Little Jody stared at his small frame in awe, a wide range of emotions painted across his childlike face. He often walked to the stream of milky white liquid, feeling its heat against his skin as he cautiously watched his reflection in its depths. Though he knew better than to touch it, he was entranced by what he saw—fair skin of light brown, curly locks that ran past his ears, and two star-like sapphire eyes looking back at him.
The servants marveled over how much Jody looked like their Lord, which angered him greatly. He had yet to accept the life presented before him; he still struggled to come to terms with memories from his previous life. Each night brought new dreams of an orphaned Jody, found on the street by two sisters who took him in and helped keep him happy and safe for a long time. But despite them, despite Sansa and Lulu's kindness, he never felt fully settled or accepted—not here nor there.
In the past, Jody had always been self-centered. Those two women very intentionally designed him to be this way. He would be admonished for behaving as anything but royalty.
In his previous life, Jody had grown up in a city that was even more abandoned than he felt. Crimes were the norm, and the wards of that city were full of filth and treachery. Rape and murder ran rampant. The scum of society made that city their nest, their haven.
Whenever he thought of Lulu's silent tears, his heart would constrict, and a seething anger would knot in his chest. Some nights, he would be plagued by nightmares of his and Lulu's week-long torture inside the abandoned factory, the men that had taken them, their jeers and laughter as they broke their spirits, those cackles echoing off the walls like a horror movie. The memory burned into him forever, forging an unquenchable fire against those who violated taboos.
People soon noticed the stranger advocating for protecting women, fighting against intimidation and injustice. Rumors spread of him emerging from poverty to become a powerful villain, wreaking havoc but never harming women. He became known as the Immortal Villain—stealing jewels, guns, drugs, and women while defying death without breaking a sweat.
Grimy alleyways, hazy streets, and tired faces were all familiar sights for Jody. His life of hustling on the streets had earned him a small fortune and an even bigger name in the criminal underworld. He had been getting by just fine until one fateful day when government agents knocked at his door. Threatening him with imprisonment, they twisted his arm into joining their military force.
The unit he was assigned to exclusively recruited 'mutants' or 'meta' - derogatory names used to describe people born with special abilities - to fight against those who sought to prevent human evolution. Despite the overwhelming pressure of his new situation, Jody still found moments of joy and extravagance in the shape of money, women, and wild parties. However, it all came crashing down when Jody met his untimely death.
Watching his life as if it were a movie was quite an exciting experience.
But strangely enough, his story didn't end there. In a miraculous twist of fate, he found himself reincarnated with his memories intact. Now known as Josiah of House Trillwolf, although most still called him Little Joe or Jody, he faced a new world filled with uncertainty and danger.
He had retained all his memories of his previous experiences, so even though he was only a one-year-old baby, he had already learned how to speak. Not speaking was too inconvenient; Jody couldn't tolerate it. He wasted no time repeating his mother's words, encouraging her to test his limits.
Limits he seemed not to have.
This caused a considerable commotion at first, but to Jody's surprise, it was quickly suppressed. By tuning in to the conversations of those around him, he also knew a bit more about what sort of household he was being raised in. The most shocking thing he learned was that this was not his world at all! He was somewhere called Pangaea.
However, an ancient continent known as Pangaea existed in his past life. It was said to exist in a time when people did not. This beautiful place that made the slums he grew up in look pathetic. In what way did this look like ancient Earth?
"But if this isn't Earth, then… where am I? Could it be the future and not the past?" Jody was still confused about the whole afterlife thing.
The elders spoke of the River of Samsara that carried the departed souls of heroes. It supposedly flowed in reverse through time, but Jody felt skeptical. What would happen when a soul reached the end if it only flowed backward?
Jody had been in awe as his family escorted his mother through the massive gates of Saint Anubis City, taking in the opulent buildings and palaces crafted from unfamiliar materials, the gigantic animals that roamed the air and land alike, and the strange machinations whirring and clicking. The clothing of the city-dwellers was reminiscent of ancient African and Asian cultures but with a modern twist. At the same time, black-armored guards with brightly-colored seven-headed serpents emblazoned on their backs patrolled the streets and estate, seemingly reporting solely to his mother.
The people here were so different than anything he'd ever known that Jody had to wonder if it could be a coincidence—but without enough evidence, he had to concede that he couldn't say. He soon learned that House Trillwolf, the enormous estate where his family lived, was one of four major powers in the city—inferior only to the mysterious Castellan, who appeared to also rule over a great dynasty.
