Matías Castleboard's POV
(Unknown Location)
For some strange reason, I could feel again. I didn't know how long I'd been sleeping in the emptiness of nothingness, but now… now I felt alive.
My eyes were still closed, yet the scorching warmth of the sun pressed against my face, forcing them open. I heard birds singing and, little by little, realized where I was.
A place I remembered all too well. A place where I built my ideals of freedom. A place overflowing with familiarity and calm… that peace only a home can give you.
"Brother, what are you doing?" a little girl's curious voice struck my ears. "Weren't you supposed to be watching the flock?"
I slowly lowered the hand I'd been using to block the sunlight and saw her… my little sister. The one I would eventually lose.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked innocently. "Do I have a bug on my face?"
"A… Alice, little sis…" I whispered between sobs as I pulled her into a tight hug.
Because of a small careless movement—one that ended in laughter—we rolled down the hill, swallowed by the cool grass of our farm. I held her tightly in a protective embrace until my back hit the trunk of a tree.
But instead of pain, I felt something far stronger. Bursting out in loud laughter, I let tears of joy escape—tears I had wished for so long.
"Ouch… are you okay, brother?" she said, helping me stand while I kept laughing. "That must've hurt a lot!"
"Hahaha… I'm fine, Alice," I managed to say between laughs, gently patting her head. "It was just a little bump. You don't know how happy I am to see you again."
Her little face twisted into confusion for a moment, but she quickly brushed it off and hugged me.
That was her. Pure innocence. A huge heart that—despite suffering as much as I had—always forgave. And that was her mistake: never hating, always seeing the good… living under the illusion that everyone was kind.
But… none of that mattered now. Maybe this was just a cruel illusion of my mind, reminding me of what I'd lost. And if this was torture… I wished my whole life had been like this.
"Kids, are you alright?!" I heard my father's voice in the distance. A tear slipped from my eye. "What happened? Are you hurt?"
He rushed to us, checking us over with concern, until he asked:
"Son, why are you crying?"
They didn't understand… and I didn't want them to. Back then, my childhood was everything it should've been: happiness.
"I'm fine, Father," I said, letting a sincere smile escape. "I just had a bad dream… that's all."
He sighed with relief and offered his hands to Alice and me. I hesitated a moment, looking at him with nostalgia… but I wanted to go home.
After a few seconds of hesitation, I accepted. We began walking together, and in the distance I saw my mother holding a pot in her arms, waiting with a warm smile.
"I love you all so much…" I whispered, closing my eyes—never opening them again.
(In Reality)
So in the end, it was a dream… but a beautiful one, I thought. Even in the darkness of this unconsciousness, everything felt alive, as if I had simply been sleeping.
Wait… I'm feeling emotions again. I'm coming back to life, once more.
"Now that I think about it, I feel stranger than usual," I whispered inside my mind. "I can feel my body… but at the same time, I can't. It's like my mobility has been reduced… and the same with my size. But my consciousness is still here."
More light—ugh.
I tried to open my eyes, but all I saw was a distorted world around me. A blindness that slowly began to fade.
Everything felt new. I felt so light… yet wrapped in a sense of safety that…
Wait.
My mind froze, recalling Kraidir's words. Each one echoed with force in my head:
"You will be reborn, Matías."
Shit… I really was just born again.
Inside me, that spark ignited by Kraidir's promise began to shine once more. A wave of emotions ran through my tiny body. Happiness. Fear. Guilt.
Even though I couldn't speak, I knew my voice—even in thought—was broken, bearing the weight of something so immense… I didn't feel worthy of it.
"It's a boy! Strong and healthy, my queen." Suddenly, a woman's voice broke the silence. Warm, gentle… filled with love.
My ears, slowly adjusting to sound again, caught every word with clarity just before I felt a pair of arms holding me with tenderness.
The warmth of a woman, her comforting scent… it sent a small electric wave of emotion through me. My consciousness recognized that feeling instantly. I was being rocked gently, and then I heard her voice—shaking with tears:
"Let me hold him… my little prince, my beautiful Kael."
My heart pounded wildly. In that moment, I couldn't think clearly—only feel. Pure emotions, raw and unfiltered.
I remembered that feeling perfectly: something only a mother can give. Protection. Tenderness. Love.
My mind, still in shock, struggled to process it. It took a few minutes for everything to click. My little prince. My beautiful Kael. And they mentioned a queen.
What kind of world had I landed in?
I tried to analyze how likely it was for this to be real. But the feeling was unmistakable, and somehow… everything felt genuinely alive. It was life itself, opening the door to a new world.
I laughed sarcastically in my mind while tiny tears rolled down my face. When I finally understood my situation, only one thought crossed my mind: This really is torture… I'm trapped in the body of a newborn.
Seriously… I had been reborn.
"There, my little Kal, don't cry. Mommy is here… I'm right here for you, my son." Her words tore through me. It was as if the enormous emptiness inside me began, slowly, to fill.
"Let me see my son, Mabel," a firm, deep voice resonated through the room. The voice of a leader. A father.
The woman—my mother—passed me to a man. I felt his hold: firm, yet gentle. His eyes, overflowing with love, looked at me tenderly as he stroked my head with incredible care.
So this is my father… I thought with nostalgia. If I had been reborn, then this was my new family. I never imagined having one again, or feeling this warmth once more.
"Well, my love, I think he looks more like me," he said with a grin. "I can already tell this little one will inherit my spirit—my determination. Look at those eyes… he'll have plenty of girls chasing him! And one day, he'll become a great king."
My mother giggled softly.
"Oh, darling, he's just a baby. And if I'm not mistaken, I was the only one who fell for your charms."
"That… that was a low blow, my queen," he replied dramatically, placing a hand on his chest.
