Immersed in that sea of darkness, where her senses were imbued with the smell of death. That voice that had penetrated that perennial barrier reached the thin thread of Aurora's soul, which was already about to break from the continuum of the universe.
- "Am I really going to die?"
- "Die? Quite the contrary, fragile creature; however, your time in this world has come to an end. So you have two options: make a pact with me or let your soul dissolve into the consciousness of the universe. Possibly you can reincarnate in your same world, but there are no guarantees that it will be like a human being" – Those words terrified the detective, who for a long time had faced the possibility of dying with a complete air of cynicism.
The mysterious voice was giving her a chance to remain human, giving up her essence to travel to another world. But there was still within her that hint of dissatisfaction at not being able to avenge the death of her beloved sister.
"How do I know you're not cheating on me?" – Even with some reckless disbelief, Aurora challenged the unknown entity. Who laughed so loudly that he disturbed that darkness to the point that he felt his soul tearing apart.
"My name is Astaroth. In your world I am known as a fallen deity of a long forgotten civilization. Some others see me as a demon, but it is up to you if you decide to trust me or face a much worse fate" – With a serious tone, Astaroth let us see that the time to decide was running out. To which in a last attempt to ensure that she would not be cheated, Aurora rebuked the deity.
- "I accept your deal, but I have a condition involved"
- "Greedy creature as only your gender can be. I extend my hand to you and you still want something more from me? – Once again the darkness was disturbed, this time causing Aurora's soul to experience a breakdown that almost cost her consciousness.
-"Alright. Will you be the first creature to which I grant a request beyond my grace? Hurry up and tell me what you want."
- "I wish to keep intact the memories of my past life"
- "Are you completely sure? A soul that retains its past memories gains a stigma that will bring misfortune in its new life. Can you bear the weight of that decision? – This time without showing exaltation, Astaroth seemed interested in the final answer of the detective. As if in advance the deity had anticipated everything for the scenario he wanted.
Answering him in the affirmative, Aurora gave herself completely into the hands of the fallen deity. Feeling an immense pain that penetrated his soul to the point that the experience prior to his death seemed insignificant to him.
- "So be it, greedy creature. I will send you to a distant world on earth, where there are other creatures that go beyond your imagination. But rest assured that this decision that you have made could lead you to madness if you don't know how to handle it."
- "In that the trick goddess Astaroth has gone wrong for you. According to my ex-boyfriend, I was already crazy" – Laughing like a maniac possessed, Aurora was enveloped by a whitish light that blinded her completely. But for a brief moment, she was able to contemplate the immense and glorious silhouette of the deity that had recognized her.
With a burnished metal tiara similar to gold, adorned by a translucent veil that shone with sparkles like stars. Her dark skin and smiling full lips gave the impression of being identical to Sumerian deities.
"Good luck, my little girl. I wish it to you, because in truth you are going to need it as much as the air you breathe" – With a snap of his fingers, Astaroth disappeared leaving Aurora's consciousness once again plunged into darkness.
Little by little recovering the sensitivity of a body that she thought was lost, the detective felt surrounded by a warm liquid that covered her completely. The salty sensation that permeated his palate resembled a brine that had a certain familiarity with something that he could not identify firsthand.
It was then that her subconscious experienced terror when trying to take a breath, to realize that no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't get her face out of that liquid. Kicking and moving his arms, he felt an immense weakness in his muscles. As much as if he had never used them in his life.
Suddenly due to his efforts, a membrane-like surface broke open. Making the liquid that surrounded her escape completely, leaving her delicate skin exposed to a light current of air that was cut off for periods of time.
- "Push Valeria, push curse. I can barely see a couple of feet through the birth canal" – As if it were murmurs that were barely distinguishable to her ears, Aurora began to recognize that unknown dialect as if it were her native language.
- "Come on, keep it up. He already has almost his entire body out, I need one last effort" – Realizing what it was, Aurora knew that she was being born. The promise made by the deity to remember his past life had been fulfilled. Otherwise, as a baby you would be aware that you are at your own birth.
When her head finally came out of her mother's womb, the blinding light of that new world that opened up in front of her welcomed her, preventing her from appreciating her surroundings. Settling for distinguishing the voices of the people around her.
