Unicus's mind swings back to his past life as if looking for something specific.
The college classroom buzzed with chatter, laughter, and the shuffle of papers. Desks scraped, keyboards clacked, and a phone chimed in the background.
A group debated near the windows, while another huddled over a shared screen. The scent of coffee lingered in the air. As the professor left, their voice struggled to rise over the noise—a chaotic yet vibrant end to the lecture. There were two people arguing with each other.
“Orzic! What do you mean by ‘you don't understand?’ go on I'm listening~” asked the person who was seething with anger.
“Just as I said. I hate this kind of stupid bull shit” Orzic was calm with eyeglasses.
The other person couldn't take it anymore, “Now come on~” gesturing him to take a seat, “Tell me, what's wrong with this game I've lent you?” Even if she is angry she is still rational.
Orzic takes his seat next to her, “Kira didn't I tell you before? Magic is nothing but a child's machinations. It doesn't exist and playing a game which has magic in it is a straight up stupid waste of time.” Orzic was ruthless in his opinion.
Kira however isn't done yet, “Focus on the romance elements my Orzic not the damn fantasy part of it~ just go along to enjoy the ride.” Her voice was cracking, barely holding back the storm of emotion..
Orzic was calm in his response, “Look I get it. You want your boyfriend to enjoy the kinds of games you play but don't expect me to like them as much as you. In the end, I did play it completely and it was okay but … also an utter waste of my precious weekend.”
Kira doubled down, “What is there to not like here? It has magic, swordsmen and even all the demi human races~” her expression was a cross between anguish and curiosity.
Orzic’s cruel words tore her apart, “I am firmly a non believer of magic. That's something you gotta have to realise at this point. Plus even if I wasn't I have dreams to achieve … I'll rather spend some time studying than play this nonsense” He dissected her in a way that left her exposed.
Kira felt as if her identity was getting threatened, “So is that it. You want to spend more time with your stupid … idiotic research than … with me your girlfriend, don't you?” and walks away from the class angrily.
Orzic stretched his arms trying to convince her otherwise but the words got stuck in his throat. “Kira wait …”
◇ ◇ ◇
Vanilla rocked her baby Unicus gently in her arms, her warmth enveloping the tiny bundle. She hummed a soft lullaby, her voice a soothing whisper against the quiet night. Unicus's eyelids fluttered, his tiny fingers loosening their grip on her shirt as sleep slowly took hold.
She swayed rhythmically, her touch light yet secure, her heartbeat a steady, comforting drum against his cheek.
With one final sigh, Unicus melted into slumber, his breaths soft and even. She pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, holding him a moment longer before laying him down with infinite care.
Vanilla whispers to Mellona, “Don't you think he … his face looks more like a child now? Or am I seeing things? …” She asks with her damp hair sticking to her face.
Mellona however is concerned that something is happening but doesn't understand it yet, “You know what~ it's probably because, your motherly charms are slowly affecting him. Hahaha Hahahha” She bursts into laughter.
“Come on Mellona! It's serious. I'm not insane am I? …” She is feeling a strange sensation for the first time.
Mellona pulls herself together, coughing a few times. “Okay okay~ It's probably because, you are too worried about your child. Anyway I'll go start washing clothes. Then we'll have dinner together~” With that she walks away with a palm over her face.
◇ ◇ ◇
Unicus's home living room was simple and functional. A wooden hearth crackled at its center, casting flickering light on rough stone or timber walls.
A sturdy table, wooden stools, and a long bench filled the space. Dried herbs hung from ceiling beams, and a small shelf held clay cups and wooden bowls. Rushes covered the dirt or stone floor, and a shuttered window let in sparse light. Modest yet warm, it was the heart of daily life.
Russell enters the house after a long day of work, “Vanilla! Vanilla! Where are you?” He shouts calling for his wife.
