“Do I believe in reincarnation?” Klaus repeated the question slowly, his brow furrowed in thought. It wasn’t a question he had ever seriously considered. Reincarnation—the idea of being reborn after death, starting over as someone entirely new, someone with no memory of their past life—was something he’d only heard in stories.
Klaus found himself uncertain. How could he answer something he barely understood? His life had been filled with battles, survival, and defying the heavens -well, he hasn’t yet, but who is asking? The thought of starting over, losing everything he had learned and fought for, felt foreign to him.
He glanced at the figure sitting across from him, who was watching him with patient eyes, waiting for a response. Klaus didn’t want to appear confused or weak, so he forced out an answer, one that felt safe, if not entirely true.
“I suppose it’s possible,” Klaus said, his tone guarded.
Haus smiled at his response, as though amused by Klaus’s hesitation. There was a quiet understanding in that smile as if the stranger knew Klaus’s uncertainty ran deeper than he let on.
Klaus shifted uncomfortably and then took a sip of the tea in his hand, letting the warmth spread through his chest. The flavor was rich, yet unlike anything he’d tasted before. Curiosity tugged at him.
“What is this tea made of?” Klaus asked his voice light, trying to steer the conversation away from the heavy topic of reincarnation.
Haus’s smile deepened a glint of mischief in his eyes. “Ah, now that’s a question worth asking.”
“What if I were to tell you, you just drank memories from your past life?” Haus said with an amused smile,
Klaus froze mid-sip the second time, lowering the cup slowly. His mind raced as he processed the figure’s words. Memories? From his past life?
“You’re joking right,” Klaus said, his voice calm but his heart pounding. “Memories can’t be… drunk.”
Haus’s smile widened as if enjoying Klaus’s reaction. “Is it really so hard to believe? You are a Paragon after all”
Klaus felt the weight of the teacup in his hand, suddenly heavier than before. He doesn’t know much about the Paragon thing, but he knows for a fact he will figure things out in the long run. Now, it’s just too wild for him to comprehend.
“How?” Klaus asked, his tone more serious now.
Haus leaned back, still smiling. “The tea you drank is no ordinary brew. It is made from the essence of your forgotten lives, distilled into a form you can consume. Each sip unlocks fragments of who you were before.”
Klaus glanced down at the tea, its surface calm and unremarkable, yet now it seemed ominous. “And what if I don’t want to remember?”
Haus shrugged casually. “That’s the thing about memories—they don’t ask for permission. You’ve already consumed them. Whether you choose to acknowledge them or not is up to you.”
Klaus wanted to say something in return, but the words wouldn’t come. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him, and before he could make sense of it, Haus’s voice echoed inside his head.
“Well, I didn’t expect I’d be drugging myself,” the figure laughed, but Klaus was too dazed to respond. His vision blurred, and then everything went black as he slipped into unconsciousness.
–
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–
“My queen, we are under attack!” a young maiden cried, bursting into a room. Inside, an enchanting woman with features so striking that she could destroy entire nations with just a smile immediately stood up.
Beside her, lying peacefully on the bed, was a young boy, no more than seven years old. His innocent face held a calmness that seemed like the very essence of peace and love.
The queen turned as she heard the maiden’s panicked voice. She walked and glanced out the window and saw the chaos outside. Thousands of people dressed in black are clashing with her guards and soldiers, the battle raging at the gates of her city.
“The King said you must take Haus and run. Do not return until he comes for you,” the young maiden urged, handing the queen a jade tablet before drawing an arrow into her bow and rushing toward the door.
The queen needed no further urging. She quickly picks up the boy, still sleeping, into her arms. The maiden led her to a hidden passage, guiding them through the palace’s secret tunnels. Within moments, they emerged outside the grand city, now fleeing into the wild.
But no sooner had they made their escape than ten masked figures appeared from the shadows, chasing after them with alarming speed. The queen and the maiden ran as fast as they could, the boy cradled tightly in her embrace.
“My queen,” Suddenly, the maiden said breathlessly, “it has been an honor serving you in this life. If there is a next life, I hope I will serve you again.”
The queen turned, fear and realization flooding her eyes. “Haniva, no!”
But it was too late. Haniva had already made up her mind. In one swift motion, she ignited her soul, her body bursting into lightning flames that shone like a beacon. The explosion of light created a barrier, buying the queen and her son some precious time to escape.
Tears streamed down the queen’s face as she ran, her heart heavy with grief. She didn’t stop, couldn’t stop. Not until her son was safe.
The boy stirred in her arms, blinking awake. “Mom, why are you crying?” he asked softly, looking up at her tear-streaked face as they sped through the forest.
“Nothing, my love,” she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady. “We’re almost there.”
Haus turned his head to look behind them. His eyes widened in innocent confusion as he saw five masked figures in hot pursuit. “Mom, are those the bad people you told me about?”
The queen’s heart clenched at the sound of his voice. “Yes, Haus,” she said, forcing a gentle smile. “But today, they won’t catch us. Mother will protect you.”
The boy’s small hand reached up to wipe a tear from his mother’s cheek, and she kissed his forehead in return, her mind racing with what to do next.
They were running out of time.
The wind whipped past them as they continued their escape, but the masked figures were gaining ground. The queen could feel their dark energy growing stronger. She had no choice but to reach the teleportation formation contained in the jade tablet Haniva gave her.
The trees blurred as they rushed forward, but the queen knew they couldn’t keep this pace forever. Her own strength was dwindling, and the loss of Hanna weighed heavily on her heart.
Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past, narrowly missing her. The queen gasped, her body tensing as she darted through the thickening forest. Haus clung to her, his small fingers clutching the fabric of her dress.
Suddenly, they appeared in front of a waterfall. Right in front of the water, a circular structure lay on the ground, covered in glowing runic diagrams. The queen wasted no time, rushing forward and placing her son in the center of the formation.
“Mom?” Haus asked, his voice small and confused, watching as his mother stepped away from him, toward the edge of the circle.
“Haus, know that I love you more than anything in this life,” she said, tears streaming down her face. Her voice trembled with emotion, but she kept her gaze steady on her son.
At that moment, the five masked figures came within range. One of them shouted, “Slut! Hand over the cursed child and accept your death!”
The queen’s heart tightened, but she refused to show fear. She turned her attention back to the formation. The runes began to glow brighter, responding to her presence and energy.
“In this life, no one will touch my son while I am alive,” the queen declared, her voice resolute. The formation beneath Haus began to hum, the magic taking hold.
Before the masked men could rush toward the boy, the formation activated, casting a bright light around him. Haus looked at his mother, tears welling up in his eyes, but before he could say anything, the light swallowed him, and he vanished.
The queen smiled, her heartbreaking but full of resolve. She had done what she had to do.
One of the masked figures snarled, realizing what was happening. “Stop her!” he screamed, but it was too late.
The queen ignited her soul, her body bursting into flames of radiant power. “For my son,” she whispered.
BOOM.
A deafening explosion tore through the area, obliterating everything within a 20-mile radius. The queen’s body and soul erupted in a blast of pure energy, taking the five masked figures with her and destroying the formation in the process.
In her final act of love and sacrifice, she ensured that Haus would never be located again, leaving behind nothing but ash and silence in the place where she had given her life to protect her son.