My 7th Birthday
"Ugh... so tired," I groaned, burying my face into her shoulder.
With a soft chuckle, she gently adjusted my weight and offered me some enlightenment.
"Fatigue is a sign of progress, little Lunar. It means you're growing stronger. Remember your dream of becoming Super Mr. Sword, defeating villains like he did in that movie?"
"Of course! How could I forget? I have to be strong," I replied with determination, though a hint of frustration laced my words. "But I couldn't even outrun you."
"Silly child, that's because I am stronger than you."
Mom ruffled my hair affectionately as we made our way back inside.
Playfully indignant, I protested.
"Mommy, you're so strong; are you stronger than Super Mr. Sword?"
"Would you believe me if I said yes?"
She teased me with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, and I replied without hesitation.
"Of course! My mommy is the strongest and bestest; why wouldn't I believe?"
"Then why don't you want to become like me instead of Super Mr. Sword?"
"Well... because I'm a boy. If I were a girl, I'd become like you. No, even stronger!"
"Hahahaha."
Amused by my response, Mom burst into laughter, her joy contagious as she placed me down, scooped me up from under my armpits, and spun me around in circles.
"My little Lunar has become so clever."
"Woaahh… hehehe."
Dizzy and giggling, I struggled to regain my balance as she set me down again, the world still spinning around me.
"Okay, enough chitchat. Let's take a bath now."
Without giving me a chance to react, she picked me up once again, and then, with a whoosh and a swoop, she whisked me away to the bathroom, where bubbles and giggles filled the air.
Clean and fresh, I emerged wrapped in a fluffy towel, after which mom dressed me in fluffy clothes that made me look like a little panda.
After that, she went into the kitchen to make breakfast while I stayed in our room to watch some cartoons.
'Sigh!'
With Iris out of sight, the playful innocence faded from my eyes, replaced by a somber calmness.
I turned on the television and settled onto the bed, pretending to focus on cartoons while my mind wandered back through the passage of time.
It had been about three years since I first arrived in this house and two years since Iris accepted me as her true son.
'How time passes, it just feels like yesterday,' I mused, the memories flooding back.
Back then, I had only one chance—to break through the emotional barrier guarding her heart and earn recognition as her son, not merely a tool, because a son's privileges far outweigh those of a tool.
Not to mention, the heroine Emily wouldn't be interested in me if her mother didn't see me as a son; after all, she was once an immortal cultivator, and she would instantly realize her mother's intentions for me.
As a result, what I wanted was for our relationship to be of equal status, like that of a real mother and son, not just a fake.
'How ironic! We both yearned for each other's affection, yet neither dared to break the facade of our charade. Everything we did was just an act.'
Sadly for Iris, the more than 100-year-old me was a much better actor and even more well versed in human psychology than her.
In the end, it was I who won, and she accepted me as her son, which became possible because, despite using some underhanded tactics in the beginning, Iris was in fact a kind-hearted person by heart, and it was her circumstances that had made her heart colder and shrouded her judgment.
So all I needed was to lift that veil covering her eyes and let her see reality and hope.
"Fortunately, everything turned out perfectly."
Ever since that turning point, it felt like my life was floating on clouds. Though it took time for both of us to adjust and truly become comfortable with each other, every day after that was filled with joy and laughter.
All the effort I put into making her my mother felt worth it. I got to cherish a happy childhood and a mother's love, something I dearly longed for in my past lives.
Furthermore, since I was still too young for any physical exercise, Iris didn't force me to do it.
Instead, we engaged in light exercise like running and playing, focusing primarily on my education. From mastering basic arithmetic to geometry, I eagerly absorbed knowledge like a sponge.
Though slowly, as my age increased, the difficulty of studying increased substantially too, and as I was an awakened, my brain developed twice as fast compared to an ordinary kid.
Of course, that only correlated with intelligence, like memory and processing capabilities, and wasn't related to wisdom, which comes with experience.
Plus, Iris's teachings expanded my knowledge of the storyline and helped me understand many things better. For instance, yesterday, I was learning about "Monster Types and Their Weaknesses," a subject I would have started learning in "Basic School of Heroes" when I was at least 10 years old, yet because of Iris, I started way earlier.
