The child awoke in a cold sweat, his small cries echoing adorably from the crib. His crying gradually softened as he looked up, his gaze landing on the beautiful woman peering down at him.
"Oh, my dear, why are you crying?" she asked, worry in her voice as she gazed lovingly at him. Her long, flowing black hair, the same shade as his own, framed her face, and her brown eyes, just like his, held warmth and concern. She reached down, her fingers tickling his belly. The baby squirmed and giggled happily, and she squealed in maternal delight before lifting him up carefully and holding him close. The infant nuzzled into her chest, content.
"My darling, my love," she murmured, holding him close. The baby, feeling safe and loved, nestled into her arms.
A shadow loomed briefly in the room, but the woman merely glared at it, and it faded away, retreating into the darkness. The baby looked on curiously, but the woman remained calm, her smile unwavering.
"You needn't worry about such things, my darling," she reassured him, her voice soft and soothing. "Mama knows best."
With a gentle motion, she placed him in a high chair, and the baby looked around with wide eyes, curious about his surroundings. She handed him a toy, which he immediately began to chew on, his little babbles making her heart swell with joy.
"How cute," she said fondly. "If only you had stayed little forever."
She squeezed his cheek, and the baby cooed, clearly content in her care. She prepared some food fruits and vegetables, and he ate it happily without making a fuss. Once he finished, he looked at her expectantly, his little face full of affection.
"Do you want something, perhaps?" she teased playfully, raising an eyebrow. The baby pouted, and she couldn't resist. She picked him up, cradling him in her arms.
"My, it seems I can't help myself when it comes to you," she laughed softly, holding him close.
"You were quite the troublemaker growing up, you know? Well, I guess right now, you don't remember," she chuckled. The baby, amused, tugged gently at her hair, causing her to laugh again.
"Mommy's hair is not a toy," she said, her tone soft but amused. She gave him a blanket, and he immediately started playing with it, happily rolling around in it before crawling away to explore.
The baby ventured around the room, finding himself in the closet. There, a man stood; he wasn't threatening, just a figure of mist, his imaginary friend. The baby looked up at him and pointed.
"Ja Do," the baby said, his voice innocent and childlike.
The man chuckled quietly. "That's right, buddy. You've become quite small, huh? This is going to be a little tricky now," he said, a wry smile playing on his lips. "You know, that shadow of yours is quite the meanie, huh?" he said, gesturing to the shadow that loomed nearby. The baby, curious, toddled up and tugged on its robe. The shadow turned to glare at John, clearly annoyed, but said nothing.
Suddenly, the door opened, and there was Tobi now, a small infant, sitting on the floor with a pacifier in his mouth, looking up at the black-haired woman.
"What are you doing here, little one?" she asked with a bemused smile as she scooped him up into her arms.
"Ja Do," the baby replied, pointing at the inside of the closet.
"Ja Do?" she repeated, looking at him in confusion. "An imaginary friend?" The baby nodded happily, as if the explanation made perfect sense.
"I see," she said softly. "Show me this next time, okay?" she teased, and the baby nodded, his tiny face alight with joy.
"There's something off… It seems my son has made friends from the future or should I say, the past?" The woman's voice carried an underlying threat, sharp and knowing. John remained hidden, a mere fragment of himself, powerless for now. The shadow glanced at her but was dismissed shortly after. Trapped in this feuding moment between mother and son, John could do nothing but wait, desperately hoping that even as an infant, Tobi would remember. Because the truth was that baby, the giggling, innocent child, was supposed to be an adult, one who had defied fate over and over again.
Tobi babbled happily, playing with his mother, clapping when she did, and nuzzling close when she opened her arms. It was a sweet, tender scene as the shadow of his future watched in silence, knowing the truth that lurked beneath it. And beyond this dream, he was Tobi, the future Tobi. The name, funnily enough, was given by her before he was nameless.
He remembered all of it.
His late twenties.
Meeting Eliora.
The dream that had given him a past he yearned for, letting him relive a childhood that was never meant to be.
The bond he had unknowingly forged with a god.
She had acted like his real mother, and in time, he had come to see her as such. It had been a fleeting peace, a momentary illusion of warmth and belonging, before reality came crashing down. When he awoke from that dream, the memories clashed, leaving him lost, adrift once more, until he eventually returned to Eliora.
His past was complicated.
His war against Fate had been inevitable. But back then, he hadn't realized the cruellest part of it all: his own mother had been one of Fate's allies. Their reunion had been…awkward, to say the least. Had she ever truly seen him as her son? Or had she done this to countless others before him? No, he didn't think so. There was something too deliberate in the way she had raised him, too personal in the way she had treated him. And now, she was trying to keep him here, in a dream that would never end.
"This is perfect, isn't it?" she cooed, holding the baby close as he giggled at her touch.
Yes. It was perfect.
Everything was just…perfect.