20
While the two teenagers are talking Buddha approaches Nero while making a symbol with his hands and immediately speaks "Cycle of reincarnation: Gates of Existence."
Nero could no longer hear Kuroka's voice nor see her. He realized that the environment he was in was not the same mountain scenery as China's countryside. The space around him was empty in a dark infinity marked by a few golden sigils flowing throughout this isolated dimension.
After walking a bit I come across a huge gray gate. The gate was so large that its height easily measured a ten-story building. In front of the gate there is a word written in each door, I managed to read 'LIFE ... SUFFERING'.
Suddenly I hear Buddha's voice again "Heaven's Judgment – Gate of Life"
The huge gate opens as if awaiting Buddha's order, looking at the gate I come across something I wish I hadn't seen.
In front of me I see a vast mansion, any normal person would call this place beautiful and luxurious, I on the other hand call this place hell... well a hell inside the hell. The place that appeared in my vision is the Lucifer family mansion. Upon entering the residence, I come across ghosts from my past.
Walking inside the mansion I witness the usual scene, a silver haired child is being physically abused by an adult with the same hair color while another adult – whom both the child and the first adult fear – is simply watching the aggression as if it was a show.
While this scene is taking place I look to another direction, more specifically to a corridor a little further away where a boy, a little older than the child with silver hair, is static with no reaction other than looking at the scene in horror. The boy has black hair and blue eyes, but he clearly doesn't have much of a presence within this family, by the expression on the boy's face he wanted to help the child who was being beaten, but he was aware that he was powerless against the two adults.
The adult who was just watching looks in the black haired boy direction, when he does the boy immediately leaves the place in a panic. While a child's cry echoes through the halls of the residence.
I sigh in disappointment, my situation really was deplorable and Vali's was even worse. Well at least I can do different inside this stupid illusion, I've already died twice what's the worst that could happen.
When I start to approach I notice that the gaze of the man who was just watching was now fixed on me. That damn silver-haired man was none other than my grandfather Rizevim Livan Lucifer, and now that disgusting cold look was staring at me, bringing me bad memories similar to the ones I was witnessing.
I entered the room and noticed that Vali and his attacker, our father Razevan, were ignoring me as they continued the abuse session as if I didn't exist. On the other hand, Rizevim was still staring at me and this time he got up from the armchair he was sitting on approaching me.
I panic for the briefest moment, but I know I'm not a helpless child anymore… well, I'm not a child anymore. I keep walking towards Rizevim and stop in front of him. He looks at me indifferently, as if I don't deserve even that scorn to be cast in his gaze, then I hear the voice that is both repulsive and extremely familiar.
"What brings you here Nero." Rizevim looks down at me, and I feel like an insect being squished under the pressure.
"..." In shock I remain silent.
"I asked why you came here." He now raises the tone leaving the air of the environment cold and heavy. I regain confidence and decide to speak.
"Stop hurting my brother. I am no longer the child I once was, I will not allow you to continue this horror show of yours." I look at him with a brave act challenging my former greatest fear.
"No longer a child? Brat, you should look in the mirror before saying any word to me." He stares at me coldly with a mischievous smile plastered on his face.
Hearing his words I get confused, but I realize that my body is lighter than usual. I decide to touch my face and torso with my right hand to see if I feel anything strange, but what surprises me the most is to see a child's hand touching me. It's not just a child's hand, it's my own hand that has become a child's, I look into the mirror that for some reason was in that room and I'm shocked at how I look.
"See? You're nothing but a brat, so why don't you get out of here before I hurt you, you should just remain silent and without any presence like you've always done. You're nothing but a burden to this family, you're a stain on the family. powerful Lucifer bloodline for having only the strength of lesser devils." Rizevim keeps expressing hateful words to humiliate me and break my willpower.
I shiver a little bit thinking about my helpless state, but I know one important thing and that is the fact that my strength is not exaggerated in my teenage form so my child form doesn't have much change. The only obstacle I have is psychological, and if I don't have the courage to face it, I will be forever trapped in this subconscious fear. To defeat and eliminate this cursed old man I have to overcome my limits.