- "She has already been born, she is a healthy girl. Do you want to hold it?" – With the utmost care that seemed reverential, the midwife approached the fragile humanity of the newborn to her mother's arms. Who barely had it within his reach, extended his arm giving the order to move her away from his presence.
- "Dark skin? What kind of ominous sign is this befalling the dignified house of the Alberts? – The coldness of the words that came from the lips of that woman, were like daggers that stuck into the heart of the little baby, who, being aware of the intention of those feelings, cried inconsolably .
At the moment that Aurora was acquiring the ability to see her surroundings, she was able to appreciate for the first time the face of the woman who had given birth to her.
Endowed with unparalleled beauty, curly black hair to her shoulders, eyes as red as blood rubies, pale skin as a ghost, and a pair of slightly pointed ears. That woman was Emilia Albert, the eldest daughter of Count Eduardo Albert. Guardian of the eastern territories in the kingdom of Antioca.
- "But my lady. She is your daughter"
- "Silence. If you mention again that that monstrosity is my daughter, you can consider that your head will roll even when you are my main maiden" - Swallowing in fright, the maiden felt that a cold sword edge surrounded her neck while a corpulent silhouette stood up. bet behind her.
- "Keep your sword Diogenes, Maria learned her lesson." – Keeping silent as a grave, the bodyguard returned to sheath his saber in its scabbard, dropping the maiden to her knees. Who kept hugging the baby, while shed her tears horrified by the coldness of her mistress.
- "María, get rid of that monstrosity. If anyone comes to ask about the birth of the duke's grandson, say that I have lost my baby at birth."
- "Pity my lady! Have compassion on this creature. If she has to be disposed of, at least allow me to have her as my adoptive daughter" – Tempting her luck, the maiden once again felt the bloodlust that emanated from Diogenes. Who watched her mistress waiting to execute the impertinent maiden.
But far from receiving the final order to end their lives, Miss Emilia's silence lasted for a few seconds, causing young Aurora to turn her gaze in the direction of the woman who hated her for her birth.
- "Maria, you have served the Albert house loyally for so many years. Ever since I was a little girl, you were there as my playmate. In honor of those years, I will give you the opportunity to leave this mansion with that monstrosity. But you will live keeping silence from everything you have seen and heard in this house, forever" – Raising her hand, extending her palm towards the maiden, Miss Emilia cast a spell that hit the maiden's mouth. Taking away the ability to speak forever.
Exhausted from labor and having used her mana for that spell, Emilia leaned back on her cot and ordered Diogenes to throw both the maiden and the baby out into the street. As she was dragged out of the room, the baby looked at her mother for the last time, noticing an unusual detail in the way her mother's fangs were developed.
Outside the mansion the cold wind of the season was beginning to blow, which if it were the earth it would be similar to autumn. On the threshold of the mansion's back door, which was usually used to receive the merchants who made their deliveries to the kitchen, the pounding of the air simulated the howling of wolves or souls in pain.
- "Sacrificing yourself like this for impure blood. You must have lost your mind, stupid" – Diogenes, who until recently had remained silent, only shouted an insult against the poor maiden. While he held her hard by the arm, escorting her to her room so that she could collect her belongings.
Leaving the baby on the bed, Maria took an old suitcase that was under the mattress and opened the closet drawers to store her clothes. While the little baby remained expectantly watching the cruel escort out of the corner of her eye.
With a hard countenance, a square jaw, and sharp eyes like a hawk's; Miss Emilia's bodyguard was an imposing man, who was rumored to have a secret affair with the lady of the Albert house.
Between murmurs within the walls of the mansion, the maidens suggested the possibility that he was responsible for the death of the lady's husband. Augusto, eldest son of the ducal house of Valdemar.
The few maidens who dared to raise their voices about that secret were silenced by orders of the imposing Miss Emilia. That truth being buried under capital punishment within the walls of the county.
With the suitcase packed and her last belongings stored, the maiden tied a cloak to her chest in such a way that the baby was completely covered. Making it impossible for anyone who saw her to sense that it was a creature in her arms.
Taking one last look at her room with teary eyes, the maid Maria walked to the door and left the mansion without looking back. With a lump in her throat, the unfortunate woman walked along the cobbled path until her booties came to rest on the muddy soil of the country road.
