In the leader's house.
Moments before a crucial event. A dark-skinned woman was in the intense process of giving birth. Since morning, she had endured contractions, and after her water broke, they carefully prepared to welcome a new life. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she frowned with each push. Her legs trembled, and a trickle of blood emanated from her body, evidencing the dilation necessary to bring her child into the world. The midwife dedicatedly assisted her, providing massages, cleansing, and words of encouragement.
Finally, after a few minutes that seemed eternal, with one last effort, the long-awaited baby arrived. Together with her husband, the woman had spent nine months in preparation, caring for herself and dreaming of this moment. She had been treated as a divine vessel due to the prophecies of ancient sages, who predicted that her child would play a fundamental role in the future of her people. Therefore, as a mother, she had to be strong and face the challenges to bring a healthy child into life.
"Finally, he was born", the woman thought. However, a sudden silence filled the room, an eerie silence that made her skin crawl, as an inner voice whispered that something had gone wrong with her son's birth. So, her eyes sought out the midwife, who was tenderly holding the baby, who, at first glance, seemed healthy, moving and observing his surroundings. The woman didn't understand why the atmosphere was so somber, and she turned to her partner, the community leader, for answers, but he too wore a puzzled expression.
"What's wrong with my child?", the concern echoed in their minds. The man looked at his wife with the same bewilderment she felt toward him. Although the baby looked normal, there was something about his behavior that set him apart from her other children. He fixed his gaze at the little boy, who was observing him deeply, almost as if he understood his mother's sacrifice. A sense of revelation swept over the man at that moment. "The child is conscious", he reflected fearfully. He wasn't frightened by his son's intelligence itself, but by the meaning it held.
At that moment, the head priest entered, having been praying to the gods for a smooth delivery. His face showed concern as he entered, fearing the baby had died, but when he noticed it moving, his breath eased. However, upon noticing the looks of those present, he joined the collective unease surrounding the leader's son, who was mired in the same uncertainty as everyone else.
"Son of the Sun and the Moon", the priest murmured, visibly surprised. His voice, though low, echoed in the small room, and everyone present heard him. Shock permeated the atmosphere, for the prophecy had been fulfilled: the man who would lead his people had been born, a being endowed with many qualities. However, what mattered most to his people were his wisdom and strength, vital to facing the horrors that lay ahead in the years to come.
"As the prophecy says, a special man has come into the world, and his name will be equally special", the head priest declared solemnly. Seeing the child's parents nod approvingly, he continued, "SuaChie Chuta… that shall be his name".
The public's gaze fell upon the baby with hope; they saw in him a promising intelligence and began to feel that their destinies might be in his hands. However, what they didn't know was that, in a parallel world, that child would not have come to life. Although at that moment this only generated the lament of his family and community, in the future, SuaChie Chuta's absence would mean the emergence of unwanted visitors arriving on their shores, determined to seize everything valuable in their path. These invaders would advance under the guise of promises of peace, but their path would be drenched in blood and steel. Taking advantage of a technological abyss, they would treat the locals as inferior beings, disposable resources, and in the worst cases, as cattle. That era looked different, as SuaChie Chuta's intelligence could alter not only the destiny of his people, but also that of all the peoples of the continent. In his hands would rest the power to prevent "colonization".
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First-person POV.
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I found myself in a state of confusion and fear. "What's happening?", I thought uneasily. It was as if I were being squeezed. I felt warm and somewhat slimy, yet uncomfortable at the same time. The pressure surrounded me from all sides, and it seemed my body couldn't bear it. "Wait a minute, shouldn't I be dead?", I wondered as I relived the previous moments. I remembered the pain I had felt before everything disappeared, when the strength within me faded. Now, in this strange situation, I felt no fear; after all, I had already experienced death once. However, I harbored a faint hope that this suffering was just a prelude to paradise.
