In a luxurious room, trillions of miles from the Dao Pillar of the Great Change Universe, a woman lay on a bed.
The woman, though extremely beautiful, looked to be in extreme pain. Sweat was running across her face and screams were leaking from her mouth.
On either side of this woman were two maids. The maids were dressed in plain garbs, yet the wealth of whoever hired them was still evident. The two maids were both holding one of the woman's hands, faces grimacing from the pressure she was exuding. The maid on the woman's right side used her free hand to pat a wet towel across the woman's warm body.
This went on for hours, the pain of the beautiful woman only seeming to get worse as her cries rang out louder and louder.
Eventually, after several hours, a new scream was heard throughout the room as a woman stood up from the bottom of the bed. In her arms was a baby boy.
"Congratulations, madam. The child seems to be very healthy." The woman holding the baby spoke. Her words were filled with relief.
She understood that, while the woman was not important whatsoever, the father would taste blood if there was anything wrong with the child. Hers, more like than not.
"I want to hold him," the beautiful woman spoke. "Just once, I want to hold him."
Her voice was weak. But the will in her eyes, the want and desire to hold her child, was stronger than anything the woman holding the baby had ever seen.
Hesitantly, the woman handed the baby over to the woman who had just given birth.
A smile broke out onto her face and joy seeped out from her eyes. Looking at the baby boy in her arms, a deep love was felt.
No more than five seconds had passed before the door to the luxurious room was broken open. The man who opened the door had not used his legs or arms, but his energy. This man, Darius Perch, was the head of the Perch clan. As a pillar of the Olsen Empire that it was a part of, no leader of the Perch clan could be weak. As such, being a cultivator at the level of Soul-Body, Darius Perch had no need to physically open a door. Simply by willing it, the essence of the world would move to open the door.
Seeing the beautiful woman holding the baby, Darius' eyes did not grow softer like a husband looking at his wife, but instead grew sharper, as if he were witnessing a disturbing event.
Turning to look at one of the maids, Darius spoke. "Grab the child. This woman should not grow attached to what will not be hers."
The maid was startled, but still grabbed the baby. Even if she felt for the woman, especially so after witnessing her give birth, she could not, and would not, disobey an order from someone like Darius Perch.
The beautiful woman gave up the child to the maid easily, not wanting to make things difficult. Still, she couldn't help the tears that were falling down her cheeks.
Seeing the baby was alive and well, Darius turned to the midwife that had helped the mother give birth and nodded. "You have done well. A steward will guide you out with your payment. A substantial tip, as well, for your hard work."
Looking at the baby once more, something flashed through his eyes as he turned around leaving through the door in which he came.
Before he was completely gone, the mother, though weak and tired and slightly scared, spoke up to the man.
"Wait!"
The man paused and turned, eyes expressing anger at being commanded.
"What?" He spat out.
"Won't you name him?"
Darius, expecting the woman to ask for something else, was slightly stunned.
The anger in his eyes dimmed and he looked at the baby deeply.
"This child. Aron."
Saying this, Darius turned and flashed away, not leaving a single second for the woman to speak up again.
Seeing this, the woman didn't mind and instead turned to the baby held in the maids arm.
A gentle smile fell on her face once more as she whispered, "Aron, I love you."
Her eyes closed and she drifted asleep.
***
Several weeks after the woman gave birth, she remained in the same luxurious room. It wasn't willingly that she remained there, but confinement that kept her locked up.
Still she was fed good food and, though there was a maid in the room to take care of the boy, her son remained in the room as well. Still, there was not much else to do in the room.
For days upon days, the mother would sit in her rocking chair, singing lullabies and telling stories to the child who remained in his cradle.
Despite her wanting to pick him and carry him in her arms, the mother knew that what Darius had spoken on the first day still remained true. Even if he wasn't there to observe, he had ensured that the maid in the room was strong enough to keep Aron out of her arms.
"Goodnight, my child. How I wish to hold you and give you all my love."
The woman blew a kiss at the baby before standing up and walking to her bed. Laying down, she glanced at the maid in the corner whose eyes were closed.
Thinking that she had fallen asleep, the mother slowly walked back to the cradle.
As she arrived, she bent over the cradle's bars and gave Aron a light kiss on his forehead. Moving her head back slightly, the mother stared at the baby that was sleeping soundly. An immense love was seen in her eyes.
As she was standing back up, a small hand grabbed her shoulder.
Without turning around, the mother spoke softly, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to show him my lo--" her voice was cut off as a hand was driven through her chest.
Shock covered her face as she fell to the ground. Turning enough so that she fell on her back, the mother looked at her assailant. It was not the maid. In fact, the mother could see the maid had fallen onto the floor similarly to her.
Looking at her murderer, she choked out, "Trea... don't kill him. Plea-- please."
She recognized her killer as soon as she saw her. It was Darius' second concubine. She had always been the most snake-like of the man's women.
"Don't worry, don't worry. I would never kill Aron. Not so soon after he was born. After all, Darius is looking forward to his talent. If I were to kill him now, Darius would never stop investigating. You, however, I can kill. We both know that you have been used for all that you are worth. Darius already killed your family just to get your talent, now that he has it, why would he care whether you live or die?"
The mother smiled softly. Her death was of no consequence, not to her nor anybody else. Aron's life, though, meant more than anything to her. As blood trickled from her lips, the mother closed her eyes for the last time as she whispered to her child, "I love you."
Looking at her corpse with disdain, the poisonous woman named Trea scoffed before walking over to Aron's cradle.
Taking a pill from her dark robes, she stuffed the pill into the baby's mouth, waking him from his slumber.
Taking her hand from his mouth, Trea waited as the pill dissolved. As it did, the baby fell silent and Trea disappeared from the room.
The silence was deafening. Hours passed and the smell of death covered the room.
Suddenly, a bright flash tore through the night sky above the Olsen Empire.
The light seemed to pause for a moment before it subtly shifted into the direction of Aron.
At speeds unknown, the light phased into the room where Aron lay, neither dead nor alive. It paused once more, before deciding to go to Aron.
As he lay there, a fragmented piece of stone was slowly absorbed into his body.
The piece of stone disappeared completely. And more seconds of silence passed by.
Then, in the mind of Aron, in words that he could neither hear nor understand, the fragment of stone spoke.
[Assimilation commencing. Host is suitable for integration]
[Estimated time of assimilation: Three Months]
[Upon assimilation, hibernation will commence. Hibernation will be lifted as the host awakens their Essence Core.]
[Error!]
[Substance interrupting assimilation start process.]
[Analyzing substance.]
[Harmful compounds detected. Neutralizing compounds.]
[Compounds Neutralizing. Analyzing condition]
[Detected that compounds were partly absorbed before neutralization. Unknown effects]
[Entering assimilation process. Rest well, host.]