Zakis's deep voice resonated in the room as he began to explain, his tone solemn. "When your mother gave birth to you, your body was corrupted by a virus... It was Xyoty, a rare and extremely deadly virus."
Aekira's eyes widened in shock. "A virus...?"
Zakis nodded, his expression grim. "Yes, Xyoty is unlike anything else—deadly, and nearly impossible to cure. You were still a fetus when it took hold of you... Your body was slowly deteriorating from the inside out."
Shenan's eyes shimmered with sorrow as she picked up where Zakis left off. "We tried everything, every possible cure and remedy... But nothing worked. The virus was relentless, corrupting every part of you as you grew. It was a nightmare, watching you suffer even before you were born."
Shenan continued, her voice tinged with sadness. "So your father decided to put you in this capsule, at least for a few years... to give us time to find a way to save you."
Aekira's eyes widened in shock. "A... few years? How old am I?"
Zakis sighed, understanding her disbelief. "Well... you're approximately one hundred and twenty-five years old."
Aekira stood silent, her mind reeling from the revelation. "...What... what exactly am I?!"
Zakis and Shenan exchanged a look, a mix of sadness and pride in their eyes.
"You're a dragon," Zakis finally said, his voice steady. "Just like your mother and me."
Aekira's mind struggled to process the truth. A dragon? She had never imagined such a thing. The realization that she wasn't human, that she was something entirely different, left her feeling both terrified and confused.
He paused, his expression growing distant as he recalled the past. "The day the scientists told me you were still alive, I was in disbelief. After years of watching you deteriorate, expecting the worst, suddenly... you were showing signs of life again. Your body, against all odds, began to stabilize."
Shenan nodded, her hand resting gently on Aekira's shoulder. "We were told that the dragon blood within you, combined with the technology in the capsule, somehow kept the virus at bay. It wasn't a cure, but it gave us hope—hope that one day, you might wake up and live the life we always wanted for you."
Aekira stood silent, her thoughts swirling with everything she had just learned. The pieces of her new reality began to fall into place, but something still didn't make sense.
"If... if I've been in that capsule for 125 years... why didn't you have another child?" she asked, her voice steady but curious. "Why wait all this time for me?"
Zakis and Shenan exchanged surprised looks, clearly taken aback by her question.
Shenan was the first to speak, her voice soft and filled with emotion. "We couldn't... We didn't want to replace you, Aekira. You were our lastborn, and no matter how long it took, we wanted to wait for you. To give you the life you deserved."
Zakis nodded, his voice deep with conviction. "We believed in you, in your strength. Even when everything seemed lost, we knew that one day, you would wake up and be with us again."
Aekira stood silent, her thoughts heavy. Not only had she been reborn, but she was also in the body of a dragon—a creature of immense power and mystery. The weight of it all pressed down on her, making it hard to comprehend who she truly was now.
She glanced at her parents, who were watching her with a mix of concern and love. They had waited over a century for her, holding on to hope despite the odds. The realization filled her with a strange sense of responsibility and unease.
Aekira finally broke the silence, her voice trembling slightly. "What... what type of dragon am I?"
Zakis paused, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Well... I'm not entirely sure," he admitted. "The scientists haven't been able to give me a clear answer yet. We still need to analyze your information and understand exactly what's happened to you."
Aekira stood silent, her mind racing. Everything was so unclear—how she had been reborn in this strange girl's body, and why her? None of it made any sense.
But there was one last question she needed to ask, one that gnawed at her insides, begging for confirmation.
"What... what happened to Earth?"
Zakis and Shenan both froze, clearly caught off guard.
Zakis recovered first, raising an eyebrow. "Impressive, dear. You already know about planets?"
Shenan smiled warmly. "My big girl is so smart already!"
Aekira let out a small giggle, but it was more nervous than genuine. "Yeah... I guess."
Zakis's expression turned serious as he continued. "As for Earth... it's been a while since I heard of that planet. It was destroyed 50 years ago."
....
...
"What."
Aekira couldn't believe it. Earth was gone? Dead for ages? The words echoed in her mind, refusing to settle into reality. She felt a cold shock sweep through her, freezing her in place.
Her thoughts spiraled, struggling to grasp the enormity of what she had just learned. The planet she once knew, the place she had lived and died, had been wiped out half a century ago. Everything—everyone—was gone.
Suddenly, tears welled up in Aekira's eyes, spilling down her cheeks before she could stop them. The shock of Earth's destruction, the overwhelming loss of everything she once knew, hit her all at once. It was too much to bear.
She didn't care that she was in a different body, that she was surrounded by beings who called themselves her parents. In this moment, all she could feel was the profound grief of knowing that the world she came from, the life she once had, was gone forever.
Her parents watched in concern, clearly unsure of what to do.
Zakis, seeing the tears streaming down Aekira's face, immediately walked up to her in a panic. He sat down beside her, his large presence somehow managing to convey an unexpected gentleness. Shenan, equally concerned, pulled Aekira into a tighter embrace, holding her close as if trying to shield her from the pain.
Zakis: D-dear... are you alright?
Aekira's sobs shook her small frame as she felt the warmth of Shenan's arms around her. But the grief was too overwhelming, the realization of Earth's destruction too heavy to bear. It was as if the ground had been pulled out from under her, leaving her in freefall with nothing to hold on to.
Shenan gently stroked Aekira's hair, her voice soft and soothing. "Dear, is there something wrong? Did your big bad father say something bad?"
Zakis, caught off guard, flustered. "S-Shenan!" he stammered, his worry mixed with a touch of embarrassment. He clearly wasn't used to being teased in such a tender moment.
Aekira wiped her tears with the back of her hand, trying to regain some composure. "Is that..." she began, but then fell silent, her thoughts a tangled mess.
She hesitated, her mind racing. Should I even tell them that I'm reborn? The idea felt overwhelming. How could she explain that the daughter they were so relieved to have back wasn't entirely who they thought she was?
Aekira decided to keep it a secret, at least for now. They seemed so happy to see her, their daughter, alive and well. She couldn't bring herself to shatter that happiness with the truth—not yet. The thought of how they might react, of the questions it would raise, was too much for her to handle in that moment.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil inside her. "It's nothing," she finally said, forcing a small smile. "Just… everything feels so overwhelming."
Shenan smiled gently, her eyes full of understanding. "Of course, my dear. You've been through so much. It's okay to feel that way."
Zakis's tail suddenly sprang into action, wagging energetically as he spoke. "How about you go see your new room? And meet the rest of your family! I'm sure they'll be excited to meet you!" His enthusiasm was palpable, and his tail wagged in sync with his excitement.
Shenan nodded, her eyes sparkling with warmth. "Yes, dear. It will be good for you to get acquainted with your new home and everyone who's been waiting for you."
Aekira, though still overwhelmed, managed a small smile at their eagerness. The prospect of exploring her new surroundings and meeting more of her family offered a distraction from her turbulent thoughts. "Okay," she said softly. "I'd like that."
Zakis effortlessly lifted Aekira up, holding her close as they headed toward the door. She hadn't realized just how tall and muscular he was until now. His strength was undeniable, yet his grip on her was gentle, almost protective.
"I'll call some maids to bring you the best clothes, dear!" Zakis said with a proud smile, his tail wagging even faster at the thought.
Shenan chuckled softly as she watched them. "You're spoiling her already," she teased, but there was no mistaking the warmth in her voice.
Aekira couldn't help but feel a strange sense of comfort. Despite everything, there was something oddly reassuring about their care and attention. For now, she allowed herself to relax in Zakis's arms, curious to see what this new world had in store for her.