Pre-Birth

My name is Alexis Vongaurd, the first child in a dying family. I believe I am around 7 and I am just a little less intelligent than the average person.

My life so far has been fulfilling because I have been raised as the hope of my family, I do not know why I have been raised this way, but I believe I may be the only child in the last branch of this ancient family.

The Vongaurd Family, one of the few pillars of the "interstellar" era. This "interstellar" era is a fake one as travel is only able to be done by a few gifted by the gods.

These gifts manifest themselves differently, but in the Vongaurd family, the people are given horns. These horns come in many varieties, but I have only seen the horns of an Ox and the budding horns of a Deer.

This may be why the Vongaurd family had been so prominent, but recently one of the other families found a gift that they could pass on, the Devil's Gifts. These gifts can grow not through the work of the owner, but through countless slaughters.

My family has fallen through the rise of these gifts.

Without the support of the rest of my family, my father, my mother, and I have had to rely on ourselves to have food upon the marble table while we feast upon the ivory chairs that support us. I wish to mock other people because we can no longer sell these useless materials for a price that would be above that of a wooden chair or wooden table.

Immediately after our family's fall, we hadn't been able to sell these kinds of things to the influential merchants, so we went to the small merchants and we were able to sell many useless things, including vases, ornaments, and even games like Go or chess.

After selling all these things we were able to survive long enough for my father to get a job, and for me to get a job as his apprentice. Though this case is irregular, it allows for me to provide for my family to a higher extent when I amass skill.

While learning the ins and outs of his job, I have also been researching the state of the technology of this world, and the families that would try to eradicate our family. I have to research these things by myself because for some reason my father has kept his mouth shut and my mother only gives me fairy tales of a glorified past.

Through this I have learned many things about this world.

This planet is called Iris, named after the center of the eye. It is a medium-sized planet in the Dragon Sector.

A sector's size can vary but they typically are composed of at least 100 planets or 8 Divides, which is a collection of around 10 planets that revolve around either a large central mass or a bright mass of either magma or fire, we haven't really found out yet.

"Hey, Alexi~"

Of course, the one person to always interrupt my thinking. Uly Perov, a child of the prestigious Perov family, the only family that is prestigious due to their negative talent in business. This is also probably the reason why she is hanging out with another starving child.

"Why do you call me Alexi every time you see me, there is only an 'S' left for you to pronounce?"

She now seems to be pouting a little, but what business of mine is that.

"Alexi is way cuter than Alexis, and I can't quite make the 'S' longer. So stop judging and just go along with it."

We both laugh at this for different reasons.

"Alexi, why are you always sitting at this bench in the middle of this park(?), or really forest?"

I freeze at this because I can't tell her it is to have a forest to burrow into if she ever comes at a consistent time.

"Um... I- This bench is comfy."

She starts staring at me and the bench as if we have some kind of love affair.

"If that metal scrap of a bench is comfy, then I bet sitting on my lap would be much more enjoyable."

Staring contest time, sparks fly at our battle, but my curiosity gets the better of me and I look at a fly that is flying really close to me in a drunken-like state.

"I win." She seemingly beams in happiness due to my loss.

I sulk because she always wins the staring contests for this.

She sits down on the bench next to me and pats her lap as a way to tell me that my freedom is being taken away from me.

"You are always so against going on my lap, but until you win, you are not going to get away from this."

Grunting will change nothing, but I do it anyway. I slowly but surely sit on her lap.

I hate how small I am compared to her. Uly Perov, a 14-year-old girl who many chase after. I guess she would be considered beautiful, so many disgusting old men try to wed her with their money or political power. Though, honestly, I can't say much because I am the exact opposite to them.

She turns me around, yet again interrupting my thoughts.

"You look like you would be my little sister."

At the thought of this my eyes start tearing, but showing this to others would only bring trouble so I try my best to hide my head in her embrace.

She tucks me further into her chest in a tight hug, her actions expression show that she knows my struggles and wishes to comfort me.

I allow her to do this just this one time because I need someone to cry to.

I tear up until my eyes can no longer contain the water and start crying.

"Stop it, you are going to ruin my rags!?" She says jokingly, also seemingly startled at the fact that I started crying

I giggle in my tears, while she starts caressing my head and back.

The two "sisters" have an emotional moment while the onlookers can only think of how touching this moment is.