Chapter 158: Epilogue 4: Reincarnation

For a long time, there's only silence. There's nothing.

She can't feel anything for a long time. ;

Slowly, her senses develop as her memories of the past start to slowly fade away. Thousand years are gone in the back of her mind.

After some time, she is no longer Kwon Kyuri. As her consciousness develops, she is growing into someone else. Kwon Kyuri, the woman who has gone through a thousand years of trials for love, is the past life that she can no longer remember.

In the wȯmb, she is surrounded by a warm fluid. She reaches out and feels another presence. She feels her hand tugged.

She doesn't push her away. The presence is comforting. ;

After some time, she starts hearing voices. Her sister converses in a language that only she can understand. She senses her mother's griefs and her father's anger. There are her siblings. They are arguing about something. ;

Her father isn't near them anymore. She feels the pain. It's not comfortable anymore. She and her sister cry for their father.

Their voices are heard.

"Ai."

She hears her mother's voice.

"Cina."

There are more voices. She doesn't understand them completely. But it's noisy. The boy is crying. Her mother is against it.

Want him.

She doesn't want to hear noisy crying anymore. So she suggests to Ai, her elder brother. He could hear her. ;

Want him as a pet.

Her twin sister is happy. She hears her twin sister utter in a melodic voice.

Adopt him

After many arguments, it seems that her mother has given in. The noises stop. ;

She holds her sister's hand, feeling happiness.

***

Months pass by. They are too far away from their father.

Her sister is also suffering. She cries a lot but her mother isn't listening to her.

Ai and Cina tell her to calm down. They try to entertain her. ;

But she and her sister want to be near their father again.

She feels her mother's magic surrounding them. It calms them down a little but it's not enough. ;

After some time, they feel an oppressive force that seems to pull them apart from her mother.

She and her sister hold on to each other tightly as the storm surrounds them.

It's sharp cold energy, gripping on their souls. ;

She's wounded. There's blood on her head. Their mother looks like they will die at any moment.

Everything turns dark for a moment.

When the light comes back, they find themselves back in a familiar place.

It's the same warm place. They hold each other's hands. ;

They hear their mother talk to people. ;

Though they know they are in a safe place, they are burning.

There's not enough food. Not enough warmth. The wȯmb is cold. Their bodies are turning dry.

Their mother tries to make up for the nourishment but it's never enough. After some time, their mother finds a way to give them some energy that is similar to their father's.

It's bȧrėly anything but they feel a little better.

"Misumi and Misaki."

They accept the names. ;

***

The time comes when their mother's wȯmb can't contain them any longer.

They hear their mother screams but it's also painful for them.

Her sister, Misumi, leaves first. Misaki also wants to follow her sister.

After the tumultuous journey that nearly suffocates her, Misaki opens her eyes. ;

The light is too blinding. Misaki cries loudly. The woman covers her mouth and whispers, "Shut up."

That's not her mother's voice. The woman's hands are cold. ;

The woman wraps her with a cloth and covers her face. Misaki can't cry because the woman's hand is still on her mouth. ;

They arrive in a colder place. Misaki feels too cold. Her veins are turning dry. She tries to wail louder for her mother and father. Meanwhile, her mental maturity is growing. ;

"What should we do with her, Lord?" The woman sounds frantic.

"We should kill her, Lord." There's another voice.

"A demi-god." The man's voice is chilling and dark. "Her father is the god of darkness. We can't kill her."

"Why?"

"She's a face of chaos."

There's a long silence.

"Then, what should we do with her, Lord?"

"She's not a full god."

"She's a face of Chaos. We don't know what her power is."

What is chaos? Misaki's ear perks up.

"It seems to be dormant for now."

Misaki becomes quiet. She wants to hear what is going on.

"You told me that her adopted brother is looking for her, Sosuri."

"Yes, my lord."

"Leave her at a place where she can be found." There's a pause. "Let her fate decide for her."

Misaki doesn't like that man.

Another pair of arms hold her. She hears men grumbling about something. They move a lot before she is laid down on the cold ground.

By now, Misaki has figured out that she's been kidnapped.

"Is she going to be okay?" The voice is boyish.

"Didn't you hear, Gama?" The second voice clicks his tongue. "Let her fate decide."

Misaki wonders what is her fate.

The men walk away from her. Soon after they are gone, she is picked up by a foul-smelling creature.

"Oh, what is this?" The creature removes the cloth from her face. Misaki blinks her eyes. The creature is green and it has big black eyes. ;

"You smell like many things." The creature's long tongue licks her cheek. "Should I skin you?"

Misaki screams as loud as she can. Where are her mother and father? Someone should help her.

Annoyed, the creature pinches her skin. "Shut up."

Misaki's skin turns redder. She shrieks for help. Her loud cries echo through the dimensions.

"So loud!" The toad-woman shoves a piece of cloth in Misaki's mouth. "I should sell you as soon as possible. Cub's meat should be delicious."

