One year later.
A year has passed since the birth of Arthur and almost two years since the death of Liam.
The story of Liam is in the past, just a nightmare that occasionally haunts the sleep of little Arthur.
But it's just a rare occurrence as Arthur's life is literally perfect. His parents love him dearly and are extremely affectionate and attentive.
This is due to the traumas that Draven and Aria experienced with their own parents, which instead of making them bad parents, motivated them to be the best parents ever.
And little Arthur can say that they are doing very well on this journey, as they provide him with everything necessary for a child to grow up as healthy as possible.
Draven and Aria not only spoil Arthur whenever they can, but they also feed him well, keep his clothes always clean, and always have bright smiles on their faces.
Perhaps it's because Arthur has a past as Liam that even as a baby, he behaves very well, is always cheerful and energetic, and only cries when the nightmares of another life torment him beyond limits.
Thus, both Arthur and his parents consider these days as precious moments when there is only happiness filling their lives.
In such a healthy environment, little Arthur grows up without noticing time passing…
Two years, three years, and soon four years; on his fourth birthday, little Arthur is no longer so little but a young boy with rosy cheeks and always a beautiful smile on his face.
Draven and Aria couldn't be happier parents, given that their son is so healthy.
Little Arthur already knows how to read and write in the language of that region and is studying other languages with his mother.
And he quickly understands that this new world is like the medieval fantasy worlds from stories in Liam's world.
Not just languages, Arthur also studies mathematics, geography, and all other imaginable subjects with his mother. Aria is simply an endless well of knowledge and teaches him with all the love of a mother.
Besides studying and playing with his mother, Arthur also spends many pleasant moments with his father; they stroll around the small village near their home, fish in little streams, and work together in maintaining the house.
Upon turning five, Arthur is given a grand party by his parents. All the people from the village come to celebrate his birth with presents and good wishes.
Draven and Aria are definitely not ordinary people and, even though they chose to live in a small farming village, they stand out significantly.
In fact, Draven alone takes care of the entire village's security, and all the people in the region feel safe with him defending them from wild beasts and bandits.
Aria is also greatly admired as she is a kind of genius erudite who, with just a wave of her fingers, can heal any wound and bring rain in times of drought, helping the entire population of the region.
Thus, due to how loved and respected Arthur's parents are, he is also born into the love of many people.
And even though those people are just a few hundred farmers, Arthur is grateful for so much love, pure and kind love.
His party is the biggest event that has ever happened in the small village, which is named after the name of his family, Fletcher.
And that night, after turning five, Arthur is put to bed by his mother, who now starts to call him little boy instead of little baby.
Life couldn't be better… but then something happens.
Perhaps due to Arthur maturing or some other event, the cloud in his mind begins to dissipate, and slowly, the memories of Liam become clear.
Arthur realizes that those frightening visions were not just nightmares but a dark part of him buried deep in his soul.
Any five-year-old child would be terrified in the same situation, but Arthur feels a profound sense of gratitude.
As Liam, he only suffered, but as Arthur, he has a wonderful life, with parents who love and take very good care of him.
So, fearing to destroy his wonderful life, Arthur buries those horrible memories as deep as he can as they emerge.
He tries to act as normally as possible, and while Draven doesn't notice anything wrong, Aria does. After all, how could someone as perceptive as her not notice how her son begins to mature much faster than normal?
But Aria is not troubled by this; after all, Arthur is a perfect son. He is always smiling, loving, and dedicated to his family.
Draven teaches him to be strong and protect the weak, while Aria teaches him to be kind and respect the elderly.
And Arthur follows his parents' teachings to the letter; he has nothing to complain about with such a perfect life.
Four years later, at the age of nine, Arthur feels he has received a beautiful gift: his mother gives birth to a lovely little girl with blond hair and blue eyes like his.
Draven is overjoyed, and Arthur shares the feeling with him as he is also very happy to have a little sister.
Liam had an older sister in the early years of his life, but she was taken from him along with his parents before he could understand how strong the bonds between siblings can be.
