[Volume 1] Nebula: Villainess of Never-ending Beyond

2. A Twin-Soul Dove

Life was full of complications. When you're born, there are strings attached. In my case, someone already cut it before I knew it.

A veil lifted from my nascent eyes, revealing a world of blurred shapes and distant echoes. Amidst this sensory bombardment, clarity emerged. I perceived a hooded woman, her tear-streaked face etched in my mind, as she relinquished her hold on me, leaving me under the wavering leaves of the forest that only reflected the moonlight. At that moment, I realized I was not just a newborn, but a vessel carrying the weight of memories from another realm. Though her words remained foreign to my ears, her love manifested in the gentle caress of her warm hands, lately recognizing that she was my mother.

As chaos erupted around us, she boarded me in a small vessel that glided across the river's surface. With each ripple, her image grew fainter until she vanished without a trace.

Fury and frustration reverberated through the footsteps that shook the earth, transforming the once peaceful sanctuary into a treacherous landscape. I would be declared lucky since no one crossed my path, and her pursuers didn't recognize me, although it was still unlucky for me. No matter how desperately I cried out, my anguish fell on deaf ears, as if I was ignored and forgotten by the world.

I've witnessed the Sun and Moon cycle twice. Devoid of life-giving water, I should've died not long ago. Yet, I find myself trapped in uncontrollable tears and bodily spasms. If this were a mere tale of Isekai, I should've silenced my pursuers' wrath with a mighty fireball... only if I had one.

Along my stipulated voyage, a flamelike blue flower unfurled its delicate petals before me. Wherever my gaze roamed, this enchanting bloom reigned supreme. Soon, fate intervened, entangling my boat in the gnarled branches of a riverside tree.

As my cries echoed through the air, a vision of a woman emerged from the river's depths. Her body is adorned with glistening water droplets after bathing in the river's gentle current. Fortune smiled upon me, sparing me from the waterfall that lay downstream.

Her tongue swirled out foreign words, like a traveler from a distant land. Her language was beyond the reach of my understanding. She emerged with a renewed purpose, carrying me in her embrace towards an uncertain destination that soon became certain... her home.

As the echoes of their argument with her husband reverberated the moment she brought me in, I found solace in the company of a curious three-year-old boy. His playful spirit and infectious laughter distracted me from the alien-like drama. After a mutual understanding, their faces softened, and they turned to me with gentle smiles, like accepting me into a world that was once foreign but was now my home.

For years that have passed, I never regained control of my body. I wasn't here to become a spectator, like a third-person omniscient narrator. In these years, there's only a repeated word that I recognize, Quimora. That's my name... or rather the name of the kid that was adopted.

"Brother Zeus!" Quimora shouted while chasing my brother, Zeus, in a play of tag around our house. I felt her hastened pulse and adrenaline rush from the excitement this simple game gave.

"Come here, Quimora!" Zeus shouted, his glittering amber eyes and softened expression of adoration fixed onto mine.

Her feet, like wayward butterflies, would stumble upon irregular footings, sending her tumbling into fits of laughter. Her negativity clung to her like a ghostly shroud. Yet, as an inseparable part of her body, I bore witness to the hidden depths of her soul. I never get tired of cursing her, but there's no indication that she can hear me.

My brother, Zeus, would engage in playful pursuits of tag with me. He possessed a unique gift to keep boredom at bay, yet he effortlessly captivated Quimora's attention. I would pay him a hefty price if he became my birthday party's clown.