𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄―(𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.)

02.| Ren Kōhaku

02 — Ren Kōhaku

born again, living
as the king of a forbidden
world

A WOMAN'S screams echoed through the great halls of the palace, vibrating off the halls caked with gold and elegant silks. Wide windows surrounded them where large gardens, coated with flowers of all natures, peaked through the openings. Paintings of past emperors and empress covered the walls, crowned princes and princess soon following after.

Children, ages varying from the adolescent age of 13 to the mere age of 2, sat crowded around tall double doors drenched with exquisite jewels. The oldest, being 13, stood off to the side, leaning against a thick, marble pillar, carefully examining the door containing his father and his latest affair. He was no fool, he's heard the pained cries before, he was going to become an older brother of another brat, as he calls them.

Despite the fact that the sun has still stayed sleeping perfectly behind the two mountains in the far east, everyone in the Kou Empire was awake and alert.

"My children," The voice was heavy—thick and raspy from overuse, yet soft and velvety. The golden doors the children and servants were waiting behind slowly creak open. Boots slammed down onto the quartz coated floors, before completely disappearing onto crimson colored carpets; "come with me."

Pale pink orbs scanned the halls, eyes raking over the multiple bodies the occupied it, finally stopping to give his children a cold stare, "Your brother's been born."

As soon as those words were spoken, said children ran up to the stoic faced man in a frenzy of excitement, quickly trotting behind him as they entered the dimly lit room. Inside the room—dressed in sandstone and accented with dilated strokes of sweet garnet, was a bed covered with golden masses of rich silk, and sleeping inside was a pale woman.

Wind rattles against the room and a small whimper was heard. A small boy, with short, currant locks, ran straight into the corner where a babies crib sat. Dusty pink eyes carefully drank in the small figure, face cubby and flushed, eyes wide and staring into similar colored eyes—if not, darker, and small body swathed in soft cotton.

Poking the babies fat-filled cheeks, the small three year old spoke, lips scowling in disgust; "What is this?"

"A baby, Kouha." A voice deadpanned.

The child, now known as Kouha, glared at the pre-teenager that was now beside him, along with his siblings and father.

"I knew that." Was his dry reply.

"Sure you did," the teen snarked, turning to his father, "what's his name?"

Koutoku looked down at his son, head turning in the direction of the sleeping body of his latest affair; "I'm not sure, would you like to name him, Kouen."

Kouen, the oldest of the ten children in the room, gave his father a nonplussed stare before returning to a natural expression. Licking his suddenly dried lips, he tapped his foot on the wooden floor, looking from his new brother to his siblings who stared at him with impatience; "Kouhaku," he whispered,

"His name shall be Ren Kouhaku"