Watching them like this—even with my limited newborn vision—was comforting. Just knowing they were there… it was enough.
"Your Majesty, please hold the prince more carefully," the midwife warned, drawing my father's attention for a moment before he focused back on me.
"Kael, I am your father: Xavier Lanpar. And you, my beautiful little son… welcome to your new life."
I tried stretching my tiny hands to touch him, but my coordination was nearly nonexistent. Still, he took one of them gently, brushing it with his thumb while one of his tears fell onto my forehead.
That distraction was enough for me to notice my surroundings: a lamp decorated with intricate carvings, a white ceiling sculpted with an odd silhouette I couldn't quite understand.
The place was rustic yet refined. Ancient ornaments and wooden pillars supported a ceiling that practically screamed nobility. A single thought crossed my mind.
Soon after, they wrapped me in a soft blanket and we began to move. It was my father carrying me firmly down enormous hallways.
The walls of white stone were decorated with gold and other metals. I quickly deduced the era: medieval. Soldiers accompanied my parents with every step. So… I had been born into the past.
I saw marble pillars, windows etched with figures. As we walked, I stared—fascinated—at the scenes illustrated there: they seemed to tell a fantasy tale. It was mesmerizing… like stepping into one of those legends of kings and heroes.
Wait… didn't they call me "prince" earlier?
"Your Majesty, we're almost there. Should we summon the Strikers to escort you, or would you rather deliver the message alone?" Turning toward the voice, I spotted a guard with a massive sword strapped to his back.
Damn… if I'm a prince, that means I've been born into royalty. My parents are the damn rulers of this place.
"No, soldier, stand down. I'll make this announcement myself. A king must give his people hope… and that is exactly what I intend to do," my father replied with unwavering resolve.
He looked at me once more before turning forward with a solemn expression… just as the crimson curtains began to part, letting in the sunlight.
Xavier Lanpar's POV
The weight of my son… and of my entire people rested in my arms as I walked with steady purpose toward the castle's main balcony. I moved with the authority and hope only a king could embody… and only a father could convey.
Outside, a crowd of thousands—perhaps millions—waited with breathless anticipation. Their voices merged into a dense murmur, like the echo of a storm on the verge of eruption.
Being a king means offering hope. And Kael… Kael is that hope. The one we've desperately lacked in these difficult times.
Though some question the leadership of House Lanpar, it has been our family who has protected humankind for generations. And we will continue to do so. Now, with another of our bloodline standing as a living promise of what we are: protectors.
Today, I am not only presenting my son.
Today, I am declaring the beginning of a new era. An era that will reshape the kingdom I cherish.
I took a deep breath and prepared myself. Crossing the threshold of the balcony, I was met by the blazing brilliance of the sun.
My eyes scanned the crowd. Among the countless faces, I could already distinguish people who, one day, would cross paths with Kael. Some with love… others with blood. But all important to his journey.
The plaza pulsed with electrifying energy. The banners of the mightiest clans swayed proudly in the wind.
I smiled with restrained joy. Stepping forward, I raised my voice with the power only a true king could project:
"Citizens of Auroria! Thank you for traveling so far to witness this moment of great significance for my family… and for our kingdom. Today, I present to you the beginning of a new age: the Golden Era!"
With a solemn gesture, I lifted Kael high so all could see him.
"This is my son, Kael Lanpar! My heir… and the hope of our race!"
The roar of the crowd was overwhelming. Soldiers struck their weapons against their shields in respect, while the people's cheers rose like a single, unified voice.
And then, as I held Kael aloft… I felt it.
A presence behind me. Familiar. Once-powerful.
That energy… I couldn't tell if it was a blessing or a judgment, but it was there. Watching.
Were they the witnesses of this greatness just beginning to unfold?
The observers of a new generation destined to correct the mistakes of those who once failed to wield their power wisely?
I handed Kael to my wife with a wide smile. Then, drawing my sword, I raised it toward the sky in a gesture of unity and strength.
Like my reflection, the soldiers and the crowd mimicked the motion. A sea of gleaming metal rose beneath the sunlight.
"Long live the kingdom!" they shouted in unison. With pride. With hope. With joy.
Kael Lanpar's POV
What I had just witnessed was somewhere between epic… and utterly ridiculous.
I had just been born… and they were already showing me to the world like I was the Lion King.
But what could I do? This was the life of a prince. Or so I assumed.
Putting that aside, I could hear and see the crowd going wild. Soldiers banging their shields…
And me, a helpless newborn, could do nothing but stare with blurry vision, wondering: What kind of kingdom have I reincarnated into?
And by the gods… why was everything so beautiful, so magical? It was almost too much for my tiny mind to process.
It was embarrassing. Incredibly embarrassing.
To go from being a hardened soldier… to a baby who couldn't even hold his own head.
And yet, somewhere deep within me, a part of my soul understood the magnitude of what was happening. A profound sensation crawled through every fiber of my being, reaching the very core of my existence, whispering that… this was never meant to happen.
It wasn't just a presentation. It was a symbolic act. A spark of hope for millions.
Something that, in my past life… I, too, had once been forced to embody. And that had ended… terribly.
Maybe I once underestimated the power a leader holds. I always saw them as ambition-driven people, ruling only for themselves.
Even I… even I believed I was no different.
But the figure holding me… conveyed something else. It wasn't power, nor was it a forced authority.
It was… something different.
A familiar energy. Hard to describe. Something that stirred the dormant remnants of my humanity.
And in that moment, I knew.
Though my body was weak, though my mind was still adjusting, that instant would mark the beginning of my new fate.
Amid shouts of glory, unspoken promises, and buried memories… my second life began.
One that, deep down, I already knew… I would someday come to regret.