As Liam's life draws to a close, his thoughts are not of triumph or fulfillment but of a life marked by pain and regret. From his earliest memories, tragedy and death were his constant companions; his family was taken from him prematurely, and the ensuing torment at the hands of his captors left deep scars on his soul.
More broken than whole, Liam came to see death and violence as familiar entities. He learned to live this way, and driven by a thirst for vengeance, he honed his skills to unimaginable levels. By the age of twenty, Liam had become the world's most lethal assassin, and soon after, he completely avenged the deaths of his family.
But with his revenge complete, he found himself adrift, devoid of purpose. A life so brief, filled with death, left him with nothing more to pursue. In a final act of desperation, Liam attempted to end his life, hoping to reunite with his family in some ethereal beyond.
As he finished his recollection of his abyss, something felt wrong; he remembered his mother's face and imagined that she wouldn't have wanted such an end for him. She would have wanted him to find happiness, somehow.
And so, he tried. The most dangerous man in the world opened his heart to seek some semblance of love, only for life to strike him down harshly once more. As death approached, Liam's final vision is the tearful face of a young woman, a poignant reminder of the love and connection he yearned for but could never fully embrace.
His last thought, filled with confusion and despair, is a simple question: "Why?"
A life spent in the shadows, ending in a glimpse of something he could never quite reach - love, understanding, peace.
'Oh, she's a victim too…'
As Liam lies on the brink of death, the realization that the tearful woman is likely one of his many victims in his quest for vengeance dawns upon him.
Rather than feeling anger towards the grief-stricken girl, he musters the last of his strength to tenderly caress her face and wipe the tears from her cheek.
And in his final moments, Liam's thoughts turn to his mother.
'I'm sorry, Mom… I failed as a human being… I wasted your sacrifice.'
'Someone who deprived so many people of happiness doesn't have any right to seek it for himself,'
Liam harbors no anger towards fate or anything of the sort, only bitterness that his life had to end this way.
'I wish I at least had good experiences in this life so that I could die with happy memories.'
Accepting his fate, Liam embraces death willingly, as darkness begins to engulf his vision. Watching this, witnessing how a person who knew only violence and hatred ends his life in such a manner, even the coldest entity in the universe feels something stir within.
There's a moment of hesitation, and in that single second, another presence makes a plea — a plea so compelling that it cannot be refused even by the deities that govern existence.
"No, this is not the end!"
Liam hears those words, a voice so warm and loving... He can't tell if the voice is outside or is inside his mind, but he feels an overwhelming sense of familiarity, a connection that seems to transcend his current state. It's a feeling so profound and comforting that it overwhelms the cold embrace of death, giving him a faint sense of hope.
'Mom?'
Before Liam can grasp what is happening, the cold around him begins to dissipate, giving way to a pleasant warmth.
'What the?!?'
Liam is utterly confused; he had never contemplated what dying would be like, but this definitely seemed odd. He can't see anything, move, or speak, but he can feel a strangely familiar warmth enveloping his body.
And then he hears it...
*Thump*
*Thump-thump*
'I've heard this sound before... could it be?!'
Liam tries to make sense of what's happening, but a profound weakness hits him.
'So sleepy... I can't... sle-'
He attempts to stay alert, but it's impossible, and he falls into a deep sleep... a long and deep slumber.
_______________
Nine months later, Liam awakens, confused by his odd situation. He still can't see anything but darkness, and that cozy warmth is still enveloping him. He can feel his body again, although the movements seem awkward. However, in contrast, Liam can no longer think as clearly as before. It feels like there's a dense cloud in his mind.
The following events are even more shocking. He feels a powerful force pushing him, the incredibly pleasant warmth gives way to the familiar cold of the world. Liam experiences intense emotions and struggles to open his eyes, only to be blinded by the radiant light.
He feels so frustrated and upset, emotions he had always controlled very well. But now he feels compelled to let it out…
"UUUWAAAAAA!!!" Liam is startled by the sound of his own voice, the voice of a newborn baby.
"?????" A flurry of questions arises in Liam's mind, but he can't even understand them.
Then, as his eyes adjust to the light, he sees her…
'So beautiful!!!'
