Born In Ashes: The Enigma

Azrael had already lived twenty years before he suddenly found himself in this new—yet strangely familiar and unfamiliar—world.

In those twenty years, not even once had he gotten the chance to use the words Mom and Dad.

The two people he should have used those words to address simply weren't worthy of them. In fact, they had instructed both Azrael and Kael to refer to them as Master, as if they weren't their children but rather servants or slaves who had to obey every command without question.

The reason he hadn't called Ashara Mom even once during their earlier conversation was because he genuinely didn't know how to properly say that word. Using the words Mom and Dad made him feel deeply uncomfortable, which was why he had avoided using them entirely.

But now, after witnessing Ashara's reaction, he didn't know why, but it felt as if something squeezed his heart. He had instinctively almost spoken the very word that had always made him feel uneasy.

'Am I… worried about her?' Azrael looked at Ashara's pale face in silence.

'If I really am worried about her, then the question is… why?'

'Even though she is clearly different from the woman in my memories… even though I actually enjoyed our conversation earlier… with my personality, it should be impossible for me to care about her after just a single interaction.'

"Calm down, honey," Silas gently held Ashara's hand.

"Th-that trait… It's because of—"

"You are overthinking this," Silas interrupted her. "Calm down for a second. Why are you acting like this in front of Azrael? Don't you always boast about how awesome you are in front of him and Kael? What do you think he will think of you if you act like this in front of him?"

"Huh?" Ashara blinked, stunned by Silas's words and stiffly turned her head to look at Azrael.

Seeing that Azrael was silently staring at her, Ashara quickly regained her composure and sat up straight.

Even so, Azrael could see her hands were still trembling slightly.

That same uncomfortable feeling returned. He wanted to ask if she was okay but didn't know how to put it into words.

It was as if Silas could sense his thoughts, so he spoke in a calm, reassuring voice.

"Don't worry, son. She is fine. It's just that the trait you awakened is a bit… special, so it really took us by surprise."

Ashara forced a smile and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Really."

Although Azrael still felt uneasy, he couldn't help but find it amusing that she was trying so hard to act strong just because of what Silas said earlier.

'Awesome, huh? …Well, I do think she is awesome.'

"Azrael, what is the grade of the trait you have awakened?" Silas suddenly asked in a serious tone.

"It's the lowest level—White Grade," Azrael replied truthfully.

Silas and Ashara's eyes brightened when they heard this, and their expressions visibly relaxed.

"White Grade… It's good that it's White Grade," Ashara murmured softly, lowering her head.

Azrael looked at their visibly relieved expressions and then slowly closed his eyes for a moment.

He took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his gaze was slightly different—more deliberate.

He slowly opened his mouth and asked in a slightly unnatural tone, "Mom, Dad… can you tell me what is wrong with this trait?"

Silas didn't notice anything unusual about Azrael's words, as he hadn't spoken with him earlier.

But Ashara couldn't help but smile and respond in a teasing tone, "So you are finally willing to call me Mom again?"

Azrael's mouth twitched slightly, and he turned his head away, knowing full well that Ashara had already noticed he had been avoiding calling her Mom.

'Cute,' Ashara thought to herself with a smile, seeing her always-reserved son looking a little embarrassed.

She walked over and sat beside him on the couch, gently taking his hands and looking him in the eyes.

"Before anything else," She said seriously, "Tell me honestly—how have you been feeling since awakening your trait?"

Azrael met her serious gaze, his mind racing as he calculated the best way to respond.

'This might actually be a good opportunity...' He thought to himself and finally opened his mouth.

"I don't feel anything particularly special, but… if I had to describe it, I would say I have become more cautious. In other words, I find it harder to trust others easily."

Ashara gave a bitter smile when she heard this. "Anything else?"

Azrael hesitated for a second before replying in a low voice.

"My memories… Almost all of them from before the awakening are very blurry. I can't remember them clearly. I know who you, Kael, and Dad are, and that we are close… but I can't remember anything about the time I have spent with you."

He expected Silas and Ashara to be shocked upon hearing this. But to his surprise, both of them simply nodded, their expressions conveying a quiet understanding, as if to say—As expected.

Seeing their reaction, Azrael couldn't help but frown slightly in confusion.

Ashara's expression turned serious, and she spoke in a deep voice.

"Listen to me, Azu. The trait Cold Blooded… this trait is very different from others. It can even be considered a cursed trait. The reason you feel like you can't trust people easily, the reason you have forgotten your memories of us… it's all tied to this trait."

Azrael was taken aback by Ashara's words. He almost wanted to tell her to stop blaming the innocent trait. After all, he knew exactly why he didn't trust people or remember anything about them.

'I literally crashed into this world just a few days ago. Of course I don't have any memories of you people.'

But Ashara didn't notice Azrael's slightly unnatural expression and continued speaking.

"The reason you have forgotten your memories is because this trait turns its wielder into an emotionless machine—a person with an extremely cold heart. If it didn't erase your memories, those memories would interfere with the trait's function. After all, someone who's swayed by warm, emotional memories can't fully become the cold, detached puppet this trait wants you to be—someone who only takes action based on self-interest, unaffected by anyone else."

As Azrael listened, he couldn't help but frown, and for the first time, a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes.

'Is my current condition really the result of this trait… and not because I am not from this world?'

He thought back to the strange feeling that had washed over him when he saw Ashara nearly break down and thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

'Is it possible that I really am the same person as the Azrael of this world… and that the reason I felt worried about her earlier is because of the memories I have forgotten—suppressed by this so-called Cold Blooded trait?'

At this moment, Azrael thought about another thing that he noticed just yesterday.

'The language of this world… It's unlike any language that exists on Earth. And yet, I can speak and read it fluently—as if I have known it since childhood.'