I Just Wanted to Nap, But They Built Me a Religion

Ezrel woke alone.

It was perfect.

There no scream or anything from his new sister.

The crib was warm. The blankets hadn't been yanked. There wasn't a ghost-baby breathing on his neck. Most importantly, silence. Real silence. The kind not soaked in dread. This one is peaceful.

He rolled over, let out a satisfied sigh, and closed his eyes.

Then—

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!"

A wail pierced the manor like a sword through stained glass.

Ezrel's eye twitched.

Huhhh.... I .....was wrong.

He buried his head under the pillow.

The baby still screaming.

Longer.

Louder.

And stronger.

No. No, no, no, no. This is my sleep time. I have two hours booked. Im busy. I already signed the mental contract. I already gave this family their miracle! I should get my rest.

He sat up with a grunt, limbs limp and soul heavier. Something tugged at his chest not metaphorically but literally. His sigil flickered faintly, as if recoiling from the sound.

It cant be the baby... right????

She's not even two days old. Why is she this powerful?

---------

Meanwhile, across the nursery

"Bring him in! Quickly!" one of the maids cried.

Two wet nurses stood over Lysette's crib, sweating, pale, look defeated.

"She won't drink. She won't burp. She bit me," one sobbed.

"She's been screaming for fifteen minutes straight!" another hissed.

"She doesn't want food," one muttered. "She wants him."

The door creaked open. A tired Ezrel was carried in like a sacred offering. The moment he crossed the threshold-

Silence.

Utter Silence

Lysette turned her head. Her cries cut off mid-howl. A string of drool slid down her chin.

She blinked.

Ezrel blinked.

Another blink. In sync.

So this is what I get.I prayed for a lovely little sister. Quiet. Gentle. The kind who brings peace just by existing.Instead, I got a siren in a swaddle, cursed with volume and fixated eyes.I didn't ask for a fan club. I asked for a nap. I asked for peace.

"She missed her brother," said his mother from behind her veil, her voice worn from pride and pressure. "How beautiful....."

"She's already soul-bound," a maid whispered. "It must be a sign."

"She's chosen him," someone else added, reverent like he was a relic, not a person.

I am not a delicious snack. I am a tired man trapped in a baby's body.Somebody please stop letting the baby make existential decisions.

That night, Ezrel was moved into Lysette's crib.

Again.

This time with extra ribbons and holy lace, "to ease the spiritual resonance."

It's a crib, not a temple.She's not even blessed yet. That happens at two.How the hell is she already affecting me?…And maybe a little demonic.

Yesss. She must be a demon in her previous life.

The moment he lay down, she turned toward him with unnatural smoothness.Her hand reached. Grabbed his sleeve.Wouldn't let go.

Ezrel sighed. Closed his eyes.Her breathing matched his.His sigil pulsed, dim and reluctant.

Somewhere above them, a thin shimmer appeared in the air.

Silver thread connecting their chests, taut and pulsing like a heartbeat.

Ezrel opened one eye.It vanished.

That wasn't her blessing. That was something else.Something waiting.And it has already found a way in.

"...Am I being haunted by a baby?"

Still, as she held his sleeve and smiled in her sleep, he dared one fragile hope.

Maybe... she'll grow out of it.Im sure it's just because she's a baby.Maybe one day I'll get the quiet, lovely sister I wished for…...One day.... Yeah, I'm sure of it.

He closed his eyes.

And didn't sleep.