Waiting for moments that some merchant would take pity on her and take her to the commercial part of the capital. To later transfer in a carriage that will transport her towards her homeland. A small village that still met the boundaries of the Albert County territory.
- "Woman, do you want me to take you?" – A plump man with a friendly face stopped when he saw Maria who was beginning to tremble with cold, hugging the small bundle of cloth tightly to her chest. Unable to utter a word because of the spell, the maiden nodded and loaded her belongings onto the back of the wagon. Being helped by the man, who suddenly realized that the package was a baby.
- "You have been fired from your job for getting pregnant, right? Don't worry, I won't judge you. I hate vampire nobles too. They think they are all powerful for the simple fact of that garbage of the pure blood lineage" – Spitting resentfully on the ground, the traveler sympathized with the maiden, smiling at her as a sign of being on her side. Although he did not want to get him out of that misunderstanding, because he had already been waiting on the sidewalk for a long time and wanted to find accommodation before nightfall.
Baring the baby's face a little, Maria sat calmly holding on to the edges of the cart so as not to fall. Allowing herself to be lulled a little by the movement of the cart, which was relaxing her from the stress she experienced in the mansion.
Curious about the world in which she found herself, Aurora marveled at that scenario that contrasted with the one that remained in her memories. The trees possessed leaves of a purplish color, very similar to the hue of the lavender flower. Their trunks were rough like those of their old world, but in contrast they had a whitish appearance.
The sky that used to be known as a light blue, was now a greenish hue. Implying that the composition of the atmosphere was very different from that of its former mother planet. Noticing with a more attentive look, that that world had a sun of lower intensity than that of the earth. As if it were a white star.
All of this marveled the newborn, who touched her face and ears to realize that the features she possessed were identical to those of the woman who had discarded her. Only different from her because of the dark skin tone that she could see when she saw her hands. Very different from the dark skin of his old world, his was closer to a deep blue hue. Like the one about the dark elves described in the fantastic literature that he once read in his past life.
A detail that caused Aurora's concern was that throughout the journey she was able to observe animals similar to those she knew, with certain variations in their shapes. The animals that pulled the carts were similar to the extinct dinosaurs of his past life, but unlike them, they were friendly to the humanoid beings that used them to pull their vehicles.
The livestock that grazed in the meadows had humps like dromedaries and had two pairs of horns on their heads. But even stranger, is that in that emerald sky that he kept contemplating in his eyes, there was not a single bird like the ones he used to appreciate before.
Yes, it was definite that that world was completely foreign and foreign to his previous knowledge; but something wonderful turned out inside her that she wanted to discover little by little, as if that baby instinct called to her, taking over her reason. Despite the fact that his soul was already over thirty years old.
Seeing that Maria was still asleep, Aurora tried to use her vocal cords. Gesturing brief babbles without even achieving an intelligible word, despite having mastery of the language they spoke in that world.
- "Calm down baby, soon we will arrive at the commercial plaza. I assure you that your mother will give you something delicious to eat" – Smiling and in good spirits, the lord of the cart turned towards the creature while firmly holding the reins of the cart.
It was at that moment where the peace was disturbed by the roar of a beast that was crouched among the trees near the path. With the appearance of an eagle and the body of a lion, chimeras used to be used in the hunting grounds of high nobility families.
That beast had a scarlet bow tied to one of its legs, which indicated that it was a specimen that had been released for hunting, but had escaped the limits of the hunting grounds. At the beak of that imposing animal, hung what seemed to be the arm of a person, which from the appearance of the worn-out clothes that still remained on it, was one of the commoners who were hired to take care of the beasts.
- "Damned fucking nobles! It is not enough to intimidate the commoners, but they also use us as bait for their sick games" – Giving more intense blows of the rein, the driver tried to speed up the pace of his beast to avoid being in sight of the chimera.
Coming out of her lethargy, Maria could see horrified that that imposing beast was running from the forest trying to ram the cart. Feeling that her blood froze at the same time that cold sweat ran down her neck when she heard the baby screaming unintelligible babbling.
- "Woman please shut up your daughter! That beast is beginning to move faster and it seems that it is being attracted by it" – With great fear, the maiden held the baby to her chest trying to shut her mouth in panic.
