Fate's greatest joke is making you experience absolute terror right before handing you an incredibly peaceful new beginning.
For Akira, the past nine months had been a blurry and maddening ride. The image of the terrifying black egg, the pulsing red veins, and the echoing roar of the monster gradually faded from his mind.
He realized that all of it was not a nightmare but merely the result of his soul's intense shock during the reincarnation process. The truth was that he had simply been resting inside a warm, safe, and dark womb.
Inside a small hut in the middle of a forest, the strained voice and groans of a woman could be heard. The intense agony of childbirth was evident on her face. Large beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she forced herself to endure the pain. Her exhausted eyes welled up with tears but remained focused on a single goal.
"Ahhh! Ugghhh!"
"You can do it, my love," a deep and worried man's voice quickly replied.
Finally, after hours of battling the pain, Akira was successfully born into his new world. He was immediately blinded by the bright light entering the room. His sensitive eyes were not yet used to the sunlight after being imprisoned in the dark for so long.
Ah! Finally, I am out! he shouted in his mind.
He tried to speak to complain about the glaring light, but the only sound that escaped his tiny mouth was the cry of a baby. This was the formal signal of his new beginning. A mixed feeling of relief and utter confusion completely enveloped his tiny system.
Akira immediately noticed how small the room was. The wooden pillars were not made of expensive materials, which was a clear sign that the people living there were not wealthy. But even so, he could feel an overwhelming sense of love overflowing in every corner of the room.
He slowly stretched his small and soft arms.
Ah, fresh air. I missed this, he whispered in his mind while savoring the scent of dew and earth.
A smiling woman quietly watched him. Even though her face showed extreme exhaustion from the delivery, she could not hide her immense happiness. A man approached with eyes also filled with tears of joy. He carefully lifted the baby from the rough fabric of the bed.
He wanted to struggle because he was not used to being hugged by other people, but he could not do anything. His tiny bones and muscles still had no strength to fight back.
Can I get some personal space here? he complained in his head.
The man gently caressed his small face with a rough yet warm hand.
Looks like this is what they call a hands on welcome, Akira added while observing the face of the man who claimed him.
The man's tears continued to fall as he looked at his newborn child. He then turned his gaze to his wife. Their eyes met in a silent and joyful exchange of emotions.
"Let's name him," the man said while gently stroking Akira's cheek again.
His wife, who was now lying down and simply watching the two of them, immediately replied. "Let's name him after you."
The man quickly declined and gently shook his head. "No, we will call him Castiel."
The woman's eyes sparkled upon hearing her husband's suggestion. "Castiel? Oh, what a beautiful name."
Akira thought silently as he listened. Castiel, huh? Not bad. I will get used to this.
In the middle of that quiet and heartwarming moment, Castiel suddenly felt an intense urge to pee. Before he could even stop it, a warm stream of liquid quickly shot out and landed squarely on the face of the man holding him.
Oops, Castiel thought innocently.
A high pitched baby's laugh filled the room. When his parents heard this, they could no longer hold themselves back and started laughing out loud.
In the midst of their joyful laughter, fragments of his old life that were abruptly cut short by a massive truck on the road flashed through Castiel's mind. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. There were no more spreadsheets to finish. There was no more cruel boss to obey.
Thank you, I guess, for this second chance.
He began to observe his surroundings. He realized that he was born into a very simple family who had found their own little slice of happiness inside this tiny hut in the middle of the woods. It was clear that they had learned how to be content.
Their house was incredibly small but very cozy. A tiny window let in the gentle morning light. On top of a simple wooden table sat arranged flowers and medicinal herbs that gave off a fragrant scent. This mixed perfectly with the fresh smell of damp earth from outside. The walls were lined with handcrafted shelves filled with thick books and softly glowing potion bottles. In one corner stood a small fireplace that provided warmth to the entire hut.
His mother remained quiet out of exhaustion, but there was a peaceful sparkle in her eyes. Her damp hair clung to her sweaty forehead. Even though her fingers were rough from hard labor, her touch on Castiel was incredibly gentle. Castiel could not take his eyes off his mother. He deeply admired her beauty and serenity. She was a simple woman to whom he owed his brand new life.
She looks like royalty, he praised in his mind.
On the other hand, his father had a tall and muscular build. He had scars on his arms and wore traditional clothes made of sturdy fabric, looking like someone who was very accustomed to hunting and living in the wild. Even though he looked mysterious, he showed an unmatched level of tenderness.
His laughter was contagious as he wiped Castiel's pee off his face.
"Wow, son. That was quite an entrance. Mwahaha!"
Castiel carefully observed the man's face.
Dad! he gasped at Arthur's appearance. Wait a minute, why does he look so young? I looked much older than him in my past life.
After a few moments, the couple sat together beside the bed. They silently exchanged their hopes and dreams through nothing but their smiles.
"We will teach him everything we know," Arthur said wholeheartedly.
Tears welled up in Helene's eyes once again. "Yes, we will teach him to be strong just like us."
Despite their simple lifestyle and lack of gold, they were incredibly wealthy in care and affection. Their home felt like an unbreakable sanctuary. Outside, the gentle rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds could be heard, and every now and then, strange creatures would peek out from behind the trees.
Because of the peaceful atmosphere, Castiel began to feel sleepy. He let out a tiny yawn.
I will make sure to live a happy life in this new world with my new family.
His little eyes slowly fluttered shut, and he fell completely asleep with a smile on his lips.
"I think we have a sleepyhead here," Arthur said as he reached out to touch his son's face.
Helene stopped him. "Shh! Keep your voice down. You might wake him up. Just look at how cute he is."
Arthur cleared his throat and whispered sweetly. "I wonder who he looks like?"
Helene gently swatted Arthur's shoulder. "Like me, of course."
The couple happily watched over their sleeping child.
But the quiet moment was abruptly cut short. While Castiel was sleeping soundly, the gentle sunlight streaming from the window was suddenly blocked by a colossal shadow.
The cheerful chirping of the birds outside vanished all at once. The atmosphere was replaced by a deafening and oppressive silence that seemed to suck the very air out of the forest.
The smile on Arthur's lips slowly faded. His gentle face was quickly replaced by a cold and dangerous expression. Without saying a word, Arthur left his family's side and slowly drew a long, glowing blue blade from underneath their floorboards.
The terrifying monster's roar that Castiel had heard inside the womb was not a dream after all. It was a warning, and now, the owner of that voice was standing right outside their door.