ã€ŠReborn with a Necromancer Systemã€‹


 Death

    A frail man sat in a dark room, illuminated only by two computer monitors. One revealed an animated tv show with young girls wearing too little clothing, as was common in anime, while the other showed a video game.

    Not just any game.

    The Knights of Elora.

    Luke blinked rapidly, his hands trembling as he stared at the empty cobalt vein on his screen. The dull hum of his computer tower filled the silence left by his sister''s retreating footsteps. His thoughts spiraled into the void of monotony that had become his life.

    In Knights of Elora, you could be anything you wanted. Do anything you wanted. And you weren''t bound to live in a world full of cruelty.

    "One in a thousand," He whispered the odds to himself like a mantra.

    He opened the crafting screen to his bookmarked section to look at the Pharoah''s Scarab Spear, a legendary weapon that could turn the tables on the guild wars.

    "Or, I could just sell it once I craft it..."

    He closed the crafting screen and sighed.

    "One in a thousand, and still nothing."

    He reached for another Devil''s Energy can, his fingers brushing against the sticky condensation of an empty one instead.

    ''How long has it been since I left my room? Was it Monday? Tuesday? What''s today?''

    He shook the thoughts from his mind as he continued to mine the cobalt ore in the caverns beneath the undercity.

    He had the Guild of Gatherers working under him. An elite team of botters, cheaters, and no-lifers who gathered materials for him to get some of the rarest items in the game in return.

    ''Even with two-hundred people trying to get the scarab drop, it''s been weeks...''

    Hours went by and the faint light from beyond his blackout curtains faded.

    The Guild of Gatherers had pinged him, eagerly reporting their latest yields: ores, gems, scraps of rare leather, but no cobalt scarab. Weeks of grinding, hundreds of hours spent¡ªfor nothing.

    "Typical," Luke muttered, leaning back in his chair.

    The weight of his body caused the cheap, faux-leather material to groan in protest. His eyes drifted to the poster behind his monitors: "The War Needs You!" it proclaimed in bold, metallic letters. Once, the man in futuristic metal armour had inspired him. Now it just felt like a cruel reminder of all the things he would never become.

    For thirty-five years, Luke had accomplished nothing. Done nothing. Meant nothing. Aside from wasting the air he breathed, that is.

    A new notification dinged.

    "Due to majority vote, General_Luke has been demoted in the Guild of Gatherers."

    His heart sank. Someone in the guild chat had already started gloating.

    "About time, huh? This guy doesn''t even gather anymore. Just a leech."

    "What the fuck do they mean, I don''t gather? I''m gathering right now!"

    Luke slammed his hands on his desk, knocking several empty cans off the edge.

    Another chimed in: "Can''t even keep his bots running efficiently. No wonder we''re lagging behind."

    Luke''s jaw clenched. He closed the game without replying, the bitter sting of rejection lodging itself deep in his chest. He glanced at the clock. Nearly midnight. Another day wasted.

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    ''I''ll convince them that they need me tomorrow. I''ll show them all of the rare drops I''ve gotten this past week and they''ll have to accept me as their general again.''

    "Luke! You better bring your dishes to the kitchen tonight!"

    Luke''s mother screamed from downstairs.

    The scream only just managed to squeeze its way under his headphones.

    He sighed, took a sip from his Devil''s Energy drink, and logged out of the game.

    His desk, covered in empty energy drinks, grew stickier with each passing day. Bags of trash piled up in one corner of his room like the piles of bones he could search for loot in his video games. Bottles of soda, now filled with dark yellow bodily fluids, covered his floor.

    What little money Luke made from selling resources in video games to other players, he spent on posters, figurines, and other merch from his favourite games and shows.

    The air was thick and stagnant. A mix of unwashed clothes, stale energy drinks, empty food wrappers, and the sour stench of sweat clung to the room like a second skin.

    He stared at the ceiling, his mind wandering to the last time he''d felt... alive. He couldn''t remember.

    The days blurred together, one indistinguishable from the next. The cave in Knights of Elora, the guild chat, and the constant grind.

    It was all just noise, filling the void where purpose should have been.

    And then there was Leena.

    His sister''s hopeful voice echoed in his mind. "Can we play today? I haven''t seen you in ages!"

    He''d brushed her off, like always. And now she was asleep, her door closed, her world separate from his. Guilt twisted in his gut.

    Luke sat up abruptly.

    The room was dark, the only light coming from the muted glow of the streetlamp outside.

