Warmth.
It enveloped me like a cocoon, soft and suffocating at the same time. My skin was wet—slick with blood and other fluids—and every inch of my body screamed discomfort. My lungs seized as I inhaled for the first time, and without my consent, a wail burst from my mouth.
A baby's cry.
That cry… was mine.
No… no, no—what is this? Why can't I move properly?
My arms—no, twigs—flopped uselessly beside me. I tried to open my eyes, but the blinding light pierced through my vision, forcing me to squint.
Sound was distant, echoing, like I was underwater.
"He's alive!" came a relieved cry, womanly and trembling with joy.
"He's… beautiful," said a deeper, calmer voice. "Just like you, Selene."
Their voices were unfamiliar, but something about the woman's tone felt comforting. Her trembling hands pulled me close, pressing me against her chest. Her skin was warm. I could hear her heartbeat, strong yet rapid.
Selene.
That must be her name—my new mother.
And the man… must be my father.
---
A Life Forgotten
A sudden sharp pain throbbed in my mind, and in that moment, fragments of another life came rushing back.
I saw my body—older, scarred, dead on a hospital bed.
A cruel smirk painted across my stepsister's face.
"You never even kissed a girl," she spat, watching the life drain from me. "You died the same useless virgin you were born as."
My heart clenched. The bitterness of betrayal. The sting of loneliness. That cursed life had been a pit of disappointment and despair.
And yet… here I was again. Crying in a stranger's arms. Reborn.
So it wasn't a dream. I really died. And now… I've been given another chance.
---
The Naming
I was still crying, and despite my best efforts, the noise wouldn't stop. My underdeveloped vocal cords refused to obey.
"Poor thing. He's cold," Selene murmured, wrapping me in a soft, silken cloth. "But his mana… it's pulsing wildly already."
I heard a quiet gasp.
"He's overflowing," said the man, who I now knew was my father. "Even his eyes… they have the shimmer of fate."
I looked up—finally managing to focus on his face.
His hair was midnight-black, swept back with elegance, and his jawline was sharp enough to carve stone. Piercing crimson eyes stared down at me with pride. A tall man with noble posture and a warrior's presence.
"Let's name him Mike," he declared. "Simple. Strong. A name that carries weight in any land."
Selene smiled softly, her long golden hair falling over her shoulders like silk.
"Mike… I love it."
She pressed her lips to my forehead, and at that moment, I felt it.
A surge.
---
The First Glimpse of Power
Her touch ignited something inside me. A warmth… that wasn't emotional. It was magical.
No—something deeper. Something twisted.
Selene's body tensed as she held me, her breath hitching just slightly. Her cheeks flushed red. Her fingers trembled where they held my cheek.
"Did… did you feel that?" she whispered, almost too quiet to hear.
"I did," said my father. "His mana responded to your emotions."
There was something in her eyes—a shimmer, subtle but unmistakable. Not just maternal affection.
It was desire.
I shouldn't have known what that looked like. I was a newborn. But my soul… my mind… it was already awakened.
I could feel her emotions.
Taste them.
My power was awakening.
---
[Skill Unlocked: Desire Sense - Lv. 1]
"You can feel the hidden urges of those around you. The more emotional or intimate the contact, the stronger the reaction."
---
My lips curled instinctively—not into a smile, but something darker.
So I wasn't just reborn.
I was reborn different.
The House of Vance
As the days passed, I learned more about the world—bits and pieces overheard while lying in the cradle.
My father's name was Kael Vance, a former knight of the kingdom's High Order. My mother, Selene Vance, was once a court enchantress who vanished from public life after marrying him.
They lived far from the capital now—in a mansion on the edge of a forest near the border. A quiet region. Peaceful. But charged with magic.
"He was born under the twilight eclipse," I heard a maid whisper one day. "That only happens once every five hundred years…"
"They say such children carry a cursed blessing," another said. "Powerful… but dangerous."
Perfect.
---
Internal Monologue —
In my last life, I died without touching the heart of a single woman. Mocked. Alone. Powerless.
But this world runs on magic. Emotion. Lust. And I… I can feel all of it.
Even as an infant, my aura stirs desire. What happens when I grow stronger? When I master my powers?
"This time, I won't live in fear. This time, I'll take what I want."
"Every heart. Every body. Every soul."
"This life belongs to me."
"My sweet little Mike… You're going to change the world." she said
Her soft breath tickled my skin, and her touch lingered longer than necessary.
And deep inside her heart…
I felt it again.
A flicker of warmth. Curiosity. Forbidden interest.
My power stirred, stronger than before.
I closed my eyes and let the darkness cradle me.
---
Time flows differently when you're a baby.
Minutes feel like hours. Days blur into one another. I couldn't speak, couldn't cast magic, couldn't even chew food properly yet—but inside, I was wide awake. Always watching. Always learning.
I wasn't just a baby.
I was Mike Vance—the reincarnated soul of a scorned man who died without a legacy.
This life was mine to carve.