"A brat wants to challenge my authority? Looks like I have to put you back in your place." Rizevim raises his hand towards me and a dense demonic energy begins to emerge that has me as its main target.
His attack runs straight towards me while destroying everything in its path. The destruction caused makes me tremble, but I don't leave the place where I'm prepared to receive this attack.
The moment Nero is hit a cloud of dust rises from the ground covering the area, Rizevim looks disappointed and speaks. "Boy, if you'd been smart and kept hidden this wouldn't have happened.". After Rizevim's short speech, Nero's voice emerges from within the dust curtain and his figure is revealed walking towards his grandfather.
"Stay quiet? I beg to differ, I won't shut up, I won't be passive watching you do what you want. I am no longer a child and much less a puppet for your amusement." I scream at my grandfather's face and I realize that with each word uttered my form returns to normal, when I finish the sentence I see my grandfather's face in shock by the surprise of the my reaction. After a few seconds the whole scene starts to fade into dust and I see my little brother looking in my direction, I can't quite hear his words because his voice was distant but by the movement of his lips I understand something similar to "Thank you."
Nero has an expression of confusion after experiencing this peculiar situation. He wonders if Buddha is making him relive these moments to make him overcome his fears? Or is it to force a connection between the memories of his first life with his actual one?
As he ponders, he realizes that he has not heard the Buddha's voice speaking at all, and the space that was being destroyed into dust begins to come together to form a modern city. The environment that was once a mansion in a particularly isolated area in the underworld has become a human city marked by countless vertical buildings that border on touching the sky.
Observing the area, he notices that he is in a region located far from the big buildings of this city. He is in a peripheral area, but specifically in an area full of alleys that lead to an old orphanage that is clearly in an extremely precarious situation and unviable for housing. However, even in these conditions it is possible to see an old man with some children in that place.
Well now this is weird. I should forget about my second life, so why was I sent back to this city? Who knows, well I have to face some situation that will enlighten me just how I did overcoming my fear from my grandfather's presence... what exactly do I have to do here?
Approaching the orphanage, he witnesses a very familiar scene during the youth of his second life. The old man from the orphanage was in the front yard of the place playing with the children to alleviate the anguish and anxiety imposed on them by the hostile environment.
The old man approaches a child with black hair and blue eyes. "Lucifer you shouldn't be here, this place is inappropriate for someone who bears such a name."
The confused child looks at the old man and answers. "Grandfather, I don't understand what you are talking about."
The old man again repeats. "Lucifer, the human world is inadequate for your illustrious presence.".
Nero, who was watching from afar, decides to approach, and when he does, he hears the voice of the child that supposedly should be him in his second life speaking in a soulless voice. "Yes, I shouldn't get involved with that shit."
The old man repeats again. "Am I not correct, Lord Lucifer?" But this time he doesn't look at the strange child, he and the child look towards me both have black smoke for their faces and a red glow for eyes.
I face the situation confused about what exactly I should do. 'That definitely didn't happen in my second life.'. While I was mulling over the situation they both approached me.
With each step they took the city darkened and the vast buildings in the background were consumed by darkness. The only area still visible was the courtyard of the orphanage we were in, which was showing signs of starting to deteriorate, with its floor changing color little by little.
The old man started. "Lord Lucifer, you need to return to your prime. Accept your identity."
Then the child continues. "Yes, we need to wake up, abandon futile feelings."
The old man keeps coming closer and knocks me down while I'm pinned to the ground. "My lord, it is time to awaken. The world needs the return of the first angel, the legendary angel of dawn. Return, O great king of devils."
The weird child version of me approaches with red glowing eyes putting his hand on my face. "Come on, it's time to go back to who we were supposed to be from the beginning. We must fulfill the ritual, we must reincarnate. Accept who we truly are."
"Shut up, I'm not the original Lucifer. I AM NERO!" I rise up screaming to confirm to them and to myself who I am.
After the scream, the figures stop moving and sink into their own shadows, disappearing along with the urban environment, which is replaced by complete darkness.