Raiden's cries filled the air, signaling his arrival into the world. The room was filled with a flurry of movement as midwives and attendants gathered around, tending to the newborn and his exhausted mother.
"Congratulations, my lady," one of the midwives said, her voice breathless but cheerful. "It's a boy. A healthy baby boy."
Lady Elise lay on a grand, canopied bed, her golden hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. Her breathing was heavy, but relief softened her features as she struggled to raise her head. "Let me see him," she whispered.
The midwife carefully wrapped Raiden in a soft, white blanket and placed him into his mother's waiting arms. Elise's eyes were a bright, sky-blue, and they shimmered with a mix of exhaustion and joy as she gazed down at her son.
"My little Raiden," she murmured, cradling him close. "You're finally here…"
Raiden looked up at her, his cries softening into a quiet whimper. His vision was blurry, but he could make out the gentle lines of her face and the warmth in her expression. It was a moment unlike anything he had experienced before—a warmth that radiated not from fire or sunlight, but from a bond that was new to him.
"He's got strong lungs, my lady," the midwife remarked with a chuckle as she began cleaning the room. "A fine voice for a fine young lord."
Lady Elise stroked Raiden's cheek, a tired smile spreading across her face. "He certainly does," she said softly. "He will grow to be strong, just like his father."
Another voice, deeper and more formal, entered the room. "And already causing a fuss, I see," said an older woman, one of the senior attendants, as she approached. "A true Goldheart if ever I've seen one."
Lady Elise glanced up at the attendant and then back down at Raiden, her expression softening further. "Yes," she whispered, "he is a true Goldheart."
Raiden's eyes fluttered shut as exhaustion from the ordeal took over. His mother's voice faded to a gentle hum in the background, and he let the darkness take him once more, knowing that his new life had begun.
The name "Raiden Goldheart" echoed in his mind as he drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
•••••
Raiden's first days in this new world were a disorienting mix of sensations and fleeting moments of consciousness. He experienced life in brief flashes—comforting warmth followed by sudden cold, muffled sounds that swelled and receded, and a soft voice that sang to him when he was restless. His mind was sharp and alert, but his body was not.
The world around him was a blur. His vision faded in and out, offering only glimpses of his surroundings—a canopy of cream-colored fabric above him, the flicker of candlelight dancing across the walls, and the faint silhouette of a figure with golden hair bending over him.
Whenever he tried to focus on a particular detail, his vision would betray him, and the image would dissolve into hazy shapes and colors.
'What in the hell is going on? I haven't even had any cassava flakes and I'm going blind?!'
Raiden's frustration grew with each passing day.
"Gah! Goo! Gagaa!"
He tried to speak, but no matter how hard he pushed, the only sounds that escaped his lips were incoherent babbles, laughter that burst out unexpectedly, or cries that came unbidden.
'This is hell!' His tiny limbs refused to move the way he wanted them to, flailing clumsily whenever he attempted to reach for something. It was like being trapped inside his own body, aware but helpless.
'This is… humiliating,' he thought, as a string of gurgles slipped from his mouth. He could only imagine what a pitiful sight he must have been, a newborn struggling to express the thoughts of a grown man.
It was a far cry from the life he had once known, where he had been free to act on his own terms, defying rules and expectations at every turn.
But now he was an infant, and there was nothing he could do but endure it.
•••••
Despite his limitations, Raiden did what he could to make sense of his new life. His consciousness stirred more frequently as the days passed, and he became increasingly aware of the environment around him.
His senses sharpened bit by bit, allowing him to recognize familiar sounds and patterns. The soothing lullabies of his mother, Lady Elise, were a constant presence, as was the gentle touch of her hands as she cradled him.
Her voice had a musical quality, soft and comforting, and he found himself growing attached to the sound, even if he couldn't understand the words.
Occasionally, other voices would intrude—strangers who spoke in hushed tones, commenting on his healthy appearance or murmuring reassurances to his mother. He could sense the importance of these interactions, even if he didn't grasp their content.
Sometimes, there were quiet chuckles as he babbled or cried, as if his feeble attempts to communicate were amusing to them.
As much as he loathed the helplessness of infancy, Raiden couldn't deny that there was a certain peace to it as well. He had been given a chance to start over, a new life where he wasn't burdened by the expectations or regrets of his past.
The world he had been reborn into was vastly different from the one he had known, filled with magic and mystery. It was a world he would eventually explore—once he grew strong enough to break free of his current constraints.
•••••
About a week after his birth, Raiden lay in his crib, staring up at the mobile that spun lazily above him. His eyes followed the slow rotation of the wooden figures—carved birds, stars, and a crescent moon that hung from thin strings.
The soft clinking sound they made as they turned was soothing, but his thoughts were restless. He needed something to break the monotony, some sign that he wasn't entirely powerless in this new life.
As if in response to his silent wish, a faint tingling sensation washed over him. It began at the back of his mind, spreading outward until it filled his entire being.
The sensation was strange, almost like a gentle electric current, and then it happened—a translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes, hovering just above his line of sight.
Ding!
[Skill Draw System Activated]
The letters glowed with a soft blue light, and a melodic chime echoed in his ears. Raiden blinked, his infant eyes widening in surprise. This was one of the abilities granted to him by the goddess—the Skill Draw System.
The text on the screen shifted, and a new message appeared:
[Welcome, Raiden Goldheart, to the Skill Draw System.]
[You have received a new mission: Sleep for 10 hours.]
[Reward: 1 Skill Point]
Raiden stared at the message, his tiny brow furrowing as much as it could. 'Sleep for 10 hours?' he thought, an amused disbelief welling up inside him.
It wasn't the grand or heroic mission he had imagined when he agreed to be reincarnated. He had expected something challenging, even if scaled down for an infant. But a mission to sleep?
'It's not a bad beginning.' He let out a tiny sigh that emerged as a soft coo.
With nothing else to do, Raiden closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off. The warmth of the blankets, the gentle lull of his mother's voice humming from somewhere nearby, and the steady rhythm of his own breathing made it easy to comply.
As he sank deeper into sleep, he could feel a subtle shift within him, as though the world around him was responding to his state of rest.