When Kai opened his eyes, a flicker of confusion clouded his mind. He tried to push himself upright the way he always had, but his tiny legs buckled instantly beneath him. They folded like wet paper, sending him stumbling backward before he flopped helplessly to the ground with a soft, undignified thud. Then, still sprawled on the ground, Kai lifted his head and scanned the bewildering surroundings, his eyes darting desperately for any clue that might reveal where he was—or how he had possibly ended up lost in this completely unknown place.
As Kai's gaze swept the room, he realised he was in a dimly lit, medium-sized cave. Right beside him lay a baby, nestled snugly within a thick, luxurious pelt of animal skin. Curious, he reached out and brushed his fingers across the soft fur, trying to guess what creature it had once belonged to. Despite its plush, dense texture, he couldn't identify the animal at all.
As Kai's eyes settled on the adorable baby nestled in the fur, curiosity overtook him. He decided this tiny stranger might hold the key to his bizarre situation. Reaching out, he gave her stomach a single, gentle tap.
At his soft touch, the baby girl's eyes snapped open. To his surprise, she didn't cry at all. Instead, a clear flicker of annoyance crossed her face, her gaze carrying an oddly mature, knowing glint. Kai ignored it completely. He opened his mouth and launched into an excited torrent of babble—"Bla bla bla bla bla"—his voice echoing wildly and filling the entire cave with nonsense.
The baby girl stared up at him, utterly speechless. Inside her mind, she was screaming, 'Shut the hell up!' But trapped in the body of a helpless five-month-old, she couldn't utter a single word. She could only lie there, forced to endure every echoing "bla bla bla" in miserable silence.
She had hoped her new big brother would eventually tire himself out and drift off to sleep. But minutes ticked by, and Kai showed no sign of stopping—his endless "bla bla bla" still pouring out in an unstoppable flood.
The baby girl's eyes narrowed in quiet exasperation. Oh boy, she thought, it looks like I've been saddled with a big-mouthed big brother.
Her mind drifted back to her previous life. In that existence, she had been a complete orphan. No matter how high she rose—no matter how unmatched an expert she became—she had lived surrounded by constant threats and endless scheming. She had never once known the warmth of a real family. And in the end, she had died in a sudden, ruthless ambush.