Chapter 4: Growing up
It had been three days since the whole reincarnation fiasco happened and Atticus was still in denial. It seemed so absurd to him.
'I guess Buddhism has some truths to it.' Atticus reasoned. He had never really been a 'religion' person. He thought there was only nothingness after life.
Atticus's approach to matters of faith and spirituality had always been grounded in rationality.
He had regarded himself as a skeptic, placing his trust in empirical evidence, critical thinking, and reason.
Even though his mother on earth, had insisted on attending church every Sunday, Atticus had maintained a stance of detachment from religious beliefs.
And yet, as he grappled with the aftermath of his inexplicable experience, he found himself at a crossroads where the boundaries of rationality seemed to blur with the enigmatic forces at play.
'It's been three days. I guess it's about time I accept my situation.'
Atticus thought, his realization accompanied by a gentle poke on his cheek from a blonde woman.
"Boo-wa," Atticus responded, hoping his simple utterance would discourage further attention.
'They're really persistent,' Atticus observed, feeling slightly exasperated by the attention he was receiving.
Amidst the interactions, Atticus couldn't help but form impressions of the people around him.
'New mother, Anastasia. She seems happy,' he noted as his gaze shifted to the blonde woman.
"Look, Ayra, he grabbed my finger," Anastasia exclaimed, her joy evident
"Yes, my lady." replied Arya, while giving Atticus a warm smile. She was Anastasia's Ravenblade, her bodyguard.
"Here, Atticus! Grab mama's finger." Anastasia exclaimed excitedly.
'She's beautiful.'
Atticus gave a little smile and reached out for her finger.
"Yes! grab it!" Anastasia, excited to see Atticus grabbing her finger again.
'Damn, this is tiring.' Atticus wondered why he felt so tired when he didn't really do anything.
'I suppose this is how a baby feels. No wonder all they do is poop, eat, and sleep,' Atticus mused.
'I'm glad they're at least speaking English,' he added with a sense of relief. 'I won't have to learn a language from scratch.'
"My lady, it looks like young master is tired," Arya noticed Atticus's wearied expression.
"Yeah, you're right, Arya," replied Anastasia, a hint of disappointment in her voice as she realized they should let him rest. She carefully covered Atticus with a snug blanket and quietly left him to enjoy his sleep.
'I'm left to my thoughts now,' Atticus realized, feeling a mix of emotions.
Atticus couldn't help but contemplate about his premature death and the subsequent rebirth.
As Atticus pondered his own death, he couldn't help but question why he had been killed. The man's last words, "Entertain us," echoed in his mind, leaving him baffled.
'Entertain him!? Go to a fucking circus if you want entertainment!' he thought bitterly, his thoughts a maelstrom of confusion and anger.
After a brief pause, a surge of rationality prevailed. 'Calm down, Atticus. There's nothing you can do about it now.'
Taking cute measured breaths, he continued his thoughts. 'There must be a reason for my reincarnation. Is this new world a play ground or something?'
Atticus had always been a logical person. He never considered himself to be someone so exceptional that he would merit being singled out for reincarnation.
'I'll figure that out eventually. For now, there's only one way forward—living,' he resolved.
Concern for his mother, crept into his thoughts. 'I hope mom will be alright,' he reflected, a pang of worry threading through his emotions.
'No matter how long it takes, I will make you regret this,' determination fueled Atticus's promise to hunt down his killer and make him pay.
Atticus was driven by a strong sense of vengeance, ensuring that he reciprocates any actions directed towards him.
Even though Kira had shattered his heart with her actions, Atticus wasn't the type to let her betrayal shape his interactions with others or dictate how he would move forward in life.
He had always followed one mantra throughout his life: an eye for an eye.
After what he did to her, the matter was basically forgotten.
'For now, this is my new reality and I'll make the most of it,' Atticus declared, determination igniting his spirit. 'I'll ensure I make him regret doing this to me.' he added.
As sleep overtook him, Atticus's last thoughts were filled with determination to seek revenge.
***
Six months passed since Atticus was born, his life has been closely monitored and observed with unwavering vigilance by Anastasia or Arya.
Life as an infant was hard on Atticus. He couldn't move much nor talk, basically, there was nothing to do but eat, sleep and poop.
'This would have been the life if not for this accursed woman' he thought.
"Come here, my little At!" Anastasia's excited voice resonated.
They were currently in a lavish room filled with toys and playthings. Every single inch of the room was padded, and the floor was covered with a soft material. Anastasia had spared no effort to ensure that Atticus had a very safe place to play in.
"Bababa," Atticus cooed and gurgled in response, his communication limited to these innocent sounds.
'Being a child is tougher than I thought,' he contemplated as he tried to use his tiny baby hands to crawl towards Anastasia.
Anastasia's attempts to engage him continued as she introduced a rattle for him to play with.
"Look, Atticus! A fun rattle. Can you shake it too?"
'Oh no, not again,' Atticus sighed and responded by shaking the rattle, eliciting joy from Anastasia.
"That's a good boy," she praised.
"Good good, little At. Dada will be coming soon. Are you excited?" Anastasia asked Atticus while lifting him up tenderly.
'Hmm, a father? That's a new twist,' Atticus mused, contemplating the presence of a father figure in this life.
Atticus never met his dad back on earth. He ran away before he was born, but his mother had always been the only thing he needed so he didn't care.
'Well, let's see how this unfolds.'
"Buaaaaw"
"Oh, you're also excited little At. You want to see Dada?"
'Let's just ignore her and get some sleep. A father huh.' Atticus thought with a smile on his face before closing his eyes.
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