Light.
Warm.
Gentle.
Too bright.
It wrapped around him like a soft blanket, but everything felt too loud, too big, too new.
He was no longer in the darkness.
He was alive.
Yet even with his tiny body, his mind was not that of a normal baby.
Deep inside, he was awake.
Aware.
Watching.
Why is everything so… loud? Rui thought, blinking furiously at the world. And why do I feel like I'm made of pudding?
And then—a voice, smooth as silk and smug as a cat in a sunbeam, whispered in his mind.
"Awake so soon, little one?"
Rui stilled. Oh no. Not you again.
It was him.
Mr. Liar.
The god who had found him drifting in the void.
The one with the lazy grin and impossible eyes.
The one who had offered him a second chance—wrapped in riddles and wrapped again in trouble.
"You've been born again. A new life, a new world... but you're still you," the voice chuckled, like a secret joke.
Rui sighed internally. Why does being reincarnated feel like waking up late for school?
He couldn't speak, but he felt the god's presence again—a shadow resting gently against his thoughts, lounging like he owned the place.
"Let me give you a few gifts," Mr. Liar purred.
Rui mentally groaned. Oh no. Is this going to involve sparkles?
Gift One: Language
"From now on, you'll understand every language," the god said kindly.
"No matter what people say, their words will make sense to you. You'll hear the truth behind every sound."
Rui blinked slowly.
Words floated into his ears like music—nurses talking, machines humming, distant footsteps.
It's like subtitles for real life, he realized.
Cool. Weird. Slightly terrifying.
He couldn't even babble yet—but when he listened, the world spoke clearly.
Okay. That one's actually useful, Rui admitted. Thanks, Mr. Liar .
Gift Two: The Mask of Lies
"This gift is special," the god continued.
"It's not a real mask you wear. It's something inside you."
"When people look at you, they'll see what you want them to see. You can hide your fear.
Hide your thoughts.
Even pretend to be someone else—just by wishing it."
Rui's tiny brows furrowed. So basically… emotional Photoshop?
A shimmer flickered in the air around him.
Soft. Fleeting.
Like a dream brushing past. Then it was gone.
Hmm. This feels like it'll cause problems… which means I'll definitely use it.
Gift Three: The Eyes of Truth
Mr. Liar's voice lowered, quiet and serious.
"Your eyes will see through lies," he said.
"You'll notice the truth hiding behind smiles, behind soft words… even behind silence."
Rui stared up at the hospital ceiling. His red eyes glowed faintly in the fluorescent light.
So much to see.
So much to learn.
And now I'll see what people don't want me to.
That… that made his tiny spine shiver. Powerful. Dangerous. Kinda cool.
One Last Gift... A Riddle
The god chuckled again. Rui already braced himself.
"And just for fun… one more gift. Wrapped in a little poem."
His voice rippled like music across Rui's mind.
"A whisper turns stone into silk,
A voice that makes the proud ones wilt.
Eyes that see through pain and pride,
And a heart where even gods can't hide."
Then—silence.
The god faded again, like fog lifting in the morning.
Watching.
Waiting.
Rui blinked.
That was... definitely suspicious.
Also poetic.
And frustratingly vague.
Thanks for the anxiety, Mr. Liar.
A soft touch brushed Rui's cheek.
Warm. Careful.
"Baby… are you awake?"
His mother's voice poured into the room like sunlight.
Sweet. Trembling. Overflowing with love.
She leaned over him, her long black hair cascading like curtains around her face.
Her dark eyes sparkled with tears—half joy, half fear.
"I missed you," she whispered. "You scared us…"
She kissed his forehead gently. Rui blinked up at her, stunned.
She's beautiful. And she smells like warmth and tea.
Another voice followed. Deep. Calm.
"Let him rest, Mei."
His father.
Tall. Serious.
Wearing a suit even in the hospital, trying to hide the worry in his sharp eyes.
His mother smiled, soft and stubborn.
"I am letting him rest."
The man sighed, then leaned in close. A rare smile touched his lips.
"He has your eyes."
Mei frowned slightly. "No… His eyes are… something else."
Rui squirmed slightly in her arms. Geez. I didn't think I'd be analyzed like a gemstone.
Days passed.
Soon, Rui was home—wrapped in soft blankets and familiar smells.
