rune

Morning passed quietly inside the hut.

Ren finished the last spoonful of the herbal soup Terry had given him. The warmth spread slowly through his weak body, easing some of the lingering exhaustion.

Beside him, the baby stirred inside the fur blanket.

Tiny fox ears twitched.

Ren looked down at the child again.

Even after everything Terry had told him, it still felt unreal.

A child…

Terry noticed his gaze and smiled faintly.

“You should give him a name.”

Ren looked up.

“A name?”

Terry nodded.

“Yes. In our tribe, the parent names the child.”

Ren fell silent.

His eyes returned to the small baby sleeping peacefully.

The tiny face was soft and calm, completely unaware of the strange world it had been born into.

Ren hesitated.

In his previous life as Milo, he had never imagined something like this.

Becoming a parent.

Yet when the baby shifted slightly and let out a tiny sound, something inside Ren softened.

“…Rune.”

Terry tilted his head slightly.

“Rune?”

Ren nodded slowly.

“Yes.”

He gently touched the baby’s tiny hand.

“Your name is Rune.”

As if hearing him, the baby’s small fingers curled around Ren’s finger again.

Terry chuckled quietly.

“It seems he likes the name.”

Ren couldn’t help smiling faintly.

“Rune…”

For the first time since waking in this strange world, the situation didn’t feel quite as distant.

---

After a while, Ren decided he should try moving.

“I think I should get up.”

Terry immediately frowned.

“You should rest more.”

“I can’t stay in bed forever.”

Carefully, Ren pushed himself upright.

The moment his feet touched the ground, a sharp ache spread through his lower abdomen.

“…Ah.”

His legs trembled slightly.

Terry quickly moved beside him.

“Slowly.”

Ren tried to take a step.

But his balance felt strange.

Something soft brushed against the back of his legs.

He looked down.

A fluffy silver fox tail swayed behind him.

“…Right.”

He had forgotten about that.

Trying to adjust his balance with the unfamiliar tail, Ren took another step.

His legs immediately gave out.

Before he could fall, Terry caught him by the arm.

“I told you,” the healer sighed.

“Your body just went through childbirth.”

Ren let out a weak laugh.

“…Fair point.”

Terry guided him back to sit on the bed.

“Rest for another day. Then you can start walking around.”

Ren nodded reluctantly.

---

A little later, Terry brought a wooden bowl filled with clean water.

“You should wash your face.”

Ren leaned forward slightly and looked into the water.

The reflection staring back at him made him freeze.

The face in the water wasn’t Milo’s.

Instead, a young man with soft silver hair and pale skin looked back at him.

Delicate features.

Gentle golden eyes.

And on top of his head…

Two small fox ears.

Ren slowly raised a hand and touched them.

They twitched slightly under his fingers.

“…So this is me now.”

He studied the reflection a little longer.

Compared to his previous life, he looked younger.

Softer.

Almost fragile.

Ren leaned back slightly.

The tiny basket beside him shifted again.

Rune stirred in his blanket, letting out a small sleepy sound.

Ren glanced at him and sighed softly.

“…Guess we’re both starting a new life.”

The baby’s ears twitched in response, as if agreeing.

TO BE CONTINUED

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