Third Day of Lumieria, Year 10,010 A. K.

  Deep in a remote corner of a vast and vibrant continent lay a land unlike any other. Shrouded by dark clouds and a bleak atmosphere. Its only source of water - a black and murky river, flowed through its heart. The Vampire Kingdom, as people called it - a place devoid of life and lush vegetation. The only sign of greenery, a massive forest with trees taller than walls, 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. Wooden and brick houses stood packed together. The roads, too narrow for a carriage, were silent and empty, except for a few shops.

  A lone house stood in the southern corner of this fortress, the zone around it clean of any other dwellings. A stray bird wandered into the area, and once it got within one thousand meters of the house, it disappeared. Its flapping wings reappeared on the other side not ten minutes later.

  Inside the house, in a room on the first floor, a baby lay motionless in the arms of a woman, tears drenching her eyes. He wore a blank look, and his chest heaved with a concerning irregularity. "Dear," the woman's shaky voice escaped her lips. "Our son, he-"

  A man's arms wrapped around the woman, his crimson eyes filled with a false confidence that assured the woman.

  “Dear, don’t worry, our son will be alright, isn’t that right, Elly?” a doting smile creased his lips as he turned toward another woman. She stood close to him, her emerald green eyes focusing on the baby.

  She approached the bed, kneeling in front of him, then touched his forehead. Her delicate hand emitted a pale green light as it ran down his body. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she removed herself from the baby. “His body is healthy," she began, taking a deep breath. "There isn’t any problem at the neurological level either, I… I’m sorry I don’t understand what’s wrong…”

  Standing up and avoiding the parents' gaze, she rushed to the door. “I will need to bring my mother; please wait a few minutes…” She excused herself and left the worried couple as the door thudded behind her.

  The woman holding the baby looked at the man, her crimson eyes filled with heart-wrenching pain. Tears dripped down her cheek as she hugged the motionless child.

  The man placed his hand on her face, kissing her forehead while wiping away the tears. “Don’t worry, he’s our son; I’m sure he’ll be fine." He whispered, trying to convince himself that what he said would be true. The woman nodded, her red eyes shining with some hope.

  ….

  The baby's heavy eyelids creaked open. Blinking, the blurriness of the surroundings slowly faded way, and a wave of joy sprouted from his heart.

  It... worked! He exclaimed inwardly, and my memories I... have most of them! Excited, he tried moving his limbs, however, a pit formed in his stomach.

  Huh? Why can’t I move?

  He tried looking around, but his eyes refused to listen to his mind. The only thing he could see, an unfamiliar wooden ceiling, filled him with dread. Where am I, what's going on?! His ears buzzed as three, muffled, foreign voices rang in his mind.

  What’s happening?!

  His mind raced as he struggled to make sense of the situation, fear taking over his consciousness.

  A woman's voice then echoed in his ears. She spoke a language he didn't understand. But her tone, full of worry and love, conveyed a feeling beyond words.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Mom… He discerned instinctively.

  Next, a man’s deep, confidence-filled voice made his heart tinge with pain. He spoke to the woman with a tender tone. The boy couldn’t see this man’s face. Yet, the hidden feelings of love, pride and worry in his almost shaky voice told him everything he needed to know.

  Dad…

  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, pointy ears poked through her blonde hair, which reached her waist. A pair of short bangs covered part of her emerald green eyes, which looked at him with worry.

  An Elf?

  A faint green light floated past his blurry vision. A gentle, yet burning sensation spreading over his entire body. The new woman's soothing voice rang in his ears as she removed her delicate hand. She rose with a panicked tone that reverberated in the air, followed by the muffled thud of a closing door.

  A sharp, soul-crushing pain filled his entire head not a minute later. It spread with swift violence through his whole being, his body taking on an unhealthy shade of red.

  This pain!!! Just like back then!

  The minutes passed as he endured. As much as he wanted to, his body didn't yell, scream or cry. The only things helping him fight the pain were a pair of voices and a gentle, green light that gave him the slightest bit of relief.

  After a few minutes, his mind went blank and his vision 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 a few times, light touching his red irises. A soft hue from a lamp kissed his delicate skin as a subconscious smile manifested on his face. Am I… awake?

  The boy's eyes closed, his exhausted, pain-free body falling into a deep sleep. He awoke a few hours later, 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 woman's stammering voice echoed in his mind. A sigh of relief escaped her body and she spoke with excitement. Tears ran down her redened cheeks as she looked at her husband who stared at the boy, his white teeth shining with a bright smile.

  “He did! Haha, our son is healthy!” he said, rushing to pick him up, tears escaping his trembling eyes.

  The boy’s head leaned backward before getting caught by a rough, large palm, and his vision blurred as he found himself 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 fixated on the man who held him up. His little pupils expanded as he inspected the man’s appearance, recognizing 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 tears flowed 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 who 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!” He roared with laughter, his eyes filled with pride “Look at how handsome my son is!”

  His wife smiled with embarrassment and let out a light chuckle before the baby found himself back in her arms.

  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 looked at the small baby in her hands with tenderness. Her plump lips formed into a loving smile.

  Tears of joy flowed down her cheeks like a waterfall. She held the baby to her chest, afraid she might lose him if she let go. Her body trembled with 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 pale face. She smiled and brought herself close to him, taking his tiny hand into her own, completely covering it.

  It’s so big… the boy thought, and smiled, prompting his mother to laugh with tears. His father joined them, and he took them into his embrace, his large stature casting a shadow over 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.