Their house was large and full of light.
Sun spilled across wooden floors.
Music drifted lazily through the rooms.
And then—
Chaos.
"WHOA!! He blinked! He blinked!"
A blur of energy crashed into the nursery.
Sean.
Four years old.
Milk bottle in hand.
Now upside down on the carpet with milk everywhere.
He crawled up to the crib like a tornado made of pajamas. "Can I hold him now? Can I? Please! I'll wash my hands! Sort of!"
Rui looked at him like a war veteran watching a puppy with a hand grenade.
That child is a walking hazard.
"No," came a voice from the corner.
Flat. Bored. Slightly annoyed.
Kai, 14.
Always leaning against walls like an extra from a detective movie.
Cool. Mysterious. Quiet—but never far.
"Look at that stare," said another, grinning. "He's judging us already."
Leo, 15.
Loud. Confident. Sarcastic.
Basically Rui's future headache.
And finally—
"Be gentle, everyone," came a calm voice.
Noah. 17.
Tall. Strong. The kind of brother who'd hold your hand or tackle a monster—whichever was needed.
So many brothers, Rui thought. This is going to be loud forever, isn't it?
Sean tripped again. "Oops. That milk was for the baby."
Kai didn't even look up. "He can't drink milk from a bottle, genius."
"He can if he believes!" Sean declared dramatically, and promptly spilled more.
On the third day home, the family gathered around him.
"What about Sky?" Sean offered, already spilling milk again.
"Too soft," Kai muttered.
"Jude?" Leo said. "Sounds cool."
"No," their father said. "His name should have meaning."
Their mother rocked Rui gently. "He came back to us," she whispered. "Like a miracle."
Then Noah, quiet and thoughtful, spoke.
"What about Rui?"
Everyone paused.
"Rui," Mei whispered. "Yes…"
"It means wisdom," Noah said. "Gentle, but sharp. Like rain that heals."
Their father nodded.
"Rui."
Rui blinked.
I approve.
Days flowed like music.
Rui spent his time watching shadows stretch across the floor, studying how light danced through the windows.
He listened to the rhythm of laughter, the heartbeat of the house.
He liked warm baths, lullabies, and the way his mother's hand felt on his hair.
He did not like Sean's experiments involving glitter, pancakes, and "science."
Every night, when the world grew quiet and moonlight painted the walls silver, Rui would lie in his crib, blinking slowly.
And from deep within…
"You're doing well, little liar," Mr. Liar whispered.
"But remember… every lie you use will shape your truth. So choose them carefully."
Rui didn't answer.
He was too busy learning…
how to live.
Far Away...
In another land, far from soft blankets and lullabies—
Rain fell in sheets, soaking the forest floor.
A strange creature slithered through the fog, laughing in whispers that bent trees.
Steel clashed with shadow.
A figure cloaked in silver chased the demon down, silent as frost.
His eyes were not human.
His blade whispered in a language the world had forgotten.
Somewhere in the storm, the demon turned and smiled.
"Found him, did you?"
The silver figure didn't answer.
But lightning struck—and the hunt began again.
Morning sunlight spilled through the windows, painting golden shapes across the nursery wall.
Rui blinked, watching dust float through the beams of light like tiny stars. The world still felt new. Shiny. Fragile. But he was beginning to understand its rhythm.
Squeaky shoes. Microwave beeps. Sean's war cries.
And his mother's soft humming—that was his favorite.
Today, she was humming a lullaby. One she hadn't sung in years.
He could tell.
Not from the melody—but the way her voice trembled.
She's remembering something, Rui thought. Someone? A time?
He couldn't ask. But he could listen.
He always listened.
That morning, Rui decided it was time to test his gifts.
He focused on his "Mask of Lies," willing himself to look... sleepy.
Instantly, his eyes drooped, his face relaxed.
"Oh," Mei cooed, scooping him up. "Someone's getting sleepy again."
Victory.
Ten minutes later, he used the same mask to look wide awake—just in time to avoid a diaper change.
The gods giveth, and I useth wisely, Rui thought smugly.
Then Sean burst in.
"BABY TRAINING TIME!!"
Rui's tiny soul prepared for impact.
Sean dragged over a plush duck and a crayon-stained "training scroll" (actually a napkin).
"First lesson," Sean declared, "how to blink on command!"