But now Arthur has a sister whom he can care for and love deeply, so life only gets better.
Of course, things seem perfect for him, but after his sister's birth, Aria and Draven begin to disagree on how to raise them, and it ends up pushing them apart.
Yet, they just stop sharing the same bed and still remain as a united couple in front of their children so that they have the best childhood possible.
Two more years pass, two beautiful years in which Arthur and Draven can watch cute little Eve take her first steps, utter her first words…
And by the way, after saying "mommy", the second word little Eve utters is "brother" before "daddy", giving Arthur a playful advantage to use against Draven, in a loving and familial way, of course.
Arthur also grows and matures a lot in those two years. Now, at eleven years old, he has a much better understanding of how incredible life in that world is, and especially how amazing his parents are.
Draven helps so many people every day in the village region and the surrounding areas, facing hordes of dangerous animals and entire gangs of criminals.
And he does all this without even once summoning the golden lion on his back, making it clear that he only needs a small fraction of his power to be a hero.
Yet, Arthur can't say if his father is stronger than his mother; after all, Aria is not just an incredible mage, but her powers are quite mysterious.
She spends her day giving full attention to Arthur and Eve, but at the same time, she manages to keep the large house completely organized and still helps the people of the village.
With her magic, she can bring objects to life and do all kinds of work while giving all her love to her children.
During this period, Arthur also begins to socialize with the village children. In fact, Aria always took him to play with children his age when he was younger.
But since he matures faster than the others, it's difficult for Arthur to find interest in playing with the children outside while he has his cute little sister wanting to interact with him at home.
The only thing that worries Arthur and his family is not understanding the meaning of his Nexus.
That pink heart grows in proportion with Arthur's body and always seems dangerously close to his most private area, but there's still no sign that he actually has an Astral Beast.
Nevertheless, Arthur's life couldn't be better…
But then, once again, something happens to shake his whole world.
______
"Ahhh, that was so good!" Arthur pats his belly and lets out a long, relaxed sigh as he lies down on the rug next to the fireplace.
"Indeed," Draven, also lying on the rug, exclaims with a contented expression. "Your mother is the best cook in the world!"
"Mom!" Little Eve says as she walks between Arthur and Draven, handing them small portions of the rice cake made by Aria.
Even though she could use her magic for anything, she always makes their food with her own hands, putting all her love and care into it, and of course, a bit of mana too.
"Ara~ ara~~" She giggles in her usual charming way. "You say that because mommy is the only one who knows how to cook in this house."
"No way!" Arthur quickly responds. "Your cooking is really perfect, mom."
Aria feels very proud upon hearing that and also because of how Arthur is turning into a fine young man.
Draven is also increasingly proud of his son and extends his hand to stroke his blond hair.
"Listen to your old man, Arthur," he speaks in a fake wise tone, a kind of joke between them. "If you ever find a woman who cooks as well as your mother, MARRY HER!"
"YEP!" Arthur responds in a tone as enthusiastic as Draven's and gives him a thumbs-up, causing both of them to start laughing.
"Huh?" Eve is happy to hear them laughing but doesn't understand the reason and looks confusedly at her mother.
Aria tries hard to be an excellent mother to her children even though her love for Draven has already faded. He doesn't seem to give up on winning back her heart, but she doesn't return his affection.
"What are you teaching our son, Draven??" She tries to sound neutral, but a part of her really doesn't want to think about her son pursuing girls at such a young age.
Draven may be a powerful hero feared by legions of criminals, but he trembles just hearing Aria's voice in a tone slightly louder than usual.
Arthur would like to say he's different, but he also respects his mother too much to want to make her angry, so both immediately fall silent.
"Good..." Aria can't help but smile. "Hey, shouldn't you both be going to bed already? Tomorrow you have a busy day helping the villagers fix the mill, right?"
"Yep," Arthur gets up and stretches his long legs before starting to climb the stairs.
