The group, who had been waiting with bated breath, immediately crowded around Xiaobai, their eyes sparkling with curiosity. *A talking Haba beast!* Who wouldn't want to know how that was possible?
Under the scrutiny of so many eager gazes, Xiaobai felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead. *Why does this feel so awkward?*
"Xiaobai, if you're not a Haba beast, then what are you? Look at your nose, your ears, your eyes, your mouth—every part of you screams Haba beast!" Sophie pointed at each of his features in turn, utterly baffled by his refusal to acknowledge the obvious.
"I *know*! My current form *is* modeled after a Haba beast, but that's not my true essence! I just happened to choose this shape when I manifested!" Rolling his eyes, Xiaobai cursed Nickles, the god who managed the Wheel of Rebirth, in his heart. *If not for that guy's sneeze, I wouldn't be stuck in this pathetic form!*
"You mean this isn't your true form? Then what *is* your essence?" Sophie tapped his little head, waiting for his answer.
"My... essence?" The words had slipped out without thought, but deep down, he'd always carried this conviction—he was *not* a lowly Haba beast. As he spoke, a scene flashed in his mind—a vast space, a familiar figure. His memories before birth were hazy, but he vaguely recalled a place so large that no matter how far he ran, he always ended up back where he started. None could leave unless chosen for rebirth.
Meeting Sophie's gaze, a door in Xiaobai's mind suddenly swung open.
He had once been an Ancient Beast—not like the so-called "Ancient Beasts" that roamed this world now, but a true primordial entity, born alongside the cosmos itself. A companion, servant, and loyal follower of the Creator God.
He remembered his brethren, toiling day and night to shape the world. But as new gods emerged, the Creator grew distant, and they—the firstborn—were reduced to mere laborers, slaves to these upstart deities.
Eventually, they grew weary. Seeking only rest, they were instead branded traitors.
In their rage, the Ancient Beasts nearly tore the world apart. Only the Creator's return and subsequent sealing of their souls prevented total annihilation.
*Now I remember.* His past self had been a wandering spirit, a sealed soul.
After the sealing, the Creator appeared before them only once, offering a sliver of hope: *"If my chosen one is born into the world, you—the tainted souls—may accompany them as bonded beasts, granted new forms through the Wheel of Rebirth."*
And so, Prescott—once an Ancient Beast—waited countless days until he felt the Creator's grace. The day came when he bid his sorrowful brethren farewell and stood before the Wheel.
There, he encountered Nickles again—the god they'd once mocked as the most cowardly of all. Millennia had transformed Nickles into a deity governing his own dominion.
After a brief greeting, Prescott spun the Wheel of Rebirth. For a glorious moment, the shadow of a dragon appeared—a far cry from his original might, but still a formidable form.
*Then—*
A sneeze. A *single*, ill-timed sneeze from Nickles jolted the Wheel, shifting his destiny from dragon to... *Haba beast*.
He *knew* Nickles had done it on purpose. As keeper of the Wheel, Nickles would've known *exactly* how to alter its course.
*Payback.*
In their prime, Prescott had tripped the scrawny Nickles, stolen his divine fruits, hidden his robes during baths, and even publicly read aloud his love letters to Goddess Phylia.
But surely a god of justice wouldn't sabotage him over ancient pranks? This was his *future* at stake!
*If only I hadn't bullied Nickles so much.* Too late now. A Haba beast's body was his fate—until he ascended to godhood and could reshape his form at will.
Glancing at his tiny white body, Xiaobai sighed. *When will that day come?* In all recorded history, only Kalina's parents had achieved divinity—largely thanks to Kalina herself, the Creator's chosen.
Why Kalina? He'd never understood. Beyond her exceptional talent, she seemed... ordinary.
Yet Sophie's existence was Kalina's unprecedented act. Perhaps the Creator had valued her *innovation* above all?
"Hey! Are you going to talk or not?" Sophie's impatient tap on his head snapped him back to reality.
"Talk about what?" Xiaobai blinked blankly.
"What do you *mean* 'what'? Weren't you just about to reveal your true essence? Don't leave us hanging like idiots!" Sophie rubbed her stiff neck, glaring.
"My... essence?" Xiaobai's brow furrowed.
*The Ancient Beasts and the Creator—that's strictly forbidden knowledge.* Even reborn, he dared not defy the Creator's decree. A second sealing would grant no reprieve.
As far as he knew, no other bonded beasts had appeared. He might be the sole lucky one, while his brethren remained trapped.
*So what *can* I say?*
"Essentially... I'm formless!" *A soul has no shape, after all.*
"But just before my birth, I saw a Haba beast and... mimicked it." *Not entirely a lie—the Wheel *did* show a Haba beast.*
Silence.
Then—
*Caw! Caw!*
Metaphorical crows circled overhead as the group stared, utterly deflated. After all that anticipation... *this* was his grand revelation?
"Any... additions?" King Elroiadin ventured hopefully.
"Let me think..." Tipping his head, Xiaobai locked eyes with Sophie again. *Her gaze unlocks my memories.*
Since rebirth, he'd possessed neither his former power nor strength—fragile as a sapling, easier to break than to bend.
His pre-birth memories had been sealed tight until moments ago.
Growing up alongside young Kalina, they'd endured much together.
"If I regain enough magic... I might assume another form someday." He glanced around. "Perhaps even human."
"You mean you could *turn into a person*?" *Like a monster cultivating to human form?*
"Mm! Or other forms—whatever I prefer!" Xiaobai smirked, eager for that day.
"*Sigh...*"
In unison, the group began stretching—their prolonged, tense anticipation had left them stiff.
"Eh? What's going on here?" Silei, having searched everywhere for Sophie, finally tracked her down. Stepping into Milta's palace, he found a cluster of people twisting their necks and hips. *Did something happen?*
"Silei!" Sophie lit up, darting over—ignoring all warnings about sudden movements—to plant a kiss on him. Both Silei and Elroiadin broke into cold sweats. *Must she always forget she's pregnant?!*
"What brings you here? Finished with work?" Gazing up at him, Sophie smiled. Even after all this time, just seeing Silei lifted her mood.
"Mm." Nodding, Silei recalled his purpose. "Sophie, I've something to tell you. *Don't* get excited, *don't* act rashly, *no* sudden movements—and *absolutely no running*. Understood?" His stern expression demanded her promise.
"What's so serious?" Scanning the room, she noted Charles and Agatha were fine. Everyone she cared about was here—what could possibly provoke her?
"Promise me first."
"Fine, fine! I promise! Now *tell me*!" Pouting, Sophie looked anything but maternal.
"Alright." Silei took a breath. "The maids just reported—Amanda's pink egg is moving."
A gust of wind later—Sophie was gone.
**Will the hatching egg bring joy—or unforeseen danger?**