It was dark.

That was the first thought he had as he tried to look around. It wasn't like a dark room where one could vaguely see the outlines, it was complete darkness. He didn't know if his eyes were open or not.

Trying to think about the reason why he was here, he began to think back to his past.

'...I died. There's nothing other than that. And, this place doesn't look like heaven or hell... Then, why am I here?'

'Here' was this darkness devoid of anything.

His memories were intact, save for his name. Whenever he tried to think about it, it would be omitted. If people called out his name, he wouldn't be able to hear anything, but he knew they were saying his name.

The names of his family, friends, acquaintances, even the random people he saw on T.V., he could remember their names clearer than he ever could. Childhood memories that he had forgotten also came to him with just a thought.

All of a sudden, the darkness receded.

"Become a Monarch."

There was also a voice that stopped his train of thought. It felt like he was in a closed building and he could hear the voice through the speakers. Like during church. The voice reverberated throughout the empty space.

"Who are you?"

He tried asking but his voice didn't come out. He couldn't even feel if he had a mouth.

"For the entirety of the life you lived, you were a tool that others used to make their lives easier. You were a source of entertainment they watched when they were bored."

He tried to talk many times, but the voice didn't respond. Could his voice even be heard?

"I will let you keep your memories and send you to another place, with another life. I will also give you a gift that can be achieved at the lowest of your second life. Use these to change yourself."

"Wait a second!"

I can speak?

He was surprised but continued.

"When I died, I was trying to save someone—a girl, what happened to her?"

His voice was different from the ones in his memories, it felt like he was talking through someone else's body.

"The girl you tried to save perished a few moments after you. She is also given the same chance, to live a second life."

His mood became sober after hearing that the girl died in the end, but after being told that she was being given a second chance as well, he felt happy.

"There were words that she wanted to say to you."

The voice began to fade, and in place of it was a woman's voice.

"I was happy that in my final moments, there was someone who tried to help me. Though... I feel really, really bad that it ended up the way it did. He was so determined to save me he even grabbed the leg of one of the thugs with blood covering his entire face... If he had chosen to ignore me, I would've died or had suffered a fate worse than death, but, he would've lived safely."

The woman's voice sounded melancholic. And, it felt as if she was crying.

"Since you have the power to give me a second life, then please give him one as well! I know this is a selfish wish, you don't owe me anything. However, I want to meet him again. No matter the form, as long as I can be of help to him, then I'll do it!"

The woman stopped for a few seconds before continuing.

"Please... let us meet again."

The woman's voice faded and soon, he heard the archaic voice again.

"She holds the qualifications and has earned her second life. To grant her wish, it'll have to depend on you."

Although he didn't specify which wish, it would most likely imply their eventual meeting. He was given a choice.

"...So, my life was worth it to someone in the end."

The boy laughed for a few moments before breaking down into tears. It was an emotion that was hard to describe, he was both happy and sad, excited yet afraid.

However, he still made a choice in the end.

"If that's what she wants, then that's what I want as well. Will you grant our wish?"

"Fate is absolute and life runs in an intricate system. You two had no connection to each other on the surface, but you had a hidden destiny that linked you two that exceeded a lifetime. I hope I didn't choose wrongly."

The white space was replaced with what looked to be Earth, however, it wasn't. There were five continents split across the surface that were larger than that of Earth's individual continents.

"You two will be reborn in the same world. A soul normally reincarnates randomly, whether it be the place or the time. However, I have said that I will grant your wishes. I will make sure you two are born in the same time and not far from the other. However, it will still be up to the two of you to seek each other in the end."

The voice stopped, seemingly having something interrupt him.

"It appears that your time has come. Go."

The world that the boy could see in the distance suddenly emitted a bright flash of light. The boy was unable to see for a few seconds.

Once he gained his sense of sight back, he saw the face of a woman with tears streaming down her face. From his position, she looked to be holding him in his arms. To the side, there was a man who looked on with eyes full of pride.

"He's a healthy boy."

A woman who wore what looked to be a midwife from the past's attire spoke from the side.

"What do you want to name him?"

The man leaned closer to the boy and asked the woman.

'They're speaking a different language, but I managed to understand them perfectly...'

The woman closed her eyes for a little before opening them with a snap.

"I got it! How about Kai?"

"It's great!"

The man laughed heartily, "it's a fine name for a man, wise enough to lead the weak and powerful enough to triumph over the strong!"

The woman smiled and looked at the baby in her arms.

"I don't actually want you to get hurt though... But, I guess your father has approved of your name so that's going to be your name, Kuroshi Kai. You better remember it well!"

After rubbing her cheeks on the baby, and several other instructions from the doctor—or whoever was facilitating the birth, Kai was brought to his new home.

Seven Months after Kai's Birth

"It's a girl, my liege."

A man bowed to a noble standing in front of him.

"Eimi, is your body alright?"

The noble asked a woman with a baby in her arms.

"Yes, I feel fine. I'm just a little tired is all."

Eimi answered. Her pale complexion and her voice made it evident that she wasn't in her best state. However, she couldn't take her eyes off of the baby in her arms. She was holding it as if it was the most precious thing in the world.

"Erina... is that the name you've decided on?"

Eimi nodded. Erina smiled in response.

"I like it. And, it looks like she does too."

Eimi couldn't help but rub her cheeks against Erina. The noble looked at them with a warm gaze for a while before asking the man who reported to him earlier.

"How long does she have left?"

"...A year at most, my liege."

The noble took a deep breath. When he asked, his voice was trembling. He clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into his skin.

"I'm satisfied with my life. I managed to give birth to another child, another proof of our love. The only regret I have is that I won't be able to see her and her brother grow up. He's already pretty big, you two need to take care of her so that she grows up well, alright?"

It might just be the woman's imagination, but she felt like Erina's mood soured.

"...Promise me, you'll never, ever make her sad, okay?"

"I promise..."

"Good."

Eimi looked up at the noble, Erina's father, and smiled weakly. After making sure the baby was tucked into her arms properly, she leaned back onto the bed and closed her eyes.

They were at different starting points, but they would surely meet again. One day, they would surely fulfill their promise. But, until then, they had to live their new lives—ones that aren't bound by the past.