A lone soul drifted through space, without any care of what will happen to it. Berlin never thought he could be this at ease. All of his worries from his life disappeared in a flash. He just let himself float through time. He knew he was dead from the moment he saw stars like it was within his reach yet so far. He was never the type of person who will attach themselves from their past. He was the type of person that will just go with the flow and face what was in front.
It has been a long time since he died, or not, time seems to stop in this place. The only thing he knew was him floating above nowhere. His memories are the only thing that entertains him at the moment. He doesn't even have a body to move. Ho loves this state of transcendence. It was peaceful and quiet; these were the things he never enjoyed in his life especially when he started hearing those voices, which seemed to stop.
In this state he went back from his memories; analyzing the things that happened. The people he met and the people around him, he saw them all; their motives and their true self. It was funny how the things that happened behind his back tend to open up to him now. How he loves to smack himself for being stupid while alive. How disappointing, his parents do not even love him and his siblings like normal parents would.
Life seems to be unfair yet fair. It was confusing and then he understood that what happened will never be changed back from what it should be or what he should have done. A moment of silence drifted in him. This is what life is all about, trial and error; in the end, we will all die. It's either we accept or we regret.
Berlin did not know how long has he been drifting like a log in the river when he suddenly felt a pull. He woke up his mind and alerted himself to what will happen. He saw a black hole away from him, and it seems like it was the one pulling him. He was supposed to be scared but why the hell is he not feeling anything? Is this the effect of his long relaxation from his trance? It felt weird feeling nothing. Wait---that doesn't make sense.
He can now feel the pull from that warp. It feels like a vacuum just went up to him to clean him up. He's not even dirty, he thought. The pull became forceful when he was near from it and in a speed of light he was then eaten by the black hole.
Darkness was all that he sees, or maybe he's just blind; he doesn't know because he's not sure if he has eyes or what. Because of this darkness, his 'body' instantly relaxes itself just like he did when he was drifting through wherever. For a moment he heard something; a blob like sound. He started to feel something, and he feels awful. He was stuck inside, compressing him like he was inside of a box. It irritates the hell out of him so he just did what normal people would do if they were feeling compressed--- he kicked.
"Oh my, dear, he kicked!" A woman exclaimed excitedly when she felt her baby from his tummy. The man beside was startled and then happily stroked her bump to feel his child. He laughed when he felt the kick from the inside.
"This one is a strong child!" The man kept stroking his wife's bump with a satisfied look on his handsome profile. A soft hand covered his big and calloused hand. His wife smiled at him. "Our youngest here will probably be energetic and lovable."
"True," with a laugh he stared lovingly at his wife's bump, "I'm tired of looking at our children; they all had a face not fit for their age! They rarely laugh or smile! Simply not cute at all." The man sighed remembering their children's faces.
His wife chuckled, "They are all cute to me even if they look like they had seen the world crumble."
Weeks passed by, the Silverlance manor has been busy preparing for the birth of the youngest child of the Master of the House. Housemaids were all running around the manor; some of them were cleaning and some were helping for the birth of their young master.
Inside a chamber, Lady Silverlance was on labor. The midwife was helping the woman, encouraging her to push while the other maids were all tending to the needs of the Lady. The man who was frantically outside the chamber was nervous. Every time hie wife shouts, his heart was in pain. This feeling, he already experienced it three times and this was the fourth.
"Ah I can see the head! One more push!" the midwife exclaimed.
Lady Silverlance was covered with sweat as she catches her breath. With another push she almost saw the Creator. Fortunately, she did not faint from childbirth. She still wants to see how her baby looks like.
"Congratulations Lady Silverlance! You have another son!"
"Congratulations to the Lady!"
All the maids gave their congratulations to the woman who just gave birth. She has a smile from her pale face. She looks weak but the gleam on her eyes shows how joyous she is. The midwife carried the baby with a cloth and gave him to her. Strangely, the child did not utter a cry; he just looked at her in the eyes, more like glared at her. A chuckle escaped from her mouth. Oh how her husband will react if he sees their youngest child's looks.
Speak of the devil and the devil will come; without warning, the door opens with a bang and her husband excitedly went over her to see their child. "Let me see this little bundle of---" his sentence was cut off when he saw his child glaring at him, "--- joy."
"He seems to be mad sweetie," he whispered to his wife while peeking at their son who has the most beautiful amber eyes he ever saw. However, those beautiful eyes may appear like it can kill with just a glance. What a fearsome child! He was saddened by the thought that all of his children may offend people just by looking at them.
"He's not. Maybe he's just dazzled by the light," his wife softly said. Hearing her say that made him sigh with relief. There is still a chance that this child of his will be the child that he always wanted. A spoiled and energetic child, oh how he wanted a child that will giggle and say 'Daddy~' sweetly but alas, reality slapped him three times for giving him three children with an astonishing mature attitude. Did I do something wrong in my past life? I just want my children to be cute for once ah, he bitterly thought.
"What will we name him, dear?" his wife asked him.
"Mother said the name Berlin was shown from the divination," he replied, smiling as he gently places a kiss to his child's forehead.
"Berlin. What a beautiful name."
The child wrapped inside his mother's embraced cursed internally. Berlin again! What shitty divination just showed that name?! That must be a fraud. He might as well run his head against the Berlin Wall then. This is my chance of rebirth! Berlin's mind was filled with different kinds of thoughts and flowery curses.