"Hey, Arthur," but his mother throws another loving reprimand. "Take a bath before bed, no girl will want anything to do with you if you're smelly."
"Hahaha..." Draven can't help but laugh, until Aria looks at him with a severe expression. "Okay, okay, I'll take a bath next!"
"Mm~ mm~~!" Aria nods with a proud expression.
Arthur smiles as he takes one last look at his happy family before heading to the second floor.
He doesn't waste time and heads straight for the bathroom; his mother arranges everything with magic, so the bathtub water is always clean and warm, while his clothes are always clean and scented.
Arthur steps into the bathroom and quickly sheds his clothes, ready to jump into the bathtub. But before he does, he pauses to take a good look at his body.
As just Arthur, he might not have noticed the differences between himself and other boys his age, but with Liam's memories, he sees how things are different.
He is much taller than other eleven-year-old boys, which leads him to muse, "It's probably due to Draven's genetics, who is also a very tall guy."
Arthur also notices that he is more muscular than a typical child his age. "Maybe it's because of all the manual work on the farm?" he wonders.
He has a rationale for these two aspects, but then his gaze drifts to his heart-shaped tattoo and what lies below it.
"It can't be this big already!!!" Arthur can't help but feel embarrassed.
Even though he has Liam's experiences, that was another life, and now, as Arthur, he feels like he's reliving those experiences all over again... but now very different experiences, by the way.
"I hope it's also due to Draven's genetics!" Arthur thinks before jumping into the bathtub. He tries to find a reason to explain his size, but it is definitely not his father's inheritance.
"Ahhh..." The hot water covering his body leaves Arthur feeling very relaxed.
But since he doesn't want his mother to come into the bathroom and give him a loving scolding, he quickly starts to wash himself.
Everything proceeds as usual until he brings the bath sponge to his lower belly area...
Maybe because he's in a rush or simply going through puberty, Arthur washes that area with a lot of 'intensity,' generating a pleasurable sensation.
Feeling this way is normal for boys his age and older, but then Arthur feels something moving rapidly through his body, especially in that particular area.
"Huh??!" He becomes very confused as something has just moved over his belly and groin.
Arthur quickly looks down and notices something very strange.
"Gone?!?!" He's shocked to no longer see that heart-shaped tattoo on his lower belly area; it simply vanished as if it had never existed.
Arthur panics and freezes, but then, a gentle breeze enters through the bathroom window, carrying a peculiar scent to his nose.
He will never forget that scent because it's so enticing, even rivaling his mother's natural fragrance.
However, unlike Aria's scent, which warms Arthur's heart and makes him feel loved, this new scent awakens his most primal and wild instincts.
Ignoring his body's extreme reactions, Arthur slowly looks to the side, in the direction of the source of that scent.
And to his surprise, right there, is a beautiful girl with red hair and yellow big eyes standing right beside the bathtub. She appears to be about sixteen years old, a charming young beauty.
And...
"Completely naked?!?!" Arthur immediately averts his gaze before he can see anything beyond her delicate arms covering her intimate parts.
His mother's teachings are so deeply ingrained in his being that he can even hear her voice in his mind telling him that peeking at a naked girl is wrong.
Arthur has to gather all the determination he has not to look at that beautiful and cute girl.
Or rather, it's just the fear of his mother walking into the beathroom just in time to catch him in the act that keeps him from succumbing to temptation.
"Oi, oi," Arthur stammers nervously, stumbling over his words. "Who are you???"
The beautiful girl's face turns increasingly red, both from embarrassment and anger.
"Stupid Arthur, why did you do that?!" The girl asks, furious.
"This? What did I-" Arthur feels guilty due to the girl's tone, but he doesn't understand what's happening.
"I'm not ready yet!!" She shouts, and yet her voice is so sweet that it sounds like a beautiful melody.
But before Arthur can say anything, he feels her delicate hand against his head.
"A punch?" She's so cute that even the punch seems like a gift from heaven.
The girl notices his smile and becomes even more upset. "Stupid Arthur, I will really beat you up!!!"
