"I want to die.
Please.
Is there someone who can free me from the curse of absolute immortality?"
.
.
.
"GERSON FUCKING LIOREI!!!"
The roar cracked through the Heart Palace. Pillars trembled. Servants dove for cover. Tapestries fluttered as if trying to flee the walls they hung from. The floors groaned under his fury, quaking with each stomp as if the palace itself feared him.
He was searching for one man.
And that one man was laughing his ass off.
King Liorei smothered his snicker behind the blooming flowers in the Imperial Garden, crouched low with the bundle of joy wrapped in silks nestled against his chest. That bundle—squirming, breathing, impossibly precious—was the very treasure King LIFE was ready to burn worlds for:
the Third Princess of Heart, his daughter, Princess Holy Azarese Elyzena.
"Geez, he's so greedy. I just want to meet this very, very cute Princess!"
The Princess yawned and smiled. King Liorei covered his face---getting baby fevers.
'It should be illegal to be this cute!'
The Princess was nothing like they had expected. She was odd in the way their new world is—terrifying and beautiful at once. Tiny twin horns curled from her head. Her eyelids had never opened yet, not once since the Empress delivered her three months ago. And her skin—gods above—her skin bore moving vines, inked patterns alive with slow, secret motions, swaying faintly as if breathing alongside her.
"You're very small, Princess," he told her as he rub his finger on her soft and smooth cheek. So chubby!
Argh, she's so cute!
"My Princess used to be as small as you, too," he said while smiling. Though he wasn't there, he could see his daughter, Princess Lorreign, on the Princess. Very smiley because she's a sunshine. The only good that ever happened to him.
"I think I love you. I will be your coolest and bestest Uncle ever," he said like a promise and kissed the Princess's cheek. She giggled. Surprisingly, she locked his face between her tiny hands and pulled him down, sucking on his nose, thinking it's a nipple.
"Hungry already? Pfft." He kissed her cheek again.
"GERSON FUCKING LIOREI! MY DAUGHTER!!"
Both them flinched from the startling surprise they heard from the King. King Liorei shuddered in a laughter.
"That's your Dad. Your Dad is a dragon. A very bad dragon."
The Princess chuckled and nodded like she agrees with him.
"Wooh~" she cooed.
"We should go back. Hope we'll see your Mom first before him."
Ah, he truly hope so.
But when he's about to stand, a mysterious light begin to glow faintly in the sky, like a distant star flickering into existence. Slowly, it grows in intensity, outshining even the brightest celestial bodies. The light takes on an eerie, otherworldly hue, shifting between shades of deep indigo and ethereal silver, casting an unnatural glow over the land.
As the light intensifies, it starts to pulse rhythmically, sending waves of energy cascading across the sky. These pulses create ripples in the atmosphere, like the surface of a pond disturbed by a thrown stone.
"Dad, we can't start the party yet! Azarese is still missing!" Prince Izaac stressed when he saw the magic happening over them. He was scratching his hand, the other on his waist.
"It's not part of it..." The King muttered as he watch the magic circle expand with a deliberate, almost ominous grace, its edges stretching wider and wider until it spans the entire continent of their Empire.
As the magic circle reaches its full expanse, the runes begin to rotate and shift, activating the spell's final phase. A faint, almost imperceptible mist descends from the circle, shimmering as it touches the ground. Those caught within its reach feel an irresistible compulsion to look up, their eyes reflecting the luminous patterns above.
King LIFE stepped back. Then gave out an order.
"Find the Princess at once! Izaac, a barrier! That is not part of the celebration! EVERYONE, DEFEND YOURSELVES!"
His senses are tingling. Something is not right!
THAT IS NOT PART OF THE CELEBRATION!
But when he turned around to see if everyone is moving to do what he told them to, his eyes widened when he found them just standing there, looking up. Their eyes are glowing, reflecting the light of the magic circle.
"Dad, it's beautiful," Prince Izaac smiled.
At the same time, King Liorei smiled in disbelief, "That's how much your Dad loves you, Princess. He even prepared a show like that." He shook his head and looked at the Princess who's looking at him.
King Liorei was stunned.
The Princess is looking at him.
She opened her eyes.
Princess Azarese raised her hands to hold his face once again.
Without warning, a surge of magical energy pulses outward from the center of the circle, flooding the minds of the continent's inhabitants. Thoughts blur, memories fade, and a new, singular purpose takes root: loyalty and allegiance to the new Princess of Heart. The night sky, once a canvas of stars, now bears witness to the silent subjugation of an entire continent, all under the watchful gaze of the ever-expanding magic circle.
