The moment the spear pierced Klaus's chest, Liam expected pain.
He expected darkness.
He expected death.
Instead—
Everything shattered.
The forest.
Finn's crazed smile.
The cold night.
The blood.
All of it broke apart like fragile glass.
Suddenly, Liam found himself floating in a strange world.
A crimson world.
As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but endless red water stretching toward the horizon. There was no sky.
No sun.
No moon.
No land.
Only an ocean the color of blood.
The water remained completely still, without a single ripple disturbing its surface.
Silence filled the dimension.
A silence so profound that Liam felt as though the world itself had died.
Then a voice echoed through the crimson expanse.
"It seems you cannot escape fate either."
The voice sounded ancient.
Neither male nor female.
It seemed to come from every direction at once.
Liam spun around.
"Who's there?"
No answer came.
Only silence.
Then the crimson ocean began dissolving.
The world around him crumbled into countless red fragments.
The blood-colored sea vanished.
The darkness vanished.
Everything vanished.
Then—
Beep.
Beep.
Whirr.
Strange mechanical sounds echoed around him.
Confusion filled Liam's mind.
He tried opening his eyes.
Nothing happened.
He couldn't move.
Couldn't speak.
Couldn't even feel his limbs properly.
The only thing he could do was listen.
Then he heard voices.
Real voices.
Excited voices.
"It's a baby boy!"
A woman exclaimed joyfully.
The moment those words entered Liam's ears, an overwhelming urge surged through him.
Before he knew it—
"Waaaah!"
He began crying.
Loudly.
Powerlessly.
Like a newborn child.
His own cries startled him.
Wait...
Why am I crying?
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop.
Then another voice spoke.
Gentle.
Warm.
Filled with affection.
"Your name will be Klaus."
The voice sounded like a lullaby.
Comforting.
Safe.
For some reason, Liam felt his consciousness growing heavier.
The voices became distant.
The world slowly drifted away.
And once again—
He fell asleep.
...
A woman sat beside a large bed.
Golden hair cascaded down her shoulders like liquid sunlight. Every strand seemed to shimmer whenever even the slightest ray of light touched it.
Her blue eyes resembled a clear summer sky.
Pure.
Gentle.
Beautiful.
Her features were flawless, yet there was a softness to her expression that made her seem approachable rather than intimidating.
She smiled warmly as she gazed at the baby in her arms.
The infant had snowy white hair.
His tiny fingers wrapped around one of hers.
The baby's eyes were closed peacefully.
The sight alone was enough to melt anyone's heart.
Then—
Pshhh.
A door opened.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the room.
A tall man entered.
His dark hair was neatly trimmed, and sharp black eyes examined the room carefully.
Unlike the woman's gentle beauty, the man possessed a rugged handsomeness.
His face looked as though it had been carved from stone.
Strong jaw.
Broad shoulders.
Steady posture.
The kind of man people instinctively trusted.
The woman looked up and smiled.
"Mark."
The man immediately softened.
He walked over and sat beside her.
"I've named him Klaus."
Mark glanced at the baby before smiling.
"That is a beautiful name you've chosen, Anna."
Anna's smile widened.
Mark reached forward and gently touched the baby's cheek.
The infant immediately grabbed one of his fingers.
The action caused both parents to laugh softly.
Yet despite the smile on his face, something seemed off.
His eyes.
There was concern hidden within them.
A worry he was trying desperately to conceal.
Anna noticed immediately.
The smile on her face faded slightly.
"You are thinking about it again."
Mark sighed.
A deep, weary sigh.
His gaze drifted toward the window.
Outside, sunlight illuminated a peaceful landscape.
Yet his expression suggested he saw something entirely different.
Something troubling.
"How can I not?"
Anna remained silent.
Mark stared at the baby.
His son.
"Things are changing."
His voice became quieter.
"Dangerous people are moving in the shadows."
Anna gently squeezed his hand.
For several moments, neither spoke.
Then she leaned against his shoulder.
"Let's focus on the new chapter of our lives."
Mark looked down at her.
Then at the child sleeping peacefully in her arms.
Slowly, the worry in his eyes eased.
A small smile appeared.
"You're right."
He placed a hand atop the baby's head.
"No matter what happens..."
His voice carried a father's determination.
"I'll protect both of you."
The sunlight streaming through the window illuminated the family.
For a brief moment, everything seemed perfect.
Peaceful.
...
Liam suddenly opened his eyes.
Or rather—
He tried to.
Darkness still greeted him.
He couldn't see.
His body felt tiny.
Weak.
Fragile.
A realization slowly dawned on him.
The strange dreams.
The memories.
The voices.
The name.
"Klaus."
The same name from the dream.
The same name given to the baby.
The same name spoken by the woman with golden hair.
Coincidence?
Liam didn't think so.
His mind raced with possibilities.
Was he seeing someone else's memories?
A previous life?
Or perhaps...
The life of the body he now occupied?
Unfortunately, there was no way to know.
Not yet.
And even if he discovered the truth, there wasn't much he could do about it.
He couldn't move properly.
Couldn't speak.
Couldn't even open his eyes fully.
After thinking for a while, Liam let out a mental sigh.
Questions could wait.
Survival came first.
If fate had dragged him into this strange new world, then he would adapt.
He always had.
The name Liam suddenly felt distant.
Like something from another life.
Perhaps because it was.
Slowly, he accepted the truth.
Whatever happened before no longer mattered.
From this day onward—
He would be Klaus.
And somewhere deep inside his mind, he had the strange feeling that his real story was only just beginning.