I remain within the gentle embrace of darkness for a while. Or rather, it feels like a while to me, but there is no passing of days, or passing of seasons, to help me know how long it's been. I don't feel anything, my thoughts are rather sparse and nonsensical... I am one with nothingness as I await the next step of the dying process, whatever that may be.

But it never comes. Instead, I start feeling various sensations again. I have hands and feet I can move around, fingers and toes I can feel with. I can hear my own heart beat, but I can't breathe. At least I don't seem to need to.

The gentle nothingness I felt is replaced by a gentle warmth, and I start hearing faraway voices. One of them resonates far more frequently than any other, and I find myself craving it. I do not know what the voice says, but simply having it fill the space around me makes me feel safe.

I still can't move, and the world around me is still completely dark, but I'm somehow alive. I can feel that I have my two arms as well, so... Did I get healed? But then why am I stuck here? Unable to find answers, I simply let the gentle voice cradle me as I wait for something to happen.

And so, one day, the comfortable darkness gives way to blinding light, the gentle warmth gives way to a harsh cold, and I find myself screaming and crying uncontrollably, my body refusing to respond to my will. A familiar voice says something to me in a language I cannot understand, and thankfully it has the effect of calming me down. A new wave of warmth envelops me, and I finally manage to open my eyes.

What I see would have sent me in a panic if my mind had any control over my body. I appear to be very small, and a Rai'ila is holding me against her chest, smiling gently at me. The slight purple tint of her skin contrasts with her dark blue eyes, and her long white hair flows down around me, creating a veil separating me from the outside world.

I hear another voice next to us, much deeper this time. The Rai'ila lifts her head up, which allows me to see the muscular Rai'enu who just spoke. He's extremely tall, his dark purple skin is covered in painted patterns very similar to what I saw on the battlefield, and he's... smiling? I only ever saw members of these races in battle, so I never imagined that they were capable of such facial expressions.

He puts his index on my forehead. Due to how large he is compared to me, my eyes also end up being covered. He speaks a few words which I cannot decipher, then walks back a few steps. The Rai'ila lifts me up to bring my face next to hers and says a single word, with the tenderness of a mother naming her child:

"Pailu..."

"Hurry up, Pailu! We're going to be late!"

I jump from the balcony of our home onto a nearby tree branch, then let myself fall down as quickly as I can. Waiting for me at the bottom of the tree is my best friend, Cieno, sitting on a large root sticking out of the ground.

Three years have passed since my rebirth as a Rai'in, a tribal race living deep in monster-controlled territories. They grow up a lot faster than human children, so despite being this young, I'm already as tall as an eight or nine-year-old. I'm also stronger and more agile than any human child could be, but I'm still very far from how I was as the Hero in my previous life.

"I'm here, I'm here. Let's run, or the Elder is going to get mad at us again."

Cieno grins as they get up from the branch, and we start running as fast as our short legs will allow in the direction of the school.

"Today, we will learn about the process through which a Rai'in child becomes either a Rai'enu or a Rai'ila. This will be an important lesson, as the actions you take and the decisions you make going forward will affect your chances of ending up as one or the other."

The elderly Rai'enu standing in front of the class is scribbling on a large piece of tree bark, taken from one of the massive nearby trees to serve as the equivalent of a black board. He's holding a special kind of stone which leaves a trace on objects it touches while magic flows through it. Anything drawn or written with it eventually dissipates, and magic can be used to accelerate that process. Despite how primitive the Rai'in are, they still found ingenious ways to make use of what their immediate environment gives them.

This isn't a classroom like what I got used to as a human. We're in a small glade, sitting on the ground and usually using our own legs as support when we need to write things down. We also only have school twice a week, with a third day dedicated to spending time with our mother or father, usually alternating, to learn more about our culture and society, as well as the social roles associated with being a Rai'enu or a Rai'ila. It is not uncommon for children who are missing a parent to join a friend on the days they spend with that parent. The rest of the time, we play.