King Liorei turned around and covered the Princess with his physique when the light came to burn their eyes. The light came down like a tsunami, but leaving everything as is. Seconds later, the King corrected his posture and looked around him.
"Shit. He's going to kill me for real! Let's go, Princess! Smile at your Dad once he draws Excalibur out, alright? Save your poor Uncle!"
As they approached the palace courtyard, the faint murmur of voices grew louder, crescendoing into a grand celebration. What a wonder, though. They started the celebration without the Princess.
But as he stepped into the heart of the festivities, his blood ran cold. A crowd had gathered around the grand staircase, where a golden infant lay in the Empress's arms.
"Welcome to the world, Princess Azarese!"
The King's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
The King pushed through the throng, his grip tightening protectively around the true Princess. His voice, usually commanding and authoritative, now trembled with a mixture of anger and desperation.
"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, his eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of comprehension or recognition.
A hush fell over the crowd, their faces turning toward King Liorei with expressions of confusion and, disturbingly, irritation at his interruption. And from his peripheral vision, he found a suspicious man disguised beneath a cloak.
When the man lifted the hem of his hood slightly to show his lower face, King Liorei felt his anger rose to his head when he smirked at him devilishly.
.
.
.
"Aza..."
"Azarese..."
"AZARESE!"
I instantly opened my eyes and shoot deadly glares to the son of a bitch who dared shout on my ear.
But it was not a son, but rather a daughter.
She cowered in fear before me, eyes teary and lips trembling.
"U-Uwuuu... I'm sorry..."
I got up from laying...and became entirely aware of my surroundings.
"Where am I?"
The sky stretched over me. Its blues mirrored in the glassy water where I rose from my slumber somehow refused to wet my skin. The surface was soft and bouncy. It is water but I don't get wet. Whatever.
My brow arched when I heard a popping sound. Next thing I knew, dirt descended upon me.
"Hooray, Azarese! You made it here!" The little thing celebrated and popped another party popper, which I don't know where she get from.
My hand moved on its own and strangled her.
"I asked you where I am, so answer me. Otherwise, I will snap this little neck of yours."
"A-Ack!"
I slammed her tiny frame on the ground when I let her go. She gasped for air, coughing, and crying.
"I am you!" She sobbed and looked into my eyes, "I am you! I am Azarese, too! I am you!"
'Me?'
The fuck this little bitch is saying?
I stood and clenched my fists on my sides. My shadow licked her frame as I tower over her. Right below me, I watched her tremble in fear. My deadly glares sent her to her knees, and when she finally shed real tears...
Diamond tears...
"Please, believe me... I am really you..."
What...on Cosmo-Vale is this?
~
Each step felt like drifting across a dream stitched from light, too delicate to belong to the waking world. The horizon wavered around me, as if reality itself held its breath while I walked with this mini me.
"Uhhm, Bad Azarese?"
I glared at her.
"What did you just call me?"
She shrieked and jumped away from me.
"I-I'm sorry! I don't know what to call you! I don't know what to call myself either, because we're both Azarese!"
I clicked my tongue in disbelief and ran my fingers through my golden, wavy hair.
I took my time to analyze my surroundings. I've been walking with this girl for some time now. I don't know how long, and I don't know how far we have gone. But I have a destination in mind. In that distant horizon, I can see something. A wall stretching infinitely on both sides. That's where we are going.
Strangely enough, I feel light in this place. It almost feel like what they call...heaven. That piece of heaven. Where one goes once their lives ends. At the same time, this place is not quite what they call heaven.
"Call me whatever you want."
From my peripheral, I saw how her face light up.
"Wow! You're so nice right now! But I will still call you Bad Azarese! Call me Golden Azarese!"
I looked down to her. I'm not glaring. Just plainly looking. This little child---why did I only realize it now? We indeed looked alike. Would it be weird of me to say that she's so adorable? But just as aggravating. Her innocence and delightful personality pisses me off. She's so gentle. He voice is so soft and her gaze are so kind.
This child was me.
Before everything fucked me up.
"Right now, we are in your Core's dimension."
My---what?
Golden Azarese hold onto my hand, leading the way. We only took a couple of steps---and then we're here. Before the wall I found earlier. Our only destination in this dimension. The height of this wall is as endless as its span. And there's a single door in the middle. No knobs. Plain golden.
