2 Rebirth

Tomioka expected to find peace in death. As his eyes closed for what he thought would be the final time, he instead found himself in a strange, oppressive darkness.

His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to make sense of his situation. He was still alive, he could feel his heart beating, his lungs expanding with each breath but everything was different. His body felt much weaker and more fragile, unlike the strength he was once accustomed to. Panic surged through him as he realized he was confined, trapped in a tight, enclosed space. At first, he feared he had awoken inside his own coffin, buried alive. But the walls around him were too soft, and a warm liquid surrounded him, cradling his body.

The sensation was unsettling, but before he could fully grasp what was happening, a faint light appeared before him. It was dim and distant, but it called to him, drawing him closer. His body moved toward it instinctively, though the space around him grew tighter and tighter, squeezing him as he approached the light. His heart raced even faster, a mixture of fear and anticipation awakening within him. The pressure became almost unbearable as his body was pushed forward, the tightness making it hard to breathe.

Finally, as he reached the light, his eyes adjusted to the brightness, and he found himself staring into the faces of two women. Their eyes were wide with shock and fear as they looked down at him. Confusion overwhelmed him

Who were they, why were they looking at him like that? Before he could understand his situation, he felt himself being lifted and passed from one pair of hands to another, as though he were as light as a feather.

Panic began to set in as Tomioka realized something was terribly wrong. He wasn't supposed to be this small, this helpless. He tried to make sense of the situation, but all his thoughts were wiped away in an instant as he looked up into the face of the person holding him.

It was a face he had thought he would never see again—a face so familiar and so dear to him that it made his heart ache. His breath caught in his throat as he gazed up at his mother, her eyes filled with a mixture of love and disbelief. Tears welled up in Tomioka's eyes, and he couldn't hold them back. The overwhelming joy of seeing his mother again, of being held in her arms, was too much for him to bear.

He burst into tears, his small body trembling with emotion. His mother, equally overwhelmed, held him close, whispering soothing words as she gently rocked him. The exhaustion from the ordeal soon became too much for his tiny body, and he drifted off to sleep, the warmth of his mother's embrace lulling him into a peaceful slumber.

**From Another Perspective**

The birth had been long and arduous, leaving Tomioka's mother utterly drained. Her body ached from the effort, and her breaths came in ragged gasps. Yet despite the exhaustion, she could think of nothing but holding her newborn child. She lay back against the pillows, sweat beading on her forehead, her heart filled with deep, unwavering love as she waited to see her baby.

"It's a boy," announced a sturdy woman in her forties who had assisted with the delivery. Her voice was warm but carried an undertone of concern. Two younger women, who had been helping, gently cleaned the newborn, wiping away the blood and wrapping him in a soft cloth. As they did, their expressions changed from initial relief to one of unease.

The baby, though newly born, was unnaturally calm. His eyes, wide and alert, stared back at them with an intensity that was unsettling. But what truly troubled the women was the mark on his right cheek—a distinct, water splash-like pattern etched into his skin. One of the women tentatively tried to wipe it away, but it wouldn't budge. The mark wasn't a stain but a birthmark; it was part of him.

"What's wrong?" Giyu's mother asked, her voice tinged with concern as she noticed the anxious looks on the women's faces.

The women exchanged nervous glances before the older one spoke up. "Miss, the baby is breathing fine, but… there's a mark on his face."

Tomioka's mother's heart skipped a beat as she reached out, her voice trembling with worry. "What mark? What's wrong with my child?"

The woman hesitated, fear flickering in her eyes. "I've never seen anything like this before. It looks like a curse mark… something unnatural."

Silence fell over the room as Tomioka's mother processed the words. She gazed down at her newborn son, her heart a mix of fear and love. The mark on his cheek was strange, but she refused to let that change how she felt about her child.

Holding him close, she whispered, "It doesn't matter what that mark means. He is my son."

The baby, now quiet and resting in her arms, seemed to sense her resolve as he slept peacefully. The mark slowly faded away as Tomioka's mother felt a sense of peace watching her son sleep. The two other women finally sighed in relief as the older woman felt a little ashamed of what she had said previously. This child was not different nor cursed.