Alright Rand, take care of your little brother. We'll step out for a bit."
My mother's voice trailed off as she and Father descended the stairs, their footsteps fading into the soft hum of the villa.
I waited. One heartbeat. Two.
Then I exhaled.
My tiny arms stretched — or tried to.
They wobbled, my baby muscles trembling with that annoying floppiness I've come to resent.
Still…
Finally.
I can start building my Inner Dimension.
I closed my eyes, trying to balance my pudgy little body on legs that were never designed to hold cosmic secrets.
(Breathe… & Combust.)
---
● Third Person — POV
The air shifted.
Reality bent — reluctantly, as if it couldn't understand why a toddler was warping it.
Aura particles in the room stirred, swirling violently around Lex's small form.
They hesitated for a moment, confused, almost mocking the tiny creature summoning them…
and then obeyed.
Threads of neon light spiraled toward him, wrapping around his soft, round torso like glowing ribbons possessed by ancient will.
The dust froze midair.
The shadows quivered.
The cradle in the corner creaked as if bowing.
Something recognized him.
Something older than time.
Something that had watched him die four times.
.....
Four lives.
Four deaths.
Four betrayals.
And here I am again… with chubby cheeks and a body that can't even stand for more than thirty seconds without wobbling.
But this life feels different.
Aura threads slid into my abdomen, forming a glowing sphere — pulsing, breathing, ancient.
Then—
A tremor in my chest.
Fear.
A real, instinctive baby fear that my adult mind couldn't fully suppress.
A vision struck.
Elyria… collapsing.
Golden spires falling like dying stars.
The sky tearing open.
The soundless scream of a world giving up.
Then—
Gone.
Reality snapped back like a stretched elastic string.
My tiny chest heaved, breaths short and fast.
My hands shook — partly from cosmic dread, partly because babies have terrible motor control.
Something is wrong.
This timeline… is different.
Twisted.
Interfered with.
...
A soft chime rang in my head.
I almost toppled sideways from the sensory overload — stupid baby balance.
[ SYSTEM AWAKENING… ]
[ NEW TIMELINE DETECTED ]
[ EVENTS DO NOT MATCH ANY RECORDED LIFEPATH ]
[ UNIDENTIFIED BETRAYAL DETECTED ]
Even as a baby, I understood.
I remember the traitors.
The friend who poisoned me.
The woman whose tears hid a blade.
The brother who ended me without hesitation.
Yet…
None of them is the true betrayer.
Someone stronger.
Someone hidden.
Someone rewriting fate…
and pushing Elyria toward absolute collapse.
My tiny fingers curled into fists — poorly, since babies can't clench properly, but the intent was there.
My round cheeks puffed.
A small, dangerous smile formed.
Nice.
Even trapped in this tiny, useless body…
Finally…
a challenge worthy of me.