Raghav stared blankly.
His mind struggled to process what his eyes were seeing.
Is this… real?
How is this possible?
Did I… get reborn?
His thoughts moved slowly, like thick mud.
He looked up at the woman holding him.
And froze.
She was… breathtaking.
Not simply beautiful.
Something beyond that.
Her long silver hair shimmered faintly under the blue light filling the cave. Her skin looked almost luminous, smooth like polished jade. Her eyes were calm, deep, and strangely distant.
Raghav had lived more than forty years in his previous life.
He had seen countless people.
Movie stars.
Models.
Women praised for their beauty.
But never—
Never anyone like this.
Even in his wildest dreams, he had never imagined someone so flawless.
She's… like an angel.
Slowly, he looked around.
The place he had been born into was not a hospital.
Not even a house.
It was a small cave.
Soft blue light glowed from strange crystals embedded in the stone walls. A clear stream of water flowed quietly nearby, making the air cool and fresh.
Two other women stood beside his mother.
They were also very beautiful.
Far more beautiful than ordinary people.
But compared to the woman holding him…
They were like grass beside a blooming lotus.
Yet something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
No one looked happy.
There was no joy.
No celebration.
No smiles.
The three women simply stared at him in silence.
Their expressions were cold.
Distant.
Almost… disappointed.
A chill ran through Raghav's tiny body.
Did I do something wrong?
He realized something else.
He wasn't crying.
In his previous life he had heard that newborn babies should cry loudly.
But his body was quiet.
Maybe they expected that?
Trying to blend in… he forced himself to cry.
"Waaa—"
But suddenly something blocked his throat.
Liquid.
Thick fluid stuck inside his mouth and lungs.
His tiny chest struggled to breathe.
Raghav's mind panicked.
Wait…
They didn't turn me upside down.
They didn't clear my throat.
His breathing became desperate.
He wanted to tell them.
He wanted to shout.
I'm choking!
But he couldn't speak.
The fluid stuck deeper in his throat.
Air refused to enter his lungs.
Tears flowed from the corners of his eyes.
Am I… going to die?
The thought terrified him.
Why…
I just got born.
Why are they just staring?
He looked toward the beautiful woman who had given birth to him.
His mother.
But she wasn't even looking at him.
Her gaze was distant… almost indifferent.
The coldness hurt more than the suffocation.
Why won't you look at me?
His vision started turning dark again.
The pain in his tiny chest became unbearable.
If I die…
Will I be reborn again?
No.
The thought filled him with fear.
I don't want to die.
Not again.
Just when his consciousness began to fade—
One of the other women suddenly stepped forward.
She gently picked him up.
Her expression was calmer than the others.
"Poor child…" she murmured softly.
She placed one hand on his small chest.
A warm energy flowed from her palm.
It felt like gentle sunlight spreading through his body.
The warmth pushed through his lungs.
Through his throat.
Forcing something upward.
Suddenly—
"—ghk!"
Raghav vomited a mouthful of thick fluid.
Air rushed violently into his lungs.
He gasped desperately.
Breathing.
Finally breathing.
The warmth continued flowing through him, calming his racing heart.
But the exhaustion was overwhelming.
His tiny body could not handle the strain.
The world began fading again.
Before losing consciousness, he heard the woman whisper quietly.