“You know what’s the worst about being born as a demon?”

“Suffering claustrophobia!”

– Vizir

***Deep Space***

***Vizir***

Dreams of a storm, of ice and cold, and a mad elemental figure who laughs as she pulls me through the shower of snowflakes, defying gravity as if it didn't exist for her. The biting wind shreds my body, tearing it asunder layer by layer.

It should be painful, yet I feel warm and cosy.

I awoke in some kind of liquid, in a confined space, forced into a foetal position, and it took my mind several long seconds to get its act together. This state was definitely not natural, at least that's what my addled brain tried to tell me. As if on queue, several system messages pop up in my vision, informing me about new skills and instincts this body has.

Of course, I wasn't in a condition to pay these messages any attention, as I was very busy panicking. It felt like I was drowning while I tried to scratch the surface of the substance which imprisons me. My hands were unable to find a way out and – pressed against my body – there wasn't much I could do with them.

Desperation taking over, I do the only thing possible. I give the wall in front of me a mighty headbutt. And to my astonishment the shell simply broke, freeing my face to expel the liquid in my lungs. More slimy liquid spills out of my prison, threatening to drown me yet again. But the flow ebbs quickly and I am left gasping for air.

My mind addled, I push, widening the opening. That's when my body's burning muscles decide to quit and I am left panting, unable to move even an inch.

“Oh! It's so cute! And it's the first!”

Suddenly, there was a gigantic hand upon me, long, claw-like fingernails crushing the shell around me. Squeaking, I imagine myself being crushed by the giant. In the end, I am glad that whoever that hand belonged to, wasn't so much interested in crushing me, as in freeing me from my prison – an egg.

“Are you sure that you are supposed to do that?”

“Shouldn’t they get out on their own? Helping is cheating...”

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“Why not? Can't you see that she is tired?”

“How do you know that it's a she?”

“A mother simply knows such things.”

“She is clearly using the interface to cheat.”

“Given the male to female ratio, it’s a good bet.”

The voices around me leave me even more confused as the remains of the egg are peeled away until the opening is large enough for the hand to grab me. I am hoisted up and unceremoniously dropped into a towel, where the owner of the hand just rolls me around rather roughly. The giant clearly has no empathy for a small, fragile body like mine.

The intent is clearly aimed at drying me and cleaning away the suds and grime of the leftover liquid. I get that it is well meant, but in my weakened state and confusion, it is akin to torture. Having no control at all is infuriating. I am utterly at this person’s mercy.

Then I remember my last conversation with Jill and I finally put the pieces together. Was I just reborn and this is my mother?

Having rinsed me off, the owner of the voice lets out an excited shriek and I am lifted up.

A head as large as me comes into view and I gurgle in surprise, my weak lungs unable to pronounce the syllables.

“Gri- gran- dra?”

I wanted to say Lisandra, but all that came out was inarticulate gibberish.

She looks vastly different than when I last met her, but after years of studying her, I would recognize her anywhere. Yes, she has horns and her features are fleshed out, but her face is still the same old Lisandra who I watched growing up. The most redeeming feature, the blonde mane of hair, is also the same.

“So cute!” She lifts me to her face and rubs me against her cheek, clearly not caring whether or not I am okay with that.

The simple action leaves me with twisted feelings. On one side, I don't want such close skinship to another being. On the other, I am left with a craving for more when she pulls me away, her attention wandering somewhere else.

“The others are also hatching! There, hold her, Daddy!”

I am handed off to a man with a horrified expression on his face, but he takes me, cupping me with both hands against his chest. At least I get a better look at my surroundings.

We are in a large hall with plants and grass, very similar to a park. Aside from Lisandra, there are two other females who are hustling and bustling over metal incubators, each holding a handful of eggs like the one I came out of.

I gulp when I count three more eggs in Lisandra's 'nest'. Two more are already open, exposing little humanoids with horns and devil-tails to the world. Dreading the thought of having so many siblings, I try to squirm out of my father's hands, but despite his own desperation, he is holding me firm.

No, wait! Weren't humans mammals? Why do they lay eggs? And what's it with the horns and tails? Did they mutate? My thoughts spin out of control as I try to make sense of the situation.

“Look, Look! This one is a boy!”

“And another girl!”

The other two women approach my dad with more babies and load them off, clearly expecting him to be happy about it. Though, he clearly isn't. When I look up, I can see a certain unhappy desperation in his eyes. His mouth is smiling, but his eyes are not.

Neither am I, as the situation slowly dawns upon me.

The way these women are talking to the sole guy means something, and I don't like the implications. He is the 'Daddy' and all three women are hanging their brood onto him like tinsel onto a Christmas tree.

It doesn't just mean that it slowly gets crowded in his arms, it means that I don't have just three siblings, but also a full football team of half-siblings! Does that mean that the other two are also my mothers? Or are they stepmothers? I am honestly a little confused about that.

No! The real problem here is that Lisandra of all people is my mother! What if she finds out that I am Vizir? Will she hug me or space me out of spite?

“What did I do?” Dad murmurs and looks down at me.

‘Isn’t that quite the unique expression? He is so full of love and despair at the same moment, that he can’t decide whether to crush us to his chest, or drop us and run away screaming.’

I look around, wondering where the voice came from, but apparently, I am the only one who heard it. The others are acting as if nothing happened.

The little sibling to my left uses her little finger to poke my cheek and I focus my attention on her grinning face. Which – by the way – is filled with many little needle-like teeth.

‘Hello, Sis.’