His father was Lord Trillwolf, leader of the House and future Patriarch of the clan; his mother was Frozen Night Mistress, the First Lady. Even amidst strict laws that punished citizens for mingling between political factions, servants whispered about how beloved their Lord and Lady were. It was rumored his mother was a powerhouse all on her own.
Isis had not been at House Trillwolf long when Lord Osiris found himself utterly captivated by her. She was beautiful and graceful but with a calculating temperament that seemed almost goddess-like. Rumors spread quickly through the House that Osiris had once had an adulterous relationship with her long before they became Lord, concubine, and later husband and wife.
Jody was 'too young' to access the details of his mother's sudden rise in status, but he could see how people around the House treated her differently. They spoke more kindly to her, bowing their heads and flattering her whenever possible. He assumed it must have been due to Isis's title of Frozen Night Master; whatever that entailed, Jody knew it made people wary of crossing her.
Even without knowing all the facts, Jody was nearly sure this title connected to his mother's social standing change.
Jody, the third young Lord of House Trillwolf, felt anything but comfortable with the reverence and admiration he received within the walls of his family estates. He was accustomed to a different world where honorifics and titles were not widely used between family members. Despite having two elder sisters and the eldest brother, Jody never felt like he belonged in this ancient Eastern-style civilization.
But he did think it was fantastic. They had advanced uses of magic that worked better than most technology.
The firstborn of Osiris was Horus Trillwolf, and his elder sister's name was Kamila Trillwolf. Jody found it amusing that his siblings and parents were named after ancient gods, and he couldn't help but imagine they had great power. The three kids shared the same father, but all had different mothers.
According to rumors, Josiah's name was intended to place him above his siblings in status.
Horus' mother was the heir born of the second concubine, Lylian Trillwolf. Kamila's mother, Omotolani, was formerly the second concubine but was now the third. Kamila was about to turn three and two years older than Jody.
Jody was always fascinated by the secrets hidden within wealthy households. He used to overhear maids chatting in hushed tones about these events as if it gave them some secret pleasure.
'Oh, the drama!' They would whisper with a smirk on their faces.
Kamila ran to Jody with open arms, and her mother brought sweets. Their interactions with the other wives differed from those of Ladies Omotolani and Isis, who seemed like perfect sisters, always doting on each other and their kids.
The look of genuine warmth that graced their faces when they saw him warmed his heart in a way he hadn't known possible before coming here. He'd thought it a wild falsehood told by people to trick those naïve enough to believe them, but now he knew that love did exist between family members.
This type of familial love, he slowly found, was not so wrong, as it gave him warm feelings he had never felt previously.
Jody couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of feelings towards Horus. He had never even seen the eldest brother he had heard whispers about, yet his father seemed to consider him highly. Jody didn't know what to think; he was an orphan in his past life, and although he was aware of the notion of a family, it was still new for him.
The maids remained silent, leaving Jody with more questions than answers. Despite the unfamiliarity, Jody still hoped that the two brothers could someday form a natural bond.
As Jody grew up, he learned more about the political landscape of Pangaea. The four major powers vied for control, each with strengths and weaknesses. House Trillwolf was known for its strong military might and ability to forge alliances with other clans. But Jody's mother, Isis, was also known for her strategic mind and ability to outmaneuver her rivals.
Jody was fascinated by the inner workings of his clan, but he also couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that his mother's position as Frozen Night Master came with great power, but he also knew power often came at a significant cost. He had overheard conversations between his mother and the other leaders, discussing controlling resources and expanding their territory.
He couldn't help but wonder if this was all worth it.
Going from being alone all his life to suddenly having a huge family?
From poor orphan to rich young Lord?
From Playboy to Little Prince in what felt like an instant!
This was probably what they called culture shock. Then again, there was also the whole of experiencing his birth first-hand. That was totally not okay.
Speaking of, Jody was shocked to discover his mother also had a daughter, his eldest sister, Iara Shu. Merely this child was not a member of his household, nor was she around. He never discovered where she would be. The servants seemed to be fearful of being caught talking about her at all.
It was taboo. Thus, he hadn't asked his mother about this. He didn't want to get someone fired.
'So scandalous…' Jody mused silently.