"Bad Azarese, your life has been forfeited."
I blinked.
Then, I looked down at her again. She was already looking up to me with melancholy. Her grip around my fingers even loosened a little.
I thought nothing in this world will bring me so much joy but this.
"I am finally dead?"
"Huh?"
Golden Azarese stared at me with strange disbelief. It switched to something I couldn't describe, and it looked pathetic to me.
"...Likely..."
The fuck she means 'Likely'? I am not dead? Then why the fuck am I here?
"You have been reborn, Bad Azarese. You have been granted a new life to live---Aaahhh!"
My teeth gritted. My body acted in its own accord that I just found myself strangling the same brat again.
I've been granted a new life to live? I will have to live the same fate all over again? Are they fucking with me? Who decided to do that? Who the fuck did it!?
"L-Listen---! Please! Listen---to me first!"
"Listen? There is nothing for us to hold a conversation. I would rather get stuck in the same life alone than live another to experience it all AGAIN!"
I tore her head apart from her body. No blood squirted from her torn flesh. She just exploded into twinkling dust in my hands.
Bullshit.
What bullshit!
It boiled my blood more when she manifested again. Seeing her helpless and sob before me clawed every nook and cranny of my anger---because I don't remember myself being that weak and pathetic.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Bad Azarese! But... But I don't know either! I know! I know more than anyone! But it's here now! How about we look at its bright side? We are loved---"
Her head fell to the ground and exploded into twinkling dust again.
I clenched my fists.
"Who did this?"
She manifested again. Like an annoying cockroach that cannot be killed.
Even in this dimension, we are immortal.
"I-I don't know! I really don't know! But... But maybe it's brother Astaroth!"
My eyes widened for a moment and my hand that was about to kill her again freezes in the air.
"Astaroth...?"
She fell to her behind, rubbing her tearful eyes.
"He's the only one who can turn back time perfectly! He can make new possibilities! I think it's him! I think Brother Astaroth new our suffering... I think he did this to make things right---as he always do! He did this for us, Bad Azarese!"
Brother Astaroth.
One of my nine brothers, the third son. The genius who can bend time effortlessly at his will. He's enigmatic and mysterious, and he's done so much for the family. He twisted realities and bypassed through the consequences. He's the one who brought everyone to this new world. He brought our mother back to where she belong, leaving Earth behind and settling in now called as Cosmo-Vale for good.
A whole new world. A whole new universe filled with fantasy and magic.
When the Armageddon War was concluded, he vanished together with his wife and daughter. I have never, even once, met him in my whole life. I called for him countless times before. I seek for him. I searched for him everywhere in this world...but it was as if he never were.
I clenched my fists.
After all this time... Why now?
He should've saved me sooner. Why now, when all is over, when everyone is gone and dead?
"NO."
Golden Azarese dropped her hands and stared at me with wide, shrinking eyes.
I stood firm on my ground.
"Did you really think that second life will be nothing but love and petals and affection? Did you really think Brother Astaroth still has the same capacity to do things with his ability like before? Those stupid Deities have sealed his magic for meddling so much with realities and fates. This is not his doing."
"But... But---!"
I ran my fingers through my hair frustratedly.
This place is truly something. There's something about this place that soothe me. Tsk. Is that a good thing? I don't like getting this calm easily. I want to wreak havoc, to burn something endlessly, to make this bright place dark and hellish.
An idea struck into my head. I raised my hand to my mouth, and grinned.
I won't fully trust this so-called 'second life' of mine. There's no way there won't be a catch to it. There's no way the universe will let a tyrant like me get another chance. I won't fully trust it.
The universe is not that kind to me.
"Then, go live it."
"Huh?"
I dropped my hand and looked at her seriously.
"If we're both here, then that would mean our physical body have no soul yet. Or that we haven't been born yet. Take over the body, and I will watch from the void of our shared consciousness. Prove to me that it's worth living for. Otherwise, I will only watch you suffer the same but new experiences and laugh for how gullible you are."
I walked to her and grabbed her by the jaw.
"So, take your soul and settle within the physical body. Prove me wrong. That is, if you are right. But if you are wrong..."
That's the problem with the old me.
Guillible. Naive. Weak.
"I WILL KILL THEM ALL."
Let's see how long you'd last, Golden Azarese. Let's see how long you'd be able to keep your faith on the family you love so much.
And I will be here. Just here.
To spectate and judge.