But only two people come running down to greet him. Mellona and Unicus cradling in her arms. She takes a deep breath and asks, “Yes Russell~ Vanilla has gone out to meet a neighbour. So tell what it is … I'll see whether I can help~”
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Russell pressed his lips tightly together, “It's not something you can help with Mellona.” He pulls his sleeves upward and shows her a small cut on his forearm. “I wanted Vanilla to heal this. But I might have to wait a bit longer …” He trails off in the end.
Mellona comments, “That doesn't look serious. Why not just leave it as is? ..” she asked. But Russell didn't take her opinion seriously.
As they were going back and forth on their opinion, Unicus stretched his tiny fingers and reached out to Russell. Russell was happy at this little display, “Unlike our heartless maid. At least my son is clearly worried for me~ that makes me super happy.” His expression truly was one of happiness.
Mellona clicks her tongue, “Tsk. Don't compare me to a newborn, it's the most uncouth thing you could've done. Ugh it's so unpleasant.”
But unlike her a tiny voice reverberates,
"By light and thread, flesh restore,
… Seal the cut, let pain be no more."
A faint bluish glow surrounds the wound as the skin knits itself back together, leaving no trace of injury.
Looking at what's happening Mellona was stunned into silence. Russell however looks like he is about to break into tears.
Mellona was the first to recover from her metaphorical checkmate, “What the heck! This is unusual~ no child can use magic after a year they've been born.” She shouts loud unlike her normally calm self.
Russell's eyes were already flooding with tears, “My son~ I'm so proud of you. You used magic to heal me … your father. I didn't know a child so young can even worry about others…” He wasn't even trying to hide his tears it's just so obvious.
In the midst of his ecstasy, he fails to grasp how devastated Unicus really is. His expression was one of crisis, fear, and deep disgust which leaves his stomach turning into knots. Sweat was pouring out of his body. His eyes were recessed.
◇ ◇ ◇
After a few minutes Vanilla arrived home, only to witness her husband in pure ecstasy and Mellona in a state of shock and Unicus seemed more human than ever before.
Oh isn't my kid the absolute cutest? He looks more humane than ever before in the past year.
“Russell, What's the matter? Why are so … Happy?” Vanilla asks with a quizzical expression.
Russell's gaze turns towards her and he immediately comes near and hugs her and lifts her into the air. “Do you know~ do you know … what our kid did today?” He shouts his heart hammering against Vanilla. Russell spins around like a merry go round.
Vanilla kind of gets in the mood as well and her face cracks into a smile. “What's this about? … Russell, you know I don't do well with surprises? Tell me what Unicus did?”
Mellona was the one to respond first, “Vanilla~ your kid … used magic. The same one you used this afternoon” She tried to manage her voice but her unease leaks out clear as day in her tone.
Vanilla looks shocked for a moment. But then as it sunk in, she was genuinely happy for her child. He did something she thought nobody could do. “Mellona. Hand me Unicus I wish to cradle him in my arms” She said with her expression changing into one of smile.
Mellona gently shifted Unicus in her arms, her movements slow and careful as she extended her hands forward, offering him to Vanilla. But just as she made the transfer, Unicus clung to her chest, his tiny fingers grasping desperately as if afraid to let go.
Vanilla froze, her eyes wide with shock. She was his mother, and yet her son—her own flesh and blood—held on to another woman as if he feared being separated. The sudden shift in her son’s attachment stirred something within her, frustration quickly bubbling to the surface. Her gentle smile, once warm and inviting, faltered, then crumbled entirely, replaced by a tight, unreadable expression.
Vanilla speaks, “Unicus. What's wrong? … Come to mommy~ I'll … I want to hold you …” Her voice breaks at the thought of her son being more attached to another woman than her.
Then a faint voice gently caresses their ears, “Don't…” All three Vanilla, Russell and Mellona are flabbergasted by what they heard.
They all look around circling their gaze to find the source of their voice. Yet all they could find is no-one other than them in the room. Then one by one, they were hit with the realisation ‘Could it be Unicus?.’
All three’s gaze turns towards the year old newborn Unicus. He looks terrified of something shaking in fear, his eyes moist with tears for the first time since the day of his birth.
