Raiden's first cry rang out, announcing his arrival on Earth. The room buzzed with activity as attendants and midwives moved around swiftly, tending to both the newborn and his exhausted mother.
"Congratulations, my lady," one of the midwives said, her voice subdued but cheerful. "He's a fine and healthy boy. A strong little lad."
Lady Elise lay on a grand canopied bed, her golden hair damp with sweat, her face flushed and glistening. Her breathing was ragged, but as she raised her head, a look of relief washed over her features.
"Let me see him," she muttered, her voice a low whisper.
The midwife gently wrapped Raiden in a soft white blanket and placed him in his mother's waiting arms. Elise's sky-blue eyes shimmered with a mixture of fatigue and delight as she gazed down at the tiny face nestled against her.
"My little Raiden," she murmured, cradling him gently. "You are here at last."
Raiden's cries softened into quiet whimpers as he looked up at her. Though his vision was blurry, he could make out the soft lines of her face and the warmth in her expression. It was a sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced—a warmth not from fire or sunlight, but from a relationship new to him.
"He's got strong lungs, my lady," the midwife said as she began to clean the room. "A fine voice for a perfect young Lord."
Lady Elise smiled wearily and brushed a hand across Raiden's cheek. "He most definitely does," she said softly. "He will grow to become strong, just like his father."
Then, a deeper, more formal voice echoed through the room. "Already causing a fuss, I see," said an elderly woman, one of the senior attendants, as she approached. " If ever I have seen a true Goldheart, it's him."
Lady Elise turned up at the attendant, then back down at her son, her face softening even more. "Indeed," she said. "He is a true Goldheart."
Raiden slowly closed his eyes as the tiredness of the trip seized him. Once again, he let the darkness take him, knowing that his new life had begun, and his mother's voice dropped to a soft hum in the background as he drifted into sleep.
As he sank into a deep, dreamless sleep, his mind kept returning to the name "Raiden Goldheart."
«»«»«»
Raiden spent his earliest days on this new world in a disorienting mix of sensations and fleeting awareness. He lived in brief flashes of comforting warmth followed by sudden cold, muffled sounds rising and falling, and a soft voice singing to soothe him when he was restless. His mind was sharp and conscious, but his body would not obey.
His surroundings were a blur. His vision drifted in and out, showing only momentary glimpses of his surroundings—a canopy of cream-colored cloth above him, the flicker of candlelight dancing across the walls, and the faint silhouette of a golden-haired figure leaning over him.
Each time he tried to focus on a particular detail, his vision would falter, and the image would dissolve into a swirl of hazy shapes and colors.
'What in the devil is transgression? I haven't even had any cassava flakes and am going blind already!'
With every passing day, Raiden grew more frustrated.
"Gah! Goo! Gagaa!"
He tried to speak, but no matter how hard he strained himself, the only sounds that escaped his lips were incoherent babble, laughter that erupted suddenly, or the occasional unbidden cries.
'This is hell!'
His tiny limbs flailed wildly, never moving the way he intended them to when he tried to reach for anything. It was like being imprisoned inside his own body, aware but powerless.
As a string of gurgles escaped his mouth, he felt this was… humiliating.
He could only imagine what a ridiculous sight he must look: a newborn attempting to express the concepts of a grown man.
It was a far cry from the life he once knew, where he had been free to act on his own terms, questioning everything and living by his own terms.
Now, though, he was a baby. And all he could do was endure it.
«»«»«»
Despite the limitations of his new form, Raiden slowly began to adjust to his new life. His awareness stirred more often, and over time, he became more conscious of his surroundings.
His senses sharpened bit by bit, until he could recognize known sounds and patterns. His mother, Lady Elise, was always there, cradling him in her arms and singing soft lullabies. Her voice was soft and melodic, comforting in a way that he found himself hooked, even though he didn't understand any of the words.
Other voices would occasionally come and go—strangers who spoke in hushed tones, noting his appearance or murmuring comforting words to his mother. Though he didn't know what the words meant, he could feel the significance of these interactions.
Sometimes, he found himself laughing silently as he babbled or cried, just to see how they would react—his feeble attempts at communication that would bring delight and thrill to them.
As much as he hated being helpless, Raiden couldn't deny that there was a certain peace to infancy. He had the chance to start over, a new life free from the weight of past mistakes or expectations.
His birthplace was magical and enigmatic, quite different from the world he had known. Eventually, he would explore this planet once he had enough strength to break free from his present restrictions.
«»«»«»
Almost a week after his birth, Raiden lay in his cot, staring up at the wooden mobile that sloppily spun above him. His eyes followed the slow spinning carved birds, stars, and a crescent moon dangling on thin strings, turning gently with soft clinks.
Even though the rhythmic motion and sound were soothing, his mind was restless.
He wanted something to break the monotony, some indication that he wasn't totally helpless in this new life?
Then, he felt it—a faint tingling sensation, as though an answer to his subdued wish. Starting from the back of his awareness, it grew all around him.
The sensation was odd, almost like a soft electric current running through the edge of his awareness.
And then it happened.
A translucent blue screen materialized before his eyes, hovering just above his line of sight.
Ding!
[Skill draw system activated!]
The letters radiated with soft blue light, followed by a melodic chime in his ears.
Raiden blinked with startled baby eyes. This was one of the abilities the goddess had granted him: the Skill Draw System.
The text on the screen moved, shifting to a fresh message.
[Welcome, Raiden Goldheart, to the Skill Draw System.]
[You now have a ten-hour mission: sleep.]
[Reward: 1 Skill Point]
Raiden fixed his small brow, wrinkling as much as he could after seeing the message.
'Sleep for ten hours?' he thought, an amused incredulity building inside him.
This wasn't the intended great or heroic mission he had expected when he agreed to be reincarnated. He had expected it to be something challenging, even if it was scaled down for an infant. Still, sleep had its uses.
"This is not a bad start." He groaned a little, sounding like a gentle coo.
Raiden closed his eyes and surrendered himself to the comfort and warmth of the blankets, the soft lull of his mother's voice humming nearby, and the rhythm of his consistent breathing.
As he drifted deeper into sleep, he sensed something shift within himself, as if the world itself was responding to his rest.