[Elvis - Elven Kingdom Northeast Border.]

[6:00 PM.]

"Find them! We can't let the Cursed Child be born!"

An elf in gleaming silver battle armor roared at the thirty elven soldiers behind him. The wind whipped at their cloaks, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth.

"But Commander," a young woman, barely out of her early twenties, said, her voice laced with fear. Her gaze was fixed on the ominous darkness of the Forest of Flesh Eaters looming before them. "They went into the Forest of Flesh Eaters. It's… unwise to enter."

"What are you suggesting?" The Commander's face contorted in anger. "That we should allow the Cursed Child to be born, and thus seal the fate of our world?!"

"I didn't say that, I only—"

"—Enough!" His tone brooked no argument. "We're going in."

"Let's go!"

With a shared look of grim determination, the soldiers followed their Commander into the forest's maw.

_

The Forest of Flesh Eaters lived up to its name. Countless dangerous plants, some shimmering with bioluminescence, others barbed and dripping with venom, carpeted the forest floor. Grotesque, gnarled trees, their branches like skeletal fingers, clawed at the sky, their colossal leaves blotting out the last rays of the setting sun. The air hung heavy with the cloying scent of decay and the fainter, metallic tang of blood.

Fifty meters deeper into the forest, two figures fled, their breaths ragged, their movements desperate. They were hunted, driven to this perilous refuge by their own kin.

"Ahh! I can't… I can't… No more," the heavily pregnant woman gasped, clutching at a tree trunk for support. Running from her own people, branded as a traitor because of the prophecy surrounding her unborn child, had taken its toll. She, Aurora, the King's own daughter, was now a fugitive.

"Come on, Mom! We need to keep moving!" A young girl, around fifteen or sixteen years old, urged, her voice tight with urgency. She scanned their surroundings nervously.

"Go, Lilly," the woman said, her voice strained. "Save yourself."

"No! Why would I leave my yet-to-be-born brother and you just for my own safety?" Lilly refused, her eyes flashing with defiance.

A distant voice echoed through the trees. "Come on! I know we're getting closer!"

"Shit! Mom, we need to move!" Lilly looked at her mother, who was struggling to breathe. Hesitantly, she stretched out her hands. "Evocans Potestatem medendi."

[I call forth the power of healing]

A glowing white magic rune materialized before her outstretched hands.

"What are you doing, Lilly?" Aurora asked, feeling a surge of warmth and renewed energy flowing through her.

"Sorry that I can't do more, Mom," Lilly apologized, the rune shimmering briefly before shattering.

Aurora shook her head, a loving smile gracing her lips. "You did great, but don't do that again. You don't have enough Sid energy left."

"That's because I'm still weak," Lilly retorted. "When I get stronger, I'll make them all pay!!" She helped her mother to her feet, supporting her weight. "Come on, let's keep moving."

They pressed on, desperately trying to widen the gap between themselves and their pursuers.

_

[Elven Kingdom.]

[King's castle.]

Two figures stood on a balcony overlooking the kingdom, their gazes fixed on the northeast horizon. Their faces were etched with worry and grim resolve.

"My King, we must stop the Cursed Child from being born," an old man with a long white beard, clad in white robes and clutching a staff, said to the middle-aged man standing beside him.

The King's jaw tightened. "If the other races discover that the Cursed Child was born in the Elven Kingdom, what do you think they'll do?"

"Question why you haven't already killed the child, insult you, or even worse… start a war?" the old man replied.

"Precisely." The King sighed heavily. "And I know Aurora. She'll never allow harm to come to her child." He looked up at the clear blue sky, a flicker of pain in his eyes.

"Grand Priest, send word. Aurora is no longer recognized as a member of our race. Her titles and honors, and those of her daughter, are revoked. If they are sighted, they are to be brought to me… alive."

"But my King," the priest protested mildly. "Aurora is your daughter. Do you believe banishing her is the best solution?"

"She made her choice," the King said, his voice firm. "And I have made mine."

Whzzzh!

The priest glanced at the orb attached to his staff, which glowed briefly. "My King, a message from the Commander."

"What's the situation?" the King asked, his gaze still fixed northeast.

"Aurora has entered the Forest of Flesh Eaters," the priest reported.

"The Forest of Flesh Eaters?" The King turned to the old man, a flicker of fear in his eyes.

"Yes," the Grand Priest confirmed.

"Send another message. All soldiers are to retreat. I will not lose any more of them in that accursed forest." He looked back at the distant trees.

The Grand Priest nodded and sent the message. "My King, it's—"

He was interrupted. The King himself frowned. The horizon ahead had been mysteriously tinted red, an ominous sign that had not been seen in centuries.

"The Cursed Child is about to be born!" the Grand Priest exclaimed in horror.

The King clenched his fists. "There's nothing we can do, Grand Priest. We can only prepare for the calamity that is about to befall our world… Ensure that the other races never learn that the child was born of elven blood, that it is my daughter's firstborn!"

The Grand Priest nodded solemnly.

__

"Halt!"

The Commander frowned.

"What is it, Commander?" the woman beside him asked.

"The Grand Priest has ordered a retreat. It's the King's command… Is he doing this because she's his daughter?"

"No one questions the King's decisions," the woman replied.

The Commander glared at her. "Don't speak to me in that tone, Mariel. You may be the strongest mage in our kingdom, but that doesn't give you the right to speak without thinking."

Mariel's eyes flashed. "I dare you to say that again." Her green eyes glowed with an eerie light.

"After you two are done arguing, we can head back," a voice drawled.

