'W-where . . . where am I?'
Kyle's bewildered voice echoed as he cautiously opened his eyes.
His surroundings were a haze of ringing in his ears and blurry vision. The ambient light was dim, yet a refreshing coolness brushed against his bare skin, offering a unique sensation that cleansed his soul.
'What happened?'
The thought raced through his mind, but his vision remained a mix of shadows, forms, and light, refusing to cooperate.
Amidst the confusion, a cacophony of voices, whispers, and laughter filled his ears, creating a disorienting symphony.
As his senses slowly returned, Kyle felt himself being carried. When clarity finally graced his vision, he found himself staring at a pale, bony figure.
The man had death-like features, with white hair, a long pointy nose, and spectral eyes that glowed upon noticing him.
'Fuck! What on earth—!'
Kyle's shock turned to gasps as he laid eyes on another figure. This time, it was a humanoid with a face akin to a turtle, dark skin, and sharp teeth protruding from his lips, white curly hair, and a giant turtle shell on its back. Its reptile eyes, blue and menacing were fixed on him.
"Oh look, it's awake!" the turtle-headed being exclaimed, smiling which made his eyes closed, transforming his menacing appearance into that of a kind old man.
'H-holy shit!' Kyle's attempt at speech was cut short as yet another face came into view.
This time, it was a frightening old man with golden eyes, shiny white hair, a polished white beard, and horns spanning across his head – he was enormous, almost gigantic.
To add to the surreal scene, they all seemed giant in size.
Or perhaps it was Kyle's small frame?
'Small?' Kyle watched, wide-eyed, as scaly, clawed arms emerged within his line of sight.
'Huh? Is this . . . my ARMS?!'
The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and Kyle found himself in a world where the bizarre was the norm, leaving him utterly dumbfounded.
Before Kyle stood beings of paradox — terrifying and mystical, both of and beyond his comprehension.
He felt his tail quivered, his legs shook, his breath caught, and his heart overflowed with confusion and fear.
A piercing cry burst from his mouth, resounding in his ears like a child's wail.
"Oh look, he's happy," said the old turtle.
"More like terrified," chimed in the old, skinny man with the voice of an old woman.
"Nonsense! No heir of the divine dragon is easily terrified! Bwahaha!" shouted the old man with multiple scary horns on his head.
Kyle couldn't stop crying. He wanted to say something, but instead of words, all that burst out were cries of "Wah! Wah! And Wah!"
"Stop it, everyone."
A melodious voice filled the room, carrying authority and the gentleness of a mother's voice.
Kyle's view was dominated by a woman with green, flowing hair, white skin, and a beauty that could launch a million ships.
Radiating divine energy, the woman had multiple horns on her head, yet Kyle didn't mind the horns as he focused on her ethereal face.
He found her to be the most enchanting woman he had ever seen in his entire life, a sentiment that surprised him considering his extensive history with 547 previous girlfriends (not true).
When she touched him, a calming sensation enveloped him, and he sensed a special connection between them.
Cradled in her arms, she gazed at him with a tenderness that reached into a mind too young for higher thought or language.
No words were spoken, just a feeling — repeated over and over, saying, 'You are loved.'
M-mother? Kyle could only manage a confused, "Wah?"
"It's alright, my sweet child. You must be hungry," she said with her sweet and loving voice.
C-child? Kyle was shocked.
The last thing he remembered was the near-death experience with truck-kun, and then everything went blank.
Did he died and got reincarnated in some fantasy land, much like those popular games, movies, and novels he used to watched and read about?
How did he died?
What about Zen?
Kyle's thoughts were a chaotic whirlwind.
Cradled in the arms of the mysterious woman, she drew him closer. With a deft motion, she slipped a breast from her white robe, revealing a plump, enormous softness with pinkish, shiny round tips.
A gasp escaped Kyle, and a wave of heat rushed through his head, leaving him delirious. All he could manage in response was another wail.
Despite the embarrassment and inappropriateness of the situation, nature called for him to take his first sip of nourishment.
'S-s . . . SWEET HOME ALABAMA!'
The experience was rather bland and disgusting, but the soft and squishy flesh that pressed against his face felt heavenly. The aroma coming from her was equally divine.
As Kyle reluctantly indulged in this peculiar nourishment, he felt something crawling through his veins, carrying with it strange information into his head.
However, before he could decipher any of it, he succumbed to sleep, with the last murmurings echoing in his ears.
"We will leave you to it . . ."
"Now that you have your heir, you . . . no longer . . ."
". . . no one must know . . ."
"We will increase security . . . until he is of the right age . . ."
While the murmurs served as lullabies, lulling him into a deep sleep, Kyle couldn't help but think of Zen.
Did Zen also meet his demise?
What happened to him?
Kyle fervently hoped that Zen was safe. Dying a virgin was just too tragic.
Zen . . .
=======
Meanwhile, in numerous courtyards, rounds of cries echoed, signaling the birth of babies in different concubine quarters.
In the lower courtyard, where those with lower status resided and only rose to concubines through looks and merits, a baby was born.
The initial shock wasn't because the mother had perished during childbirth, but rather because the baby emerged with dark skin.
In the Ryujin Clan, one of the top clans in the Yokai Realm where the divine dragon resided, this was unprecedented — a first, and it was interpreted as a bad omen.
However, unlike typical infants who would cry and wail, the dark-skinned baby maintained a stoic expression, his tiny face portraying a sense of boredom as he observed his surroundings.
"He truly is an unusual child!" remarked a servant, triggering a chorus of murmurs and prayers that filled the room.
Zen only looked at them with disinterest, but deep inside, he wondered.
'Where am I?'