After pinching, slapping, and squeezing infant's skin, the toad-woman takes the infant to her butcher shop. The cub should be sold for at least five gold. ;

***

She's hung upside down. Feeling the pain, Misaki screams loudly for help. ;

At the time, she only feels dark rage toward the toad-woman.

While the toad woman showcases her to the people, Misaki looks around to see if anyone can help her.

Though she is an infant, her intelligence is higher than normal children. She's a demi-god, daughter of the darkness. ;

The toad-woman keeps slapping her buŧŧ. "Ten gold! Look at this white meat. I am sure that you can make a nice purse out of it. Ten gold! Last price! I won't accept bargaining."

Though she can't remember her past life anymore, she still has Kwon Kyuri's soul. Even without memories and feelings of the past, her mind is growing faster. ;

Misaki glares at toad-woman. She wants to cook this toad in a pot. ;

Suddenly, she's snatched away from the woman.

When she looks up, she sees a boy with red eyes and green hair. ;

She knows this presence. It's her adopted brother, Ai.

While the ugly toad-woman is screaming, Misaki observes him quietly. Her elder brother is handsome. ;

Her plants a kiss on her forehead. "Misa, you are safe now. Your brother is here."

"Thief! Thief! Thief!" The toad woman howls. ;

Her elder brother's red eyes shine and his lips curl up into a dark smile. "You dare to hurt my sister?"

Misaki smirks. Her brother is going to teach a lesson to the toad woman.

Having noticed her smile, He looks down at her. "You want to see me fighting?"

"Yes!" Misaki squeals. "Cook that toad-woman in a pot!"

Alas! Her brother doesn't understand her words. But he nods his head. ;

Wooden branches clutch her to his ċhėst safely as he teaches them a lesson. After he's done with them, he looks at her with regrets in his eyes. "Mother would be angry if she finds out that I let you see that."

Misaki thinks about her mother. She hasn't seen her mother's face.

But who is Chaos? The man said that she's a face of chaos. She wants to see Chaos. Is she her mother? ;

She grins at her elder brother.

"Let's keep it a secret between us," Her brother exhales, exhausted. ;

She giggles.

"Need to look for our Mother." Her brother places his hand on her head and runs his fingers through her soft black hair. He frowns when he touches her horns. "What's this?"

After checking out her horns, he smiles at her. "Mother will be surprised. But they are cute."

Misaki blinks her eyes. She agrees. He's cute.

"You are smart, aren't you?" He gives a peck on her forehead. "And mischievous. I remember now. You were the one who wanted to make Cina your pet."

Misaki responds with a peal of light laughter. She also wanted to turn him into a horse.

"Let's look for our Mother." Ai wraps his arms around her as he looks around. "Where could she be?"

While he's mumbling to himself, Misaki is thinking about Chaos. She also wants to meet her mother soon.

***********

"Isn't she a cute one?" ;

Misaki opens her eyes, letting out a whimper with a complaint. She turns her head toward the woman with white hair. The woman's eyes are arctic blue. ;

So beautiful...

"But her arrogance managed to get my attention," The woman chuckles. ;

"Elder Sister, what do you exactly want?" Her brother asks the woman.

Elder sister? This beautiful woman is her sister.

The woman shakes her head and guffaws. "I am not Kresi anymore. I am definitely not your Elder Sister. If you call me that again, I will rip your tongue out."

"My apologies." Her elder brother bows his head respectfully. "Goddess, I am curious what you want from this child."

Goddess? Misaki blinks her eyes. It must be Chaos. ;

"Are you Chaos?" She asks the woman innocently. "Am I one of your faces?"

Chaos glance at her. A voice rings in her head.

[Yes.]

"Can't you hold me?" Misaki mumbles. "Aren't you my mother?"

"..." Chaos gives her a silent glance.

"Hold me." Misaki looks at her with misty eyes. "Mother."

"What can I ever want from this little fledging?" Chaos turns her attention to Ai. She raises her brow. "I am not like Adira or Noras. I am fully aware of myself while they limit themselves to only one world. Then again, they will lose little compassion that they have for the mortals if they don't do that."

Misaki is disheartened when there's no response. She doesn't understand half of the conversation. ;

[I guess I am your mother. I was married to your father once.]

Not paying any attention to the conversation between her brother and Chaos, Misaki's eyes light up. "Hold me then."

There's no answer. The door slides open. A tall figure comes in. Misaki peers at the man.

That's her father. ;

"Father, hold me," Misaki exclaims.

Her father doesn't pay attention to her. He says to her brother, "You have done a good job."

They talk among themselves, ignoring her. Misaki is getting a headache. Why do they argue so much? They shout at each other. There's her father's scream.

All of a sudden, Chaos grabs her. The room changes. Misaki looks up at the white sky.

"Since you want me to hold you," Chaos says to her as she walks toward the throne, "I am going to hold you for a long time."