He doesn't even know what those words mean, but they instinctively arise in his mind. Like a divine angel, a beautiful woman with long blond hair and blue eyes appears in front of Liam. She looks exhausted and sweat is dripping down her gorgeous face, but she looks directly at Liam with the most loving expression he remembers seeing.
"A beautiful boy!!" The woman exclaims emotionally, with tears of happiness streaming from her face and falling on Liam. "I'm so happy!!!"
Liam doesn't understand what the woman is saying, but the deep love in her gaze is clear even to him. All the anger, pain, and emptiness that Liam has ever felt is still inside him, but the pure love of that woman drives away all negative feelings from his heart. He instinctively extends his tiny, adorable hand towards that angel, eager to accept all her love openly.
"My little boy..." The woman picks up little Liam in her warm arms, and he feels safer than ever. But then he hears a male voice, as excited as the woman's.
"It's a boy, hahaha!!!" The man exclaims in emotion. "I knew it!!"
Liam doesn't want to turn away, he doesn't want to stop feeling that soft skin on his face, those warm arms around his body. However, the woman willingly hands him over to someone else, and before Liam realizes it, he is looking at a tall man with light brown hair.
Liam has never been close to anyone, but his relationships with women have always been easier than with men. Yet, instead of the usual hostile looks he got from men, he is surprised to see big eyes brimming with tears again. This seems like a strong and brave man, but he doesn't hide how moved and happy he is to see the little baby in his arms.
"My son..." The man says words that Liam doesn't understand.
But then he says something with so much love and pride that Liam instinctively understands.
"Your name will be Arthur!"
"Arthur?" The woman muses aloud. "I like Arthur, it's such a beautiful name."
"But of course, it is," the man speaks proudly. "I'm sure our little Arthur will be a beautiful boy and then grow into a fine handsome man!"
"Oh my~~" The woman sighs, already used to the man's antics. "Are you already boasting about your son's appearance? What kind of father are you, Draven??"
"A proud father, of course," Draven puffs out his chest while holding little Arthur gently. "And you, Aria?"
Aria just shakes her head in disapproval of Draven's attitude, but she can't stop smiling; after all, this is a very happy day for her. In the arms of his father, Arthur is confused. The memories of Liam are still inside him, though they're covered by a thick cloud of darkness.
He can't access those memories, but somehow, he feels that it shouldn't be good to be in the arms of a man. That thought comes from the part of him that is still Liam, while the new part that is now Arthur feels very safe and loved being held by his father.
And so, it is the birth of little Arthur, the second chance of Liam, a new beginning in a new world, with a new family that loves him from the first moment they saw him…
"Wait!" But such a moment is interrupted when Draven notices something strange. "This..."
"What's wrong???" Aria panics at the first thought of her beloved son being in danger.
Draven is also worried because as he checks little Arthur's body to see if everything is alright, he sees a mark appearing on his lower belly area.
At first, he is happy and proud of his son because that mark is quite rare in their world.
Draven has a similar mark, an imposing golden lion on his back, while Aria has a gentle owl on her shoulder. These tattoos are called Nexuses, and they are essentially manifestations of very powerful beings. In their case, each of them can summon the creature corresponding to their tattoos to support them or fight alongside them.
And these rare creatures are called Astral Beasts.
Draven has his golden lion, which gives him incredible strength, and Aria can harness the mystical powers of her owl. So, naturally, Draven is thrilled to see that Arthur is awakening his Astral Beast so early.
But the shock comes when Arthur's tattoo fully appears...
"A pink heart?!?!" Draven is perplexed to see that.
A large pink heart on Arthur's belly, oddly close to his most intimate area...
"What does this mean?" Draven can only look at Aria with eyes full of confusion and concern.
Aria is a very intelligent woman, a result of her connection with her Astral Beast, but even she, who has read countless books in her pursuit of knowledge, has never seen anything like that.
"Whatever it is, it's good, right?" She smiles, still proud of Arthur. "After all, our son must be the youngest person ever to awaken a Nexus."
"Yes..." Draven tries to think positively, but then he looks at the strange pink heart again.
"But what kind of Astral Beast is a heart?!?!"