    He stood, his legs unsteady. His head spun and the dizziness set in.

    ''I was playing too long this time.''

    Stains covered Luke''s hoodie and trackpants and the smell of his unwashed body caused him to gag now that he wasn''t surrounded by the fruity smells of dozens of open energy drinks.

    He made his way out into the hall, to Leena''s door. His hand hovered over the handle.

    Tomorrow, he almost whispered.

    But tomorrow was a lie he''d told too many times.

    With a deep breath, he knocked softly.

    "Leena?"

    There was no response. He hesitated, then pushed the door open. The faint glow of a nightlight revealed his sister''s form curled under a blanket. On her bedside table was a stack of board games¡ªgames they used to play together, before the Knights of Elora, before the spiral.

    She snored quietly, unaware of the storm rising in Luke as he battled with his past actions.

    Luke stepped back, closing the door gently behind him.

    He returned to his room, but instead of logging into the game, he powered down his computer. The silence deafened hum, but it felt... right.

    No longer did the hum of his computer''s fans add soothing white noise to his room. No longer did the LED lights breathe different colours into the darkness.

    He felt the emptiness inside him. The emptiness that his video game, that his computer, filled.

    Luke sighed deeply as he switched his bedroom light on.

    "It''s time to make a change."

    He grabbed a trash bag and began picking up the bottles, cans, and wrappers littering his floor. The task felt monumental, but for the first time in years, he didn''t feel like stopping.

    ''Tomorrow, I''ll say yes to Leena.''

    He collected the dishes around his room into a precarious pile resembling the Tower of Pisa, and left his fortress of darkness.

    He flicked the light switch to the hallway with his elbow and the flash of light forced his eyes to adjust before walking to the staircase at the end of the hall.

    Luke descended the stairs with a stack of dishes wobbling dangerously in his hands, their weight shifting with every creak of the wooden steps. His mind was elsewhere, replaying the battle he recently lost in Knights of Elora, the bitter words of the victor still sharp in his ears. He didn''t notice Bert, the family''s aging Labrador, sprawled lazily across the bottom step.

    His foot caught on the dog''s hind leg, and before he could steady himself, the world tilted. Time slowed as the dishes flew from his hands, shattering on the wooden floor with a cacophony of sharp cracks.

    Luke hit the ground hard, his hand instinctively reaching out to brace his fall, but it was already too late. A jagged shard of porcelain, glittering like a cruel knife covered in last night''s dinner, met his throat in a brutal embrace.

    Warmth spread across his neck, his breaths turning to wet gurgles as crimson spilled from the wound and mouth.

    The pain quickly eased up while the blood dampened his clothes as it spread over the floor.

    His vision blurred, the sound of Bert''s soft panting filling his ears. The dog, oblivious to the gravity of the moment, began licking at the pooling blood, his tail wagging in innocent delight.

    Above him, his mother appeared, her silhouette framed by the dim hallway light.

    Her expression was stony, a blend of disdain and disappointment carved into her features. She made no move to help, her lips curling in a grimace as she regarded the mess before her¡ªthe broken dishes, the blood-streaked floor, her son''s twitching body.

    Luke''s vision darkened as he struggled for air, his mother''s icy stare the last thing he saw before the void claimed him.

    "You couldn''t hang yourself like a normal person?"

    ''So, this is how I go out? Those are the last words that I hear? Just as I decide to do better? Sorry, Leena.''

 Rebirth

    "Enjoy your next life. Eidolon, your system, will help you in your new world. You are now Kai Tensen, a newborn in Imeria, a world of magic."

    A jumble of words roused Luke from a pit of darkness. It felt like he spent an eternity talking to something or someone, and finally, the quiet settled upon him.

    ''What was that? My body feels heavy. Am I still dying? How long does this take?''

    Luke''s final moments of pain and terror dissolved into an unfamiliar warmth.

    He awoke not to the cold, blood-soaked floor of his home, but to the soft weight of blankets, another human''s warmth, the muffled sound of voices, and an overwhelming sense of... smallness.

    His eyes fluttered open, his vision swimming with the scene of a new, somewhat large environment.

    ''This is wrong...''

    The voices grew clearer, a man and woman speaking in hushed tones. Their words were foreign, yet growing strangely familiar, like fragments of a dream threading together.

    A woman leaned over him. At least ten times larger than Luke, the giant woman revealed a toothy smile.

    ''Ah! A giant! She''s going to eat me!''

