It is unfathomable to believe in the whole "Light at the end of the tunnel" or "Ray of hope for the forsaken souls" or anything else where individuals would jump awake in a cold sweat after having a near-death experience and shout, "It was it! I saw it with my bare eyes, the warm and benevolent light!"
But here I am currently in this so-called "tunnel" facing a glaring light when the last thing I had in my conscious mind was a slow agonising pain from a handgun bullet that brought me to a void of endless darkness.
Did I die?
….
That young second-in-command chef is a very ambitious man but to think that he had to settle a grand murderous scene to hold a "world-class" title.
To my surprise, I couldn't bear any sense of grudge or resentment. Perhaps, being in this "tunnel" was the reason behind that. However, when I remembered a particular man, though I strongly believed that our time together was indeed a short one, I was certain that I could feel, the feeling of deep appreciation as well as condolence for his death. The man had displayed behaviours of utmost integrity and bravery before he took his last breath, if he was also in this "tunnel" I also hope that all of his doubtful thoughts about me would also fade away.
Hope, appreciation and condolence, these feelings were believed to be the only aspects of humans before they became a violent race after christ was crucified.
Since it didn't seem like I was going to wake up anytime soon, I slowly gravitated toward this bright light, the light that sparked a ray of hope, an intense sensation that kept persuading me to go along with it.
The voyage seemed to last an eternity, and I half expected heavenly creatures to emerge and take me, enticing me towards what I hoped to be heaven.
Instead, my vision of everything around me turned into a blur of bright red as sounds assaulted my ears. I tried to say something but the sound that came out seemed to be mumbling noises.
The muffled voice became clearer and I was able to make out a few words: "...My dear,... it's a healthy boy!..."
…
I supposed that perhaps one day when I came back from death as a baby and all of that experiences in the tunnel thing. 'Wait up…tunnel…..baby, then that tunnel was a female v-va…"
…
Well, let's stop thinking about that right now.
When Assessing the current situation, wherever this place was, the first thing that sprang to my mind was the words that entered my head, I understood the language, which is always a good sign. I slowly and painfully opened my eyes, and I can dimly sense that I am a living human being again. My retinas were assaulted with different colours and figures, and it took some time for my infant eyes to acclimatise to their environment. I am quite certain that the middle-aged lady washing off the blood on a towel was a midwife, and that is…?
In front of me was a European foreigner, or so it seemed, the man had broad shoulders, wise-looking dark blue eyes and neat dark blue slick-back hair. My eyes jumped left and right, I couldn't depict the dancing emotions I had in my mind right now. 'What kind of gibberish stuff is this!.... Was I summoned by a satanic cult or something? A European middle-aged man with dark blue hair in an 18th-century era Victorian room, and what are these oddly peculiar things in this room as well?' I rolled my eyes around the gothic-style decorations as if these decorations were brought up by a modern-world Japanese Otaku (People with consuming interests, particularly in anime and manga), there was a translucent floating wand radiating lime-green light, a head of a ferocious bear with its baring fangs that seem too authentic to be embedded on a golden shield. 'What is up with the decorations of this room? Am I seriously being born into a Satanic cult or something even worse than that? Isn't the size of that bear's head too large?'.
A soft female voice resounded from behind.
"My dear Galath, you should be gentle with Maximus. He wouldn't be able to comprehend the spirits that you're giving him."
A voice so deep yet so loud, a pure charisma and aura of a patriarch.
"The child is the descendant of the Steelheart house, which is known for its prominent swordsmanship. I would expect the child to be at least a Bishop-class swordsman if he's a child from my bloodline."
Galath Steelheart stood upfront, he removed the Steelheart crest, the crest can be seen even from a distance afar.
"Maximus Steelheart, you may not understand the significance of this crest yet. But you shall never forsake your identity as a Steelheart."
The crest was placed beside the baby.
Usually, it is extremely crucial to gather information whenever I am facing a situation that was phenomenal and unexplainable by common sense. But I could not be more careless about a crest that was nearly the size of my baby's body. 'I should stay calm first, and it looks like I am safe for the time being as well. With that being said, I need to think of a plan…' 'What? a plan?...' '...'
My thoughts ceased out of the blue, there is a reason to believe that past thoughts, memories, and dreams may be stored in some sort of field, perhaps a quantum field, instead of brain traces, and all such brain injuries that cause memory loss can be attributed to a loss in the ability to retrieve memories rather they are being stored as traces in the brain. But that doesn't seem to be the case here, I seemed to have been born as a baby with limited brain functioning or otherwise, I would have been more compulsive with my critical thinking. 'Hmm…Let's leave that aside for now'.
