Chapter 3: A New Life Begins
A distant murmur echoed in the darkness.
The words were muffled, as if they were coming from deep underwater.
Our protagonist stirred sluggishly in the dark.
His consciousness was hazy and his body impossibly heavy.
He struggled to move but his limbs refused to obey.
He tried to speak but no sound escaped his mouth.
A strange feeling of fear welled up in him but it was swiftly smothered by the wave of sleepiness that crashed over him.
Slowly, he opened his eyes with great effort.
Strange, white light flooded his vision.
He instinctively squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again.
This time he took it slow and allowed the blurriness around him to slowly sharpen.
Two figures hovered over him.
At first he couldn't make out much except two indistinct shapes.
But as his vision cleared he could see that they were both incredibly beautiful people.
Their long, silver hair cascaded gracefully as they moved and their eyes were an equally startling mix of dark red and pale orange that glowed with an unearthly light.
They looked so similar to each other that it was hard to tell them apart.
Perhaps they were brother and sister?
The boy was confused.
Who were these people?
Where was he?
Why did everything seem so strange to him?
Before he could contemplate more, the woman reached down and gently scooped him in her arms.
She held him close to her chest, her arms wrapped securely around him.
He couldn't believe how comfy and safe he felt in her hold.
His little body relaxed in her arms as if he'd known her all his life.
She looked over at the other man.
Her lips formed a soft smile as she gently wiped her tears away.
"Darling... look at him."
Her voice was surprisingly gentle.
"He looks just like us."
The man smiled.
"Yes. He looks exactly like us."
The man stepped forward and put an arm around the woman's waist, brushing a kiss against her temple.
"Our son..."
The boy's mind swam with confusion as he listened to the couple talk.
Was this... his parents?
He strained to hear the muffled sound of their voices.
Look.
Us.
Son.
A strange realisation suddenly dawned on him.
Parents...?
Before he could ponder more, the door creaked open.
Another man walked into the room, a look of glee plastered across his face.
But what really caught the boy's attention were the two cat ears perched on top of the newcomer's head.
The boy blinked a few times in shock.
Cat ears?
Was he dreaming?
The newcomer gave a respectful bow to the silver-haired man.
"Lord Nightlock! My wife has given birth to a daughter. I've become a father!"
His voice trembled with unbridled excitement.
Lord Nightlock gave a warm smile.
"Congratulations, David."
"That is wonderful news," his wife added.
The room was filled with happiness but the boy couldn't make much sense of it.
Strange cat ears, strange family name and strange voices.
Everything was just so strange to him.
The silver-haired woman gently laid the boy down on the bed.
"Come," she said to her husband.
"We should visit them."
The three adults exited the room, leaving the boy in the dark.
He gave a small, puzzled frown as he looked up at the ceiling.
What exactly had just happened?
Who exactly were those people?
Why had the strange man earlier called the silver-haired man Lord Nightlock?
What did he mean by 'our son'?
The boy's thoughts were a jumble of confusion and he couldn't seem to put two and two together.
It was then that he noticed a strange dull pain in his head.
Great, his body was rebelling against him too.
His head felt impossibly heavy.
His thoughts were sluggish.
Perhaps it was because he was still very young?
Minutes passed by before the boy's body gave a small, beeping sound.
[Language Understanding Level Up!]
The boy's eyes snapped wide open as he remembered the voices that had talked to him earlier.
This time he could hear everything clearly.
"So... they really are my parents?"
His eyes widened in shock at the sudden realisation.
His parents were real!
He had a mother and a father!
And the strange thing was... his name.
His new family name was...
Nightlock.
The name somehow felt oddly significant.
But before he could delve into more thoughts, his eyelids grew impossibly heavy.
His thoughts slowed down.
And he fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, in the servant's dormitory...
David stood next to a simple wooden bed, his excitement bubbling over.
His wife, Marie sat on the bed, carefully cradling the newborn in her arms.
The door opened and in walked Lord Nightlock and his wife.
David immediately straightened up.
"My lord... my lady..."There is no need to be so formal," Lady Nightlock said with a smile.
She walked up to the bed and looked down at the swaddled baby in Marie's arms.
"She's beautiful. So tiny and adorable."
Marie gave a tired smile.
"Thank you, my lady."
Lord Nightlock nodded proudly.
"Congratulations to you both. You have been blessed."Thank you, my lord," David replied, his eyes shining with emotion.
The room was filled with chatter as everyone exchanged pleasantries and talked about the new addition to their family.
The new day had dawned upon them and two new children were born under the same roof, unaware of the future that awaited them.
[End of Chapter 3]