    Luke tried to crawl away from the monstrously large woman smiling at him like his next meal, but his chubby limbs moved in a helpless and uncoordinated fashion.

    ''I''ve been drugged? Joke''s on you, giant. That probably makes me taste awful!''

    His hands, clumsy and tiny, flailed at the air. His legs barely responded. Panic gripped him as he realized his body was unrecognisable¡ªhelpless, infantile.

    Any movement forced all of his tiny muscles to work overtime.

    The giant woman, laying in the same bed, cradled him closer, her face framed by soft brown curls. She smiled, exhaustion and joy etched into her features.

    "Kai," she whispered, brushing a finger across his cheek.

    ''Kai? Is that a way to prepare humans for consumption?''

    A giant man came into view and stood in the doorway to the room, giving a subtle nod of approval.

    "Kai, iberg delatindo!" The man looked at Luke, then back at the woman with a obnoxious grin on his face.

    ''What''s that language? It sound like some sort of incantation... Wait, is Kai my name? Would that make you my parents?''

    The man''s broad frame filled the small space. His dark hair was unkempt, strands falling over a furrowed brow, and his pale skin carried the faint sheen of sweat.

    The man wandered over to the bed, kissed the woman on the forehead, and held her with gentle affection.

    ''Was this some bizarre afterlife? A punishment? Or... Elora...?''

    While Luke''s thoughts swam around in his new brain, he examined the room he was reborn into.

    The room had an oil lantern on the side table near the bed, it''s flickering light illuminating the room. A single window at the furthest end of the bedroom proved it to be night, as no light passed through.

    ''Killed and reborn at night. What are the odds? Probably some sort of omen.''

    The setting, the language, and the names felt similar to the world of the fantasy game he''d spent hours playing.

    He strained to make sense of it.

    ''Have I been transported into the game world? Is this some sort of fucked up twist of fate that some perverted god or goddess threw at me?''

    The woman Luke supposed was his mother, spoke to a man in the room. No matter how hard Luke strained to understand them, their words remained jumbled and broken, like a jigsaw puzzle with only half the pieces.

    He tested his new body, finding it uncooperative. His limbs were weak, his coordination nonexistent. Everything felt surreal, dreamlike. But the longer he lay there, the more the truth pressed down on him: he was alive, but he definitely died.

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    He was... someone else, something else.

    A baby.

    A baby named Kai.

    In a completely unfamiliar world.

    The realisation that he was now the son of this average-looking couple hit him with unexpected clarity. They were far from the noble, powerful heroes he''d imagined being born to in his countless daydreams of Elora.

    Not the third or seventh son of a king born with unique magical abilities like the main characters in books. Definitely not an overpowered monstrous creature, either.

    ''At least I didn''t have to experience being born. That would have been gross, what with the screaming and crying and blood and feces...''

    Kai looked down at the bedsheets and sighed internally.

    ''And I only woke up after the mess was cleaned up, too. Whatever it was that reincarnated me, they got their priorities right. I''ll thank them if I ever meet them.''

    A sharp ringing filled Luke''s head and his body, unused to pain, screamed and the tears flowed.

    A computer-like ping sounded and light blue floating text in a video game-like UI screen appeared before Kai briefly.

    [The Imerian language has been automatically translated.]

    ''So, it is a game? Knights of Elora didn''t need a language, but I guess the world does? Wait, didn''t something speak to me before? I was in the middle of being reincarnated, so say it again!''

    The text did not return, and no voice of the divine, or whatever it was, reached him.

    ''I guess I can''t talk to it. Not the sort of A.I interface we had back in my world.''

    The man, presumably his father, brawny and tired, gave an awkward grin as he leaned over.

    "He''s strong, just like his mother," the man said.

    Though Kai, or Luke, felt anything but strong with his tiny body.

    ''I can understand him!''

    The man tried to grab Kai, but Kai flailes his little limbs and cried out loud.

    ''Don''t touch me, dude! You''ll break this new body before I even have a chance to do anything. At least wait until I can defend myself!''

    Luke''s mind raced. If this was Elora, he might know enough about the world to survive, maybe even thrive.

    He remembered the in-depth storytelling, the kingdoms, magic systems, and politics.

    If he could figure out where he was and what point in time he was transported, he could create a place for himself.

    ''But... What if this isn''t Elora? What if this brief look into the world only resembles it? I could even be in my own personal hell. Even if it is the same world, do the same principles, rules, laws, and everything else still apply?''