Russell was the first to mutter, “Did my son just say something? … What! Hee hee~ This is it. The moment my son calls me father~ I've been waiting for this all year” He is expression was filled with colours of happiness.
Mellona hesitated, her heart racing as she felt the weight of Unicus’s tiny body cling to her chest. It was the first time in her life a newborn had chosen to stay with her like this, and the feeling was both foreign and deeply conflicted. She’d never experienced such a bond, and it unsettled her more than she cared to admit.
Vanilla, standing nearby, was trembling with a nervous energy she couldn’t suppress. “Unicus… come to mommy~ I’ll feed you lots of milk…” She tried to sound soothing, but the crack in her voice betrayed her. The desperation was unmistakable.
But Unicus—Unicus silenced her completely. “Stay... away,” he murmured, his gaze shifting firmly away from Vanilla.
The words struck her like a blow, and before she could respond, she collapsed to her knees with a loud thud, her body crumpling under the weight of rejection. Russell, ever the caring husband, rushed to her side, his hand reaching out to steady her, but the tremor in her frame told him all he needed to know.
Russell asks, “Is something wrong? … Why don't you try a healing spell? I know it'll help you … stay strong Vanilla. We have a child now, you can't let him see you like this.” He tries to reinforce the idea that she needs to be strong for her child.
Vanilla collapsed to the floor, her palms pressed flat against the cold surface as her body shook uncontrollably. Tears streamed down her face, mingling with the mess of snot and grief. For all her aspirations as a mother, in that moment, she felt every bit the inexperienced woman she was. “How? … How? Could this have happened?!” Her voice cracked, raw with emotion, as she pulled at her hair in frustration. “Where did I go wrong? How did I end up here…?!”
She broke down fully, the weight of her failure crashing down on her.
And in that moment, for the first time in his second life, Unicus ruthlessly inflicted pain on another soul. His gaze, cold and unyielding, locked away all traces of warmth as he rejected the very woman who gave him life. This time, it wasn’t just a distant, impersonal hurt—this was his own mother, and the damage was done.
◇ ◇ ◇
It's been a few hours and Russell has been taking care of his wife. He has Vanilla's head on his lap and reads a book with glasses on his face in a calm manner.
“I don't understand how this could be a story book for a child? … Guess this’ll have to wait before I read it out for him. Huh~” he sighs deeply.
Vanilla wasn't exactly acting calmly there. I've never seen her like that. I mean Unicus is still a child. And child's do have their likes and dislikes … it might not be agreeable but shouldn't she give him some space?
Russell was trying to understand the situation from his own perspective. He is trying to understand why his son was holding strongly to Mellona. The way he was holding onto her was … not exactly a loose one, now is it?
Russell's lips curl into a smile, “Maybe the poor kid has a crush on her~ puh hahaha hahaha” he giggles in amusement.
Putting his book aside, his gentle gaze turns towards his wife, “Well back in the day I used to have a number of crushes before I've settled down~ I guess Vanilla might have to sit it out for a while. This is the kind of thing only time can heal. Hopefully.”
He whispers to the sleeping Vanilla, “Like parents like children. That wasn't false after all? Unicus definitely taught me something valuable.”
Vanilla shifts on his lap, her face moving to facing sideways.
Russell, overcome by the feeling to do something gently, caresses his fingers over her face then her cheeks and stops at her lips. “Maybe … Just maybe … Vanilla might be feeling lonely. I might have to bring another child to calm her down …”
He is overwhelmed by what he witnessed this evening but he knows that he has to do something so he silently takes an oath to do better this time.
With a tender gaze he whispers to his sleeping wife, “I'll make sure you aren't lonely Vanilla …” and retrieves his book and puts on his glasses and continues from where he left.
“If only I had more free time … I could spend more time with my family … and buy more books for Unicus …” he sighs considering the amount of his responsibilities.
Russell reads till the embrace of sleep reaches him. And when it does he puts his book away marking the current page and goes to sleep.
Did you had fun? EPMC is written for me and only for me. If you like it too, then great you are my friend ~
