---
"Death wasn't exactly what I expected," Elise thought as she found herself surrounded by a dark void filled with her life's memories.
(Pov - first person)
I was never exactly a good person, but seeing my life flash before my eyes definitely made me reflect on the kind of life I had led.
Elise murmured to herself while looking at her memories. She was never a conventional girl who would make her parents proud; from a young age, she was always more intense than the other children her age.
More violent, more cruel, always seeking some kind of stimulation that would generate adrenaline for herself. This caused her to be given up to an orphanage at the age of nine.
From that point on, there was no turning back. At 15, she took her first life by stabbing a thief who tried to rob her to death, with 42 stabs. The horrified expression of the justice officer when he saw the state of the man's body still intrigued her until the end of her life.
From then on, I began to be observed by specialized psychologists. For a while, it worked; my attention and violent tendencies were contained, and I dedicated myself to studying military history and politics for a good period.
I lived my life like this until I was 23, when I graduated with a degree in history. But, feeling that something was missing in my life, I ended up doing something that most people would call insanity.
I became a mercenary. The thrill of modern combat, where at any moment you could be hit by a projectile or drone and die, was wonderful.
It was a long eight years of exhausting and exciting combat. I committed all sorts of atrocities in various places around the world, even earning a nickname that followed me until my death.
Executioner.
Wherever I went, death followed me until it finally caught up with me. I took my last breath when I was hit in the neck by a projectile fired by a nine-year-old boy. I had just tortured his mother to death in front of him to force his father to reveal secret information to me.
The boy stole a pistol from one of my men and shot me. It was really interesting to die like that; I didn't die at the hands of trained soldiers, bombs, or even a traitor, but by a boy who had lost everything.
"I guess all that's left for me now is hell, right?" Elise whispered and smiled in her own consciousness. "Well, I don't regret anything in this life. After all, everything I did was my choice." Elise said to herself, and feeling a pull on her soul, she closed her eyes and awaited her fate.
---
The sound of a baby's cry filled the air.
"What happened? Why am I crying?" Elise asked herself and tried to open her eyes, only to see blurry figures around her speaking in a language she didn't understand.
"Why are my arms so small?" Elise asked herself as she stretched out her tiny arms and realized she couldn't move them properly. "Did I become a baby again?" Elise screamed in her mind, incredulous.
(Pov - Count Alan Starfire)
Count Alan Starfire, protector of the northern borders of the empire. His family had defended the borders of this territory for two centuries, despite being surrounded by enemies. To the west of his territory was the territory of the Alliance of Kingdoms; to the north, the grand magical forest of the elves, where countless magical and powerful creatures lived; to the east, the demon range, a series of biomes and mountains where fierce and powerful monsters constantly attacked his territory.
However, despite all this, his family for generations had produced powerful warriors and capable commanders to defend the border, with the count himself having a large private army fueled by the riches extracted from the monster range and the elven forest.
Count Alan was a tall man with a severe and domineering temperament. His white hair, inherited from his family, showed the purity of his lineage, and the scars on his body were numerous, extending from the tips of his feet to his left eye, where there was a cut mark that almost blinded him.
"A girl." Alan looked with disappointment at the baby he held in his arms, a beautiful girl with white hair. The woman who had given birth to the girl already lay lifeless on the bed, having taken her last breath.
Unfortunately, most women could not withstand his violent mana and died shortly after giving birth. In reality, most wouldn't even be able to carry the child and would die during pregnancy.
"My first child is a girl, how disappointing." The count said with cold eyes and handed the child to his trusted butler, Sebas. "I will be leaving for the monster range for the next two years. Until then, find a suitable candidate to bear my child." The count spoke harshly and left the room with heavy steps.
"Certainly, my lord." Sebas replied in a firm tone to his master and looked at the little girl in his arms. "Although you cannot inherit the title, you are still a Starfire. Do not disgrace our family." Sebas said with a severe voice and looked at the servants.
"Bury the body in the family cemetery. Despite everything, she managed to give birth to a child." Sebas said, and two maids bowed before heading to the already dead mother's body of Elise.
Sebas left the room and looked once more at the small child. "Since the count didn't name you, I will do so. Welcome to this world, Elise Starfire."
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