    His thoughts were interrupted by the woman cradling him closer. Her warmth was unfamiliar, her scent earthy and foreign. He wanted to resist, to pull away, but his new body betrayed him.

    He was hungry.

    And so he ate his fill.

    Exhaustion settled in, and no amount of mental resistance could fight the creeping need to sleep.

    As his eyes fluttered shut, one thought echoed in his mind:

    ''If this is Elora, I''m going to make sure I don''t waste this second chance. And if it''s not... I''ll figure out how to survive anyway.''

    The faint lull of his new parents'' voices faded as he slipped into unconsciousness, leaving him to ponder the daunting possibilities of his strange rebirth and the even stranger voice that briefly spoke in his head.

    ''No use in questioning who or what I am any further. I''m Kai, now. And I''ll live like Kai should.''

 Infancy

    Kai''s initial shock of being reborn into a strange new world dulled after two weeks, and was replaced by a growing awareness of his surroundings.

    This was not Elora, the game world he had once known. No sprawling kingdoms or epic quests awaited him here.

    He first noticed this when Lila, his new mother, brought him out into the world outside his house for the first time, only two days after being reborn. Garrett, his father, protested that she should rest longer, but quickly gave up his resistance after a stern glare from his wife.

    Instead, Imeria, the name of the land or planet they were on, reminded him of drawings, shows, and tales of pre-industrial England, its cobblestone streets bustling with townsfolk in simple clothing, the air filled with the sounds of distant workshops and carts rolling by.

    ''No knights, nobility. or adventure.''

    Yet the most startling similarity to Elora was the magic. Magic that was everywhere, in everything, constantly worked into the activities of daily life. From the men using strengthening magic to perform manual labour, to fire magic to light the lanterns in the street, everyone used it in their day-to-day.

    From his crib, Kai observed his parents'' work for weeks with growing fascination.

    Lila was a Naturopath, a healer who used magic to mend sick patients and nurture plants. Patients came daily, limping in or coughing, leaving with their ailments soothed by glowing hands and herbal remedies that seemed almost alive within their bottles and vials.

    Garrett had the Tender specialisation, a repairman of sorts, who could restore broken objects and minor injuries with a touch and a bit of concentration. Hearing broken bones crack back into place always unsettled Kai, but he knew that even if he managed to fall out of his crib, he would be in safe hands with his parents.

    Between them, Kai watched almost a hundred customers come into their house some days.

    The patients and customers who came in would also return to provide them with water, spun out of thin air, heat up their oven, warm up a meal that they brought, and more.

    Seeing them work filled Kai with awe and a touch of anxiety.

    Everyone in this world could use magic.

    Magic wasn''t special. It wasn''t a gift; it was expected.

    When Kai focused on himself, his system, Eidolon, flickered faintly in the corner of his vision, revealing little more than:

    [Name: Kai Tensen | Age: Newborn | Languages Translated: Imerian | Specialisation: Unknown: To be revealed upon Magical Assessment]

    ''No HP? MP? Stamina? Are those stats not recorded? I wonder if this system is what spoke to me when I first woke up in this world. What about my Magical Assessment? I''m probably a healer like my parents.''

    The M.A., as his parents called it, was a milestone every child reached.

    At around five years old, a child''s magic would awaken fully, and their specialisation, a type of magical affinity, would be revealed. Until then, he was in limbo, a blank slate in a world that valued rare skills and productivity. It was a disquieting thought for someone like him, who had spent his previous life utterly ordinary.

    As the days passed, Kai learned more about his new family and their abilities. His parents worked tirelessly but seemed content. Their modest home bustled with energy every day. He also met his older sister, Mari, a boisterous girl of four who radiated a never-ending supply of energy that reminded him of Leena, his little sister from his past life.

    "Kai, Kai, Kai!" She yelled loudly, as if babies had no sense of hearing.

    Kai rolled his head so that at least one of his ears was protected from the shrill of her voice. He tried to protect his other ear with his tiny hands, but lacked the fine motor control to cover it completely.

    "Mum! Kai''s ignoring me!"

    Lila walked over and petted her daughter on the head.

    "He''s not ignoring you. He''s too small for that. You''re just too loud."

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    "I am?" she asked.

    "Sometimes," Lila responded.

    Mari crept around the crib slowly and looked into Kai''s eyes.

    "Sorry, baby brother. I''ll be more quieter," she whispered.