One year later.
A year has passed since the birth of Arthur and almost two years since the death of Liam.
The story of Liam is in the past, just a nightmare that occasionally haunts the sleep of little Arthur.
But it's just a rare occurrence as Arthur's life is literally perfect. His parents love him dearly and are extremely affectionate and attentive.
This is due to the traumas that Draven and Aria experienced with their own parents, which instead of making them bad parents, motivated them to be the best parents ever.
And little Arthur can say that they are doing very well on this journey, as they provide him with everything necessary for a child to grow up as healthy as possible.
Draven and Aria not only spoil Arthur whenever they can, but they also feed him well, keep his clothes always clean, and always have bright smiles on their faces.
Perhaps it's because Arthur has a past as Liam that even as a baby, he behaves very well, is always cheerful and energetic, and only cries when the nightmares of another life torment him beyond limits.
Thus, both Arthur and his parents consider these days as precious moments when there is only happiness filling their lives.
In such a healthy environment, little Arthur grows up without noticing time passing…
Two years, three years, and soon four years; on his fourth birthday, little Arthur is no longer so little but a young boy with rosy cheeks and always a beautiful smile on his face.
Draven and Aria couldn't be happier parents, given that their son is so healthy.
Little Arthur already knows how to read and write in the language of that region and is studying other languages with his mother.
And he quickly understands that this new world is like the medieval fantasy worlds from stories in Liam's world.
Not just languages, Arthur also studies mathematics, geography, and all other imaginable subjects with his mother. Aria is simply an endless well of knowledge and teaches him with all the love of a mother.
Besides studying and playing with his mother, Arthur also spends many pleasant moments with his father; they stroll around the small village near their home, fish in little streams, and work together in maintaining the house.
Upon turning five, Arthur is given a grand party by his parents. All the people from the village come to celebrate his birth with presents and good wishes.
Draven and Aria are definitely not ordinary people and, even though they chose to live in a small farming village, they stand out significantly.
In fact, Draven alone takes care of the entire village's security, and all the people in the region feel safe with him defending them from wild beasts and bandits.
Aria is also greatly admired as she is a kind of genius erudite who, with just a wave of her fingers, can heal any wound and bring rain in times of drought, helping the entire population of the region.
Thus, due to how loved and respected Arthur's parents are, he is also born into the love of many people.
And even though those people are just a few hundred farmers, Arthur is grateful for so much love, pure and kind love.
His party is the biggest event that has ever happened in the small village, which is named after the name of his family, Fletcher.
And that night, after turning five, Arthur is put to bed by his mother, who now starts to call him little boy instead of little baby.
Life couldn't be better… but then something happens.
Perhaps due to Arthur maturing or some other event, the cloud in his mind begins to dissipate, and slowly, the memories of Liam become clear.
Arthur realizes that those frightening visions were not just nightmares but a dark part of him buried deep in his soul.
Any five-year-old child would be terrified in the same situation, but Arthur feels a profound sense of gratitude.
As Liam, he only suffered, but as Arthur, he has a wonderful life, with parents who love and take very good care of him.
So, fearing to destroy his wonderful life, Arthur buries those horrible memories as deep as he can as they emerge.
He tries to act as normally as possible, and while Draven doesn't notice anything wrong, Aria does. After all, how could someone as perceptive as her not notice how her son begins to mature much faster than normal?
But Aria is not troubled by this; after all, Arthur is a perfect son. He is always smiling, loving, and dedicated to his family.
Draven teaches him to be strong and protect the weak, while Aria teaches him to be kind and respect the elderly.
And Arthur follows his parents' teachings to the letter; he has nothing to complain about with such a perfect life.
Four years later, at the age of nine, Arthur feels he has received a beautiful gift: his mother gives birth to a lovely little girl with blond hair and blue eyes like his.
Draven is overjoyed, and Arthur shares the feeling with him as he is also very happy to have a little sister.
Liam had an older sister in the early years of his life, but she was taken from him along with his parents before he could understand how strong the bonds between siblings can be.
