Instead of the pain, it felt for so much time, it now was sleeping soundly in a comfortable place. The place was still dark as ever, but this time it didn't feel as intimidating, far from it, the place was so warm and comfortable that one could be there and lose track of everything else in the world. It was tightly packed and tucked in as if embraced warmly by a loving mother, it ended up losing track of how long it has been sleeping, it only knows that it must be for a long time, at least that's how it feels. 

But the sleep that seemed to last forever was disturbed when one day someone suddenly opened the door and started to pull it outside despite its struggle to keep sleeping.

***

In a luxurious and elegant room that seemed to be taken directly from a fairy tale book or something, many women dressed like maids can be seen coming in and out carrying towels and water basins while having tense faces. No one is talking much aside from a middle-aged woman with grayish hair that is giving orders to other maids and attending to the woman laid in the bed at the center of the bedroom. The woman's face, normally stunningly beautiful, is now contorted in pain while sweat runs down her forehead, her casual but luxurious clothes are now disheveled and messy, and although she tries to suppress it, even now and then her mouth leaks low groans of pain. It cannot be helped since childbirth was never something easy, the labor started several hours ago and the time between the contractions was rapidly shortening, the midwife said the baby may come out any time by now, when another wave of pain assaults the woman, a cry can be heard in the room.

"Congratulations Milady! It's a beautiful healthy boy!"

"Oh my! Thank gods, let me see him"

"Just a moment Milady, let us clean the baby first"

He complained to the person who pulled him out and protested against the sudden brightness that made him unable to open his eyes for a while. Judging based on the voice, the person who pulled him out must be a woman, when his eyes got accustomed to the light and he could look at her he got shocked, he got the sensation that he was being carried before but seeing the middle-aged woman in front of him, she was huge, it is like she was a giant, she was literally carrying him in one hand and wiping him with the other. When he tried to push the woman's hand away he got yet another shock, his hands were way too tiny, so much that they looked more like a child's.

What the hell is that?

"Agugu... uhh-da..."

Hearing the sound of his voice and the words that in no way sounded the way that was intended he almost confirmed some suspicions that were creeping up in his mind. It sure was something impossible to believe, but he has already lived through some pretty impossible situations before, he met a literal angel, and now the words of the angel come back to his mind, something about praying for his next life. He knows it doesn't make sense normally, but the more he thinks about it, the more he thinks that he probably reincarnated and most likely just been born. While he was stunned by the newfound answer to the situation, the woman finished wiping him, wrapped him in a soft warm cloth, and presented him to a woman lying on a big bed. When he took a look at the new woman holding him, he froze entirely.

Today is being a day filled with surprises to no end, but the figure of the woman holding him manifested inside him a wave of emotions that he could not quite describe. The woman was beautiful, absurdly so, even though she looked pretty exhausted it could do nothing to hide her beauty, her flowing light-blue hair resembled the morning sky, in contrast, her round violet eyes looked like the starry night sky, and when she smiled and caressed his face with her slender hands ever so gently he found the name for the feelings swirling inside him, it is love. It is by no means the romantic type of love, it is familial love, it was something incredibly pure, something inside him that told him at that moment that this woman is his mother, and he didn't feel like suspecting otherwise for even a second. From the look in the eyes of his mother, he could feel she would do anything for him, and from the feelings inside him, he knew he would do the same thing for her.

Iris took her son in her arms and admired him, it is already her third son but she can never grow tired of the feeling of holding her child for the first time, it always makes it worth all the pain from the labor. It's funny though when she looked at her child's eyes they seemed already brimming with intelligence like he understood all the feelings involved in her eyes when she looked at him, and not only that, he seemed to feel the same when he looked back at her. It's impossible though, thought the giggling Iris while bringing the baby closer to her face and lovingly kissing his forehead.

"Hello sweetie, I'm your mama and I already love you so much! It is so nice to finally meet you!"

"Nguu... Aah..."

When she talked to the baby, as if acknowledging her words, he beamed a lovely smile with his small mouth and clumsily reached her nose with his small baby hands. It doesn't matter if it was a coincidence, the gesture was soo beautiful and genuine that Iris almost teared up, in that very moment she swore to herself again, that she would do anything to protect that child and her other children from any harm and ensure they lived a happy life. At the same time, the very child in her arms did the same promises to her inside his mind.

Maybe the baby was a little tired too since after these small actions it started to doze off a little. Seeing this Iris snuggled him in her chest and slowly lulled him until he slept. After she passed some time enjoying her small baby boy sleeping face, a redheaded maid with black-colored cat ears came closer and talked with Iris.

"Milady just gave birth and must be tired, should I carry the baby to his room?"

"Oh Lydia, I am indeed a bit tired now, can I leave him to you then? Please put someone by the door in case he wakes up later, ok?"

"Yes ma'am"

The cold-looking maid took the baby in her arms taking care to not wake him up, she then gave a slight bow with a serious face and excused herself from the room. Another maid brought Iris a cup of warm water and she soon too drifted off to dreamland too.