Listen Children, Don't You Frown!

Redrum stood frozen in disbelief as his mother's words washed over him like a wave crashing against a shore. His long ears twitched as he tried to process the magnitude of what she was saying, his heart pounding in his chest with a mixture of shock and elation. She was promoting them! He glanced over at Ripper and Cadaver, trying to see if they shared the same wide-eyed astonishment mirrored in their expression as he did. They had worked hard, fought hard, and now, their efforts were being recognized. His tail had begun to wag, excitement coming off him in invisible waves. But her next words shocked him.

As his mother approached him, Redrum's breath caught in his throat, his eyes locked onto her with apprehension and reverence. She hadn’t given him the same rank as Cadaver or Ripper. No. She named him her heir instead. The boy’s mouth nearly dropped open. To be named Insomnia's Soul was a privilege beyond measure, a responsibility that both thrilled and daunted him. Why him?

“Redrum... Insomnia's Soul?” Redrum murmured, the words barely louder than a whisper as he struggled to comprehend the weight of the title bestowed upon him. He felt a swell of pride rising within him, mingled with a sense of humility that threatened to overwhelm him. Was he good enough for it? Strong enough? But as he met his mother's gaze, he saw the unwavering confidence reflected in her eyes, the belief she had in him shining bright. He wanted to take that confidence she held for him and make it his own. He could do that, right?

“Redrum is— grateful. He- thanks mother— for her- choice.” He said, his voice steady despite the breaks in his sentences and the emotions swirling within him. “Red —will learn well.” What was this sense of purpose burning within him? Redrum tried to stand a little taller, trying to show them that he would not fail his mother.