"Come on you guys... Of all the places to take me out... Why these damn corridors... Let's just take this outside shall we?!" Damian shouted mockingly as he sprinted, his footsteps echoing through the narrow stone corridors.
"Shut up!" came a furious hoarse voice from behind him.
"Hahaha! You're never gonna catch me like that, you old geezers!" he taunted, weaving through the underground maze he once thought impenetrable.
This underground hideout was his last resort—a maze he bought for moments like this. It had served him well... for a few weeks at least. Until now.
Now, his enemies—his own siblings—had caught up to him. They weren't just after power anymore. They wanted his head.
Finally, he saw it: the exit.
Blinding white light poured in from the far end of the corridor, his salvation.
But before he could take another step forward, a blur of movement cut across his vision. A figure emerged from the side corridor—too fast to even dodge.
Damian's body jolted as something sharp pierced his chest.
"D-damn it... I have to..."
"How pitiful," came a familiar voice.
Too familiar he thought.
His eyes widened as he recognized the figure standing before him.
"A-Aeron... Why?" Damian asked as the sharp pain seared through his body.
"I can't have you finishing that research of yours, Damian," Aeron said coolly, twisting the blade embedded in his brother's heart as Blood poured from Damian's mouth.
"Not only would it put you above me... That research would put our plans in jeopardy wouldn't you agree?" he stopped as the others chasing Damian finally arrived.
"Our... Plans?" Damian asked, struggling to speak straight.
"S-sir! You caught him!"
"What can I say?" Aeron turned to them with a smug smile. "If you want something done right, do it yourself."
"I—" Damian gasped, trying to speak, but death crept in fast.
"Oh? What was that, dearest little brother?" Aeron leaned in, pretending to listen. "Ah well, I guess those were just the last words of a failure." He chuckled, his laughter echoing through the stone halls.
"Damn... you..." Damian muttered with his last breath.
'To think... it was him chasing me this whole time... What on did I ever do to deserve this?... I guess I'll never find out now.' he thought as everything faded to black.
---
But then...
A flicker of light.
Warmth.
A piercing beam of sunlight forced his eyes open.
'Ugh....?'
The pain was gone. There was sword in his chest. No blood pooling beneath him. No cold stone floor.
Instead, he felt softness.
'Sheets?... These are...'
"This... Is this a bed?" he whispered softly, nearly tearing up as he hugged the pillow. "It's been so long since I used one of these..."
Then he paused. "Wait... Where the hell am I?!"
He sat up in alarm, scanning the room. His eyes landed on a mirror.
From where he sat, he could see his reflection clearly. The room looked familiar—so familiar it hovered on the edge of his memory.
And then it hit him.
"Isn't that... me?" he muttered
Then his voice cracked with realization.
"Wait—that's little me..." He said, a little confused before the realization finally hit him. "OH MY GOSH THAT'S ME!!!" he yelled.
He stared in horror. The reflection wasn't of the grown man who died minutes ago—it was a child. Him, as a kid.
After a moment of silence, he calmed down and forced himself to think.
'This can only mean one thing... Yeah... I've definitely been reincarnated.' he thought.
The theory of reincarnation had always been tossed around in his research circles. Never proven... but never completely denied either.
"I should at least check the date," he muttered, scanning for a calendar—when something stopped him cold.
His surroundings.
The room...
"This is... my room," he said quietly, clenching his fists. "Which means... I'm back in the family house. The place where it all began." His voice trailed off.
"If that's the case... Then the awakening hasn't happened yet."
At that moment, the door creaked open as someone stepped into the room.
A brown haired boy with a bright grin stretched across his face walked in with a tray in hand.
'...A servant... No... Aeron?' he ended the name in a menacing tone.
Immense rage surged through Damian like wildfire.
His traitorous brother. The beginning and end of all his struggles.
Aeron Blackthorn....
"Damn y—" Damian flinched, ready to leap off the bed and return the favor with a blade of his own—
But he stopped.
First, he was without a weapon, and second, his eyes caught the gleam of the silver tea tray in Aeron's hands.
Two cups rested atop it. The image before him sparking up his memories as he remembered something from his past regression.
A childish smirk slowly stretched across Damian's face as a peculiar thought crossed his mind.
'If I really have been reincarnated... this moment is right before my awakening.'
"Damian..." Aeron called out without receiving a response. "Heyyy, Earth to Damian, you there?"
"O-oh, sorry about that brother." Damian apologized. The stupid grin still evident on his face.
"O-kay? So how are you feeling? You know today's the day right?" Aeron asked.
'I figured as much. Today really is my 12th birthday. And it's also the day I'll become an awakened.' Damian thought.
"I'm a little nervous and dizzy. But to be honest I feel younger.' he admitted.
"Here take this" Aeron said, handing him a cup from the tray.
'...If the awakening is happening today, then my dearest big brother most likely came here for one thing...'
"It's tea" Aeron added with a smile.
Damian looked at him for a second and happily accepted the beverage while returning the smile. "Thanks."
'... This guy,... He's here to poison me and sabotage my awakening...' Damian thought with a grin.
Smiling, 'Sorry to say this my dear brother... It's not gonna go as planned.'