Have I not yet woken up from that disturbing dream, or what?
When I opened my eyes, the room was dim, which was due to a faint light falling on the wall. It wasn't like the previous room lighting; only a beam of light coming from a window or something like that. But this means that I am awake.
I tried to get up, but I couldn't. Not only that, I couldn't move freely either. But why can't I move? Suddenly, I heard the sound of footsteps coming from a distance. It seemed like someone was climbing up a staircase. Has that old man returned again? That old man, this time, I will hit him until his face swells.
But this sound is not like the previous one. Who could it be? The footsteps are irregular. The door leading to the room I'm in now opened, and a little light entered. This man is not the old man. I remember the features of that old man very well; this is someone different.
I couldn't clearly identify his appearance because he quickly closed the door after entering, and before closing it completely, he slowed his movement so I could hear the door creak. Is he trying to sneak into the room? He might be a thief. I need to get up and stop him.
I tried to get up again, but like last time, I couldn't. Meanwhile, I began to hear his footsteps approaching me. This isn't good; I must get up now. But nothing happened, I couldn't get up or move.
There was nothing stopping him. When I thought about this, I heard the sound of something colliding. It seemed he had bumped into something and fallen because the sound of the impact was very loud.
"Who put this here?"
Then I heard his footsteps again. It seemed he had gotten up, but this time the sound was moving away from me. I turned and saw that the footsteps were heading towards the faint beam of light coming from the window. It seemed he was trying to open it. When he opened the window, light filled the room. At that moment, I couldn't keep my eyes open and turned away, closing them.
After a few moments, I slowly opened my eyes and was shocked to find that I was lying in a crib. From this position, it looked very large. I moved my head slightly, and I began staring at the wooden ceiling, showing signs of wear, as if many harsh days had passed, but it was still strong and held its shape.
I averted my gaze and stared around the room. Well, it's not a large room, nor is it small. It barely fits two people. The walls are made from the same wood as the ceiling. There isn't much furniture. I couldn't see anything except the crib I'm lying in, a table, and a chair, which seemed to have been knocked over by the man earlier. There was a mirror on the right side of the door, with a chair and a table holding a hairbrush and some accessories. It's a grooming corner. The room is simple but provides the basic necessities of life.
But wait a minute, this isn't my room! What happened to my room? Where is my bed? Haaa, where is my computer? This can't be real! I was on the last level and had sent a request to get the new shield in the game.
When I tried to get up again, I couldn't. After several failed attempts, I raised my hand to grab the edge of the crib, and here came the surprise: my hands were small! I had shrunk! Then came the problems. When I tried to ask for help, a sound came out of me that seemed like a baby's cry.
Quickly, the man came toward me and lifted me easily. Wait a moment, am I this light, or is this man as strong as Hercules? Seriously, what is going on?
When the man turned to face the mirror next to the door, wait a moment, this can't be real, it can't be. How could this happen? I'm a baby! No, no, this must be a joke, and I'm dreaming. Yes, that's right, I'm dreaming, that's the only explanation.
Or maybe I took a drug somehow and started hallucinating. At first, that old man said I had died, and now I'm a child? How can this happen? But there's one way to confirm both possibilities.
I raised my hand to my mouth and tried to bite my hand. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bite it. Ugh, I don't have teeth! And then I realized that the child the man was holding was me. But how and when did I end up looking like this?
I remembered what that old man said. Could this be true? Could it be that what the old man said was right? That I'm dead? That old man with the long nose didn't explain anything, but when I see him again, I'll punch him in his face, so that whenever he sees his reflection, he won't even recognize himself.
"Ha!"
Damn, I forgot that this man is still standing here. The man had white skin, short red hair, a muscular body, and rough hands. When he carried me, his hands felt like fish scales. He was wearing brown pants, shoes, and a white leather jacket with a fur collar and a white fur hood. There was some snow on his shoulders, it must be snowing now.
"What happened to you to look at me like that? Did I scare you? It's okay, don't be afraid, I'm not going to eat you. Hahahaha. But it's good you're not crying."
Eat me? Is that how you talk to a baby? Since he started it first, let's have some fun since I'm a baby now.
