Chapter Two: First Cry
Time lost meaning.
Days, weeks… maybe months passed in darkness.
Inside the womb, existence was quite almost peaceful. The steady rhythm of the heartbeat had become a constant companion, something that grounded me in this strange, in-between state.
"Batum… batum… batum…"
The familiar and rhythmic beating of my mother's heart was very comforting and reassuring, providing me with peace in my dark world.
But that peace… didn't last forever.
One day—or what I assumed was a day—everything changed.
The calm fluid surrounding me began to shift violently.
The once gentle ripples turned into chaotic waves. Pressure built from all sides, squeezing, pushing, forcing my fragile body into motion.
"…What's happening?"
Even without experience, instinct answered immediately.
Birth.
The walls around me tightened, compressing my body as an overwhelming force began to drag me forward. For the first time since regaining consciousness, I felt something close to panic.
I couldn't control anything.
I couldn't stop it.
All I could do… was to silently endure.
The pressure intensified.My body twisted, pushed through a narrow passage as the world around me collapsed into suffocating force and motion.
The first thing I saw was the light.
Blinding, searing light tore through the darkness. Though I couldn't see clearly, I could make out lights above me.'Thank god the is electricity, at least I'm not in a world stuck in the bronze ages. As a soul from the twenty-first century, living in a world without electricity would have been a pain in the ***' I thought grimly, though I was ecstatic for the most part. Before my thought could drift further, i felt the sharp cold in the atmosphere, leaving me wondering if I had somehow ended up in a world still in its ice age era. Altogether such a world won't have electricity. The air in the atmosphere felt very cold to me since the warm, protective fluid was gone, replaced by harsh air that stabbed against my skin like countless tiny needles.And that was when I heard it.
Loud, chaotic, and overwhelming
voices echoed around me, unfamiliar and urgent.
I couldn't understand the words, but the tone was clear.
Panic, excitement, and relief filled the air. Above the voices was the distinct wailing of an infant.
Great, I thought. I'm now the little brother here.
I didn't really care whether I was the older sibling or the younger one. After all, the most important thing to me is being born safe and healthy.
My body reacted before my mind could catch up.
I let out a cry.A sharp, piercing wail tore from my throat—the first sound I made in this new life.It felt strange,strong , and energetic. Most importantly, everything felt real.
"…So this is how it begins," I thought dryly.Through blurry vision, I caught fragments of the world around me. Shapes moved above—large, indistinct figures leaning closer.
'Happy birthday to myself', I murmured before closing my eyes, leaving myself to the professionals to do what they would.
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Mother's POV
It's been nine months, and though the journey was filled with danger, thanks to the dead gods, everything went smoothly.
I couldn't have asked for more as a mother.
The twins—whom I've decided to name Morgan and Garling—both had the same jet-black hair and vermillion eyes as their father.
Speaking of their father… Anvil had never been the same ever since his father and his cohort died while trying to challenge their Third Nightmare. He blamed himself for what happened.
Honestly, it scares me a little bit.
He was showing fewer emotions with each passing day, becoming more indifferent toward the world… and everyone in it. Including me.
Though, when it came to me, there were still traces of the old, familiar Anvil—the man I knew and fell in love with. I knew I was the glue of the family, yet things kept slipping through my fingers. I just hope the birth of these two could bring the family back to the way things were.
It had been an hour since the first child came out, and it turned out to be a girl.
The second one didn't take long to follow.As I lay on the bed, my vision started to blur due to the excessive blood loss. Although the Ascended healers were trying their best to save me, deep down… I knew I wouldn't make it.
"My babies…" I spoke, my voice barely above a whisper, and was still heard by the people around me. They seemed to realize what was happening and immediately brought them over.
Looking at the peaceful faces of my children filled me with immense joy.
But it was a shame… I wouldn't be able to watch them grow.The last person I thought of was my firstborn, who was about to sent to one of Anvil's cohort members in a few months.Honestly I hoped to spend more time with him since he just conquered his first nightmare. However I couldn't get the chance to talk with him before child birth set in.I just hope he stays safe since that one have this creepy and unsettling aura surrounding him.As my consciousness started to fade, I drew my last breath,closed my eyes, and waited for the darkness to swallow me.And then came the darkness completely snuffing out my life.During this time both Garling and Morgan had already been taken and placed in their separate cradles by one of the ascended healers.The cradles which were specially created by the king of swords isolated and protected the babies from the outside. Inside the cradle both babies were sleeping peacefully, unaware that right at the start of their lifes, they had lost one of the most important people in their lifes.