A faint cry pierced the stillness of the air. In a room bathed in the soft glow of golden light, a child was born. Lyx, a newborn boy, lay swaddled in soft fabric, his tiny body trembling as he took his first breaths in a world that felt entirely foreign. Yet, unlike other newborns, Lyx's mind was a whirl of memories—fragments from a past life, a life he had spent as a patient in a hospital. These memories, however, felt distant and almost absurd now. After all, what good were years of pretending to be insane in this new, unfamiliar world?
His vision was blurry, but shapes began to emerge around him. The first ones he noticed were his parents. His mother, her face partially hidden beneath a cloth that wrapped around her eyes, radiated a calming presence despite the veil. His father, towering over her, was dressed in ancient armor that was stained with crimson, and his face was obscured by a similarly archaic helmet. The man's form exuded a sense of power and protection, but his face remained a mystery, hidden beneath layers of metal. The mere presence of this figure made Lyx feel small and distant, disconnected from the warmth he longed for.
Around them, servants bustled in a language Lyx couldn't understand, their voices a soft murmur in the air. Even in his infant state, Lyx sensed that this was no ordinary place. The golden walls that surrounded him, the intricate carvings, the faint scent of incense—everything spoke of an era long past. It was as if he had stepped into a world far removed from the one he had left behind.
His tiny body stirred, and though his memories told him he was human, something inside him felt different. There was an unfamiliar energy coursing through his veins, something deep and unexplainable. It hummed like a distant song—exciting, yet unsettling. It reminded him that this wasn't just any rebirth; there was more to this life than he could understand.
Then came the moment that would change everything. His mother cradled him gently, pulling him close to her chest. As he began to feed, her face came into sharper focus. Though part of it remained veiled, the one eye that was exposed glistened with an affection that took his breath away. That gaze, filled with such deep, unconditional love, stirred something inside him. He'd never known this kind of warmth. In his past life, love had always felt like a distant dream—something unattainable. His parents had been absent, indifferent. But now, in his mother's arms, Lyx felt something new, something he couldn't quite explain.
Tears welled up in his eyes, though his tiny body lacked the strength to cry. He made a silent vow in his heart: I will protect this love, no matter what.
Exhausted from the overwhelming emotions of his new life, Lyx eventually drifted off into his first sleep. As he lay there, far beyond the golden walls of the palace, the god who had sent him here chuckled softly to himself. It was only then that he remembered a crucial detail: he had forgotten to erase Lyx's memories of their encounter. But instead of worrying, the god seemed amused, curious to see how this anomaly might affect Lyx's journey.
Three hours passed. Lyx woke to the sound of distant explosions that shook the palace walls. The once serene and golden atmosphere of the room was now filled with panic. His mother rushed to his side, her movements frantic. Her voice trembled as she spoke to a man who had entered the room. Lyx didn't understand their words, but their urgency was unmistakable. She pressed him close to her chest, kissing his forehead with trembling lips, whispering something soft yet powerful.
"I love you, my baby. I love you the most." But the little Lyx couldn't comprehend the words.
The man, clad in simpler but still sturdy armor, reached out to take him. His mother hesitated, clutching him tightly, before finally handing him over. She spoke to the man, her voice low but firm, as though telling him to go and wash before he could carry the baby. The man nodded, carefully lifting Lyx from her arms, his own hands clad in cold metal. Lyx's mother's hands lingered for a moment, as if trying to hold on to the warmth of her son before she let him go.
As the man carried him away, Lyx felt his tiny heart tighten. He was being taken from her, from the warmth he had just discovered. For the first time in either of his lives, Lyx cried. His soft wails echoed through the hall as he was carried away from the golden room, away from the love he had only just found.
Outside, Lyx's tear-filled eyes were met with an unimaginable sight. The grand palace, once a symbol of peace and opulence, now stood amid a city consumed by chaos. Buildings were aflame, painting the sky a fiery red. Stones the size of houses crashed down, scattering debris and shaking the earth. Soldiers in iron armor fought in the streets, their shouts drowned out by the desperate cries of the townsfolk fleeing for their lives. Though Lyx couldn't understand their language, he could feel their fear, their desperation.
The man carrying him ran through the chaos, dodging falling rubble and arrows that zipped past them. Lyx's tiny body trembled with each jolt. He wanted to call out to his mother, to demand an answer, to ask why this was happening—but he was just a baby. His body was too weak, his voice too small. The strange energy inside him throbbed erratically, reacting to his distress. It only made his head pound harder.
Then, he saw it.
Towering over the burning city was a monstrous figure, a nightmare incarnate. Its body, as large as a small town, was a grotesque mix of lion and demon, its face twisted and monstrous. Two massive wings stretched out behind it, casting an ominous shadow over the devastation below. The creature roared, a sound so deafening that it seemed to shake the very earth. Soldiers and civilians alike scattered in terror as it unleashed another wave of destruction.
The sight was too much. Lyx's infant body, already struggling to process the chaos, couldn't handle the onslaught of emotions and sensory overload. His head throbbed painfully, his vision blurred, and as the world around him spun into darkness, he lost consciousness, his tiny body going limp in the arms of his savior.