Darkness all around me.

I wondered if I was supposed to feel anything?

In the character creation, I had decided to choose reincarnation instead of a transmigration as my entry method since it would be easier to integrate myself into the world.

I get to be born to a family and then either use their connections to learn more about the world before venturing out on my own or just live with them and take over whatever they're doing to earn my place in life. I even made sure to take the extra option of allowing me to be put in a good family too.

In addition, I also took the route where my skills will come to me over time, just so that I can get used to them as I receive them instead of getting overwhelmed from the very start. I'm the kind of person who likes to lay out the foundations properly first before building my tower, after all.

With that said… How long am I supposed to stay in this darkness? Is something supposed to happen or what?

Hmm… Maybe…

I tried to reach out my hand and surprisingly felt some resistance.

Oh? There's something like a barrier of some sort. Is this like a shield that is keeping my consciousness in or something? Maybe if I push it hard enough I will awaken?

With that determination, I started to push against that barrier with all my might, sometimes even rearing my fist back to punch it.

My efforts were not for naught as soon enough, cracks of light appeared in the darkness and I redoubled my efforts.

Slowly, the cracks started spreading as I pushed even harder until finally, a part of the darkness broke off. I concentrated my efforts on that part and managed to create a big enough hole for me to jump out of the darkness and straight into something soft.

"Ara, ara? Aren't you an energetic little one? Ufufufu~"

The voice prompted me to look up.

There, hugging me in her embrace was a beautiful woman with hair as dark as night, partially covering a side of her face which made only one of her amber eyes visible. Two red horns jutted out from the sides of her head and a pair of black leather wings was furled protectively around us.

She was also wearing a form hugging black dress that showed the top of her shoulders and cleavage, accentuating her charm as a woman. It was the kind of dress you would expect to see a woman wear in a high class function.

Right now, said woman was busy wrapping a towel around me.

"Mama…" The words came unbidden from my lips.

She gasped and I was immediately pulled deeper into the hug, her bosoms big enough to have my head completely sink into the valley between.

"Ahhhhh!! My little darling!! Yes! Yes! I'm your mama! Call me your mama!!"

Uwaaa… This… This is my mother?

I never really had a maternal figure in my previous life but… Is this considered normal?

I turned my head to look behind me, spotting the remnants of a large obsidian egg that had been my 'prison'.

The woman who is supposedly my mother realised what I was looking at and giggled, "Oh deary me, what a bad mother I am. My cute little one is hungry aren't you?"

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She sat me down on her lap before picking up pieces of the eggshells, breaking it into smaller chunks before pushing it to my lips.

"There, there~ Eat up now my little darling~"

Err… I know I picked this race that was similar to dragonkins but is this normal for them? I also realised I seem to be pretty big for a baby? Like… I think I could be considered at least a year old in human standards considering my hands looked to be rather formed already.

Oh whatever, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

I opened my little mouth and let her feed me the eggshell.

I was fully expecting it to crackle and taste like a chicken's eggshell but… Oh? This… This texture? It's soft! And… And sweet?! It's like eating a macaron! More!! Me want!

My cries came out something like "Ababa" but she understood, picking up even more of the macaron tasting eggshells to feed me.

Too soon, I had ate up everything and a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me.

Ugh… Does eating that make me sleepy too?

"Fufufu~ Is my little darling sleepy now? Sleep, mama will protect you my little dearest~"

I wanted to protest, but my eyelids grew heavier and heavier before I finally succumbed to the sweet embrace of sleep.

*

I woke up slowly, finding myself somewhere warm.

My stirring caught the attention of the woman hugging me to her chest.

"Oh my, oh my, is my little darling awake already? Ufufufu~ How are you feeling?"

"I'm ok… Eh?"

I didn't actually expect words to come out from my mouth and I immediately looked down at myself.

It seems like while I was asleep, my body had grown from a one year old to the equivalent of a two or three year old. Is this… Normal?

I suppose from the fact that the woman hugging me isn't freaking out about it should be a sign that it was.

"Ufufufu~ You're already growing up so fast my little cutie~ Mama is proud of you!"

