When Naraka entered the chamber, the serpent was nowhere to be seen. She closed her eyes, and for a moment the flow of time within the room reversed. The snake reappeared, frozen in motion. Naraka reached out, reshaping time itself, pulling the creature into reality and taking it in her hand.
It was a rare species, born deep in the Dark Side. By touching it, Naraka read its entire memory: crawling from the depths of shadow, slithering unnoticed into the royal chamber. What struck her most was the gap—the suspicious trail showing her other children passing the same area, yet with no creatures recorded in their memories.
"Guards!" she called. Two armored warriors entered immediately.
"At your command, my Queen."
Naraka conjured a bowl of light in her palm and pressed the serpent into it, sealing it tight.
"Take this to Vekhir Tolen. Tell him there are too many dangerous little uninvited guests like this one roaming. He will know what to do."
"As you command," the soldiers said, bowing before leaving with the light-sealed vessel.
Moments later, Naraka stepped into the chamber where Nujah rested.
"Was there any trouble while I was gone?" she asked.
"No," Erymas and Maria replied at once.
Erymas added carefully, "After you drew out the venom, the device stabilized. He seems calmer now."
"Good," Naraka said softly. "Then it is time to awaken our Sleeping Beauty."
She raised her hand, drawing all the blood and light from the cradle into her palm, compressing them into a small stone sphere. As the others watched, Nujah's eyes flickered open.
"My Queen?" he whispered. But the sound that followed was not a voice—it was a cry, thin and sharp, like the chirp of a newborn bird. His gaze fell on his own body, and terror flooded him.
Naraka dismissed the others with a snap of her fingers, leaving only herself and Nujah in the chamber. She knelt beside him.
"The procedure failed. It did not go as planned. That is why you find yourself in the body of a child. Normally, you would have been reborn as an infant, your mind erased. But your consciousness… remains intact."
She touched his head gently.
"Most of your human parts are gone. Only fragments of your heart and brain remain—about ten percent. Do you remember your family?"
"My… family?" Nujah blinked in confusion. "Did I have one?"
Naraka's expression softened, but her tone was firm. She conjured a vial of liquid light.
"Drink this, then rest. Do not open your eyes until I command it."
As he obeyed, Naraka placed a glowing finger upon his forehead. With a snap, his body convulsed. In a single minute he felt the torment of twenty-four hours compressed, his form shrinking until he lay as a newborn child.
"Nujah," Naraka whispered. "If you can still hear me, lift your hand."
A tiny hand rose shakily.
"I can hear you… still, my Queen."
Naraka studied him closely. His body was now as it should be: every human remnant erased, his heart and brain fused into a single Soul Core (Sha), compressed and blazing.
"How do you feel?" she asked.
"I… just want to sleep," Nujah murmured, yawning.
"Any dark thoughts? Any strange urges?"
"No… why would I?"
Naraka exhaled, but her eyes remained tense.
"Strange forces are at work, even beyond my knowledge. For now, your body is perfect, but tampering further could break you. You must grow—at least until the age of ten. In thirty-six days, I will perform a proper correction. Until then, sleep, child."