Immortality

The early morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, painting the room in soft golden hues. The digital clock on the nightstand showed 6:00 AM, but I had no intention of getting up anytime soon.

Mom was curled against me, her naked body warm against mine, her head resting comfortably on my chest. Her long purple hair spilled across my torso like a silken waterfall.

Her breathing was soft and rhythmic, indicating she was awake but content to remain still in our embrace.

I absently ran my fingers through her hair, enjoying the simple intimacy of the moment. Last night had been... intense. 

A perfect distraction from the universal chess game I'd found myself playing.

"Remember when I was twelve," I said softly, breaking the comfortable silence, "and I snuck out to that abandoned gate site with my friends?"

She stirred slightly, her hand tracing lazy patterns on my chest. "Mmm, how could I forget? I was terrified. You were always my problem child."

"Problem child?" I feigned offense. "I was just curious."

"Curious enough to give me gray hairs," she murmured, nuzzling closer. "When I found you standing at the edge of that collapsed gate, I nearly had a heart attack."

I chuckled at the memory. "You grounded me for a month."

"Should have been a year," she countered, but I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Yor was always the responsible one, and Mikasa was too quiet to cause trouble. But you..." She poked my chest accusingly. "Always pushing boundaries, always testing limits."

"Look how well I turned out, though."

She lifted her head to give me a mock stern look. "Don't get cocky. You're still my problem child. Just bigger and..." her eyes traveled down to my little brother, "...more developed."

I laughed and pulled her closer, planting a kiss on the top of her head. We lay in comfortable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's presence.

"Mom," I said finally, my tone shifting to something more serious. "What do you think about immortality?"

She snuggled her body slightly against mine. "Is this another one of your trick questions? Because it's too early for philosophical debates."

"I'm being serious," I insisted, my fingers continuing to comb through her hair. "If you could live forever, would you want to?"

She was quiet for a long time, thinking. 

Finally, she sighed. "Forever is a very long time, Dante. I think it would get terribly boring after a while. Watching everyone you know grow old and die, seeing the world change until nothing is familiar anymore..." 

She shook her head slightly. "I don't think humans are meant for eternity."

I nodded, absorbing her answer. It was the typical response—thoughtful, measured, exactly what I'd expect from a woman who had seen as much of life's harshness as she had.

"But..." she continued, surprising me. She shifted, propping herself up on one elbow to look directly into my eyes.

There was something intense in her gaze.

"If you were with me? If we could share that eternity together?" A soft smile touched her lips. "Then yes. I would choose immortality in a heartbeat."

The conviction in her voice, the unwavering certainty in her eyes—it struck something deep within me. 

This was more than desire or obsession; this was devotion in its purest form.

"What if I told you," I said slowly, watching her reaction carefully, "that I am immortal? And that I could make you immortal too?"

Her eyes widened slightly, searching my face for any sign that I was joking. Finding none, she whispered,

"Are you serious?"

"Completely," I replied. "It's one of the abilities I have. Eternal life, eternal youth. And I can share it."

She sat up fully now, the sheet falling away from her body as she stared at me with a mixture of disbelief and wonder. 

"Dante... is this real? Or are you playing one of your games?"

"No games, Mom," I said, sitting up as well. "But it's not a decision to make lightly. Eternity is a long time, like you said. It would get lonely."

"Not if we're together," she said without hesitation, taking my hands in hers. Her eyes shimmered with emotion. "Not if I have my son, my world, by my side. I would face eternity gladly if it meant never having to lose you."

The immediacy of her response, the complete absence of doubt—it was more than I had expected, even knowing how she felt about me.

"You're sure?" I asked, cupping her face gently. "Once done, it can't be undone."

"I've never been more certain of anything," she whispered.

"Life without you isn't life at all. If you're offering eternity with you, then my answer is yes. Always yes."

I nodded, leaning in to kiss her forehead tenderly. "It will hurt for a moment," I warned, drawing her into an embrace.

"But only for a moment."

She relaxed against me, complete trust in her surrender.

"I trust you, Dante. I always have."

Holding her close, I lowered my head to the curve of her neck. My canines elongated slightly—a feature of Cadis Etrama Di Raizel's vampiric abilities that I rarely used. With gentle precision, I sank them into her skin.

She gasped, not in pain but in surprised pleasure, her body arching against mine. The euphoria was a side effect—Raizel had been nothing if not considerate in his feeding.

I drew back after a moment, licking the small wound clean. Where my saliva touched, the punctures sealed immediately, leaving no mark behind.

"That's it?" she asked breathlessly, her eyes slightly unfocused from the rush of sensations.

"Wait for it," I murmured, still holding her close.

Within seconds, the change began. It started at the site of the bite, a subtle glow spreading beneath her skin, following the paths of her veins like golden light. Her body trembled in my arms as the transformation took hold.

I felt her mana capacity expanding, growing exponentially as the immortality took root.

Her physical strength increased, her senses sharpened, and the few subtle signs of aging—tiny lines at the corners of her eyes, the slight softness beneath her jaw—smoothed away.

When the glow faded, she looked a decade younger—still the mature beauty she had always been, but with the vitality of her prime hunter days restored and enhanced.

"How do you feel?" I asked, studying her closely.

She held up her hands, turning them over as if seeing them for the first time. Then she closed her eyes, focusing inward. "I feel... incredible," she whispered.

"Like I could take on an S-rank gate single-handedly." Her eyes flew open, a mixture of awe and excitement in them.

"My mana—it's at least doubled. And my body..."

She flexed her arm, marveling at the strength there. "It's like I'm twenty again, but better."

"The physical enhancements are part of the package," I explained, unable to keep the smile from my face.

Her joy was infectious.

"You're stronger, faster, more durable. Your mana capacity will continue to grow over time. And of course, you won't age."

She launched herself at me, tackling me back onto the bed with a laugh of pure delight.

"My son, my miracle," she said, peppering my face with kisses. "Always full of surprises."

I grinned up at her, genuinely happy to see her so elated.

"So you're not regretting your decision already?"

"Never," she said firmly, her eyes sparkling with renewed youth and vitality.

"You've given me the greatest gift imaginable—an eternity by your side."

As I looked up at her—her beauty enhanced by immortality, her body rejuvenated, her happiness radiating from her like a physical force—I felt a surge of satisfaction.

My powers weren't just tools for combat; they could bring joy, too.

"We should test your new abilities," I suggested, my eyes traveling appreciatively over her renewed form.

"See just how much your stamina has improved."

She caught my meaning immediately, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.

"Insatiable," she murmured, but there was no complaint in her tone.

In one fluid motion, I flipped our positions, pinning her beneath me.

"We have eternity now," I said, lowering my head to capture her lips.

"Might as well start enjoying it."