Darkness surrounded me. It was cold, empty, and eerily silent, save for the echo of voices I could barely grasp. I had died. I knew that much. Yet, here I was, trapped in this... void, listening to the faint whispers.
"You are now the son of the demon king."
That was the last thing I remember. The voices, the promise of rebirth, and then... nothing.
Until now.
My eyes fluttered open, heavy and confused, adjusting to the sudden burst of light. The first thing I saw was a woman. A woman with fiery red hair that cascaded over her shoulders, and eyes as red as blood. Small, delicate horns jutted from her forehead, perfectly complementing her beauty. She smiled down at me with such warmth that it almost felt... motherly.
"Welcome , Aiden,my baby," she said softly, her voice so tender,so...
Wait. Baby?
I tried to move, to speak, but my body wouldn't respond. I couldn't feel my arms, my legs—nothing but the faint thrumming of a tiny heartbeat inside me. Panic started to well up, but before I could make sense of what was happening, a man stepped into view. He, too, had horns, though they were larger, more pronounced. His eyes, like the woman's, were red, but his hair was a stark contrast, black as night. He was muscular, towering over the woman with an air of authority, but his expression was soft. Caring.
He embraced the woman gently and looked down at me, his lips curling into a smile.
"How are you, Aiden? Welcome, my son," he said, his voice booming yet full of affection. "Look how handsome you are. I want to pinch those soft newborn cheeks." he said giggling.
"Hey! Stop that you." The woman said, bringing me in closer to her chest although something told me she didn't really mean that.
Aiden. That's what they called me.
I tried to process the information, but everything felt jumbled. My name was Ashima, wasn't it? But they kept calling me Aiden. I wanted to scream, to tell them they were wrong, that I wasn't their child. But no sound came out. I was trapped in this fragile, helpless body.
Just as I was trying to grasp the reality of the situation, the door flew open with a bang, and a girl rushed in, breathless and excited. She couldn't have been more than fifteen. Her hair was silver-white, contrasting sharply with her red eyes, and small reddish horns peeked out from beneath her bangs. She bounded toward the bed, practically glowing with excitement.
"Is this him? Is this my baby brother?" she asked eagerly, her eyes wide as she peered down at me.
The woman—my supposed mother—laughed softly. "Aurora, be gentle, my love. You're going to scare him."
Aurora. So that was her name.
She didn't seem to care about her mother's warning, leaning in closer, her hands hovering near me as if she were resisting the urge to grab me. "He's so small!" she exclaimed. "He's perfect!"
I stared at them in disbelief. These were demons weren't they?. Horns, red eyes, and all. Yet, they acted so... human. Loving. Kind. It didn't make sense. What is going on?
My mind reeled as the memories of my past life fought to surface. The endless torment. The darkness. I was supposed to be dead. But here I was, reborn. Reborn into a new body. The words from the void echoed again in my mind as I recalled what they said: "You are now the son of the demon king."
I looked at the woman, at the man, and at Aurora. The horns. The pale skin tone. It all made sense now. This was my family. This was the new life those voices promised.
Anger welled up inside me. Why? Why did they make me a baby? Why did I have to start over like this, helpless, powerless? Why? Why as a baby. I wasn't supposed to be stuck in this fragile form, dependent on these strangers. I was Ashima Hito! And now, I was... Aiden.
The frustration built until it became too much to bear. I opened my mouth and let out a wail—an infant's cry, high-pitched and uncontrollable. Damn this body! I wasn't crying out of need or hunger. I was crying out of rage.
"Oh no, don't cry, my little one," the woman cooed, her face creasing with worry. She gently rocked me, trying to soothe my outburst. "Shhh, it's okay."
"It's because you two were making so much noise," she added with a playful glare toward the man and Aurora. "Honestly, you come in here, getting him all worked up."
Her tone was light, but the sarcasm was evident as she shooed them both toward the door.
The man chuckled, his deep voice rumbling through the room. "Alright, alright, we'll leave the little one in peace. Come on, Aurora, let's give your mother some space."
Aurora pouted but relented, following her father out of the room. The door closed behind them, leaving me alone with the woman. My mother.
She sighed softly, looking down at me with those warm, crimson eyes. "There we go, all quiet now."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes—internally, of course. What did she know? She thought I was just a baby crying for attention. But I wasn't. I was a grown man trapped in this body, and none of this was fair.
She stood up from the bed and walked over to the window, cradling me in her arms. The sunlight streamed through, casting a golden glow around her as she gazed out into the world beyond.
"You're going to grow up strong, my little Aiden," she whispered, her smile pure and genuine. A smile so warm, it almost made me forget my frustration. Almost.
But as much as I wanted to curse whatever force had reincarnated me as a baby, something about her smile made me feel... safe.
Fine. Whatever.
For now, I was Aiden, I guess.