Warmth was the first thing Saksham felt.
Not the suffocating heat of a hospital room, nor the sharp sting of pain that should have followed death—but a gentle, enveloping warmth, like being wrapped in countless soft blankets.
I'm… alive?
The thought floated through his mind, slow and unclear.
Sounds reached him next. Muffled voices. A rhythmic thumping. A steady, soothing beat.
A heartbeat.
Not his.
Another realization followed, heavier than the rest.
I can't move.
No arms. No legs. No control over his body. Panic tried to rise, but even that felt distant, dulled—as if his emotions themselves were restrained.
Before fear could take hold, a familiar glow bloomed before his consciousness.
[Divine System – Initial Synchronization Complete]
[Host Status: Stable]
[Soul Integrity: 100%]
[Reincarnation Process: Successful]
Saksham froze.
So it wasn't a dream.
Fragments of memory rushed back—his old life, the moment of death, the blinding divine hall, and the gods who had smiled far too easily while rewriting his fate.
They really sent me to another world…
A soft pressure surrounded him, rocking gently. Instinctively, he understood.
A womb.
"I've been reborn…"
His thoughts were calm, unnervingly so. The system's influence, perhaps—keeping his mind from breaking under the shock.
The screen shifted, lines of light rearranging themselves.
[World Identified]
Realm: Aetheria
Era: Age of Noble Houses]
[Birth Status: Unborn – 3 Months Remaining]
Aetheria…
The name carried weight, as if the world itself acknowledged his presence.
Before he could reflect further, a new presence pressed gently against his awareness—warm, protective, and overwhelmingly kind.
A mother.
He couldn't hear her words clearly, but emotions flowed freely through the connection.
Hope.
Love.
And quiet excitement.
Saksham's chest tightened.
I never felt this… in my last life.
A memory surfaced uninvited—long nights, empty rooms, a life spent chasing success without ever truly belonging.
"…This time," he vowed silently, "I won't waste it."
The system pulsed again, brighter than before.
[Divine Blessings – Locked]
[Condition: Birth + Awakening Ceremony]
[Hidden Element Detected: Light–Dark Duality]
[Warning: Information Sealed by Higher Authority]
His breath—if it could be called that—hitched.
Light and Dark… together?
Even without full knowledge, he understood one thing instinctively.
This is not normal.
In stories, in games, in every fantasy he had consumed in his previous life, Light and Dark were opposites—forces that rejected each other.
Yet they existed within him, perfectly balanced.
"…So this is why the gods were interested," Saksham thought grimly.
Time passed strangely inside the womb. Days blurred together, marked only by the mother's heartbeat and the system's occasional, silent updates.
He listened.
He learned.
Though his body was undeveloped, his soul wasn't.
[Passive Skill Acquired: Soul Perception (Lv. 1)]
Effect: Allows the host to sense emotions, mana flow, and intent within close proximity.
The world expanded.
He sensed more than just his mother now—servants moving nearby, the calm authority of a man whose presence radiated strength.
My father…
That strength carried discipline. Pride. Responsibility.
A noble, Saksham realized.
Not just any noble—one who carried real power.
Excited whispers drifted through the air one evening.
"—the child will be born under a blessed constellation."
"The astrologers confirmed it, my lord."
"A good omen for House Bhutani."
House Bhutani…
The name etched itself into Saksham's soul.
So this is my new family.
A noble house. Status. Influence.
And danger.
Politics. Expectations. Enemies hiding behind smiles.
Instead of fear, determination settled in his heart.
If I've been given this life…
Then I'll climb to the top of this world.
The system responded, almost approvingly.
[Primary Objective Updated]
Survive. Grow. Awaken.]
As months passed, pressure built.
The warmth shifted. The calm shattered.
Voices rose in urgency.
Pain—sharp, overwhelming—flooded his senses for the first time.
And then—
Light.
Air.
A cry tore from his lungs, raw and instinctive.
"Congratulations, my lord! It's a boy!"
Thus, Saksham Bhutani entered the world of Aetheria.
And far beyond mortal sight, unseen eyes opened.
Gods watched.
Some with curiosity.
Some with anticipation.
And some… with fear.