In a dimension where the concept of space and time remained distorted.
An all-encompassing mist stretched across the limitless horizon, as if to obscure the secrets held within the space.
Luther's consciousness was steadily floating above the mysterious haze as he tried shedding light to his present situation.
'Who..am I?'
'Where am I?'
'So dark...what is this place....', as the metaphorical sound of silence steadily consumed his consciousness, trying to drown his existence into nothingness, Luther made an all-out effort to utilize every bit of his brain cells.
An abrupt throbbing as if an unknown force was trying to rip his mind apart persisted for an unknown amount of time until Luther finally liberated himself.
After he endured the intense pain, he eventually gained a bit of lucidity as a torrent of information started overloading his mind without a warning.
Scenes of his past flashed in front of him. His mother's impassive attitude. His father's frigid corpse. Elen's naked body, eyes concealed by a portion of her hair. His screams directed at the dismal sky and the self-destruction that ensued.
After finally acquiring his lost memories and confirming his identity, he now had full control of his emotions and achieved an unimaginable level of mental fortitude.
'I am...Luther, and I died'.
'No, I...ended my life, with my own hands'.
From this moment, an anomalous phenomenon took place in the natural proceedings that governed the laws of reincarnation.
A reincarnator, who perfectly retained his experiences and conscience, had been reborn.
Such oddity would normally have an abysmal probability of happening yet it transpired as if to fulfill one's wish, or rather, to deny one.
As if to grant Luther's desire to break free from the confines of the mysterious space that shackled his existence, the mist suddenly rippled and scattered, slowly unveiling the world behind it.
-----
Upon opening his weary eyes, what greeted him was an unfamiliar coffered ceiling that displayed signs of old age. He could vaguely hear the overlapping voices around him as if the people were in some sort of huge commotion.
"Young mistress, it's a healthy boy!"
"Congratulations, Lady Kath!"
"What are you dilly dallying for, Evelyn! bring me a warm towel...hurry!"
"..Yes, ma'am!"
Luther was silently observing his surroundings, filled with confusion and an ever rising feeling of apprehension.
He was fearful not because of the strangers that looked at him with curious glances, but the fact that when raised his hands with difficulty, they were that of an infant, tiny and feeble.
His body felt absurdly sluggish as he was unable to muster any strength to perform extensive actions. He was only able to do scant movements, not expected from an adult's full grown body.
Then, a sudden realization dawned upon him like a bolt of lighting.
'What! Was I just got reincarnated, this...'
This is the only plausible explanation he could come up with. After all, he was dead, this is an undeniable fact as the scene of him falling from the build was still fresh in his memory.
'Then, was I reborn...for what?'
'Just to suffer...again..to bathe in misery', As skepticism filled his heart, the resentment and anger from his previous life resurfaced.
As Luther was about to release an outcry to discharge his bottled-up frustration, a clamor originating from the women around him dispelled his negative thoughts.
He could see several women of different ages with varying physical features. Some wore what seemed to be that of a maid's garment, some with aprons over their clothes, and few wore nursing caps.
"How odd, he didn't even let out a cry..."
"What profound eyes..so deep.."
"How strange, it's like he is scrutinizing us.."
"Keep your unrestrained remarks to yourselves!" a stern voice of a middle-aged woman suddenly resounded, issuing a harsh reprimand.
"Apologies, head maid!", admitting their lapse in manners, the young women lowered their heads apologetically.
"Hmpf...the next time I hear unnecessary comments directed at our young lord, it'll be more than just a simple scolding. You hear me?"
"Yes, head maid!" The young women answered in a chorus.
'Are they talking about me?', Luther could not help but ponder after hearing the earlier ruckus.
"Bring him to me, Jesse...I want to take a closer look at my son...", a gentle voice of a woman then entered Luther's ears as if to dissipate the palpable tension in the air.
