First Gift For A Newborn

The shrill cry of a newly born baby pitched high in the semi historical delivery room. 

His own voice was the first sound eruption that filled his ears after the numerous pushes his mother had forced.

Clutching hard onto the knotted delivery support cloth that was hanging through the ceiling, she gave her all into the final push after she had slapped the head midwife who wouldn't stop chanting:

'One last push, my lady!'

An unwavering smile shrouded on the midwife's lips as she groped the tiny creature coated in warm blood in her arms.

One of the lady-in-wait quickly handed her a furred towel to wrap the new born baby in.

"Lady Layla, it's a boy— a healthy baby boy."

Tears welled up in Lady Layla's eyes and they went down her cheeks. Her feeble hands stretched forward to hold her dear child who she had only felt his continuous kicks for seven months.

Her child had made a decree he wanted to be out of her womb that day after the first and second wife of Duke Alaric Thorian Hawthorne also fell into labor that same hour.

Even before birth, he had raised a flag for competition and if the heavens allowed it, he might come out victorious.

With sweat hanging like boils all over her face, Lady Layla touched her child's puffy cheeks, a bittersweet smile melting on her face.

He smiled at the purity in his mother's smile, clutching her index finger in his hand.

"You are a warrior, my son. For your strength, bravery and indomitable spirit, your name shall be called Leo!" She announced with a smile.

The door suddenly opened, capturing everyone's attention. The maids began to bow their heads to the one who had arrived with respect.

His robe was bathed in blood and his fingers yearned to be drenched in some more warm fluids.

It was Duke Alaric Thorian Hawthorne. He was a man with great build for his age. His eyes were sharp and clear, but read no emotions.

His hair, a black fluff which was slicked backwards with dye to keep away the gray strands that had shot out of his scalp, gave a solid enhancement to his striking handsome features. 

A katana sword was hanging by his belt and it dangled as he walked into the room.

An entourage of mages walked behind him with an orb altar, ready to execute the first awakening ritual.

"My lord," Lady Layla said with tears crawling down her lovely face. "Our child is a boy."

The thorny chains draped around the Duke's heart were shattered into shards of nothing as his beloved lady broke the news to him.

He rushed towards her, falling on his knees as he collected the child into his arms with joy written all over his once docile face.

"You are the third blessing from heaven to me, child." He said.

"Leo; I shall name him Leo Thorian Hawthorne."

The Duke nodded, approving of his name at once.

"Leo, I am your father and I am very proud of you for not being an unhealthy offspring even though you are not fully yoked yet."

Leo has stopped crying by now, his mind circling about how splendid his life from there henceforth would be.

'Now I will have a chance to put characters in place— just to my liking. I will carefully avoid loops and with this powerful family I have been born into, I can rule the world effortlessly as a side character." He thought.

Like a lost sheep returning home to its owner, Leo cozied up with his father's fingers, grabbing it and showing his toothless smile.

'Unlike the books I've read about transmigration, I am loved!'

"As a formal doctrine in the Hawthorne's clan, Leo will undergo his first ability awakening which will be a determinant to his future in our clan." His father announced.

The mages stepped forward and placed the orb altar in front of the Duke. He carefully extended his arms and placed Leo in the orb.

After a few incantations, the orb suddenly began to swell as the mist trapped inside of it flooded the whole room.

Its surface glistened, engraving different spirit creatures through the mist continuously.

The Duke smiled as he watched Leo undergo his awakening which seemed to surpass the awakening of the babies his other wives had delivered that night.

The orb shot out raw, untamed energy, forcing the onlookers to cover their faces while the weaker ones struggled against the storm, almost spiraling away like specks of dust.

Finally, the storm was over and the mist settled. An old mage stepped forward, ready to deliver a heartwarming news; just like the other two awakenings he had pulled some minutes ago.

As he reached the orb, he placed his hand on Leo to read his fortune. His eyes suddenly went numb white as he touched Leo.

His feeble old body quivered and his soul was soon infiltrated by dark energy. Blood began crawling out of every hole in his body, alerting the other mages who quickly rushed to get him off Leo.

Confusion dawned in the room— the once warm delivery room suddenly turning ice cold.

"Duke Alaric," The old mage began to speak after he had been fed some healing potion.

"Tell me!" The Duke said, his voice turning cold.

"It's a curse. Your son was not born with any ability."

The collective gasp of surprise washed through the room and Lady Layla almost fainted at the news.

'An oversight.' Leo said to himself in his thoughts, already disappointed with his transmigration. 

Without an ability, even as the son of the emperor, he would be useless not to talk of being the offspring of a Duke.

'How could I have forgotten authors add this spice into situations like this?'

Leo could feel someone pick him out of the orb. It was his father. His cold stern built a mountain of ice behind him.

'Here comes death at birth!'

"Leo is still my son! A failed awakening at birth does not determine his whole life. Prepare a villa for him and his mother and only the best tenders in the clan will cater for him." His father declared.

Leo clearly didn't see that sudden turn of event coming. According to plots, he should be ousted as a useless offspring, but he was still accepted without an ability?

Suddenly, blocks of letters began to flood into his view. He had been expecting this all along, but the struggle with awakening had pushed the thought out of his head and now— his ultimate cheat was floating in front of his eyes.

[ Name: Leo Thorian Hawthorne ]

[ Age: 0 years old ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Class: Undefined ]

[ Talent: Undefined ]

[ Exp: Null ]

[ Level: ~~~ ]

[ Strength: 0.5 ]

[ Defense: 0.2 ]

[ Speed: 0.01 ]

[ Agility: 0.3 ]

•—Skill Table—•

[Unlock after awakening an ability]

•—Quest Cards—•

[Unlock after awakening an ability]

The door suddenly barged open and a man rushed in. He read the mood in the room briefly before walking towards the Duke.

He was the Duke's right hand man and the impatient glint in his eyes meant he had something really important to say.

"Daven, what is this?"

"I have news, my lord." 

Daven closed up the distance between him and the Duke and whispered some words into the Duke's ear. 

The Duke turned cold immediately. He turned at Lady Layla with a look of disdain then back to Leo descending an heavy look of disgust on him.

He was furious and one of the maids quickly rushed forward to collect Leo.

"Send Layla and her son to the cold palace dungeon at once!" He commanded before storming out of the room.