of the world. Despite his rough exterior, he was the first to tear up at Takeru's milestones.
Takeru lived like a normal baby, though his mind was far too sharp for his age. He observed their love, their hard work, and the way they prioritized his happiness. It was a good life.
Time skip: 6 months
Living as a toddler was an exercise in patience, but it wasn't without its anomalies.
When Takeru was about eighteen months old, he saw it for the first time. He was reaching for a wooden block when a flash of color caught his eye. A card—the GrosMichel—floated momentarily above his playmat. The Joker, a grinning banana in a jester's hat, let out a silent, mocking laugh before dissolving into pixels.
Takeru blinked. So it's real. The "Gambler's Anomaly" is already here.
As he grew, these "glitches" became more frequent. Spectral cards would flicker in the corner of his eye, and the faint sound of shuffling would echo in his ears when he was frustrated. The deck was waiting for him.
Time skip: 1 year and 6 months
By the time Takeru was three years old, life took a drastic turn. Aina's belly had grown round, and she sat him down with Kaito to explain that he was going to be an older brother—to twins.
"Takeru-kun," Kaito said, ruffling his hair. "You'll have to be the leader of the pack soon."
Takeru nodded solemnly, but his curiosity was peaking. He needed to see the world he had been dropped into. After weeks of begging, Kaito and Aina took him on a "grand tour" of the city.
The city was a kaleidoscope of the impossible. He saw a hero with literal vines for hair watering a public garden with her fingertips, and a delivery man zoomed past them on legs that looked like high-speed pistons.
In the central plaza, they saw a villain being apprehended by a Pro Hero. Takeru watched with wide eyes as the hero used a gust of wind to pin the thief down.
"Look at that, Takeru!" Kaito laughed, pointing. "Maybe that'll be you one day!"
Takeru watched the "Quirks" in action with a mix of awe and humor. It's one thing to read about My Hero Academia; it's another to see a man with a cat's head waiting for a bus. ---
That night, after they returned home, the air in Takeru's room felt heavy. He sat on his bed, the moonlight spilling across the floor.
Suddenly, a card manifested in the air above his head. It wasn't just a flicker this time—it was solid. A Joker—the "Joker"—shimmered with a cold, azure light. Simultaneously, a physical card dropped into his small lap: the 2 of Hearts.
Takeru picked it up. The card felt warm, humming with a suppressed energy. He didn't know how he knew, but he understood the rules. He held the intent to play the card in his mind.
"Play," he whispered.
The 2 of Hearts didn't fly; it condensed into a glowing ball of crimson force. As he threw it toward the far wall, the Joker above him flared.
[+4 MULT] The words flashed in his mind. The small ball of energy hit the drywall with the force of a beginner's fast ball.
CRACK.
The sound echoed through the house. Takeru stared at the spiderweb of fractures in the plaster. The Joker and the card vanished instantly, leaving him in the dark.
"Takeru? Is everything okay in there?" Kaito's voice called from the hallway.
Takeru jumped, hiding his shaking hands under the covers. I'm three years old, he thought, his heart hammering against his ribs. And I just play my first hand.