The child stared at the flickering blue screen with eyes that shone in amazement.
Lara's eyes mirrored his as she looked at him with an expression of pure happiness.
Suddenly, he felt something touch the top of his head.
He shifted his eyes away from the system screen, which disappeared soon after, and looked at the woman who was caressing his head with a wide, motherly yet tired smile on her beautiful face.
'She is my mother?' He thought as he stared into her blue ocean-like eyes that gleamed with uncontrollable happiness and motherly love.
Her parental warmth wrapped around him like a silk blanket as he thought about his past life.
In his past life, he had always borrowed breath from medical devices, and his lifeless hospital room was the start and the end of his small world. He was born in a prestigious family — he was rich, handsome and had everything most people desired, but he lacked what most people took as granted.
His body was too weak because of some unknown disease. He couldn't walk, even breathing was a chore, yet he held on. Too weak to do anything, too stubborn to give up.
During those times, what kept him company were the entertainment shows, which were both his fantasy and reality. When there were not enough for him, he stepped into the vibrant realm of animated shows, and later, he drowned in the endless sea of fiery novels.
He could read about the cold breeze, the warm sunlight, the fresh dew that clung to the grass, and the sweet smell of flowers that filled everything with life. However, he could never feel or touch it by himself — He lived with that hole in his heart for all fifteen years of his life.
Until one day his doctor told him that after his next surgery, he would be able to go out, still connected to the wires and metal. But he would at least see beyond the white walls of his monotonous hospital room.
He was happy — ecstatic even. But he had never thought that he would go out by literally reincarnating.
He had one hell of a doctor, it appeared.
'Who would have known that my doctor was Yama himself?' Laughter bubbled up in his small figure, and soft blabbers left his tiny lips.
"Bwe! Bwa!"
Everyone looked at him with sweet smiles on their faces, and Lara pressed him closer to herself before she booped his tiny nose with her finger as she asked tiredly, "What are you... laughing about? Hmm?"
The old woman who sat beside her spoke worriedly, "Lara, take rest. I will take care of your son."
Lara slowly turned her head and looked at the old woman with a faint smile before she responded, "Granny Nena, let's just wait for Haden... I do not want to sleep without... showing our son to him."
Granny Nena shook her hand and looked at her with concern as she spoke, "You are too stubborn for your own good."
Lara just smiled at her words and began patting the back of her son because he was also looking at her with something that looked like concern, but he was just an infant. So, she couldn't be sure.
However, she was right. The child was concerned, but it was not related to her condition instead, his concern was —
'I can't understand their words,' he pulled at his imaginary hair as he thought, 'I have to learn their language first.'
Suddenly, the door of the hut creaked open, and Haden walked inside with a solemn expression. He placed his spear against the wall and walked near the woman who was looking at him with a faint smile.
Granny Nena suddenly shot up from her seat. She looked at him with a furious expression and rasped, "You! Where were you? She is hurt and tired, but she still waited for you!"
Haden looked at his wife with a guilty look, he knelt and placed his head on her leg as he spoke in an apologetic tone, "I was scared... I am sorry."
Lara held the small frame of her son with her right hand as she caressed the face of her husband with her left.
"I am... happy that you came..."
He bit his lower lip and gave her a slight nod before standing up. Just as he stood up, she showed him their son and spoke softly, "Give him a name."
As she finished, he took the child from her and both of them turned towards Granny Nena, who raised her left hand and placed two fingers at her left eye, then the right eye, the lips and finally the forehead while chatting words that even Haden couldn't understand.
Granny Nena opened her eyes, which now had a golden glow, and looked at the child in Haden's hands. Beads of sweat rolled across her wrinkled forehead as she muttered with quivering lips, "He is destined... to be a king."
Haden's expression suddenly turned sharp as he looked at her with cold eyes. But before he could say anything, Lara interjected, "Haden... do not forget... he also has the blood of the royal family... Heh."
Looking at the crafty grin stretched across her face, he heaved a sigh and spoke with a calm expression, "Rion... Rion Del Haden."
Rion looked at his father with wide eyes as he thought, 'What the... How tall is this dude? Was Tarzan always this jacked up?'
"Rion..." Lara mumbled his name and fell into her awaited sleep as the fatigue hit her all together.
Haden stepped near her and moved a strand of hair that was sticking to her face. He stared at her calm expression that bore a soft smile even in her sleep.
"She is a good child." Granny Nena added as she stared at him.
He nodded at her words and added, "She is."
"Is that why you kidnapped her?" The doctor asked as she filled a smoking pipe made out of bone with special herbs.
Haden turned his head and looked at her, "No, I did it to win," he answered before he lowered his head to look into Rion's eyes.