It has been a month after his rebirth and he was now stressed because of his restricted movement. Who told him to be reincarnated as a baby? All this baby knew was to eat and sleep! His body's reflexes were as slow as a snail when he first moved his arm. His while body was uncoordinated so he trained himself to move when he was alone. Fortunately, his new family was rich and he has his own room. His mother was always with him from morning till night. There was barely any time for him to train. Moreover, he was a child from a noble family. Ah, fate must have planned this.
For his second month, he saw all of his siblings. He can only sigh when saw them. How can they be called children when his entire siblings look so much like someone killed their family?! The only good thing that he discovered was his family's great genes. From his dashingly handsome father and his goddess of a mother to his siblings that looks like their parents. Just what did this family have done to be blessed by this heavenly looks?
His father, Grand Duke Efrain Averardus Silverlance, has a silver white hair and amber eyes just like him and his siblings. They all inherited their father's hair and eye color. The mark of a Silverlance is their silver white hair. White hair was not at all rare, it was just the white hair people knew was actually pale blonde and not white at all that's why Silverlance was the only family with white hair. His mother, on the other hand, has brown hair and forest green eyes. The only one who inherited their mother's eye was his elder sister.
Currently he was inside his crib while listening to his mother's singing voice. She was gentle and refined, a world apart from his previous mother who only knew how to decorate her face. Comparing the two, it was clear to see who he will choose. Of course, his mother may be gentle but she was also strict. From what he overheard, Lady Milisandia of Silverlance was once crowned as a champion from a competition of Mages when she was on her younger years. She once fought their father and won; a woman's strength could never be looked down upon. Now, even if she cannot win against their father, she still has the upper hand inside the house; a truly respectable woman.
Surprisingly, the world he reincarnated to has magic. He first thought it was a dream but he later calmed himself by thinking that he will soon learn how to use magic and maybe get used to it. This world wasn't any different to what he expected from fantasy stories that he had read from his previous life. Adding to the fact that he got reincarnated, he has a mind of an adult. The way he acts and will act while growing up will not be any different from his siblings because of their personalities. He silently gave thanks to the Creator for this family.
Moreover, he was quite looking forward into learning magic and other things that were not in his previous world. Because of his parents from his past life, he developed a habit of reading and studying--- probably the only thing he gave thanks to. Also, in this world, he has more freedom because of his loving parents that will naturally dote on him while he grows up; even his siblings started to show their doting manner.
The sun rose up the sky, his mother was now cradling him into her embrace while feeding him. Yes, got used to breastfeeding. Why not, right? He's just a baby anyway and he never got aroused by anyone even on his previous life. He even thought that he's asexual or something. Only food can pick his interests.
"Truly a big eater. My dear little Berlin will grow up strong soon," his mother chuckled poking his little nose. Even though he looks like he wants to kill, he still looks so adorable. A mother's love is truly blind, he even sees his child as a cute little kitten.
A knock was heard from the door, she, then, saw her second son wearing his the-world-owes-me-a-huge-sum-of-gold look peeking behind the door. She gave him a gentle smile. "Good morning Thomas. Would you like to play with your younger brother here?" Thomas nodded after closing the door; he went his way towards his mother. He stares at the child that was in his mother's embrace. Looking at the same face, Milisandia could not help but to laugh. They look so much alike ah! Even their expressions were the same murderous type. Thomas looks up when he heard his mother laugh. Tilting his head to the side, he gave his mother a confused look.
"Oh nothing sweetie, you both just look alike." His mother never lied to him so he just nodded his head. Many people also said the same so it doesn't bother him much.
"Elder brother will come here too," he quietly said. He was looking down to his brother, playing with his little hands.
"Is that so? Then the three of you can play here but remember to not leave small toys near your younger brother," she reminded her son. Thomas only nodded his head.
While waiting for their eldest brother, Thomas played with Berlin. Sometimes Thomas will play with his hands and teach him words and how to say them. Not bad for a five year old, Berlin thought.
"Berlin, say 'brother'."
Really? There are times that Berlin wants to smack this brother of his. How can a two month old baby talk? He can't even mumble some sound. This went on for a while until their eldest brother came in and sits beside Thomas. Looking at the hovering faces of the two, he can't help but to sigh. Mother said that he looks like his two brothers. Yes, the two are handsome, thank you for the genes, but these two looks like they have been wronged and plans revenge. Is there really a new born baby who has the eyes of a criminal? He started to worry about his future; and also for his brothers, they may offend people subconsciously.
"Berlin," Adekin, his eldest brother started, "say 'big brother'."
He really wants to hit them ah!
Playing with the two simply exhausted his little body even though he did not do anything but to watch them and hold toys that they gave him. There were times that they will poke his cheeks and kiss them. It sounded sweet but it was actually annoying. Imagine two criminal-faced children kiss their similarly criminal-faced baby brother. That was an exotic sight, even their mother laughed so hard while watching them.
"Now, now, you both better go along. Berlin looks sleepy so let's not disturb him for now," their mother lovingly said to the two brothers. She slowly rocks him to sleep. His mother was really warm. He will never get tired of her embrace.
For the next six months, he started to learn how to roll his body over, grab things like his brothers' and sister's hairs, crawl, and sit without any support. Now he was trying to talk. While he was still a drifting soul, his jumbled emotions and memories started to form normally. This was the reason why he badly wanted to talk. He wants to talk to his family, with normal topics.
Remembering his experience inside the mental institute, Berlin never felt so stupid. He even wanted to slap himself to sanity. Even though he was still curious about those voices that he heard, he never wanted them back. Who knows, maybe he'll lost his sanity again.