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Chapter 5 - Chapter Five: New Beginnings

Days passed, and with each moment of his infant life, Zephyron Eternis absorbed his surroundings like a sponge.

Though he was trapped in the body of a baby, with the simple routine of eat, sleep, and cry for attention, his mind remained far from ordinary.

The integration of Lucian Rathmor's soul fragment had given him a unique perspective. Even as a baby, his thoughts were sharp, and he quietly processed everything around him.

He had come to realize many things, despite the limitations of his current form. His home, for instance, was a grand one—far more lavish than any commoner dwelling.

He resided in the Astaroth Empire, a powerful empire brimming with wealth and influence. The empire was not just any realm, but one of the five biggest empires in the world, and it was clear to him that his position in this world was of significance.

His mother, Selena Eternis, was the fourth wife of the current emperor, Solon Eternis. From what Zephyron could gather, he was far down the line of succession, being the third in line for the throne.

He hadn't yet met his father, the emperor. This fact intrigued and disturbed him in equal measure.

It seemed strange that the emperor had not yet come to visit his newborn son, though Zephyron supposed that as a ruler of such a vast kingdom, Solon had many other matters to attend to.

However, the emperor's absence only deepened Zephyron's bond with his mother, Selena. His first impression of her was that she was kind and fiercely protective, ensuring that her child was never without care or comfort.

She had not been alone in this. The maid, Elara Werize, had also played a crucial role.

In fact, Zephyron soon learned that his relationship with Elara was far more complex than he initially thought. His mother had requested that Elara swear her loyalty not to her, but to him—her infant son.

In doing so, by the empire's laws, Elara had become Zephyron's property. It was a startling realization, one that felt both primitive and unsettling. It also meant that, should Zephyron grow to be a cruel or selfish ruler, Elara would be bound to him for life, possibly suffering greatly under his command.

This, in turn, shifted Zephyron's perception of Elara. It was a heavy gamble she had taken, swearing her loyalty so early in his life, trusting that he would grow into a man worthy of that trust.

Her unwavering devotion, as well as the quiet strength she radiated, intrigued him. Though he was still a baby, in many ways powerless, he recognized that Elara would be an important pawn in his future.

Yet, despite all this, Zephyron found that there were many things he still did not know. His only source of information came from the conversations he overheard between his mother and Elara.

They often discussed mundane details of palace life or exchanged words of concern about his future, but deeper truths about the empire and the wider world eluded him.

He could sense the magnitude of the world beyond his nursery, but for now, he was restricted to mere glimpses of what lay outside.

There was one particularly odd discovery that had surprised him: he could understand the language spoken around him.

Zephyron hadn't learned it in the conventional sense. Instead, he discovered that his connection to his mother, Selena, had facilitated this understanding.

It was as if the bond between mother and child resonated so strongly that his infant soul had imprinted upon hers, allowing him to absorb the language naturally. The knowledge of the words and meanings simply flowed into him.

Lucian's soul fragment inside him was equally fascinated by this discovery. Zephyron could sense Lucian's curious nature stirring, urging him to explore the phenomenon further.

In Lucian's past life as a scientist, such connections between souls and languages had only been theorized in the oldest manuscripts of humanity.

This newfound understanding was something Lucian's highly advanced mind had not fully anticipated, and it prompted both Zephyron and Lucian to conduct silent observations on the strange, almost mystical connection between mother and child.

Though the soul of Lucian Rathmor lived within him, communication between the two was not direct. Instead, it felt like passing notes between two deaf individuals—only abstract thoughts or images could be shared, and they vanished as soon as one stopped thinking about them.

There was no conversation, no voice, only the sharing of ideas in the form of fleeting impressions. Lucian's memories and vast knowledge were accessible.

And then there was the world itself. Zephyron had started to notice more details about his environment, particularly the lack of technology.

He had spent days watching the simple routines of those around him. The room he resided in was made of pristine white stone, cold and firm, reminiscent of ancient architecture from humanity's early years. His cradle, though finely crafted, was placed near a window that allowed sunlight and the sounds of nature to filter in.

There was no hum of machines, no advanced devices to regulate temperature or provide convenience. The air was warm, cooled only by the breeze flowing through the open windows. The diapers he wore were basic, made from simple cotton cloths, not the advanced materials Lucian had once known.

The absence of these technologies was striking. Zephyron understood that this world was primitive compared to the one Lucian had left behind, and that only deepened his curiosity.

For now, he had to content himself with small observations and slow discoveries. Every day, he learned more, piecing together the fragmented puzzle of his new life.