Born In Ashes: The Enigma

As many different thoughts crossed his mind, Azrael couldn't help but recall the condition of his body on the day he first opened his eyes in this world.

'My body had never come into contact with cosmic energy before. It was only after I took the Cosmic Energy Affinity Pill that I was able to adapt to it. If I and the Azrael of this world were truly the same person, then it would have been impossible for me not to have already come into contact with cosmic energy while living here.'

Azrael felt his thoughts spiral into chaos and for the first time since acquiring Infinite Comprehension Trait, he felt as if even his enhanced mental capacity wasn't enough to fully understand the situation.

"My dear son," Ashara's voice interrupted his thoughts gently, "I don't want you to become an emotionless puppet who doesn't feel anything… who doesn't care about anyone, has no ambitions, no hope in life. A person who's not truly living—just letting time pass until it all ends. It might be difficult at your current level, but I want you to keep the power of your trait under your control."

Azrael thought of himself right after he escaped the lab.

'I also don't want to become that version of myself again.'

"Find an anchor point for yourself. An anchor that keeps you from getting lost in the cold world created in your mind by this trait. Only by having an anchor will you be able to remain yourself—and not become something else entirely."

"An anchor point…" Azrael muttered softly and looked at Ashara.

He recalled her earlier reaction—how shaken she was when he revealed the name of his trait—and finally understood something.

"Mom… what is your anchor point?"

Ashara was caught off guard by the question, but soon gave a bitter smile.

"Was I that obvious?" She asked quietly.

Azrael said nothing and simply looked at her.

Ashara didn't answer immediately. Instead, she pulled him into a hug and said softly,

"My anchor point is obviously you and Kael… Oh! And also that side guy standing there…" She pointed toward Silas, who now wore a helpless smile at his wife's teasing remark.

"Whenever I feel like I am losing myself, I always think about my time with you all. The moment I first held you in my arms. The first time you and Kael called me 'Mom'..." Ashara released Azrael and looked into his eyes as she continued.

"The happy times I spent with you all… they are the anchor that keeps me from losing myself."

"…I see," Azrael nodded slowly, a small smile curling at the corner of his lips.

After a brief pause, he asked another question.

"This trait… it only affects the user's memories during the awakening, right?"

Ashara nodded. "Yes. It won't affect your memories anymore, but you still need to keep its power in check."

She hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and spoke in a low voice.

"Azrael… it's very likely that you awakened this trait because I also possess it. I won't ask you to forgive me for passing on such a trait, but—"

"It's not your fault," Azrael interrupted her firmly.

Images of two people from Earth—ones who looked remarkably similar to Ashara and Silas—flashed through his mind.

"It's really not your fault," He repeated, this time with certainty in his voice.

'I have already taken my revenge on the ones who turned me into an emotionless puppet, so there is no need for you to apologize… You both are nothing like them,' He thought, offering Ashara a genuine smile.

"Mom, you don't have to worry about anything. Before, I didn't understand how this trait worked, and that's why it was able to affect me. But now that I know, it won't be able to control me in any way."

'After all, I am the one using the trait—not the other way around.'

Ashara looked at Azrael's confident expression and let out a relieved smile.

"I see. I am happy to hear that."

After a moment, she asked.

"What do you think about the anchor point I talked about earlier?"

Azrael considered her words before answering lightly.

"I think I already have one."

"Already have one?" Ashara blinked in surprise, her eyes widening. "You… you didn't secretly hook up with a vixen behind my back and are already planning to get married, did you?"

Azrael stared at her blankly, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

"Alright, alright, I know you men are all the same and can't be trusted," She said dramatically. "I willl reluctantly accept your relationship with that vixen if you quickly give me a grandchild to play with."

Azrael looked at her for a second before smiled.

"Actually, I already have one. He was born six months ago and just called me 'Papa' last night."

Ashara and Silas both froze at his words, coughing awkwardly.

"Alright, enough joking. Azrael, can you explain what you meant by 'you already have one'?" Ashara asked, now staring at him with intense curiosity.

'If what he just said is true, I will definitely retire and raise my grandchild myself…' Stars sparkled in her eyes at the thought.

Feeling uncomfortable under her burning gaze, Azrael finally answered,

"It's Kael."

Silas raised an eyebrow, while Ashara clicked her tongue.

"Tsk. That stinky brat who doesn't even wear the clothes I buy for him."

Azrael chuckled at her grumbling.

After hearing Ashara talk about her anchor point, it wasn't hard for him to understand what she meant.

After everything that happened to him on Earth, he had become an emotionless puppet. And the way Ashara described the Cold Blooded trait… it sounded eerily similar to that state—a hollow existence with no emotions and a broken sense of self.

Remembering that kind of life, Azrael felt repulsed.

That life was… disgusting.

No ambitions. No hope. Wake up in the morning, sit around all day without the will to even glance outside. Eat if you felt like it—sometimes even eating felt like a burden. And once the sun set, you'd simply lie down to sleep. The next day… repeat everything all over again.

'I am sure I'll never let a trait control my actions. I am the one using it—not the other way around. But still… the method of using an anchor isn't a bad idea.'

To put it simply, an anchor is someone you care deeply about.

If the trait tries to erase your emotions and turn you into a cold machine, you can fight it by relying on the love and care you feel for that person.

Azrael's biggest regret in his past life was being unable to give Kael a good life. Kael had been the only one he ever cared for since childhood.

Even after escaping from the lab, the reason he killed those two people wasn't because of anger or revenge—it was because of Kael.

By then, Azrael had already become numb, completely devoid of emotion. Taking revenge didn't stir him at all.

But the moment he remembered the image of Kael's lifeless body hanging… the despair on his face even in death—it was etched into Azrael's soul.

Now that Kael was with him again, his care for him had only grown stronger.

"Azu, Azu… what about me?" Ashara suddenly cried out. "You said that stinky brat who doesn't care about his mom's feelings is your anchor point—what about me? Don't you care about me? Have you forgotten the time I changed your diapers?"

Azrael looked at her aggrieved face and felt helpless.

Before meeting her, he had already assumed she would be different from the woman in his memory—but he never imagined she would be like this.

He recalled their brief time together since they met, and finally spoke seriously.

"I honestly don't know. But to be honest… I am not against adding a few more anchor points for myself."

Ashara's face brightened instantly, and she pulled him into another hug.

"I knew it! You weren't an ungrateful child who'd forget his mother!" She exclaimed, then shot a side glance at Silas.

"By the way, if you think it's too much work, you don't need to worry about that side character over there. We can just ignore him."

Silas's face darkened at her words as he looked at her speechlessly.

Azrael found it all amusing and smiled inwardly.

'By the way… why do I feel like we are all forgetting something?' He suddenly wondered but couldn't quite remember what it was.

Meanwhile, in the backyard of the mansion, a kid was drawing circles on the ground beside a griffin, mumbling to himself.

"My parents and brother don't love me… I was adopted from a garbage dump… I knew it…"

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