Feeling like she was starting to suffocate, Aurora got desperate and tried to bite into one of the maiden's breasts. Who realized that the girl was suffering, releasing her a little while begging her not to cry to avoid further alerting the beast.
Understanding the situation they were in, the baby remained silent as she settled in Maria's lap, trying to rationalize a way to survive that unwanted event.
It was then that remembering the way in which its biological mother cast that spell, the creature looked for a way to reproduce that effect. Aurora thought that if that magic came from the bloodline she had heard so much about in the short time she was alive, she would lose nothing if she tried her luck.
Extending her small arm in the direction of the chimera, Aurora closed her eyes and focused her senses on the environment where she was. As he paid attention, his ears stopped hearing the screams of the driver and the growling of the beast behind them.
Little by little, her breathing synchronized with the beating of her heart and in the dim light she could appreciate small traces of light that were drawn giving the silhouette of her arm. And beyond her, the chimera's shape looked as intense as a full, rapidly moving silhouette.
In that strange world, where magic prevailed as a reference to the concept of nobility and blood lineage, the little baby had acquired the knowledge that was only achieved at the age of ten for the natives of that planet.
Thinking of the fantasy stories she used to read with her sister, Aurora tried to express incantations in the different languages she knew from her past life without success. Sensing how the chimera was dangerously approaching the carriage, the little baby tried to try the most common language in medical science: Latin.
- "Subita morte" – Even though it sounded like a babble on his lips, the concept of sudden death resonated inside his head with the clarity of the pronunciation of the ancient language.
At that moment, the beast that until recently ran with the force of the ocean waves, collapsed on the ground in a loud way gasping until its breathing stopped completely.
- "That's great! It seems that animal was already mortally wounded and was just running desperate. Good thing" – Giving a sigh of relief, the driver laughed nervously while his hands still trembled as he held the reins of the wagon. On the other hand, Maria couldn't fit in astonishment at what her eyes had just seen.
The baby that until recently had been discarded as garbage by the prestigious Albert house, had managed to use magic as soon as she was born. Such a prodigy had never been recorded in the history of the noble houses and in front of her, it had just happened as if it were something as simple as a crying baby.
When their eyes met, Maria smiled proudly at Aurora, as if she were her blood daughter.
Already with the last rays of light on them, the cart arrived at the commercial district where the lamps were already beginning to light up to welcome the night. The sound of the tires hitting the cobblestone of the main street woke up the maiden and the baby, who had fallen asleep due to the shock of that event on the road.
- "Well, up to here I can take them. Yes, it has been an intense trip, but they are now in a safe place" – With that smile that characterized him, the lord of the cart raised his hand saying goodbye to Maria, who bowed her face in reverence thanking the favor received. Taking her suitcase and the baby in her arms, walking in the direction of an inn where they could spend the night.
- "There are five copper for you and three copper for the baby. That includes one night and breakfast" – The owner of the inn was a woman of mature age, with the years marked on her skin. Her reluctant countenance was in stark contrast to the warmth in her eyes, showing signs that she'd had a hard life, but hadn't soured her heart.
Picking up a manastone lamp, he escorted the maiden with the baby in her arms up to the second floor of the inn, showing her the room where she would stay. Receiving her payment, the owner closed the door and Maria put the little baby on the bed, while she took off her clothes to put on a nightgown.
Muttering cheerfully, Aurora looked around, thankful for having a roof under which to spend the night. Causing Maria to be touched by her and take her in her arms while lulling her to sleep.
Unable to utter a word, Maria tried to gesticulate on her lips in the hope that that prodigious baby would understand her. And to the grace of having been reincarnated by the goddess Astaroth, for Aurora that was possible. Reading the lips of the maiden, understanding the following: "You are now my daughter, even though I don't carry you in my womb. I will carry you in my heart and I will give you the name Silvia. Because nature obeys your will"
Upon hearing the meaning of that name that had been given to her by her new mother, Aurora decided to abandon her old name and take the one that had been lovingly given to her to live in that new world.
Lying down next to the baby, Maria turned off the lamp and hugged the girl falling asleep in that warmth. Dreaming of the new life that was in store for him with his daughter.