I found myself in pitch darkness, unable to move, unable to feel anything. The only thing I remembered was… vague. And then, there was a woman in white, sleeping beside me. Though my vision was blurred, I caught a glimpse of her—she was breathtakingly beautiful, with golden-blond hair cascading down her shoulders and eyes as deep as the ocean. But she was crying—a lot. A man sat beside her, consoling her, yet I could only perceive their figures through a hazy veil.
Exhaustion weighed upon me like an anchor, and my eyes, heavy with fatigue, slowly shut.
When I opened them again, delicate snowflakes were falling upon me, melting into my skin. My gaze drifted upward, fixated on the endless expanse of the night sky. The realization struck me almost immediately—I was dead. Well, it wasn't surprising. I had killed millions. This fate was inevitable. But where was I now?
My hands… they were so small.
No way.
Was this the afterlife? No, if it were, why would I be in this tiny body? Had I been… reborn?
If God truly did reincarnate me, He should have erased my past memories. They weren't worth keeping anyway. But fate, it seemed, was cruel—I had been abandoned at birth. Was this my punishment for my past sins? A cruel irony, indeed. I thought, just for a fleeting moment, that I might get to live a happy life this time… but it seemed that was not meant to be.
Still, something was odd. Despite the thick snow blanketing the bustling streets, despite my frail newborn body, I felt no cold. Instead, an unfamiliar warmth wrapped around me.
And then, I saw it.
A faint glow amidst the darkness—a radiant orb floating beside me, pulsating with an ethereal light.
What… is that?
I tried to reach for it, but my tiny hands failed to grasp even the empty air between us. The disadvantages of this small body were already becoming apparent. But one thing was certain—this orb was keeping me warm, shielding me from the merciless winter. I doubted it would even let me die.
Just then, the rhythmic clatter of hooves echoed through the street, and a carriage came to a sudden halt in front of the alley.
A woman stepped out.
She was draped in an opulent red velvet dress, her presence commanding yet elegant. A maid accompanied her, holding an umbrella to shield her lady from the falling snow.
Slowly, the woman walked towards me.
As she drew closer, I could finally see her features—raven-black hair framing her delicate face, her striking violet eyes filled with an unreadable emotion. Without hesitation, she knelt, gathering my tiny form in her arms, her warmth seeping into my cold skin. She turned back toward the carriage, cradling me gently.
Yet, even as she held me, the orb continued to float nearby, unwavering in its silent vigil. The maid, seemingly disturbed by its presence, attempted to separate it from me. But the moment her fingers grazed its surface—
A surge of blinding white light erupted from within.
The maid recoiled, a sharp gasp escaping her lips as she yanked her hand back. I caught a glimpse of her palm—it was burned.
The woman's gaze lingered on the injury for a moment before she let out a soft sigh.
"Let's take this thing with us as well," she murmured.
The maid, though hesitant, obediently escorted her lady into the carriage. I could barely keep my eyes open, my body succumbing to exhaustion once again.
But just before sleep claimed me, I caught one last sight—the maid, despite the pain searing through her burnt hand, smiling warmly at me.
A strange comfort washed over me.
And with that, I allowed myself to drift into slumber.