"Gah...gah! Ba-ba-ba!"
The sound of melodious gurgling—one that could have only come from an infant—rang out through the balcony that extended from the upper walls of a 1000-meter-tall golden-colored building.
Its structure radiated an aura of divine architecture, with an otherworldly, timeless design.
Blue-colored railings, shimmering with motes of blue light, lined the edge to prevent any fall, and behind this railing were two figures.
A snow-white-haired infant, about two months old, was the source of the sound.
His eyes were vastly abnormal—in the left eye were spirals of starlight, and when one stared at those tiny lights, they evoked the same feeling as looking into a distant galaxy, filled with an infinite number of planetary systems.
The right eye looked no different in structure, except for its color: a full crimson.
When one looked at its starlight, they would see a galaxy drenched in a mist of blood.
His tiny hands were clenched into fists—the right buried in his lips, wrapped in a golden-blue fabric.
Suddenly—
Boop.
The playful sound rang out as a finger, covered in shimmering dots of blue light, extended downward, pressing gently onto the baby’s soft nose.
In response, the baby stretched out his stubby hands, catching the finger before attempting to draw it into his mouth—failing, and erupting into loud, chaotic gurgling.
The figure holding him was completely covered in glowing blue motes of light, their true appearance obscured, but it was clear that they were the one carrying the wrapped infant.
Suddenly,
The sound of a single step echoed before a figure, cloaked in tumultuous dark motes of light, appeared behind the blue-cloaked figure.
Their arms wrapped around their waist, head nuzzled affectionately into their neck.
"My love..."
It was a deep, thick masculine voice that somehow felt warm and soothing, echoing through the balcony. A soft, feminine giggle followed.
"A part of me still expects you to show up from a crack in the blue sky..."
It continued, followed by a masculine chuckle.
A clawed hand extended toward the infant, brushing aside his cool, snow-white hair.
The baby reached for the fingers, failing to grasp them tightly—they were simply too large for his small hands.
But he tried ceaselessly, his mouth stretching open to bite down gently, followed by another giggle.
"Just like you, wouldn’t you say? Unrelenting..." the feminine voice said, as a soft hmm escaped into the air.
"Stubborn might be a better word."
"Perhaps. The world does love to address your race that way," she replied with a faint nod.
"They’re not wrong. We Knulls are a stubborn and chaotic race. There’s no denying that," the masculine voice echoed once more, without the slightest trace of hate or malice.
"But what would they say if they saw you now? What would they say about the strongest of them all?"
She asked, as a faint chuckle rang out, accompanied by the baby’s joyful gurgling.
"That reminds me of what the council said during the meeting. They say I’ve... changed. Become more..."
He paused, but the whisper intercepted.
"Softer?" she asked.
"Yes. I believe that’s the word they used."
"Oh, Theth’Vorgath. Could I have made you softer... and doubted?"
The feminine voice trembled with faint sadness and worry as the arms around her waist tightened.
"No, my love. You truly have made me softer... but better."
"The world forgets that the flame that burns it, burns me first. It’s only a matter of time before I’m consumed completely, too."
"But you, my love... only you saw that—and gave me a cure."
"Only you, my love, have saved me... and given me new life."
"But in your infinite kindness, you gave me not one... but two," he said, as the baby gurgled playfully.
The sound drew another soft giggle from the woman as she pulled his head even closer.
"Who do you think he’ll take after?"
"Me, a Dragon, with my disdaining pride..."
"Or you, a Knull—an evil, with your unrelenting flames of carnage?" she asked softly, and faint silence covered the balcony.
Fingers cloaked in darkness gently brushed over the infant’s eyes, causing him to blink and release both crimson and blue motes of starlight.
"Neither, my love."
"I think he will grow to be a being beyond both."
"To ascend beyond the pride of a Dragon and the evil of a Knull..."
"That’s who my Ryuk will be..."
_______
SHATTER!!!
The entire world broke apart like glass.
Tear-filled eyes opened to the real world, and a golden notification panel hovered before them:
[I’m Sorry. That’s All the Memory I Could Access With the Residual Power.]
The system notification flashed as Ryuk remained silent for a long while, his hand moving slowly to rest over his heart, feeling its steady thump.
"...Was it real?" he asked.
[It Was. A Fragmented Memory of the Past—Albeit Incomplete.]
"Can I get more?"
[You Can. But You Would Need to Level Up Massively. Up to 3,000 Attribute Points Must Be Used All at Once to Gather Enough Residual Power to Access the Memory World Again.]
The system replied, just as the sound of shifting rocks echoed—and then:
VROOOM! BAAANG!
The air flapped violently as light came rushing in, forcing Ryuk to shut his eyes.
When he opened them, he found a man with a half-blindfold standing before him, a hand reaching down toward him.
"The bartender?" Ryuk muttered, taking the hand as he was pulled up to his feet.
Only now did he begin to take in his surroundings.
He found himself standing on shattered rocks, which could have only been formed from the remains of a broken mountain.
"How did I get here? I remember sitting on the sofa..." he muttered, watching the bartender laugh nervously.
"I was the one who flung you out of the inn. The energy wave coming off you would’ve burned it to the ground, so I had to throw you out."
"But then I thought it wouldn’t be nice if you woke up and found yourself buried under a mountain, so... here I am."