    Guilt washed over him when he thought of Leena and how often he had been dismissive or impatient with her. Looking at Mari, who seemed to regard him with equal parts curiosity and excitement, Kai breathed a strong little breath.

    ''This time, I will do my best to be a better brother.''

    Being better would have to come later, though, while not trapped in the helpless body of a newborn.

    For now, he could only respond with a toothless, awkward smile.

    ''Leena can''t see it, so Mari will get the best from me, isntead.''

    "Mum, Kai smiled at me!" Mari yelled.

    Realising her loudness, she slapped her hands over her mouth, pursed her lips with a sad expression, and left Kai''s crib.

    ''I wonder what Mari''s specialisation will be. When is she turning 5? Our parents, Lila and Garret, said her fifth birthday is coming up, but haven''t mentioned a date. Not that I''d know what the date is in this world. And I can''t really ask with these underdeveloped vocal cords.''

    Determined not to remain idle, Kai started small.

    Every chance he got, he wiggled his limbs and rocked from side to side, pushing his tiny little muscles to their limits. He also tried making noise as often as possible to train his vocal cords for speech.

    It wasn''t much, but it was something, and it was exhausting. After tiring himself out and getting all the protein he needed from Lila, he usually fell asleep before repeating the same process.

    These actions were his way of taking control, however minor, of his new existence. Making the most of his second chance.

    Over the next few months, as Kai''s time in this world continued, he further understood his family''s place in town by watching from his crib or his mother''s arms.

    The house they lived in was old, very old. Its wooden beams creaked with age, but with Garrett''s Tender specialisation, they needed not worry about it falling into further disrepair and causing accident or injury. Anything that needed fixing was repaired with his magic.

    His parents'' work, especially his mother''s, was in high demand, and though they weren''t wealthy by any means, they lived comfortably compared to most of their neighbours.

    The inequality for services rendered to payment received unsettled him.

    Like immigrants who gets paid minimum wage Kai''s parent worked themselves to be bone. They earned enough money to support themselves, but nothing more.

    ''If this was considered well-off, what did that mean for the average person? And more importantly, what does it mean for me when I grow up?''

    In his past life, money had been a struggle and the thought of repeating those hardships gnawed at him.

    Despite these worries, Kai resolved to focus on what he could control. He studied his parents'' work as best he could, memorizing the spells and techniques they used, even if he couldn''t practice them himself.

    Magic wasn''t invoked through words, but gestures and possibly feelings. Every time his parents used magic, Kai felt a shift in the air. Something being pulled towards the hands of the person or people using magic.

    He tried to get used to that feeling. That change in the air. Soothing, yet powerful and a little scary.

    As time went by, Kai noticed small specks of light in the air when people channeled magic. Each person creating different coloured specks.

    The door to their house burst open while one man dragged another screaming man inside, the injured man''s leg bones jutting out through his flesh and skin. His blood-soaked pants threatened to drip onto the wooden floorboards.

    "Lila, Garrett, we need your help!"

    ''Ooh, this one will be good!''

    Kai rolled over and peered through the bars of his crib to get the best angles for watching another magical feat.

 Toddler Life

    "Garrett! He''s doing it! Our boy''s a genius!"

    ''I did it again. Come on. One more!''

    Garrett barged into the room, and his face softened. The face of a loving father stopped Kai in his tracks. An unusual sight.

    ''I was older than you when I died. I shouldn''t be happy that you''re proud of me, you idiot.''

    Kai tensed his legs again, still standing upright in the living room, and took a wobbly step towards Garrett. His calves and quadriceps burned furiously, and he sat down, huffing and puffing.

    Time to pull out all of the stops!

    "Ga, ga!"

    Shit. I fucked it. Garrett is still too hard for me.

    Garrett got down on his knees and laid in front of Kai.

    "Aw, you''re amazing, my boy, but it''s da-da, not ga-ga."

    ''I''m not going to call you my father. That''s ridiculous.''

    "Garrett! Our baby boy! He''s talking and walking at half the age our little Mari was! Surely, he''s a prodigy!"

    Lila laid beside him as well, both of them with their stupid, proud faces while poking and prodding Kai''s body with joy.

    For six months, Kai endured his "training sessions" of rocking, crawling, pulling himself up on furniture, making the weirdest sounds to train his voice, and even meditating to control the frustration that came with the limitations of his body. All for these moments.

    Frustrated stomps on the wooden floor caught everyone''s attention.

    "Hey, I''m smart, too! I am!" Mari exclaimed, frowning with pursed lips.

