When I woke up, a feeling of confusion immediately came over me. My eyes slowly opened, as if the simple act of seeing was an exhausting effort. Bewildered, I looked around. The place I was in was unfamiliar, but there was something about the atmosphere that felt strangely welcoming. I almost didn't fully understand what I was seeing.
The room was luxurious, but not in an ostentatious way, rather elegant. The walls were adorned with fine fabrics, and the black leather furniture looked as old as it was precious. A soft light filtered through the curtains fell on my face, and on the ceiling there was a chandelier that looked like something out of a fairy tale. I was lying on a bed, under silk sheets that almost seemed to envelop me like a newborn.
"Aaarggg"
Suddenly, a sharp pain shook my head and, like a flashback, the memories of my death hit me hard.
I stood up with difficulty, my body feeling more lethargic than usual. Every movement was a challenge, as if the cords of my being were taut, preventing me from moving freely. My joints creaked and the throbbing in my head made me stagger. Still, I kept walking, searching for answers.
Noticing a mirror in the corner of the room, I clumsily approached it, expecting to see my wounds, the remains of what had once been my body. But what I saw was not what I expected.
My steps led me to a mirror in the corner of the room, I clumsily approached it. The first thing I looked for were the marks of my death, the scars that must have been left from my fall, but as I looked at myself, I saw something completely unexpected.
The reflection was not mine. At first I thought it was a mistake, a distortion in the light, but no. The image in the mirror was that of a handsome young man, with pale, almost translucent skin and red eyes, like rubies shining in the morning dew. His hair was silver, long and straight, falling softly over his shoulders. His face was beautiful, delicate, but in its beauty there was something androgynous, almost sacred. My heart skipped a beat instantly, and a feeling of fear ran through me.
"Who are you?" I whispered, not understanding, watching as the figure in the mirror imitated my movements, as if it were a reflection of my own ideas.
And then, as if the answer had been there all along, something lit up in my mind. "I have been reincarnated..." It was a momentary thought that came like a bolt of lightning, in the midst of the emotion that began to escape, like tears flowing in the wind.
The emotion lasted only a short while, when a great amount of memories began to flood over me. My name... Damian. I am the young master of a prestigious noble family, apparently I had suffered an accident, caused by a maid who tried to take advantage of me. In my attempt to avoid it, I tripped and fell down the stairs. And now... now I was here, with a severe headache.
Discomfort invaded me, but there was also something else. Fear was mixed with confusion, but above all, happiness. Did this mean a second chance? Had the heavens taken pity on me?
Suddenly, the door to the room opened. The sound of soft footsteps reached my ears, and from the timbre of the voice I heard, I knew it was a woman. I wasn't sure what to do, so I decided to stay still, pretending I was still asleep.
I felt a cold hand on my forehead, as if it were measuring my body temperature. The contact was so gentle that, in the midst of my confusion, it allowed me to remain in that state, unable to move. Before I could react, I heard a soft voice, accompanied by regrets.
— "My child…"
I opened my eyes quickly and there, in front of me, was a woman with hair as red as fire. Her blue eyes shone with an indescribable sadness, and although I didn't know exactly what was happening, I felt a strange familiarity in her presence.
— Who are you? I murmured, still stunned. But there was not a hint of panic or fear on my face, only a deep confusion.
The woman didn't say anything in response, but her eyes met mine, and in that moment her expression changed. Her face went from serenity to a kind of contained sadness. Without thinking, she knelt beside me and, with astonishing speed, hugged me.
It seemed that tears had run down her cheeks – Mother? I commented. Before the words could stop, the woman threw herself into my arms, gave me a warm kiss on the forehead and squeezed a little, her gestures made my heart soften a little. For an instant, the memory of that woman who took care of me in my childhood overlapped with her face.
"Mother..." was the first thing that came out. How? Why? For an instant, the memory of that woman who took care of me in my childhood overlapped with her face.
She held me tightly, as if my life depended on it. Her trembling hands caressed my hair, and I could feel the warmth of her body, so familiar and warm that it made me doubt my very existence.
— "Yes, son. I am your mother," she said, and her voice was soft, filled with a suppressed emotion that pierced my soul.
I couldn't process it all at once. It all seemed so unreal, like a dream I couldn't wake up from. The memory of the two women kept overlapping.
***
The next few days were… strange, to say the least. Beatriz was by my side, caring for me with unwavering devotion. She seemed like a completely different woman from the memories in my head, unable to separate herself from me, always aware of every little pain, every slight discomfort. But what surprised me the most was her reaction when she found out that I almost choked on a glass of water delivered by one of the servants. The fury in her eyes was terrifying, and she nearly sent all the servants to hell. Fortunately, she calmed down, and things returned to normal.
As I regained my strength, I also began to understand the situation better. This world... this place... is a bit peculiar. It was a kingdom where women ruled. The rules, the power structure, everything seemed to revolve around them. Men, while not completely relegated, seemed to have a secondary role and women dominated everything, from politics to the simplest jobs.
At first, the idea of living in this society seemed strange, even disturbing. But as I dug deeper, getting to know the people in my life, something became clear.
"Perhaps that is the reason why women have sovereignty." I muttered to myself.
In this world, mana did not exist as I knew it, but its essence was the same. People called it Qi (energy of heaven and earth) that martial artists used to strengthen themselves. However, this power was not accessible to everyone. Only women could cultivate and perfect it to its highest level.
The reason behind this remains a mystery. However, the story of how the world had reached this point was known to everyone. Approximately three hundred years ago, something completely unexpected happened. Strange portals appeared that connected to unknown dimensions, opening cracks through which monsters and grotesque creatures began to emerge, beings whose power exceeded any human concept of danger. They were beasts impossible to defeat, capable of destroying entire cities with just one blow, and not even nuclear weapons, humanity's last hope, seemed to have any effect on them.
When humanity was already on the verge of extinction and despair took hold of everyone, six imposing figures rose up. They were women, goddesses of war who would become known as the Valkyries. Martial artists who surpassed any human understanding. With their power and skills, they defeated the creatures that plagued the world and restored peace.
The Valkyries were not only saviors, but also the masters of a new discipline: cultivation. On their journey to free humanity, they had developed methods that allowed them to channel Qi, empowering their bodies and minds to unattainable levels. But the strangest thing was that, despite the magnitude of their power, only women seemed to be able to master this skill. No one knew the exact reason, but men were limited to lower ranks, and only they could reach the highest levels of power.
This phenomenon completely altered the structure of society. Women, now endowed with immense power, took the reins of the world. Not because men were less valuable, but because their inability to learn cultivation left them relegated to secondary roles. Men could no longer compete on the battlefield or in the highest spheres of power, and they began to be assigned to domestic work: caring for homes and families. It was not a matter of contempt, but of necessity. Women, with their ability to manage internal energy, became the leaders, the strategists, the warriors and the rulers and so the descendants of these famous Valkyries transformed democratic society into a monarchical system.