'Son? I really have been reincarnated', assessing the situation, that's the only probable explanation to this peculiar plight Luther is currently in.
"Slowly...gently..."
As Luther heard the pristine voice of a woman, he felt his body momentarily rock slightly.
"My adorable Luciel...my world", Being held by the unknown woman, he could feel warm energy sipping into his very skin like a mantle to shelter his frail body from the vast world.
'Is she my mother? Such warmth...it's unbelievably soothing', Luther thought as he continued to relish in the embrace.
Then the dread of the unknown future he felt just moments ago considerably diminished as if a calming wind had swept over him.
As he appraised the woman, he could see a beautiful face whose milky white skin exuded youthfulness. Her long glossy silver hair, although a bit rumpled and damp, was especially striking to the eye. The azure eyes that scanned Luther with rapt attention contained gentleness that pacified his uneasiness.
Although, at a closer inspection, Luther could see a shade of sorrow in the woman's eyes.
'How exquisite', Luther could not help but admire her beauty and looked at the woman in the same manner as she was staring at Luther.
Out of curiosity, Luther clutched at the woman's finger which was poking his cheeks.
"My goodness! what a strong child!", The woman's eyes widened in delight as she exclaimed.
Apparently, such a display of strength was unusual even in this world and caught the woman by surprise.
'....was I not supposed to do that?', alarmed, Luther reconsidered his next course of action to hide his irregularities. It seemed that he gained some boons as a reincarnator, and physical enhancement was one of those.
The noise around Luther then slowly quieted down as if to savor the picturesque scene in front of them, engraving such a momentous event in their hearts.
In an attempt to verbalize his thoughts, Luther tried to say something but ended up in utter failure. 'Oh yeah, my vocal cords aren't fully developed yet', he concluded.
In the end, Luther was only able to vocalize a string of garbled words.
"a-ga..da-pa..ba ba"
"ma-da..ga..paa"
'Perhaps, it's best if I act in accordance to what is expected of a 'normal' infant', As Luther finally decided to go with his plan, he let out an impassioned cry which filled the entire birth chamber, declaring his very own existence to the world, or at least, to the people nearby.
"Uwaaaah!...UWAAAA!!"
In response to the baby's first cry, everyone cheered with excitement, filling the atmosphere with a pleasant vibe.
*****
Unbeknownst to the people who were gathered within the chamber, a young woman who obviously belonged to the group, sneakily left the room amidst the joyous occasion with practiced movements as if such task was second nature to her.
The woman silently closed the door behind her as the cacophony which resulted from the merriment abruptly quietened.
As she slightly lifted her head, strands of her dark brown hair cascaded across her face. Her facial features resembled that of someone with Caucasian descent on earth.
The cheery demeanor she held a while ago slowly shifted into that of an indifferent one. Her deep, piercing gaze held apathy as if to scorn the world.
Surveying her surroundings, she ensured that no one is paying close attention to her. As she exited the villa, she then skirted the damp streets thronged with strangers until turning into an alley devoid of people.
Not long before, a hooded man with a muscular frame entered the same alley as the woman. Despite his sizable overcoat that draped over his body, the defined muscles he had were still discernable enough to the naked eye, as if the energy contained within would let loose at any moment.
"The Heir of the Mathias Household is a boy", the woman said in a monotone voice, audible only to the man.
"A boy, huh...so Mathias finally bore a successor of that fiendish art", the man answered as his voice was laced with evident disgust. 'After all the arrangement we made to dispose of the previous Patriarch', he added internally, clicking his tongue.
"Continue your surveillance, Evelyn...make sure to cover your trails.."
As the man started heading towards the streets, Evelyn could hear his parting words.
"Don't forget, one misstep and you know what will happen to your-"
Unable to complete his words, his voice finally faded together with his figure as it blended with the crowd.
Moments later, Evelyn's face still remained unmoved like a statue but her hands were clenched tightly as her nails dug into her palm, drawing blood.
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