Kai, passing by, muttered, "Pretty sure he already blinked."
"That was practice blinking!" Sean insisted.
Rui blinked.
Sean gasped. "HE DID IT! HE'S A GENIUS!"
Rui smirked inwardly.
Then Leo shouted from the kitchen, "Sean! Get the cheese out of your shoes!"
"Gotta go!" Sean ran out, duck in hand.
Rui exhaled.
Survived. Barely.
That night, Rui dreamt of silver mist and crimson moons.
He stood—older—in a field of mirrors, each one reflecting a different version of himself.
Some were kind. Some cruel. One wore a crown of thorns and smiled too widely.
Then he heard it—scraping. A sound like teeth grinding against bone.
In the distance, a crooked tower loomed, wrapped in chains. Black feathers rained from the sky.
And at its base stood a man.
Cloaked in frost. Eyes like shattered glass.
The same man from the forest, chasing the demon.
He looked up.
And through the dream, their eyes met.
"You," the man whispered. "You're the vessel."
Rui's heart thudded in his chest.
And then—
He woke.
Family Game Night
The next evening, the family gathered in the living room.
It was time for Game Night.
The game? Monopoly.
A cursed tradition passed down like an heirloom no one wanted.
Sean had already eaten two of the fake hundred-dollar bills.
Kai was hoarding all the railroads like a future crime boss.
Leo kept arguing that stealing utilities was a "smart investment."
And Noah? Calmly building hotels and smiling like a kind emperor.
Rui, wrapped in a soft blanket like royalty, watched it all from his crib.
His Eyes of Truth glimmered faintly.
He saw his father glancing at his phone again and again.
His mother's smile dropped when no one was watching.
Little things. Quiet things.
Lies.
Something's off, Rui thought.
Something's coming.
The Whisper Returns
That night, the house fell quiet.
No more laughter. No more shouting. Just soft breathing and moonlight on the walls.
Rui stayed awake.
And then—he felt it.
A presence in the dark.
Mr. Liar.
"You're already noticing things," the god said, voice soft and cold. "Good."
"Something's wrong," Rui thought back.
"Wrong?" Mr. Liar chuckled. "Child, the world is full of lies. You just haven't seen them all yet."
Rui didn't like that answer.
He didn't want riddles. He wanted answers.
He wanted his family to be safe.
Then—thunder rumbled, low and far.
"There are others like you," Mr. Liar said. "But not all are lucky enough to be loved."
Rui's breath caught.
"Are they coming?"
The god didn't reply.
He just whispered:
"Remember the riddle."
And vanished into silence.
Somewhere Far Away…
High on a snowy mountain, wind roared like a beast.
A figure in silver stood before a burning temple.
Ash swirled in the air. Stone cracked and smoking.
He knelt, brushing aside blackened rubble.
Beneath it—an old symbol.
A spiral of mirrors.
It shimmered.
"The child is awake," the man said quietly.
Behind him, the shadows moved.
"They'll come for him soon."
Rui was not aware of anything far away
He was happy to be with his family. And think about the future.
" Why I can't remember anything ?.." Rui was thinking eyes closed. The room was dark . Everyone must be asleep. It was midnight.
The clock makes sound ticked.
Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.
Rui couldn't sleep and calls Mr. Liar.
" Mr. Liar are you here ."
" Yes, I am ."
" What should I do from now on."
" Whatever you want."
" Mr. Liar do you know who I was before ."
Only silence ...
" You can't tell me ." Rui looked disappointed.
" What's so fun to give you answer easily , when we can play games and bet ."
" It's more fun that way ."
" What do you want in return if you give me my answer ."
" Hummm... What I want ... There is no fun telling you. So I am gonna give you a test if you passed that test I will give you answer but you have to grow up as 17 years old . " Then I will answer your question. "
" Why wait 17 years ? " Rui pouts .
" Future will tell you , now I will be sleeping. I will wake up when you reach 17 years old ." Mr. Liar voice disappeared .
" What sleeping for 17 years ?" He was shocked. But his eyes were slowly tired so Rui falls asleep .
The shadow slowly immerged from the darkness . Purple eyes and brown orange hair . A man looked at Rui from a mirror and smirk. " Well ,well look who have returned ..." He laughed dangerously.
To Be Continued...