Another thing I learned is that the Rai'enu and the Rai'ila are effectively the same race. I always assumed they were separate, with some kind of connection considering the similar names and the purple skin, but it never occurred to me that one race is simply the male version and the other the female version of a same group. "Rai'in" is the broader name used to refer to all members of this race, including the sexless children.

I was a bit surprised to realize that my new body had absolutely no sexual organs, so my parents explained that I would only gain them upon becoming an adult, at which point I would transform into a Rai'enu or a Rai'ila. Since I was a man in my previous life, I don't doubt for a second that I'll grow up to be the former, but I should still pay attention in this class to ensure I don't make mistakes.

The Elder continues:

"Now, as I'm sure you already know, the primary factor that determines where you'll end up as adults is how you think, about yourself and about your role in this society first and foremost. The vast majority of Rai'in end up exactly where they expect they will. However, external factors are also at play. First, we will go over your diet."

I take notes as the Elder goes over kinds of foods that are known to push people further in one direction or the other, the kind of physical activities that can eventually impact the transformation, factors that are hard to control such as the temperature, and many more. He concludes this segment by saying that, as long as we maintain a balanced life, we will become what we want to be.

However, he drops an additional surprise on us:

"And finally, something you need to know is that you won't all transform at the same time. Of course, part of that is because you weren't all born at the same time, but there's also individual variation in the time it takes to reach adulthood. If your friends become adults before you, it might speed up your own process, however..."

He takes a few seconds to stroke his beard, seemingly thinking about how much he's allowed to say to young kids, finally completing:

"... If you end up being very close to a friend who's already an adult, it might end up altering your own transformation, to make you more... Um... Compatible. We will come back to this once you're older, but it's something to be aware of."

I see a few kids look at each other in confusion, but since I used to be an adult human, I can mostly guess what the Elder is hinting at. I guess a relationship forming between an adult and someone on the verge of reaching adulthood will make it so the two are opposite sex.

As we leave the classroom, Cieno asks me:

"So, what do you think you'll be as an adult?"

"Definitely a Rai'enu! The Elder told us that what matters most is how we think about ourselves, and I can already see myself as one."

I strike my puffed up chest with my fist, which causes Cieno to start laughing. Of course, I can't quite see myself as a Rai'enu, but I remember what it's like to be a male human, and that's probably the closest I can get to going back to that.

"Yeah, I think I'll be a Rai'enu too. My dad's been showing me the ropes, and I think that's where I'll best fit. I'll try to do like him: get a beautiful wife, have children, and protect my family with everything I have!"

I nod in agreement. A noble goal indeed.

I run a bit ahead of them, then turn around and start walking backward. I then say:

"Let's make sure our kids become friends, like us."

They grin and nod enthusiastically in response.

"Mom, dad, I'm home!"

From another room, my mom responds:

"Your dad isn't here yet, so make sure to leave the ladder down."

"Okay!"

I walk to the small washbasin on the floor next to the entrance and remove the dirt under my feet. Rai'in children don't make use of footwear, so we must wash our feet whenever we enter a building. Adults have shoes and boots though, so I'm not quite sure of where this tradition comes from.

Our homes are also built high up in the trees, to make sure that the large nocturnal monsters living in the area don't come in at night and devour us. As such, there is no real front door, but rather a hole in the floor that serves as the entrance. We "lock the door", so to speak, by pulling up the ladder that allows us to climb inside.

Once my feet are dry, I walk to the room my mom is in. It serves as our main living area, where I study, play, and generally spend most of my time. My mother is currently sitting in a chair that's as comfortable as my dad could make, her two hands holding her pregnant belly.

"I can feel your sibling moving in there. We'll soon have a new member in the family."

I approach and put my ear against her belly. I can hear something moving in it. A large smile forms on my lips. A new family member! It'll be just like the little sister I had as a human.

I hug my mother, then head out on the balcony. I like to come here to think about... everything. Tonight, the usual questions torment me: why am I here? I was the human Hero, why am I now a monster child?

It seems likely that this is something the Monster King did to me. Revelation said something about a curse, but it didn't get to finish the sentence before I lost consciousness. A curse that forced me to be reborn as a monster, maybe?

