Chapter 5
The Beginning of a New Life
The first thing he heard was silence.
Not the endless silence of the void where his soul had drifted moments ago.
Nor the cold stillness that accompanied death.
This silence was different.
It breathed.
It carried warmth.
Life.
A faint fragrance of medicinal herbs lingered in the air, mixing with the subtle scent of burning incense. Somewhere nearby, crimson flames danced quietly atop black iron candle stands, their dim glow painting the chamber in shades of red and gold. Strange patterns were carved into the dark stone walls, pulsing faintly like veins beneath skin.
The room was unfamiliar.
Everything was unfamiliar.
For a brief moment, Rudra could not understand what he was seeing.
His thoughts felt distant. Heavy. As though his consciousness had yet to fully return from the endless darkness that had swallowed him.
Then he felt it.
Warmth.
A pair of trembling arms cradled him carefully against a soft chest. A heartbeat echoed near his ear.
Slow.
Weak.
Exhausted.
Yet strangely comforting.
He tried to move instinctively, but his body refused to obey him. His limbs felt small and fragile. Even opening his eyes completely demanded effort. The world around him remained blurred beneath flickering crimson light.
A soft sound escaped his throat.
Not words.
Only the helpless cry of an infant.
The cry shattered the final illusion.
This was no dream.
No hallucination born from death.
He had truly begun a second life.
A woman looked down at him quietly.
Her face was pale with exhaustion, yet breathtakingly beautiful beneath the dim glow of the chamber. Long silver-blue hair flowed over her shoulders like streams of moonlight, contrasting against the dark silk sheets surrounding her. Though tiredness lingered beneath her eyes, they still carried a warmth gentle enough to calm even the restless air itself.
"My child…"
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Soft.
Fragile.
For some reason, hearing those words caused something inside him to ache faintly.
Not pain.
Not grief.
Something deeper.
Something he could not name.
Before he could understand the feeling, the atmosphere inside the chamber shifted.
Heavy footsteps echoed beyond the doors.
The servants standing near the walls immediately lowered their heads. Even the crimson flames seemed to still themselves, as though instinctively acknowledging the presence approaching from outside.
The massive doors slowly opened.
Cold air drifted into the chamber.
A tall man stepped inside.
Dark robes embroidered with deep crimson patterns rested over his broad shoulders. His long black hair flowed behind him like darkness itself, while sharp crimson eyes surveyed the room calmly.
There was no need for introductions.
Power clung to him like invisible fire.
Not the reckless power displayed by arrogant warriors desperate to prove themselves.
This was different.
Controlled.
Silent.
Ancient.
Like a volcano slumbering beneath the earth.
The room itself seemed smaller after his arrival.
The woman looked toward him weakly.
"You came…"
A faint smile appeared on her pale face.
The man stopped beside the bed. His gaze moved silently from her exhausted expression toward the child resting in her arms.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then, slowly, the coldness within his eyes softened.
"You should be resting," he said quietly.
His voice was calm and deep, carrying authority without effort.
The woman smiled faintly.
"And yet those are the first words you say to me?"
A faint crease appeared between the man's brows before he looked away briefly.
"I arrived as quickly as I could."
"I know."
Her fingers gently brushed against the baby wrapped within her arms.
Then she looked back at him.
"Do you want to hold him?"
For the first time since entering the chamber, hesitation appeared within the man's expression.
It was strange.
This was a man capable of making seasoned warriors tremble with a single glance.
Yet before a newborn child, his movements became uncertain.
Careful.
Slowly, he extended his hands.
The woman gently placed the baby into his arms.
The moment the child settled against him, the man's fingers froze slightly.
The baby opened his eyes.
Deep crimson eyes stared directly back at him.
Silence descended upon the chamber once more.
Heavy.
Unmoving.
Even the flames seemed to forget how to dance.
Something flickered within the man's gaze.
Not fear.
Not doubt.
Something instinctive.
Something ancient.
It lasted for only a brief moment, yet it felt as though the child in his arms carried a silence far too deep for a newborn.
Then suddenly—
The baby smiled.
A quiet laugh escaped the woman's lips.
"He smiled at you."
The man remained silent while staring at the child.
For several seconds, he seemed unable to look away.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"Eryx."
The woman blinked softly.
"Eryx…?"
The man nodded once.
"Eryx Ashvaris."
The name settled into the chamber like an unspoken vow.
The child shifted slightly within his arms, as though instinctively responding to the sound of his new name.
The woman repeated it quietly.
"Eryx Ashvaris…"
A peaceful smile appeared across her exhausted face.
"It suits him."
The man lowered his gaze toward the child once more.
"Then that shall be his name."
Silence returned once again.
But unlike before, it no longer felt empty.
It carried warmth.
The quiet weight of a beginning.
The woman gently brushed her fingers across the child's tiny cheek.
"He has your eyes."
"And your face," the man replied calmly.
A weak laugh escaped her lips.
"You sound relieved."
"I am."
The answer came immediately.
The woman stared at him for a moment before smiling softly again.
At that instant, the cold and powerful figure standing beside the bed no longer resembled a feared lord capable of shaking kingdoms.
He simply looked like a father seeing his son for the first time.
Before either of them could speak further, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the chamber.
The door opened slightly.
A small girl peeked inside carefully.
Silver-blue hair framed her delicate face, almost identical to her mother's, though softer and brighter with youthful innocence. Large curious eyes shimmered with excitement while loose strands of hair swayed gently beside her cheeks.
"Mother…"
Her voice was cautious, yet unable to hide its excitement.
The woman smiled warmly.
"Come here."
The little girl stepped into the chamber slowly, almost as if afraid she might disturb something sacred. Her curious gaze immediately locked onto the baby resting in the man's arms.
Her eyes widened instantly.
"Is… is that really him?"
The woman nodded gently.
"Your little brother."
The girl approached carefully.
"He's so small…"
A faint smile appeared within the man's eyes.
"Do you want to see him properly?"
The girl nodded quickly before suddenly hesitating.
"I-I won't drop him."
"I know."
The man lowered the child slightly toward her.
The little girl leaned closer carefully.
Eryx stared at her quietly.
For a brief moment, neither moved.
Then…
He smiled again.
The girl froze.
A second later, her entire face brightened like sunlight piercing through clouds.
"Mother! He smiled at me!"
Her joyful voice filled the chamber.
Even the exhausted woman laughed softly after hearing it.
"He likes me…"
The little girl's voice became quieter this time, almost filled with wonder.
Eryx silently looked at the three figures surrounding him.
At the woman whose exhausted arms still carried endless warmth.
At the man whose hands were rough from countless battles, yet impossibly careful while holding him.
At the little girl whose innocent joy made the unfamiliar world seem slightly less frightening.
Something deep inside him trembled quietly.
In his previous life, he had known family.
He had known love.
But he had also known fear.
Distance.
Loss.
Now, reborn beneath unfamiliar skies and crimson light, he felt something painfully simple wrapping itself around his heart.
Warmth.
A fragile warmth he thought he had already lost forever.
His tiny fingers curled unconsciously.
So this…
So this is what the love of a family feels like.
The thought surfaced silently within his mind.
And for the first time since opening his eyes in this strange new world…
…the emptiness inside him no longer felt unbearable.
Outside the chamber, the night remained calm beneath the silent sky.
But hidden beneath the cloth wrapped around the newborn child, a faint golden shimmer briefly flickered on his hand .
Ancient.
Divine.
It vanished before anyone could notice.
And the child named Eryx Ashvaris continued to smile quietly in his father's arms.
End of Chapter 5
To be continued ...