I'm barely even a day old you know? Is this even something to be proud of?

Oh whatever, this is the start of my new life after all and I plan to make the most out of it! Nothing's going to stop me!

Not noticing my internal monologue, the woman planted a kiss on my forehead before pulling back with a smile.

"My dear little one… You shall be Aster, the conqueror of the stars. My most dearest, cutest child."

Aster? I guess I can shorten it to Ast or something. But what's with that conqueror of the stars thing? Is that a pseudonym? A title? Or an expectation from her? I already said this but I'm not going to do anything grandiose you know?

Once again, I was pulled into her bosoms as she hugged me tight, lifting me up in her arms so that she could stand up from her seat that was a rock.

It was then I finally got a good look at where I was.

I wasn't in a room like I had initially thought but in a cavern of some sorts.

The only opening I could see was the large hole in the ceiling, big enough to offer a clear view of the night sky above us where two moons could be seen hanging amongst the stars.

That drove home the fact that I was no longer in my original world.

While I was distracted by the sight of the moons, there was a rush of wind and I realised the woman carrying me had spread her wings wide open.

The black wings looked as though they were absorbing all the light around them with how dark they were, giving it an ethereal look.

She raised them up and I felt her arms tense around me before we were suddenly catapulted into the sky with a single flap of her wings.

I couldn't help but let out a startled gasp.

We were flying… Up in the night sky… The mountains below us, the stars and moons above us, the air rushing around us and… And the woman just dropped me…

I GOT DROPPED?!!!

This crazy woman actually opened up her hands in midair and dropped me!!

Did I do something wrong? Did she not like the way I looked? Is this some coming of age ceremony for my race? I'm not even a day old you know?!!!

My skydiving instincts immediately kicked in, prompting me to open up my arms and legs to adopt an arch form.

Questions were going through my mind at a thousand words per second as I tried to find a rational reason for my predicament while also trying to come up with a way to survive at the same time.

Did I have wings? No! I can't feel any wing-like things on my back at all! I'm still too young for my race to gain wings right?! That means she's not throwing me like this to fly, so why?!

Is she really trying to kill me?! But she named me! Does she have some sick fetish of killing the children she names?! What can I--

Right then, the wind stopped for just a slight moment before picking up speed again, this time going in the opposite direction as she had swooped to catch me under her before flying up again.

I didn't even have time to feel relieved that this might have just been some kind of prank when she unceremoniously let go again.

This time, I screamed as I floundered helplessly in the air, watching the ground come closer and closer towards me while the wind rushed past my ears.

Again, before I dropped too far, she had swooped down to catch me before flying up to the sky.

I bit back a curse, what kind of mother would-- She dropped me again!!!

Is she tormenting me?! Why is she doing this?! Is this some kind of joke?!

For the third time, I was picked up again in her arms, she flew for a little longer, making me think that the end.

Of course, the moment those thoughts manifested in my head, her fingers loosened and I found myself falling again.

It was already my fourth time falling so the panic wasn't really as great, the annoyance at being dropped being more prominent than fear.

I began counting the seconds right as I got scooped up into the air again.

The fifth drop and the sixth drop confirmed that she was doing this deliberately and also only letting me fall for exactly three seconds before swooping in to catch me.

She does not allow me to ask any questions though, since the moment I try, I would be dropped.

This continued for quite a while and I began to actually start enjoying it.

There was this thrill in it, now that I knew that she did not intend to kill me with this. I couldn't help but even let out a laugh the next time she dropped me, enjoying the rush of the wind and the scenery of everything below me.

It kind of felt like a rollercoaster ride to be honest and yes, I do quite enjoy them.

I must have let that joy show on my face because the next time I was caught, I heard her giggling above me, "Ufufu~ It feels good to be a ruler of the sky, yes?"

Ah… So this really is some kind of initiation for a newborn dragonkin?

You guys really put a less than one day old newborn through this kind of torture that could mentally scar one for life?

Ugh… But… But… I guess I'll admit… This is… Kind of fun…

Wheeee~

I continued to enjoy the feeling of flying through the sky as she brought me to who knows where.