Darkness.
Warmth.
Then pain—pressure—movement.
And suddenly… air.
Cold air filled my lungs for the first time. My body was tiny, unfamiliar, trapped in muscles I couldn't coordinate. I wanted to scream—not because I was afraid, but because everything was too bright, too loud, too new.
But then someone held me.
Her.
A woman whose scent felt like fire and jasmine.
Long dark hair. Eyes that hid sharpness behind exhaustion.
She looked at me with pride… and exhaustion I didn't deserve.
Mother.
Talia al Ghul.
My mother now.
Her voice was weak but warm.
"Hello, my little Damian…"
Damian.
Right. That was my new name.
But inside… I was still Alex.
I tried to move, but all I managed was to grab her finger.
It felt like the only thing keeping me anchored to this world.
She smiled—a real smile, not the cold one she used on everyone else.
"You're strong," she whispered.
"As expected of my son."
If only she knew.
Ra's al Ghul's Presence
Footsteps. Heavy. Controlled.
A shadow leaned over me.
Ancient eyes studied me the way a scientist studies a weapon.
Ra's al Ghul.
The Demon's Head.
My grandfather.
And he looked at me like I was a tool he planned to sharpen.
I didn't cry.
I didn't look away.
I stared right back at him.
It wasn't bravery.
It wasn't defiance.
It was the strange instinct inside me—the part that said:
Do not show fear. Not here.
He extended a finger.
I grabbed it, partly out of instinct, partly because I wanted him to know I wasn't fragile.
His eyebrow lifted.
"This child… he is watching me."
Yes, old man, I wanted to say. I see you.
But all that left my mouth was a small breath
Whispers.
Faint voices behind the doorway.
Curious stares.
The other children.
I could feel their thoughts—not literally, but through my instincts:
Fear.
Jealousy.
Curiosity.
Some wanted to follow me.
Some wanted to fight me.
Some wished I had never been born
Even as a newborn, I sensed their emotions like blurry colors swirling around them.
It wasn't the Transparent World… not yet.
Just a reincarnated mind trying to understand a hostile environment.
One boy said, "He saw through me," as if I were a monster.
No.
I just didn't know how to look away.
Another whispered, "We'll see if he can lead us."
I couldn't even keep my head upright, but I made a promise then:
One day, I'll be strong enough that none of
you can touch me.
Or my mother
Talia's Vow
The children kept whispering until my mother's voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Do not challenge him.
Not yet.
You are not his equals."
Her hand tightened around me protectively.
She didn't say it out of arrogance.
She said it like she already knew I would be targeted.
For the first time since opening my newborn eyes…
I felt safe.