The Birth of Anos
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Soulspire World
In a quiet cottage by a lake shimmering under the silver moon, a woman dressed in white stood, her gaze fixed on the man before her.
"Max." Her voice was soft, trembling with the weight of years.
He shifted awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck, unable to meet her eyes.
"Isabella Ruth… I—"
Tears welled up in her eyes as she stepped closer, reaching to embrace him, but Max jerked away.
"Why, Max?" Isabella's voice cracked. "Is it because I was… defiled by that man?" Her tone turned bitter, her shoulders shaking as if the admission itself froze her blood.
Max turned his face aside, unable to bear the pain in her eyes. "We… we can't be together."
Her breath caught, a knife twisting in her chest. For a moment, silence fell between them, heavy as stone.
But Isabella Ruth forced a smile through her tears, her voice trembling with both despair and defiance. "Don't worry, Max. That man is already dead. I killed him with my own hands. Now nothing stands between us."
She lunged toward him again, desperate for warmth, for acceptance—but he staggered back, rejecting her once more.
"No!" Max's voice cracked. "I… I can't!"
Her entire body trembled. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks as her hands shook violently. The last hope she had clung to shattered in an instant.
Her lips curved into a bitter smile. "We can't be together… hah… how ridiculous." She wiped her tears, her voice hardening with a strange determination.
"Max, can I at least hug you one last time?"
The request cut into him, and after a long pause, he gave a small nod.
"Thank you…"
Her arms wrapped around him—warm, tight, desperate. He didn't resist this time. To him, it was a farewell. To her, it was a beginning.
Pa!
Her hand struck the back of his neck with precision. Max crumpled unconscious into her arms.
"I'm sorry, Max…" she whispered as she laid him on the bed. From her spatial ring, she pulled out a crystal vial—an ancient essence tool. The glow of its runes lit the room as she extracted what she needed. Her fingers trembled, but her face remained cold.
When it was done, Isabella Ruth lingered a moment, brushing stray strands of hair from Max's face.
"Goodbye… my love."
She turned and walked out into the night, her white robe flowing behind her, leaving only silence in the small cottage.
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Soul Haven – The Palace of the High Priests
Upon her throne, Isabella Ruth sat in stillness, her eyes closed, fingers tightening around the vial she had carried back.
"I need to use this chance wisely…" she murmured.
Rising, she ordered, "Announce that I am entering seclusion to break through to the next level."
The news spread like wildfire. The newly ascended High Priestess had entered seclusion—it became the talk of Soul Haven, shocking even the elders. Only the upper council knew the truth: Isabella Ruth wasn't simply cultivating.
She was pregnant.
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Nine Months Later
In a secluded wooden chamber hidden behind the palace, Isabella lay pale and weak upon the bed. Yet her eyes shimmered with relief and joy as she cradled the newborn in her arms.
"Finally…" she whispered, a soft smile curving her lips. "After nine months…"
The infant stirred, tiny breaths steady against her chest.
"Your name will be Anos," Isabella Ruth said, kissing the baby's forehead gently.
The child blinked, eyes wide and strangely aware.
'Again? Did I… get reincarnated once more?' Orion thought within, shocked as consciousness stirred inside the newborn body. He gazed up at the pale but beautiful woman holding him, her smile tender, her presence strangely familiar.
Isabella Ruth chuckled softly. "Did I wake you, little one? I am your mother, Anos."
'Wait… I've been reborn as a baby?!' Orion's inner voice screamed, though outwardly, his small head tilted in innocent confusion.
The gesture made Isabella giggle, her heart softening. "So adorable…"
But beneath her warm gaze, her mind churned. I must find a way to take Anos away from this place. My position in Soul Haven is still precarious. Even hiding behind the excuse of seclusion was already a gamble.
She sighed quietly. "I've reached rank ninety-two as a Soulmaster. My second martial spirit still lacks its sixth soul band…"
Her eyes hardened. Plans formed. She had months before suspicion arose. Months to act.
She brushed her son's cheek. "Even though you resemble me… your face reminds me of him as well." Her voice softened, pained.
"For three months, at least, we can be together." She pulled him close, whispering, "Three months to simply be mother and child."
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Three Months Later – The Throne of the High Priestess
Elders of Soul Haven filled the hall, bowing before Isabella Ruth.
"I have broken through," she declared with calm authority.
The elders erupted with congratulations, their words thick with pride, envy, and ambition.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
"May Soul Haven rise ever stronger!"
Isabella watched them with narrowed eyes, her expression unreadable. Hypocrites, every last one of them. But useful, for now.
"You may leave. Shadow, Cody—remain."
The others departed, leaving behind two Soulmasters.
"What do you require of us, Your Majesty?" they asked in unison.
"Come with me," Isabella commanded. "I need a soul band for my twin martial spirit."
"As you wish." Both bowed deeply.
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Starshade Forest
The trio moved swiftly through the wilderness until at last, Isabella halted, her gaze sharp.
"There," she said.
The beast writhed before them—a monstrous blood-shade shadow worm, ten meters long, its black body streaked with crimson.
Shadow and Cody exchanged startled glances. To hunt such a rare beast was beyond dangerous.
"Secure the area," Isabella ordered, already summoning her power.
"As you command." They vanished into the trees.
Alone, Isabella drew a gleaming dagger, spirit energy flowing through her. "Fate favors me tonight."
Her blade plunged deep.
Puchi!
The worm screeched as its body convulsed. Moments later, a black soul band rose above its corpse, shimmering with power.
She sat cross-legged, guiding the band into her martial spirit. One by one, black soul bands flared behind her—until the sixth finally settled into place.
"Success…" she breathed.
Her eyes glowed. Physical Blood Clone.
Blood pooled before her, shaping itself into a form—her form. The clone solidified, less radiant but strikingly similar.
"You know what must be done," Isabella told it.
The clone nodded.
From her essence tool, Isabella withdrew the sleeping infant—Anos.
The clone's eyes softened as it cradled him. "Six years…" it whispered.
'Finally, she released me!' Orion thought, recognizing the warmth of freedom. So… she really is my mother.
"Six years," Isabella repeated firmly. "After that, I will return for him. By then, my foundation will be unshakable."
The two women—real and clone—looked at each other, sharing the weight of the choice.
Then, without another word, they turned away, each walking in opposite directions beneath the forest sky.
"Six years," Isabella whispered, her gaze fixed on the stars. "Six years, my Anos… and then I will claim you."
From the clone's arms, Orion's thoughts echoed faintly: Goodbye, Mother… until we meet again.