So, imagine this: you're a god. You know, the divine being who makes everything! The universe, the stars, magic, all of it. And then, after a really long time, you decide that being responsible for all that is a huge pain in the butt.
That's basically what happened to me.
I'm Colli-Taur. Yeah, I was the god of creation and death. But, honestly? I felt more like the god of boring office work!
Paperwork, meetings, magic regulation- you name it!
Every day, it was the same thing. If I had to deal with one more divine tax report, I was going to lose it! So, I did what any sensible being with absolute power would do: I bailed.
You'd think that being a god meant I could just quit my job and take a vacation, but nope.
Apparently, when you abandon your post, the whole world kinda goes... well, crazy. But hey, what's a god to do when- they're just over it?
At some point, I figured I had a good plan: reincarnation.
Just drop my soul into a random baby somewhere.
A fresh start.
No responsibilities.
No meetings.
No more paperwork. Just peace and freedom.
So, I pulled the trigger.
And, uh... that's where things get complicated.
I felt a strange sensation as I took that final step- no, more like a leap. My soul slipped out of the divine space I'd spent so long in, leaving the responsibilities behind. I figured I'd go into a random newborn's body, live a simple, lazy life, and forget about everything.
"Goodbye, office work," I whispered to myself as I sank into darkness.
However, when I woke up, everything was different than I expected. I wasn't sure what kind of body I'd ended up in, but when I tried to open my eyes, everything was blurry and loud. It was like someone had turned the world into a big, messy soundboard.
I blinked a few times, groaning. My head felt like it was full of cotton. "Ugh... this is not what I had in mind."
The first thing I noticed-besides the fact that I could breathe and feel- is that I was in a warm, soft place. The smell of... what was that? Incense? Lavender? Whatever it was, it wasn't the sterile, metallic scent of my divine office.
This was... Kinda cozy. In a weird way.
A face appeared above me. A blurry one, but a face.
"Shhhh...", the lady whispered to me, "It'll be okay, momma's here..."
I slowly blinked a bit, trying to focus and see the lady more clearly. Once I was able to, a man stood above us both and looked at us with a warm smile.
They both had this strawberry-brown auburn hair that was curled at the ends. However, I also noticed the man was graying in his rough beard. Also, while the lady had nice soft blue eyes, the man had darker, red eyes that also looked good in the light.
After a moment he spoke with a gentle smile, "Welcome to the world, Caelus Fenrow."
The words hit me like a ton of bricks, and for a second, I couldn't quite wrap my mind around it. Caelus Fenrow.
I really did it. I reincarnated myself. And, that means... That was my name now, wasn't it? It felt strange. Well, I had been a god, but now? I was a tiny human.
I blinked a few times, trying to make sense of everything. The lady, who I assumed was my mother, smiled softly down at me. Her face was a bit blurry, but I could see the warmth in her eyes. She adjusted me in her arms, cradling me like I was something precious.
The man, who I guessed was my father, knelt down next to her, watching me with a fondness that felt... weird. His sharp red eyes looked at me with this weird gaze similar to my mom's.
"Caelus..." he repeated softly with a smile, his voice thick with something I couldn't name. "Look at you... Perfect."
I felt the corners of my mouth twitch.
Perfect?
I was a newborn, I couldn't even hold my head up yet. Well, I guess it didn't matter. It was the opinion of weak humans. If this is perfect, the probably haven't seen anything even close.
--
My body was still adjusting to this whole human thing, but I could feel the warmth of the arms holding me. I could feel the soft fabrics against my skin. And there was something undeniably comforting about the scent of lavender filling the room, surrounding me.
"Momma's here, baby," the woman whispered again, her voice quiet and soothing. Her hand stroked my hair gently, her fingers warm and tender against my scalp.
The sound of her voice was so... soft. I haven't heard anything so soft in such a long time. All I could remember is the clatter of phone calls and keys on a mix of keyboards and typewriters. As well as the harsh rasp of the other gods' voices.
I blinked again, slowly, trying to get my bearings. But as much as I wanted to make sense of this whole situation, my thoughts were sluggish. I wanted to think, but it was hard to keep my focus, everything felt fuzzy and unclear.
Wait- what is this feeling?
Though I couldn't move my body, it began to feel heavier and relaxed. Then I began to do yawn- I think.
Suddenly, everything was back to black.
The next thing I knew, I fluttered my eyes to see a room a bit different than before.
When I opened my eyes this time, things were clearer, but there was still this odd haze around the edges of my vision. I blinked a few more times, and gradually, the world came into focus.
I was no longer in that cozy, comforting space with the scent of lavender. Instead, I was lying on a soft, cushioned surface, surrounded by walls painted in warm tones, the kind that made everything feel kind of... lived in. This room had a different vibe- one that was less comforting and more... organized. There were shelves lined with books, and a window letting in soft sunlight, casting long shadows over the floor.
I tried to move, but, of course, my body refused to cooperate like it had earlier. I could feel the weight of it, the heaviness of being human again. It was strange. And uncomfortable. My fingers twitched slightly though, which was an improvement.
A muffled voice reached me from somewhere across the room.
"He's awake, Garrison!" The familiar sound of my mom's voice, excited but laced with exhaustion, made me blink again, trying to focus.
The door to the room creaked open, and I could hear footsteps getting closer. A pair of soft hands gently lifted me, adjusting me in their arms.
"How's my little Caelus doing?" my father's voice came through as he lifted me carefully. He sounded pleased.
For some reason, though, hearing my name again- Caelus- struck me. That was me. I am Caelus Fenrow now. I am human.
This wasn't how I pictured it at all....
I tried to shift my head, but my neck didn't quite know how to respond, so I just ended up letting out a frustrated sigh. My body wasn't ready for this. I wanted to stretch, to stand, to walk, to do anything.
While I kinda liked not having to do anything, being in this body makes it feel all stiff and unsatisfing. However, I still would choose this over my godly work.
Suddenly, my cheeks tightened and my body started to make this strange and unfavobale sound. It was like a sheriking of a banshee!
"It's okay, Caelus," my mom whispered as she took me from my father's arms. She held me instead, cradling me gently. "Momma's here."
As her soft words ingered in my ears, my body's sheriking became less and less.
"Let's get you something to eat, little one," father said, tapping at my nose.
Food. Right. Being a god, I didn't need food or anything like that. But now... now I was stuck with a body that relied on things like that.
...
Ok, I might be starting to regret this...
---
I wasn't sure how I'd ended up with food shoved in my face, but there it was- a spoonful of mush heading straight for my mouth.
"Here you go, Caelus," mother said gently, lifting the spoon to my lips.
I opened my mouth without thinking, and the taste hit me like a wall. Bland, cold, and oddly... chewy. I tried not to gag, but I couldn't help the way my face scrunched up. What was this? Why did they eat this stuff? Ugh...
"Good boy," father said, a smile in his voice. "You're doing great."
I barely managed to keep the mush down. I'm not sure how much longer I can fake being fine with this...
But they were persistent. The spoon came back, and I had no choice but to open up again. It was... a strange kind of torture.