I look at my hand and move my fingers a bit. I'm almost completely synchronized now. For about a year after my birth, I could only watch my body act on its own. I was only a spectator. However, little by little, I started gaining more control over it. Looks like that process is almost over.

It seems very likely that my soul was forcefully transferred to a monster body after I died. While receiving training as the Hero, I learned that a number of memories are kept in the soul, and those are probably the ones I still have access to. However, most of them are kept in the body, so I simply lost them. Unfortunately, that includes my sword fighting knowledge. I tried picking up a branch and doing some of the sword maneuvers I used to know, but nothing came to me.

The body is also the part that thinks. The memories I have shaped the kind of thoughts I can have, but it's undeniable that I think like a Rai'in child when I don't focus on them the way I am right now. The upside of this situation is that I can fit right in with the others, the downside is that I don't know where my instincts will take me going forward. Will I be content to live out my life here, among my new people? Or will I want to go back to my former home?

Of course, with the way I look now, I'll be attacked by the first adventuring party or patrol I come across if I go back to the human world. Hiding my purple skin is going to be hard, and it's very likely that someone will see right through my disguise at some point. However, the last words of the Monster King still resonate in my head:

"Become stronger... Hero. May the next Monster King... be the last."

What did he mean by that? If I become stronger, I play right into his plan. So is the right decision to simply stay here, with my family, and never leave? Monsters usually need at least a few decades before a new Monster King can be appointed, so by the time that happens I'll probably be too old to go to war.

I can't deny that, even though they're monsters, I love the people here. They're not the bloodthirsty, mindless brutes I was taught they were. They feel joy and sadness, enjoy dinner as families, watch their children grow as they themselves grow older... They're surprisingly similar to humans in many ways.

Is that what the Monster King wanted to show me? Is that why he made me come back as a monster? Well, it doesn't matter much at this point. It's still wrong of them to declare war to humans. They won't get any sympathy from me as long as they continue doing so.

I look at my hands again. I'll reach adulthood in four to five years. I still have time to figure out what to do with this second life.

From up here, I see my dad approaching with two animal carcasses over his shoulder. The child in me takes over again, and I run to the house's lobby to await his arrival, filled with joy.

That night, we eat meat for the first time in months. My dad explains:

"It's the wet season now, so the animals are coming down from the mountains, allowing us to more easily hunt them. Also, honey, I managed to not damage their furs this time, so please use them to make new clothes for Pailu and the little one."

New clothes? What we wear is very primitive, made from animal and monster hides, but fashion is still very important. I wonder how my mother will decorate them. Hopefully this one ends up being very colorful! If it's the wet seasons, there are more ingredients available to make dyes in the nearby forest after all.

I raise my hands up and shout:

"I want colors!"

My mother smiles at my reaction before responding:

"Of course, I'll make you something very colorful."

She then turns towards my dad and continues:

"I'm sorry to ask this, but do you think you could get me some dye ingredients the next time you go out hunting?"

"It's no issue at all. Anything for Pailu and the new baby."

I'm smiling from ear to ear as I continue eating the meat in my plate.

Eventually, my mother gives birth to my sibling. As is tradition, she does so in our home, with the help of one of the village healers. I'm asked to stay in a different room during the process, but it doesn't take long for my dad to come get me.

As I enter the room, I see my mother gently holding a newborn Rai'in. I recognize her expression, she was looking at me the same way after my own birth.

I approach, allowing me to see the small and fragile life in her arms. They're sleeping peacefully. As I see them, I feel the urge to protect them. I'll be an exemplary big sibling, and eventually big brother, that they can look up to and count on!

I extend my arms towards my newborn sibling. My mom sees me and gently hands the baby all covered in monster furs to me. I hold them close to my chest, staring at their sleeping face.

At that moment, I can feel something change deep within me. Whatever goals I might have given myself before, this new life I'm holding in my arms is now what's most important. I will protect my sibling with everything I have, be it from a wild beast, a Monster King, a Hero, or anything else.

My mom, still clearly tired, says:

"This is Falie. I'm counting on you to take care of them."

I nod, my determination clearly displayed on my face.