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Chapter 2 - Rebirth

[1st POV]

The night surrendered to morning.

The first golden rays of the sun penetrated the fleeting darkness that covered the Pride Lands. A gentle breeze stirred the tall grass, carrying the fresh scent of dawn across the vast savanna.

The distant silhouette of Pride Rock stood bathed in the warm glow of sunrise, casting a long shadow over the awakening kingdom.

It was a morning unlike any other, and the land seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of this historic day.

Herds of antelope and wildebeest lifted their heads toward the sky, sensing the arrival of something momentous. Birds fluttered from their nests, their calls blending into a chorus of nature's reverence. Elephants swayed their trunks, and giraffes stretched their long necks toward the endless sheet of blue as if paying homage to the sun.

Guided by an unspoken command the animals began to move, converging from every corner of the Pride Lands.

Life stirred. Life gathered. Life moved toward Pride Rock.

The lion king Mufasa was there to greet the gathering beasts. He stood at the edge of Pride Rock in all his golden glory.

Rafiki, the old mandrill, climbed the rocky path toward him. His staff clicked softly against the rock as he held a lion cup with one hand.

The future king.

Mufasa inclined his head slightly to acknowledge his old friend. Then his eyes went to the cub in the monkey's arm.

The cub blinked open his tiny amber eyes, looked at his father, and then took in the world around him. He tilted his head curiously, unaware of the destiny that awaited him.

A whisper of wind passed through the Pride Lands as if to bless the lion cub.

A new soul found its place in the circle of life.

Rafiki lifted the cub above his head to show to the world below and the animals bellowed a welcome to the future king. It was the sound of respect and celebration, the earth trembled under the vibration.

It was a magical sight, straight out of a storybook.

And I got to witness it all from behind, inside the den of the Pride Rocks.

"Look at that. Your brother is the crowned prince of the Pride Lands. You must always stand beside him while he fulfils his destiny," Sarabi, the lion queen, said while gazing at the scene.

"Do you understand Leo?" she softly shoved me with her nose.

I answered by releasing a tiny sound from my throat. I sounded more like a house cat than a real lion at the moment.

Indeed, my name is Leo, the twin brother of the crowned prince Simba. You must be wondering how I got here. Good.

Keep wondering.

Becuase even I have absolutely no idea how I got here.

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