"Kwaa, Kwaaa."
He started rocking me back and forth forcefully. Stop, stop, you're going to rip my head off. Is this how it's going to be? Damn, I went back to my old habits.
While thinking about how long this treatment will last, I frowned. Doesn't this man know how to deal with babies? Damn, I forgot that babies don't make expressions like this, which if done by an adult, would be considered mocking. But at least I figured it out quickly and pretended to cry again.
It's amazing how crying solves everything.
"No, no, calm down, who's the good baby? Don't cry. Do you want milk? Or do you want a diaper change?"
No, no, no, anything but a diaper change. I felt like my dignity was being beaten from all sides and then buried in a dirty swamp. What did I do to deserve all this? I will never forgive that old man. He must be the reason for all of this.
"My dear, are you home?"
Who's this? A woman's voice came from downstairs. She must be coming from the floor below us. After that, I heard the sound of a door closing. Then I heard her footsteps as she climbed the stairs, stopped, and she was now behind the door of this room. She kicked the door and entered.
I was shocked by what I saw, as if the Snow Queen had come here. Long white hair, blue eyes, and snow-white skin, wearing a long white fur jacket. She deserves the title of Snow Queen. She reminds me of Elsa.
"Hello, my dear, how was shopping with Amelia?"
"Good. Wait, what's this? You were outside training, weren't you?"
"Eh?"
How did she know that? Ah, the reason she knew was because of the snow on his shoulders. It seems she caught him in the act. All his expressions showed that he was afraid of this woman. I don't blame him, as those beautiful blue eyes turned into red eyes that sparkled with anger.
"Ah, you, it seems you'll never learn, 'combat freak.' Anyway, Milius and Amelia are coming for dinner tonight. They're bringing Lyria too."
"Ah, Milius, it's been a long time since I've seen him."
Ahhhhhh. Suddenly, I felt drowsy. Being a baby is the worst thing ever. As my eyes slowly closed, my vision started to blur. I took a quick glance at this pair. Ahh, this scene, this is why I hate social relationships.
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It seems I slept for a long time. I haven't had such sleep in a very long time. But what are these sounds? There are voices of several people. Did guests come today while I was asleep?
I remembered now. That woman had mentioned she invited three people for dinner. It seems these voices are from them.
"It's been all this time and you still remember? Your memory is not to be underestimated, Rick."
That's a man's voice.
"... It was nice, wasn't it?"
That's a woman's voice.
Where's the third person?
"Kwaa, Kwaaa."
Is the third person a child? Yes, it's the sound of a child. When the woman saw me awake, she lifted me in her arms and said:
"You woke up just in time, it's dinner time, my dear Ed."
She put a bottle in my mouth. This is good, I don't want to be misunderstood, but I am an adult man after all.
I remember she said, "Milius and Amelia are coming for dinner tonight," and who else was with them? I remembered "Lyria." What is that name anyway?
"Look, Ed has woken up."
"Doesn't he look cute, Milius?"
"Yes, he looks healthy too. Look at those eyes, they're beautiful. Congratulations, Rick, it seems your son looks just like you. I hope he's not as fond of fighting as you are."
"Not you too, Milius."
They all started laughing, except for the red-haired man. He must be Rick. Even I can tell he's a combat lover just by his appearance.
"Let me hold him for a bit. How about we introduce him to Lyria? Look, she's asleep."
"Let her sleep, we won't be able to calm her down if she wakes up."
The man and woman who came, well, let's say the man, Milius, looks like a businessman, calm, not very talkative, neat in his clothes. But his actions and way of speaking don't match his appearance. His hair is short and black, and he's wearing white pants, a blue jacket, and a white shirt.
As for the woman, she is exactly like him in her neat and tidy clothes. Her light blue hair is braided, her crystal-clear brown eyes, and she's wearing a long white dress with a red ribbon around her waist, and a violet teardrop-shaped necklace. She's as beautiful as the first woman.
It seems they'll keep talking, but I can't stand long, aimless conversations. I'm tired of them carrying me around anyway, so I'll enjoy this peaceful sleep as long as I get it. It seems this body has many benefits; it would be foolish not to take advantage of them.