Deep in a remote corner of a vast and vibrant continent lay a land unlike any other. It was shrouded by dark clouds, and its only source of water was a black and murky river that flowed through its heart. This was The Vampire Kingdom, a place devoid of life and lush vegetation. The only sign of greenery was a massive forest that stretched across one side of the continent to the other. Beyond that, lay the Kingdom of Aravia, home to the human race.
Hundreds of derelict houses covered the dry land, and most of the occupied buildings lay between the walls of a massive city fortress. Wood and brick houses were densely packed together, and the roads that were barely wide enough for a carriage to pass through were silent and empty, save for a few shops.
A lone house stood in the southern corner of this fortress, the area around it clean of any houses. A stray bird wandered into the area, and once it got within one thousand meters of the house, it disappeared, reappearing on the other side.
Inside the house, in a room on the first floor, a baby lay motionless in the arms of a woman, whose eyes were drenched in tears. His opened eyes had a blank look, and his breathing was slow and uneven. “Ray… our son… he…”
A man embraced the woman tightly, his red eyes filled with worry as he assured his wife.
“Dear, don’t worry, our son will be alright, isn’t that right, Elly?” he said with a doting smile creasing his lips, his head turning toward the woman standing next to them, her emerald green eyes focusing on the unresponsive baby.
She approached the bed, kneeling in front of the baby, touching his forehead, her delicate hand emitting a pale green light as it ran down his body. Her pointy ears twitched briefly and she let out a frustrated sigh. “His body is healthy, there isn’t any problem at the neurological level either, I… I’m sorry I don’t understand what’s wrong…”
She stood up, avoiding the other woman’s gaze. “I will need to bring my mother, please wait a few minutes…” She excused herself and left the worried couple as she rushed out the door.
The woman holding the baby turned her head toward her husband, her crimson eyes reflecting the pain in her heart. She bit her lip as tears dripped down her cheeks.
The man brought his hand to her face, wiping her tears away as he kissed her forehead and whispered “Don’t worry, he’s our son, I’m sure he’ll be fine.” The woman’s face lit up slightly as she nodded softly, waiting patiently for Elly to return.
….
The reincarnated boy’s eyes opened with difficulty, the world around him blurry and difficult to make out.
It looks like it worked…and I retained my memories. he thought as he tried to move his head and hands.
Huh? Why can’t I move?
He tried looking around but his eyes were unresponsive, the only thing meeting his eyes being the wooden ceiling. His ears buzzed as three voices rang in his mind, barely hearing their foreign language.
What’s going on?!
His thoughts raced in his head as he struggled to make sense of the situation, fear taking over his consciousness.
It was then that the voice of a woman echoed in his ears, she spoke in a language that he didn’t understand, but the worry and love in her tone relied on a feeling that was beyond words.
Mom…
Next, he heard a man’s deep, confidence-filled voice that spoke to the woman with a tender tone. The boy couldn’t see this man’s face but just hearing the hidden feelings of love, pride and worry in his almost shaky voice told him everything he needed to know.
Dad…
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Before he could process these new feelings, however, he felt a slight pressure on his forehead, accompanied by the hazy figure of a woman.
Her long and pointy ears passed through her blonde hair that reached down to her waist, a pair of short bangs covering part of her emerald green eyes that looked at him with worry.
An Elf?
A faint green light dashed past his blurry vision, and he felt a burning sensation spread over his body. Her soothing voice entered his ears as she removed her soft hand, her panicked tone lingering in his ears before he heard a loud thump.
A few moments later he felt a sharp, soul-crushing pain fill his entire head, then spread swiftly through his body. His blood vessels pulsated violently as his whole body turned red.
This pain!!! Just like back then!
The minutes passed as he silently endured, his body is unable to yell or scream as much as he willed it to, the only things helping him fight the pain were two pairs of voices and a gentle light that gave him the slightest bit of relief.
Eventually, his mind went blank and his vision went dark. The pain stopped. He couldn’t feel anything anymore, nor could he think, calmness overtook his soul as images flashed in his mind.
Mother…?
He blinked, his heavy eyelids slowly letting light touch his red irises. A soft light from a lamp touched his delicate skin as a subconscious smile manifested on his face. Am I… awake?
His eyes closed once again, his exhausted, pain-free mind falling into slumber. A few hours later, his eyes opened once again, and his hand twitched as he managed to move it in front of his eyes.
I’m awake! The pain is gone and I can see clearly! his thoughts exploded into a loud cheer before a sudden realization hit him: I’m a baby…
“Dear our… our son, he moved!” The stammering voice of a woman entered his ears, relief, and excitement clear in her shaky voice. Tears ran down her red cheeks as she looked at her husband who was staring at the boy, his white teeth shining through his bright smile.
“He did! Haha, our son is healthy!” he said as he rushed to pick him up, tears escaping his trembling eyes.
The boy’s head flew slightly backward before being caught by a rough, large hand, and his vision blurred as he found himself being held by a big pair of hands.
What’s going on?
He moved his eyes around as he tried to make sense of his surroundings, his vision fixating on the man that held him up. His little pupils expanded slightly as he inspected the man’s appearance, and he quickly recognized him as the owner of the voice.
Dad? His mind shook with emotion as he fixated on the man’s face, warmth spreading all over his body as he saw the tears flowing down his cheeks. A shiver ran down his spine as memories of his past life flashed in his mind.
Was that man my dad?... Or the other one? Both?
He couldn’t remember anyone that showed him such fatherly love, care, and worry. But the man in front of him showed him all of those things, felt pain for him, and cried for him. When was the last time…?
His father had black, short hair, and a raspy beard of the same color. His watery eyes shared the same color as his - a dark crimson red. The man’s smile revealed a small pair of sharp fangs between his pearly teeth.
“Look, honey, he’s looking at me!” He shouted in happiness as his wife wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
Despite not understanding the language, the boy smiled back at his father, whose eyes beamed with excitement. “Haha!” The father laughed loudly, his eyes filled with pride “Look at how handsome my son is!”
His wife smiled with embarrassment but laughed together with him before he handed the boy to her.
The woman’s long and straight silver hair fell to her chest, and it reflected the faint light of the white crystals fixated on the yellowish stone wall. Her long eyelashes trembled as her big crimson eyes tenderly looked at the small baby in her hands, and her plump lips formed into a hearty smile.
Unfiltered tears of joy flowed down her cheeks like a waterfall as she tightly held the baby to her chest, and her entire body trembled in happiness as she tried to calm her breathing.
Her lips trembled as they parted and her soft voice rang in the boy’s ears as she said with a shaky voice. “My baby…”
Mother, don’t cry.
The boy tried to raise his hand to wipe her tears but his short arm couldn’t reach her tears. She smiled and brought her face close to his hand, taking it into her own, completely covering it.
It’s so small… her thoughts escaped her face as she let out a light chuckle that eventually turned into laughter. His father joined them, and he took them both into his embrace, his large stature casting a shadow over the both of them.
The door opened with a loud thud, and two people barged into the room, causing the couple’s hearts to stop for a second.