But now Arthur has a sister whom he can care for and love deeply, so life only gets better.
Of course, things seem perfect for him, but after his sister's birth, Aria and Draven begin to disagree on how to raise them, and it ends up pushing them apart.
Yet, they just stop sharing the same bed and still remain as a united couple in front of their children so that they have the best childhood possible.
Two more years pass, two beautiful years in which Arthur and Draven can watch cute little Eve take her first steps, utter her first words…
And by the way, after saying "mommy", the second word little Eve utters is "brother" before "daddy", giving Arthur a playful advantage to use against Draven, in a loving and familial way, of course.
Arthur also grows and matures a lot in those two years. Now, at eleven years old, he has a much better understanding of how incredible life in that world is, and especially how amazing his parents are.
Draven helps so many people every day in the village region and the surrounding areas, facing hordes of dangerous animals and entire gangs of criminals.
And he does all this without even once summoning the golden lion on his back, making it clear that he only needs a small fraction of his power to be a hero.
Yet, Arthur can't say if his father is stronger than his mother; after all, Aria is not just an incredible mage, but her powers are quite mysterious.
She spends her day giving full attention to Arthur and Eve, but at the same time, she manages to keep the large house completely organized and still helps the people of the village.
With her magic, she can bring objects to life and do all kinds of work while giving all her love to her children.
During this period, Arthur also begins to socialize with the village children. In fact, Aria always took him to play with children his age when he was younger.
But since he matures faster than the others, it's difficult for Arthur to find interest in playing with the children outside while he has his cute little sister wanting to interact with him at home.
The only thing that worries Arthur and his family is not understanding the meaning of his Nexus.
That pink heart grows in proportion with Arthur's body and always seems dangerously close to his most private area, but there's still no sign that he actually has an Astral Beast.
Nevertheless, Arthur's life couldn't be better…
But then, once again, something happens to shake his whole world.
______
"Ahhh, that was so good!" Arthur pats his belly and lets out a long, relaxed sigh as he lies down on the rug next to the fireplace.
"Indeed," Draven, also lying on the rug, exclaims with a contented expression. "Your mother is the best cook in the world!"
"Mom!" Little Eve says as she walks between Arthur and Draven, handing them small portions of the rice cake made by Aria.
Even though she could use her magic for anything, she always makes their food with her own hands, putting all her love and care into it, and of course, a bit of mana too.
"Ara~ ara~~" She giggles in her usual charming way. "You say that because mommy is the only one who knows how to cook in this house."
"No way!" Arthur quickly responds. "Your cooking is really perfect, mom."
Aria feels very proud upon hearing that and also because of how Arthur is turning into a fine young man.
Draven is also increasingly proud of his son and extends his hand to stroke his blond hair.
"Listen to your old man, Arthur," he speaks in a fake wise tone, a kind of joke between them. "If you ever find a woman who cooks as well as your mother, MARRY HER!"
"YEP!" Arthur responds in a tone as enthusiastic as Draven's and gives him a thumbs-up, causing both of them to start laughing.
"Huh?" Eve is happy to hear them laughing but doesn't understand the reason and looks confusedly at her mother.
Aria tries hard to be an excellent mother to her children even though her love for Draven has already faded. He doesn't seem to give up on winning back her heart, but she doesn't return his affection.
"What are you teaching our son, Draven??" She tries to sound neutral, but a part of her really doesn't want to think about her son pursuing girls at such a young age.
Draven may be a powerful hero feared by legions of criminals, but he trembles just hearing Aria's voice in a tone slightly louder than usual.
Arthur would like to say he's different, but he also respects his mother too much to want to make her angry, so both immediately fall silent.
"Good..." Aria can't help but smile. "Hey, shouldn't you both be going to bed already? Tomorrow you have a busy day helping the villagers fix the mill, right?"
"Yep," Arthur gets up and stretches his long legs before starting to climb the stairs.