I clumsily turned my head around and saw the female that just gave birth to me or pushed me out of her tun… 'I really have to stop thinking about this.' it should be fair to regard her as my mother. Taking a few more seconds to observe my mother, it is undeniable that I was not even close to being considered decent at judging a woman especially when that person was my mother, but I would have to say that she is a beauty. Rather than glamorous, I would better describe her as lovely, in a kind and gentle sense, with distinct European auburn hair and brown eyes. 'Does that mean I am European? Well, that doesn't matter anymore after all.' It seemed to be difficult to control my urge not to give her a blank stare at the excellent features of her face, such as the beautiful eyelashes, perky nose and particularly those gentle-looking eyes, which triggered me to cling to her. She just permeated this motherly feel. Is this why newborns were attracted to their mothers?
'hmm…? Did someone just shake or should I say vibrated to the point that no one would have noticed ?'
Galath suddenly turned away from Maximus and spoke.
"Miss Angie Bello Brazakovac, my gratitude for delivering another heart of steel to the land of knights. But I would like to have some personal time with Maximus and my wife. Could you leave the room and come back in about 5 minutes?"
Angie, a nanny who has been assigned to take care of Maximus glanced over Galath's shoulder and saw her lady send forth a small signal of pleasing her to leave.
"As you wish my lord, I shall leave and come back after 5 minutes."
Angie slightly smirked, she stepped out of the room and closed the door tightly.
Galath stood still in silence for some time after Angie has left. His body jolted again, this time anyone nearby would certainly realize that he was shaking.
I peeled my face away and turned right to barely examine this person that I would have to regard as the father. I took a closer look at my father and I can see why my lovely mother was attracted to him, he was a very charismatic-looking man with a cleanly shaven square jawline that complimented his features. His hair, although bearing a very dark blue colour, it was trimmed slick-back in an exceptional condition, while his eyebrows were strong and fierce, extending in a sword-like fashion meeting to a 'V' shape. Yet, his eyes held the qualities of a patriarch, such regal qualities that could only have been born of long years of leading a large family.
…
Or perhaps it was the opposite impression.
"M-maxie, my little Maxie is too cute. Hi little Maxie, I'm your daddy, can you say dada?"
I skimmed around to see my mother roll her eyes.
"Ahhhhh, look at my little Maxie being curious about his surroundings. That is your mommy! Look at this as well Maxie!."
My father twisted his facial muscles, he raised his eyebrows while drawing out his tongue.
"Gu..Gu..Ga…Gaa"
"Oh my dear Galath, he was just born!"
"Hey, Mauretta he isn't crying! I thought newborns were supposed to cry when they are born."
Mauretta Steelheart felt a stunning sense of contentment when her dearest man in this world asked such an innocent question. She then smiled and responded to her husband.
"There are cases where the infant does not cry."
"Hmm, I see but regardless of that my little Maxie should cry so it opens up his lungs to take in air, and assists his breathing. I'm sure that will be more beneficial for him in the future. Right, daddy can help you with that!"
Her recent smile of joy suddenly vanished into thin air,
Galath took a serious stance, and he closed his eyes as if he was going to spend quite some time thinking. Galath then opened his eyes unpredictably and shot a stare at Maximus.
"Dear! You have to calm down and stop thinking whatever you are thin…"
It was too late.
[Fierce Aura]
Maximus's vision submerged into darkness but it was not the dark warmth he experienced from his mother, it was an abyss that cloaked itself with dread and sinister, writhing and shifting as it lurked on the edges of his vision. Neither one of them could retain this overwhelming darkness that deterred even Pancho who has lived an entire life let alone Maximus. Maximus felt it again, the memory of the silver pistol conjured the moment his father just gazed at him. Maximus was horrified, the muscles around his eyes screamed, and his eyes surged with tears.
"WAAH…WAAH…WAAH…WAAAAAAHHHHH…"
Maximus shrieked louder and louder, tears ran down his swollen cheeks like a stream.
"WAAAAAAAHHH…WAAAAAAHHHH…WAAAAAAHHHHH…"
"Yes! My little Maxie, you're doing grea-"
Before Galath can complete his words, the door that was shut tightly before now swung away at an abnormally high speed, and an afterimage of something flew directly over him.
Angie hurriedly cradled Maximus in her arms. She quickly wiped off the tears on Maximus's puffy cheeks while coaxing him with a Lullaby.
"Dear wings, please carry my child down from the heavens
Dear knights, please protect my child with your swords
Dear Gods, please bless my child for this life-"
"WAAAAAAAHHH…WAAAAAAHHHH…WAAAAAAHHHHH…"
The Lullaby has proven to be ineffective against Galath's weakest skill to puncture his opponent's mental wall.
Before Angie started to panic, Mauretta got up from her bed despite her body being drained from giving birth, she then reached her arms out to her child.
[Heal] [Maximised skills effect duplication applied] [Holy downpour] [Mental boost]
"WAAAAAAAHHH…WAAaahh…waah…wah"
A celestial-level spell was cast in conjunction with three additional healing spells of the same holy attribute. The charms brought forth a soothing to the mind and body of Maximus, he gradually regained himself and the pleasure of being free of his load enveloped him, but then the irresistible slumber eventually overtook him.