《Discovering Magic》


 Rebirth

    Life''s a bitch, and then you die.Truly whoever first said this was a genius and spoke with great insight to our modern times. Another snippet of a famous poem crosses my mind in the instant of my death, changed for my circumstances.


    This is how my life ends


    this is how my life ends


    this... is how my life ends...


    Not with a bang, but a whimper...


    I awoke in the pitch black dark, startled I let out a wordless cry, the voice I heard was not the one I had grown to know and dislike over the years. It was higher pitched and sharper, akin to, but not quite the same as a baby''s cry. Light flickered at the edge of my vision and I turned my head to side, just now realizing how heavy my head felt and my inability to lift it. I could make out the outline of a door and the sound of footsteps getting closer.


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    The door opened and a beautiful, otherworldly woman passed through. She had long white hair, tied back with a few strays here an there. Her eyes were bloodshot and bleak, with deep circles beneath. She had obviously been crying. Her voice called out softly, with great hesitance...


    "Jaryu was that you little one?"


    "Eweh..?" came my voice as I made a questioning noise. My voice didn''t seem to want to form words, my tongue felt very uncooperative. Though I didn''t have time to dwell on that as I was startled by her rushing towards me and lifting me up into a tight hug.


    "Ahh, Jaryu, my son you are alive!" the woman exclaimed with joy. With a smile beaming across her face she briefly intoned in a strange language. "Ventus mea verba feret." Then continued in a more normal voice "Your brother lives come and receive him."


    My head was spinning in confusion, I had never had a mother. I had grown up in a poor orphanage and eventually ran away from the poor treatment. Who was this woman calling me her son and why did I seem to be a child? Moreover, I had siblings!? I had long wanted a family but knew it was not meant for me.


    The woman, my mother supported my head and turned me towards the door as sound of a small stampede approached. Eight heads and eight childish bodies came into view, all young girls and such a racket and commotion was made. I was overwhelmed, confused, and exhausted.


    So I did two of the things babies do best, though usually not together, void my bowels and pass out.

 Journal to Adolescence: Before to Age One

    The Time Before


    I don''t know if the now fuzzy memories I have had since birth were a dream or a reality. I recall being someone in another place before I am... was... became? Became. who I am now. The name I was before did not stick with me before I could learn to write this all down. Much of the specifics are all lost. Broad impressions and ideas remain. This place of a previous life or lost memories or childish dreams was vastly different than the world I live in now. A place with towering buildings of fanciful glass, machines of convenience, no magic, and where I was utterly, hopelessly alone.


    I had no family and was raised in some sort of shared building with other similar children. Though I was rather small and helpless. I was kept alive, but that is about all you could say for the place. When I went to school and returned to this building from childhood to adulthood. I had no real close friends that I could tell. Once I reached what was considered adulthood I was tossed out with little more than the clothes on my back and a few meagre possessions.


    I managed to enroll in the school for adults and there I found a measure of happiness previously denied to me. It was a place of learning what I had wanted to learn in contrast to the enforced rigid learning of childhood. Though a small part of me was grateful in some ways that the childhood school had prepared me for this adult school. I tried to become close to people but was never particularly good at it.


    At some point I passed away, alone and depressed. My last memory is perhaps my clearest, the wish for a family and to be less broken.


    Journal Entry January 23rd, 1833 to January 22, 1834 of the Third Era


    This was my first year in the world I would learn would be called Aerth (pronounced Air-thh). Memories of this time are fuzzy as I write this now at the age of five. I was born into the baronial family of Lefantome to baronesses Lucie and Eloise. Our family is a rather large one and I have eight siblings, all older sisters. I will briefly summarize what I know of them here and update it as my journal goes on.


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    Aurora - the oldest sister, seems to be very responsible and is kind to the maids of the house. She is fourteen and has already made her social debut in society that was well received. She is an overall genius in my opinion, my other sisters may out excel her in a specific field, but she seems to have it all otherwise. Her mana talent is [Grace], though I don''t really understand what a mana talent is yet.


    Severa - the next sister is the reclusive sort at the age of thirteen. She grew up most directly in the shadow of Aurora and that seems to show in her personality. She tends to read a lot and tuck herself away. Though she broke out of her shell a little when she taught me to read and write. She is also a bit nearsighted and wears glasses. She also made her social debut and her mana talent is [Gloom].


    Marina and Marana - the older twins at twelve years old. They are boisterous and outgoing always active and about. They are not very good at reading others emotions and tend to just bulldoze situations with their bright and cheerful personalities. They will be making their social debut in a few months from this time. Their mana talent is [Alacrity].


    Natalyn - the next child, and perhaps the most middle child at ten years old. She tends to try to dress as fashionably as possible and is very outgoing, but with a competitive aspect to her social encounters. She wants to stand at the top and be admired. Some strange words from the before that come to mind when thinking about her are Chunni or Ojou-sama. She will be getting tested for her mana talent once the snows clear up.


    Holly and Hallee - the younger twins at six years old. They are nearly indistinguishable from one another, in contrast to Marina and Marana. Also contrasting the older twins they tend to being more quiet and observant. Though with a solid bit of kindness to them. They often played quietly in the room where I was most commonly kept.


    Emelia - the next youngest at four. A bright clumsy child with a sunny smile. She tends to be clingy towards her older sisters, always wanting to follow them and do what they do. Though she tends to take her role as my older sister as seriously as she can.


    Lastly, there is me Jayru Lefantome. Not much to say about myself in the first year. I ate. I slept. I pooped. And the world turned to a new year.