Chapter 1 - Birth, Hattori Shinjo

*lub dub

*lub dub

*lub dub

In the reddish dark environment, a faint and slow sound of heartbeat was heard, subdued by the ever present clear and dense fluid.

A small form of an embryo opened its eyes slowly, measuredly synchronised with the sound of the heartbeat. It, with eyes squinted, observed the environment it found itself in, its small head slowly swirling in the dense embryonic fluid.

It was dark, save for the faint reddish hue that marred the walls surrounding the embryo, barely any sound beside the heartbeat.

It looked down at its tiny developing fingers, slightly clutching the umbilical cord. Its body was curled into itself, smalls legs with their tiny toes all fell into the sight of the fetus.

It didn't have a thought, probably due to the lack of brain development, just silently aware and existing. After a few mintutes, it closed its eyes, falling into a deep slumber.

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An unknown amount of time passed. The fetus, now having a more distinct features of a male opened its eyes. The reddish hue was now a tad brighter, along with a cacophony of noises that was muffled in the dense embryonic fluid.

The fetus, now with a more developed senses, could feel the faint pressure of the fluid on his skin. The wall of the womb appeared closer than before. He stretched his palm up against the wall, the wall pushed slightly away. It came with a muffled scream and a jolt through the fluid surrounding the fetus.

The child moved its head upward, now seeing a different color than before, appearing brighter and brighter, turning into a bright white light that stung his eyes. Instinctively closing his eyes, he felt the womb contract mildy, followed by another muffled scream.

After what felt like eons, he felt himself violently pushed down and towards the bright light, feeling a faint pain on his skin due to the action. A cacophony of sounds reached his infant ears. What followed was a whirlwind of noises, intermittent screams, unintelligible sounds, when suddenly he felt himself stripped of the safety of the womb and suffocated.

A large hand grabbed him by his head and pulled him out of the womb and cleared his orifices of the fluid that was blocking them.

He let out a gasp. Opening his squinted eyes to look around, a continuous bright light enveloped his senses. The view gradually became more nuanced with various lights and their shadows interconnecting to give form to different shapes.

His pupils constricted adjusting to the sudden brightness and what came into view was a wall of giants quietly facing him, scrutinizing, facial features marred with worry and concern and a sense of excitement.

The giant hand holding him upside down, cleaned his tiny body of all the excess fluid, wrapped him in a clean blanket and turned him around to another giant who laid flayed on the bed, face adorning weariness and affection. The giant raised her hand and he was promptly transported over to its hands and was instantly cocooned in a warm embrace that very much felt like the secure womb he was used to.

After a few seconds, he closed his eyes in contentment, the words and sounds now all but a whisper of the forgotten and distant.

.....

A verdant forest.

It was high noon and the sun was at its peak. The sound of morning doves, the murder of crows, the squeals of eagles and faint buzzing of insects all intermingled to make the forest seem calm and serene. At a distance, there was a cliff that bore two faces, extremely human like. And a sprwaling civilization existed beyond it. The sheer contrast between the serene forest and cacophony of noises from the civilization gave the forest an otherworldly feeling.

Days were hot and unbearable. But the sun barely reached the ground, blocked by the dense foliage of tall trees that abounded in the forest. Air was cool, a stark contrast to the sunkissed ground seen at a distance.

A boy, 2 years old, looking pale and frail was squatting near an anthill, watching the ant colony with rapt attention. He would put the ants back in line with a stick if any of them got out of line. Ants working in tandem maintaining the near-impossible integrity in their movements, rarely colliding and shaking their antennas when they did, as if saying "hey, watch where you are going."

The boy was watching everything, eyes wide, filled with curiosity, as if it was one of the wonders of the world.

He was 80cms tall, with short pitch black hair, parted to one side and looking cute. His eyes were pitch black too, unseemly so. One could barely make out the outlines of his pupil which were a lighter shade of black.

A middle aged woman was standing a few meters away, her eyes filled with tenderness and affection and a hint of pity, never leaving the boy.

The serene moment was suddenly disturbed by a low shout from a distant, barely visible house.

"Shinjo. Shinjo? Shinjo!!!"

The boy startled by the shout, breathed in lightly as if to calm his startled heart and turned towards the voice. There he saw a pretty woman walking towards him in measured strides, with a faint smile in her eyes, but lips pressed thin in a mock display of anger.

She was tall for a woman, 170cms. A head full of wavy black hair, put together by what looked like a senbon, her face having some semblance to the child, a full figure and a motherly aura emanating from her, as she approached him.

Hattori Hana. The mother. 27 years old.

She zoomed towards Shinjo and plucked him up and into her arms and proceeded to squeeze his cheeks, making funny shapes, all while immitating baby noises.

"I have been calling you for hours. Didn't you hear your mother? Bad Shinjo, Bad!!!"

Shinjo pressed his lips into a thin line, making a dissatisfied expression, which looked comical promoting his mother to smother him with wet kisses.

"Let's go! Today is the day of initiation. You can't be late. Your father and grandfather are waiting for you."

She cooed and proceeded to bring him towards the house, giving a nod to the middle aged woman in appreciation, who followed them right after.