What happened next happened so quickly that it's difficult for me to describe. I felt as if I was thrown away from that uncomfortable place, and suddenly I was held firmly by structures that cleansed me and provided shelter. My vision was still not entirely clear, but I could make out walls and giant figures. "It seems one of those beings was the one who held me and cleansed me", I reflected as I looked at the other figures in that vast hall.
The silence that reigned was overwhelming. After crossing that oppressive space, I felt I had lost all my strength, so I couldn't ask what those beings wanted from me, whether I would have to face some kind of trial or if they would simply be my judges. However, that brief interval allowed me to clear my vision: although I couldn't see completely clearly, I could distinguish the figures more clearly.
Furthermore, I began to hear with renewed awareness, or perhaps too clearly, because my sense of hearing was extremely sensitive, as if I were adapting from deafness to regaining the ability to hear. The soft sounds resonated with great intensity, allowing me to realize that one of those beings was lying prone, its breathing irregular, as if it had run a marathon. Observing its figure and the love reflected in its gaze, I understood two things.
I was on Earth, or at least I assumed I was, since the figures I could make out looked human. Their clothing was somewhat strange, decorated with gold, but their features were clearly human. On the other hand, the woman who looked so exhausted was clearly my mother, who had just gone through one of the most painful experiences a human being can experience, and I felt profound gratitude toward her for having given me life.
Little by little, I began to perceive and feel many more things. I felt slightly cold, and my ears were ringing a little. I continued to observe the other people in the room until a new figure appeared. This individual began conversing with the other man standing there, then stared at me. "One of them must be my father", I thought as I alternated my gaze between the two.
"Now that I think about it, I don't understand what they're saying", I mused as I observed the expression of the man adorned with gold. He seemed somewhat surprised and solemn upon seeing me. "I don't think he has a tail, does he?", A slight fear came over me at the attention I was receiving.
After that moment, everything happened at great speed. My routine was established without me having any say, although I had no voice in it. I only hoped that my parents would care about my well-being and help me grow up safe and sound.
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Three months later.
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"How tiring it is to be a baby", I reflected as I lay in what felt like a crib. For the past few months, I had been immersed in the typical life of an infant. I would wake up and be fed, cuddled, moved until I was exhausted, sleep, and then wake up hungry again. My cries became my only way to get attention, and so the cycle repeated itself. Many times, I went through situations that were extremely embarrassing for anyone, as I couldn't control my bowels and urinated and defecated uncontrollably.
Despite these difficulties, there was something positive to be gained from this time. I had learned a few things, some intuitively and others through the language I was acquiring.
"My parents seem to be the leaders of my community. The ornate man who frequents our home is similar to a priest, and I have several brothers and sisters", I recalled as I reflected on my experience thus far. "It seems my memory is better than I expected", I thought, impressed by the amount of detail I was able to retain despite my young age.
I remembered that my father was named Hyba and was a warrior, while my mother, Za, wasn't sure what she did, as she had spent so much time with me. The priest was known as Simte.
I knew a few words and was beginning to adapt to the language.
There were certain aspects that surprised me. In this village where I lived, there seemed to be a custom of washing frequently, something I sincerely appreciated. I didn't want to spend most of my time dirty and was afraid it might affect me in the long run. However, there was one thing that worried me: I hadn't been able to leave the house. Many people came to visit us, but we had never gone outside.
"Today seems to be my lucky day", I thought as my mother dressed me and lifted me into her arms. She walked to the front door and opened it.
"I can't believe it!", I exclaimed in amazement.
Before me lay a tidy village, with houses and several wooden buildings resembling workshops. Crowds of people walked with bags in hand. Animals I'd only ever seen at the zoo when I was a child moved about. However, what impressed me most was the majestic mountain range that rose on the horizon, encompassing the sky with its splendor.
"It's an incredible landscape", I thought, admiring this land so foreign to me.
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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Hello all readers, I hope you enjoyed this second chapter.
I played around with the perspective shift a bit; please let us know what you think.
The next chapter will be out soon.
Read my other novel, The Walking Dead: Vision of the Future.
You can find it on my profile.]