Gurgle—Glug—
A few bubbles floated up through the pitch-black ocean.
Among them was a small figure.
"When is this ever going to end..." Ian, reborn in the Sea of Life, wondered aloud.
He had no idea how many days had passed since he first arrived in this place. Here, in this so-called Sea of Life, the concept of time was incredibly vague. The concept of space was just as meaningless, lost in the endless expanse of the ocean.
His only task was to soak here.
Oh—and one other thing.
That was, to be scooped up by his mother, Tiamat.
A roar echoed from above the ocean's surface.
A massive dragon soared into the Sea of Life and gently plucked Ian out with her mouth. Afterward, she slowly transformed into another shape—a form that bore no resemblance to a dragon, yet retained the pair of immense, fearsome horns from her draconic self.
Perhaps due to the influence of the Sea of Life, her curvaceous body was now in its most pure and unadorned state. Mmm... She was an existence so alluring that to look upon such a mother and not have wicked thoughts felt like a sin in itself.
However, Tiamat didn't mind. Or perhaps, it would be more accurate to say—
She was completely oblivious to such things.
"Ian~" "How are you feeling today?" "I've made some nice adjustments to the Sea of Life, you know." "You must love it!"
"..."
"What's with that look on your face—" Seeing Ian's silence, Tiamat immediately grew concerned.
"Mommy isn't lying to you." "I know," Ian replied. "I've been soaking in it for so long, of course I know how the Sea of Life feels." "Well, then, is there something you're not happy with?" Tiamat asked cautiously. It was clear just how much she cared for Ian.
"Tell Mommy—" "Mommy can do anything."
Tiamat's gaze was sincere and fervent. As the ruler of this black sea, she undoubtedly possessed immense power and authority. That much was certain.
But—
"I want to leave this place," Ian said. "I want to go see the world outside."
Yes. He had been here for far too long. The Sea of Life provided everything he needed to survive, and he had his mother, Tiamat, to care for him.
But still... Ian felt an instinctual pull, a cry from the very core of his being, telling him that he wasn't meant to stay here forever.
"YOU ARE NOT TO GO OUTSIDE!"
Tiamat's roar was instantaneous. If her gentle, cooing voice from moments ago was that of a loving mother who would do anything for her child, then this was the incarnation of severity, a mother who would never allow her child to escape her grasp.
"The Sea of Life is so wonderful! Why would you want to leave?!"
"The Sea of Life is good, I admit, but that doesn't mean the outside world is necessarily bad, does it?" Ian looked directly at his mother. "I want to see it for myself."
"No, it's too dangerous!" Tiamat waved her hands frantically, all traces of her gentle maternal image gone. "Humans are cunning creatures, not to mention you are so exceptional. The moment you step outside, those wicked women will set their sights on you! They'll ruin you!"
"Then I'll just avoid them. That should be fine, right?"
"No, you can't avoid them," Tiamat insisted, gripping Ian's shoulders. "They will drag you into all sorts of danger and make you do terrible things. By the time you realize what's happening, you'll have already fallen into their trap. It's not allowed. Absolutely not. No one is allowed to hurt you—Mommy forbids it!"
Tiamat, who had always doted on Ian and granted his every wish, was now as agitated as a charging bull. Ian knew that continuing this conversation would get him nowhere. She would never agree.
But still— He desperately wanted to go outside. The Sea of Life was not a place to remain forever.
"Why would you even have such a thought?" Tiamat was still hung up on Ian's words, completely failing to notice the change in his eyes.
"That's it," she suddenly realized. "It must be because Mommy hasn't done her best yet. I've found the reason." Tiamat pulled Ian into a tight embrace. "I'll just have to love you even more today."
SPLASH.
Ian and Tiamat plunged back into the Sea of Life together. The smothering, cleansing nature of her maternal affection was once again on full display.
But— When the display of motherly devotion was over, and Tiamat, believing Ian would no longer think of leaving, fell into a deep slumber... the real rebellion had just begun.
"Mother, I'm just going out to see the world for a bit—" "I'll be back soon."
With those words, Ian also transformed into his draconic form. As the son of Tiamat, he had already undergone sufficient physical evolution within the Sea of Life.
However, he soon realized he had underestimated the restraints his mother had placed on this world. At the boundary, Ian felt a powerful, lingering resentment. It was an aura he could sense even with Tiamat deep in slumber.
"Don't leave me—""Don't leave me—"
"Please, just let me see the world outside."
Using all his strength, Ian finally broke through the binding. But in doing so, he suffered a grievous wound.
Defying his mother came with a price.
In his final moment before leaving the Sea of Life and falling into a world where time and space flowed freely, he thought he saw his mother standing there.
"I will drag you back—""You are mine—""No one can change that—"
Too weak to argue, Ian closed his eyes and let himself fall.
At almost the same instant. In Britain, beside a certain lake. The bright, clear moonlight scattered lazily across the water's surface.
In the lake, a golden-haired girl stared nervously at the scene before her. To be precise—she was standing there, completely naked, staring at the scene before her.
The girl's name was Artoria. Just a moment ago, she had witnessed the most shocking event of her life.
A loud bang echoed in the sky. Then, a shooting star made its dazzling debut. And then... SPLAT.
It landed not far from where she had been bathing and humming a little tune.
Was it a person? Or some kind of creature? With only the moonlight to see by, Artoria couldn't tell.
But... She faintly sensed that the fallen being had an aura very similar to her own. No. "Aura" wasn't quite the right word. It was more like the feeling of meeting someone of the same kind, a sudden realization of, "Wow, so I'm not the only one like this."
Why did she feel this way? Unconsciously, the girl drew closer and closer to the figure. And the moment she saw him, Artoria froze for a second, her face blushing red.
"He's a very handsome boy..." she whispered.