'But that's going to change tomorrow.'
Today marked my 7th birthday, which also signaled the beginning of my physical training.
Consequently, I would have limited time for rest and leisure activities starting tomorrow because I had no intention of slacking and didn't have a single doubt about how tough Iris's training was going to be.
So, I intended to enjoy this day fully.
'Speaking of my birthday, Iris hasn't wished me yet. Did she forget?'
I tilted my head and thought for a moment, but then kicked that useless thought out of my head and focused on my cartoons.
'Well whatever.'
As time passed, I lost myself in cartoons until Iris's voice called me from the kitchen.
"Lunar!"
In an instant, my childish innocence resurfaced, and I responded eagerly.
"Coming!"
Dashing out of my room, I burst into the kitchen, where Mom was preparing breakfast.
"Mommy!"
I chirped, my voice filled with excitement, and she smiled warmly, ruffling my messy hair.
"Guess what day it is today?"
"Um, Saturday?"
Pretending to be clueless, I guessed, making a face as if trying to remember if there's something special about Saturdays other than cartoons.
"It's your birthday, silly!"
Mom laughed at my antics, handing me a plate of pancakes shaped like smiley faces.
My eyes widened in delight as I saw them.
"Wow, they're smiling at me!"
I exclaimed, clapping my hands together.
After devouring the delicious breakfast, I declared that I was ready for my birthday surprise.
Mom chuckled and told me that she would take me to the nearby park, where there was a big slide I had always been dying to conquer.
It was a park in Conifer Town, and I had only been there once, so I was eager to go back and play again.
As we headed to the park in her car, I was beaming with joy, as if I couldn't contain my excitement.
"Mommy, do you think I'll be the fastest slider in the whole world?"
Iris smiled, her eyes sparkling with love.
"Of course! With the super speed you got from running in the morning, no one can beat you!"
"Hehehe, I know, right!"
Arriving at the park, the first thing I did was rush to the biggest slide, my little legs pumping with all their might.
But just as I reach the top, I realize I forgot something crucial—my superhero cape!
How could I be the fastest slider without my cape fluttering in the wind?
I turn to Mom with a worried expression.
"Mommy, I forgot my cape! What do I do now?"
Fortunately, Iris didn't miss a beat and responded immediately.
"No worries."
Reassuring me, she took out a towel to wipe my face, and coming behind me, she tied it around my neck, making a makeshift cape.
"Here you go, my superhero."
She tapped my back and pushed me forward, and with a whoosh, I slid down the slide, laughing all the way down.
As I reached the bottom, Iris was there before me, clapping and cheering.
"You did it, Super Lunar!"
"Muahahaha… I'm the fastest slider in the whole wide world!"
Playing my role to the fullest, I planted my hands on my hips, puffing out my little chest as I struck a heroic pose, a makeshift cape fluttering behind me. I was engrossed in my role, lost in laughter, when suddenly I sensed a subtle hostility from behind, and I swiftly spun around, on guard.
'Huh?'
However, when I turned, there was no one there—just a scattering of kids and their mothers across the park, none of whom seemed to be paying us any attention, let alone exuding hostility.
'Was I imagining it?'
The thought flickered briefly before I dismissed it outright. My instincts for detecting hostility were honed in the world of Swordcraft, forged through countless battles and assassination attempts. I trusted my senses implicitly.
'Someone was there, but who?'
Lost in speculation, I was jolted back to reality by Iris's concerned voice.
"Lunar, what happened? Why did you get upset all of a sudden?"
Caught off guard, I quickly composed myself, offering a half-truth in response.
"Um, I'm not sure, Mommy. I just felt something... bad, behind me, over there. Like a... bad feeling. I don't know."
I attempted to downplay my earlier reaction, but then a sudden thought struck me.
'Wait! Even Iris didn't sense that hostility. Is it because it was so subtle and directly aimed at me, or…?'
My body instantly tensed and became alert as soon as that notion entered my thoughts. However, I was only worried about it when, out of nowhere, a figure with ultramarine hair similar to Iris's fluttered out of my vision as she left the park.
The moment I saw her, a character immediately came to mind.
'Wait! What is she doing here?'