The perfect | TBATE X COTE

Prologue

Humanity has always wondered what happens after death. Is there such a thing as heaven or hell? A god who welcomes us into his paradise? I couldn't deny it because I had no idea what happened after death. To confirm the existence of something, proof that it exists is required, and to deny that there is no paradise after death, confirm that there is nothing is required, which is impossible and irrational. This does not imply that we must believe everything without any real evidence. In the white room, I was taught not to be gullible, but also not to be incredulous. Because there are infinite possibilities, what we understand is meaningless in a vast ocean of uncertainty.

What I didn't foresee was...

"They are two very healthy children." A voice came to my numb ears.

I managed to open my eyes after a monumental effort. Colors and lights sent spasms of pain through my immature nerves, and I was immediately bombarded by a sea of sensations. When I finally got a better look, I noticed what appeared to be the doctor who had assisted in the delivery; however, he did not appear to be a certified physician. He didn't have any tools; only his thick glasses, and his aged and somewhat tired appearance made him appear older than he probably was, giving him the air of an experienced old man. The dark wood room had dim, flickering, orange lighting that cast shadows around us.

'Are those candles?' I inquired, taking a closer look at the lighting.

I immediately made a guess based on what I saw; there was a 'doctor,' or so I assumed, because I lacked a gown and could only guess. We were in some sort of basement because of the worn wood on the ceiling, and I could hear another baby crying nearby. Was this a cult of Satan? Or perhaps childbirth in a remote location? Both concerned me, especially now that my mobility was irrevocably linked to another person.

I rolled my eyes as I tried to take in my surroundings. I couldn't move my neck for obvious reasons, so I had to rely on my peripheral vision, which wasn't as well-trained as it once was, but I was confident that I could at least emulate a small amount of the efficiency I had when I had my previous body, because peripheral vision is the human brain's attempt to focus attention on the center of vision. So it is easy to improve it with training.

A woman with light brown hair and brown eyes with a loving look suffused in them enters my half-blurry and obscured vision, and she alternates her gaze between me and another place. Her long lashes are arched slightly upward, lending her a gentle air. In this life, I suppose she should be my mother. It's at least interesting to meet her, because I have no memories of my mother from my previous life. I only remember white, white, and my little bit of freedom from joining Koudo Ikusei, but I apparently died in my sleep.

I was curious if my classmates would be sad or even notice my absence. Kei would undoubtedly cry. She'd also be vulnerable for some time because she wasn't yet ready to be independent the last time we saw each other. But I'm confident she'll be fine. Horikita, she'd notice my absence, but I doubt she'd cry. After that, there's Airi, who, as ones of my first friends, I'm hoping will remember me; for some reason, thinking of the most likely scenarios made me feel a little better.

At the very least, I'll be remembered. In the end, I was more than just a statistic in the white room. Could that be considered a win over that man?

As I rambled through my thoughts, a fresh voice called my attention to a man making unusual motions with his hands "Hello, little Kiyo, little Art, say hello to daddy! Can you say daddy?"

Now that I realized they didn't speak Japanese or many of the other languages I knew. I dismissed it as just another language I had learned and stopped bothering, but it appears to be a variation of French and German, but according to my extensive geography studies, no country or region uses a subversion of that language combination. Was it a village that was too far away to be relevant? I'd be lying if I said I knew all the world's languages, but I do know all the important ones and then some.

"They were just born, honey." The woman laughed.

Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, the man chuckled uncomfortably "right."

He was a man I would describe as "handsome." Sharp jaws, a neatly trimmed beard, ash-colored hair, and eyes that seemed to hold the ocean. As I was trying to remember how these people looked, the doctor, or at least the local healer, spoke up again.

"I recommend that you rest for at least a week, Mrs. Leywin. Also, if anything happens, please do not hesitate to contact me."

"Thank you very much." The couple thanked, and I could feel my eyelids getting heavier.

With so little conscious time, it appears that the energy of this body had already been depleted. Being a baby was truly unpleasant. I fell asleep to the sound of the couple happily chatting.

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Well, short chapter, but that's because for me it's something similar to a pilot chapter, I just wanted a change of pace from all those Classroom of the elite fanfics, and what better than having kiyotaka in TBATE, combining some of my favorite novels.

What are your impressions of the Prologue?