"Hey, Arthur," but his mother throws another loving reprimand. "Take a bath before bed, no girl will want anything to do with you if you're smelly."
"Hahaha..." Draven can't help but laugh, until Aria looks at him with a severe expression. "Okay, okay, I'll take a bath next!"
"Mm~ mm~~!" Aria nods with a proud expression.
Arthur smiles as he takes one last look at his happy family before heading to the second floor.
He doesn't waste time and heads straight for the bathroom; his mother arranges everything with magic, so the bathtub water is always clean and warm, while his clothes are always clean and scented.
Arthur steps into the bathroom and quickly sheds his clothes, ready to jump into the bathtub. But before he does, he pauses to take a good look at his body.
As just Arthur, he might not have noticed the differences between himself and other boys his age, but with Liam's memories, he sees how things are different.
He is much taller than other eleven-year-old boys, which leads him to muse, "It's probably due to Draven's genetics, who is also a very tall guy."
Arthur also notices that he is more muscular than a typical child his age. "Maybe it's because of all the manual work on the farm?" he wonders.
He has a rationale for these two aspects, but then his gaze drifts to his heart-shaped tattoo and what lies below it.
"It can't be this big already!!!" Arthur can't help but feel embarrassed.
Even though he has Liam's experiences, that was another life, and now, as Arthur, he feels like he's reliving those experiences all over again... but now very different experiences, by the way.
"I hope it's also due to Draven's genetics!" Arthur thinks before jumping into the bathtub. He tries to find a reason to explain his size, but it is definitely not his father's inheritance.
"Ahhh..." The hot water covering his body leaves Arthur feeling very relaxed.
But since he doesn't want his mother to come into the bathroom and give him a loving scolding, he quickly starts to wash himself.
Everything proceeds as usual until he brings the bath sponge to his lower belly area...
Maybe because he's in a rush or simply going through puberty, Arthur washes that area with a lot of 'intensity,' generating a pleasurable sensation.
Feeling this way is normal for boys his age and older, but then Arthur feels something moving rapidly through his body, especially in that particular area.
"Huh??!" He becomes very confused as something has just moved over his belly and groin.
Arthur quickly looks down and notices something very strange.
"Gone?!?!" He's shocked to no longer see that heart-shaped tattoo on his lower belly area; it simply vanished as if it had never existed.
Arthur panics and freezes, but then, a gentle breeze enters through the bathroom window, carrying a peculiar scent to his nose.
He will never forget that scent because it's so enticing, even rivaling his mother's natural fragrance.
However, unlike Aria's scent, which warms Arthur's heart and makes him feel loved, this new scent awakens his most primal and wild instincts.
Ignoring his body's extreme reactions, Arthur slowly looks to the side, in the direction of the source of that scent.
And to his surprise, right there, is a beautiful girl with red hair and yellow big eyes standing right beside the bathtub. She appears to be about sixteen years old, a charming young beauty.
And...
"Completely naked?!?!" Arthur immediately averts his gaze before he can see anything beyond her delicate arms covering her intimate parts.
His mother's teachings are so deeply ingrained in his being that he can even hear her voice in his mind telling him that peeking at a naked girl is wrong.
Arthur has to gather all the determination he has not to look at that beautiful and cute girl.
Or rather, it's just the fear of his mother walking into the beathroom just in time to catch him in the act that keeps him from succumbing to temptation.
"Oi, oi," Arthur stammers nervously, stumbling over his words. "Who are you???"
The beautiful girl's face turns increasingly red, both from embarrassment and anger.
"Stupid Arthur, why did you do that?!" The girl asks, furious.
"This? What did I-" Arthur feels guilty due to the girl's tone, but he doesn't understand what's happening.
"I'm not ready yet!!" She shouts, and yet her voice is so sweet that it sounds like a beautiful melody.
But before Arthur can say anything, he feels her delicate hand against his head.
"A punch?" She's so cute that even the punch seems like a gift from heaven.
The girl notices his smile and becomes even more upset. "Stupid Arthur, I will really beat you up!!!"