They turned to see a young elf in green armor, armed with a bow, walking towards them.

"I thought you preferred silence," the Commander said. "Why speak now?"

The elf turned to the Commander. "Don't forget, I'm also a Commander. If the King orders us back, we have no choice." He turned and addressed the soldiers. "Let's head back!" He yelled, walking back the way they had come. The archers followed.

"You can stay if you want. I'm going back," Mariel said, following the young elf, leaving the Commander and his remaining soldiers behind.

After a moment of hesitation, the Commander sighed in frustration. "We are returning to the kingdom."

__

"Ah!"

"Mom?"

"No… I can't… He's coming… Ah!"

"Seriously? Why is my little brother so stubborn?! Can't he wait until we're out of this goddamn forest!" Lilly looked around frantically. She stretched out her hand and chanted again. "Virtutem terreni voco, ab arena ad lutum, aedificate nobis umbraculum."

[I call the power of earth, from sand to mud, build us a shelter!]

"Ah! W-What are you doing, Lilly? That… That's a high-level spell!" Aurora exclaimed.

Lilly closed her eyes, channeling every last bit of Sid energy she possessed. The earth around them stirred, rising slowly. It formed four walls, then a roof, constructing a small hut in less than a minute.

Lilly dropped to her knees, tasting blood in her mouth. She frowned, but swallowed it, not wanting to worry her mother further.

"Are you okay, Lilly?" Aurora asked, her voice filled with concern.

"Yes," Lilly replied weakly.

"Ahh!! Huff… Huff… Huff. He's coming."

Lilly quickly helped Aurora lie down on the earthen floor.

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked aloud, her voice filled with panic. She was only sixteen. She knew nothing about childbirth.

[Neither does the author.]

"Woo… Woo… Ahh!"

__

[Some Hours Later.]

The soldiers finally emerged from the Forest of Flesh Eaters, their faces grim under the oppressive, blood-red sky.

"Is this…?" Mariel whispered, awestruck and a little frightened.

"The Cursed Child is being born," the young elf said, his voice flat. "The prophecy foretold it: 'The Child will be born when the sky bleeds crimson.'" He glanced back at the dark forest. "She may be in labor… or she may have already given birth. All we can do now is prepare."

He turned and strode towards his armored horse, mounting it with practiced ease. "Let's go back!"

Wie hie hie!

"Hiyah!"

The horse surged forward, followed by ten others.

"That boy!" The Commander removed his helmet, wiping sweat from his brow. He looked up at the ominous sky. "But he's right. We can only prepare." He too mounted his horse.

Mariel summoned a staff, then sat astride it, levitating slightly above the ground. "I'll wait for you at the castle," she said, her voice cool. With a flick of her wrist, she ascended into the air, the staff her only support.

The Commander shook his head, a mixture of annoyance and resignation on his face. He spurred his horse, following the young elf and his riders.

__

'It has been hours already. And it's only now that I'm seeing his head,' Lilly thought, her face etched with worry as she attended to Aurora. Blood stained her hands and the makeshift birthing area.

"Come on, Mom, you can do it," she encouraged, her voice trembling slightly.

"Ahhh!!!"

"Yes, that's it!"

"Ahhh!!!"

"Yes! It's a boy!! Just as the prophecy foretold." With a flick of her wrist, Lilly used her magic to clean the blood from the newborn and, after severing the last connection between mother and child, gently placed the baby in Aurora's arms.

Aurora gazed at her son, her face a mixture of joy, fear, and exhaustion. This place was not safe. The scent of blood and her screams might have attracted unwanted attention.

"Evocans Potestatem medendi."

[I call forth the power of healing]

She turned to Lilly, nodding gratefully. "Thank you, Lilly. From this moment, he will be known as Aaron."

'So, this woman is now my mother, and I'm guessing this one named Lilly is my elder sister,' Aaron thought, his newborn senses taking in the world around him. 'And I'm called Aaron now. At least it's better than the names I was called in my past lives. But… did she just use magic? Is she a magician?'

Aaron shifted his gaze from Aurora to Lilly, then took in their surroundings – the rough mud hut, devoid of any furniture.

'What?! Are these people so poor they don't even have a proper bed?'

"Uh? Mom, I heard newborn babies are supposed to cry," Lilly said, her brow furrowed. "But this little guy isn't making a peep."

Aurora looked at Lilly with a gentle rebuke, then smiled at her son. "My son has already endured so much before even seeing the world. I don't want him to cry… He will never cry. Instead, he will make those who hunt him cry and beg for mercy."

'Mm… I like her already,' Aaron thought. 'But… what did she mean by, "He has already endured so much"? And who is hunting me? Did I get reborn just to be slaughtered before I can even speak?!'

"Okay, Mom, let me get something to eat," Lilly said, getting to her feet. "I can use magic for almost anything, but not for food."

"No, Lilly, rest," Aurora insisted. "You are a mage, and you used a great deal of Sid. Please, rest."

Lilly hesitated, then, seeing the pleading look in Aurora's eyes, nodded and sat down.

'This could be interesting,' Aaron mused. 'I'll just have to wait and see what this world has in store for me.'

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If you have read this far, I want to say thank you for checking it out.

This book is now out, but you can check my other book: Solo Leveling: I am The Only Supreme with the Cheating System.

And

Return Of The Supreme Tamer.

Let's hold on for the ride.

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Welcome Guys... Please, take your time and check out my new book... You can find it in the author's thoughts, right below this text.

MC is heartless, OP, and well... Cold, and clearly an Antihero.

Check it out, it'll worth your time.

PS: MC has two Systems.