When a child is born, it has no knowledge and relies entirely on instinct to survive. What a newborn does is cry. Cry to breathe, cry to signal that it is hungry and needs feeding, and cry to be comforted by the one who nurtures it.
For Aven, he only managed two out of the three things when he was born. It's easy to understand—there are countless orphans like him, and receiving affection is a luxury.
Around him, it was still dark, but warm, as if wrapped in a warm air current. It felt so comforting, and he wanted to enjoy this sensation forever.
Suddenly, a whisper echoed, directly into his mind. It made him uncomfortable, but why did this sensation feel familiar?
⸻
[Welcome, The Unraveler]
[Told you, don't look back…]
The whisper grew extremely faint at the end, with a hint of disappointment…
What the hell is going on in my head?
The whispered messages slithered through his mind, and he realized they had been there before. Like when crossing a crowd or entering a tavern, now the voice was clearer, as if it had some purpose.
What is it? A call from reason? A spiritual call? Am I going crazy?
What about all that happened before? Was something being "carried out"? What was the "prophecy" about, and those contradictory words… It's so confusing.
But Welcome, The Unraveler-
[The Unraveler - does not enter the world as one born, but as a mistake woven into the fabric of fate.]
Was this referring to him?
Hey, you bastard, if you really want to steal my words, explain what's going on!
[….]
This made him feel deceived, like going to school but without a teacher. He didn't know—he'd never been to a place called school, but he had survived without anyone guiding him, at least until now.
After a while, feeling ignored, he thought, "I'm finally dead. Nothing matters anymore."
…
Is death really this boring? Stuck with some weird voice in my head and- where's the warmth, you stingy bastard!
[Setup complete]
A sudden chill covered him, but all his senses were working normally, maybe even better than before?
A discomfort weighed heavily on his chest. He was forgetting something, something very important.
"Ha- Hah-"
That was breathing. How long had it been since he last breathed? Trying to reconnect with it, he opened his eyes slightly. He saw that he was lying in something resembling a coffin—but overall, it was quite comfortable.
Did I turn into a zombie? But do zombies need to breathe?
He moved slightly to get a better look. Everything was unfamiliar, like being reset to default. It was as if he had been born again—but without crying like the first time…
In his confusion and immobility, a stream of thoughts rushed through his mind. Was this the afterlife? Or was he truly living in a cocoon being nurtured by aliens?
After a while, once his body had stabilized, he checked his head with his hand. He felt relieved that no wires were attached.
Instead, his hair—his hair was incredibly long. It was longer than typical for someone like him, even longer than a modern woman's hair. How long had he been asleep?
Instinctively, he focused on the only source of light, an orange glow coming from the tip of the cocoon. It was a soft light, slightly blinding even though it wasn't very bright. It was enchanting and captivating, as if he were an insect drawn to that light.
He turned his gaze away to look around.
"Where the hell am I…?"
Everything around him was covered in moss and vegetation. He couldn't tell what this room had once been.
Checking the cocoon he was lying in, its outside was also covered with moss and patches of rust. Inside, it seemed to be a combination of carved stone and long-running lines—electrical circuits? They were interconnected in some way.
This was the first time he had seen an artifact like this. Everything was strange and exquisite. Especially for a rogue like him, who knew nothing about art.
But earlier, even though he was used to breathing, his chest still felt heavy—
Unconsciously, he bent down, and a narrow gap appeared between two round objects…
Swallowing, he reached out to touch it—
"Huh!?? What the—"
It was real! His heart raced. Without thinking, he raised the other hand—
Stop here, look at me like a sick bastard who touches a woman for the first time- it's even my own...
Then what about down there—his companion that had been with him—
"Hey, don't joke like that…"
Using "his" hand to check there—
"It's really gone…"
Completely empty. Replacing "little brother" was a completely strange "little sister."
No more "him." Now there was only "her," but Aven didn't know whether to be happy or sad. If "his little brother" was still there, and alongside the two round objects in his chest…
Just imagining it was a nightmare.
"This can't be real, right!?"
He couldn't accept such an absurd thing, but wasn't this body too attractive…
"This isn't the time to think about that!"
"His" mind spun, wanting to deny this stupid reality. Aven had forgotten something important—wait a minute.
"Who am I…? Am I already dead!"
Am I dreaming? Why is this dream so real—
[Some threads are not in the hands of the divine, but are hidden deep within the tattered folds of time…]
The whisper suddenly echoed again. What was special about these messages was that they seemed etched deeply into his subconscious, incredibly persistent. Just like how you have to open your mouth to eat and close your eyes to sleep… Is this some kind of new mental torture?
What kind of guidance is this? Has anyone told you how confusing you are?
Threads? Does this relate to being called The Unraveler? The divine…
"Ah, damn it, suddenly in this hellhole is enough to drive me crazy, what's up with this body? Why am I always so unlucky, in two lifetimes?"
Frustration didn't help, so first, had to find a way out of here. Aven's gaze returned to the light source.
Around that light, a pleasant feeling surrounded him, as if being comforted by a mother—
As if I knew how my mother caressed me!
It was nestled in a small cavity above the cocoon. Deep inside it was a kind of stone, or a small lump of coal, about the size of a palm. It resembled a bone. Its surface had black spots and cracks, and the cracks shimmered with a red hue.
An overwhelming urge took over, and he reached out to grab it. Surprisingly, it wasn't as hot as it looked. At least Aven needed a light source to find his way out.
Suddenly, the lump of coal dimmed quickly, and the light vanished. Ashes scattered across his palm.
??
[It is one of the oldest things, silent yet powerful, both the beginning and the end. Though it follows the natural order, the cost is too high… Seraphina, please forgive your mother.]
[You have received: The Flame of Will]
Everything fell back into darkness. Then, in the dark, Sparks gradually appeared, spreading across the hair. Standing in the middle of the room, a girl's body began to glow, and the surrounding area heated up, spreading an overwhelming amount of heat. The red flames burned everything around her. A moment later, the room, once covered in moss and trees, was unrecognizable. Among the ashes, curled up inside, a girl's hair had turned bright red.
The crackling sounds of fire, accompanied by the gentle hiss of evaporating water, could be heard.
[The flame is now a part of you, accompanying you from now on and forever. Burn in adversity; even small and faint, the warmth still welcomes you.]
[One piece of truth has been found.]
[Unlocking the fate of the flame.]
…
The whispers continued, growing gentler, and deep inside, there was a sense of pride and empathy.