    "Yes, yes, Mari. You''re very smart, and you even have your magical assessment next month! We''re very excited for you, so make sure you train your magical aptitude before then, and maybe you can go to the citadel as a healer!"

    Kai''s ears pricked up. He smiled. His toothy grin hurt his soft gums, but he didn''t care.

    ''New words. Training. Magical aptitude. The Citadel. If I follow Mari around and learn how she''s training, maybe I can do it as well! This is so exciting!''

    "See? Even Kai is excited for you!" Garrett laughed.

    "He better be! I''m going to show him just how amazing his big sister is!" She pumped up her chest and ran to her room.

    Kai tried to stand, but his legs refused his request.

    ''Dammit. If I didn''t show off, maybe I could have followed her... Right! I''m a baby! I can resort to crawling and it''s not weird at all!''

    Kai crawled after his sister at lightning speed. The wooden floor was cold against Kai''s palms as he dragged his small, wobbly body forward, inch by determined inch.

    "You''ve got a gremlin coming after you, Mari!" Garrett yelled.

    Mari screamed playfully as she continued to race to her room.

    His arms trembled with the effort, but he pressed on, his gaze fixed on the open door at the end of the hall. He''d seen glimpses of her practicing magic before, and now, he was determined to watch her up close, training for Magical Assessment.

    The moment he crossed the threshold, he froze. Mari''s room was bathed in a soft, golden light, the air humming with energy.

    She stood in the center, her hands extended in front of her, her expression focused. In her palms, faint green tendrils of light swirled, twisting together like delicate vines.

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    Kai''s breath caught as he felt the flow of magic. It wasn''t just visible; it radiated from his sister. A gentle warmth spread through the room, brushing against his skin like a comforting breeze. The magic was alive, vibrant and full of purpose, and for a moment, he forgot his tiny body and the effort it had taken to crawl here.

    The light subtly eased the pain in his muscles.

    ''Incredible. The stream of magic itself is healing my fatigue.''

    Mari moved her hands in careful arcs, guiding the green light into a small potted plant on her desk. The plant shivered, its leaves glowing faintly as they grew a fraction larger, their vibrancy deepening into a richer hue.

    "There," she murmured to herself, a satisfied smile tugging at her lips.

    "Almost ready for the M.A."

    Kai''s heart swelled with admiration. Mari wasn''t just practicing; she was nurturing, breathing life into the world around her.

    The magic seemed to respond to her in kind, swirling around her like an adoring companion.

    ''So, you pull the threads of magic towards you, and through your willpower, shape it into what you need? And that''s all you need to practice? I mean, I already gathered at least that much from watching Lila and Garrett.''

    But then, deep within Mari, an explosion of magical essence erupted like a fire. She stood firm, an aura of light surrounding her and lifting her hair into the air.

    "And now... I... Just have to hold this!"

    She turned slightly, her gaze falling on a small basket of aging apples on her bedside table. Extending her hands, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

    This time, the light in her hands changed, shifting from green to a much more powerful, but soft gold. A warm pulse of energy rippled through the room.

    As the magic settled, the apples gleamed brighter, their skins now flawless and plump. Mari''s hair fell back to its original position, the aura of light faded, and she opened her eyes with a wide grin.

    "Perfect!" she said, wiping her brow.

    Kai, still lying on his stomach, couldn''t suppress a coo of delight.

    Mari turned sharply, startled by the sound. When her eyes landed on him, her surprise melted into a laugh.

    "You are a gremlin, Kai! How did you get here?"

    She crossed the room, scooping him up in an awkward fashion.

    "You little troublemaker! Do you want to learn magic?"

    Kai babbled in response, reaching a tiny hand toward the fading traces of her magic. He wanted to tell her how incredible she was, how the flow of energy she commanded was more beautiful than anything he''d ever known. But all he could do was smile up at her with awe-filled eyes.

    Mari''s grin softened as she kissed his forehead.

    "You''re lucky you''re cute. Don''t tell Mama and Papa about that big light, okay?" She carried him back to her desk, holding him close.

    ''So, after channeling magic, you can temporality access more magic than before? How does that work? I need to figure it out!''

    Kai nestled against her, letting the warmth of her magic linger in his mind.

    ''Soon, magic, you will be mine!''

    Kai chuckled to himself as he thought about the various applications he could use magic for.

 Pups and Magical Training

    The next morning was unusually lively at the Tensen household. The scent of herbs filled the air as Lila worked her naturopathic magic over bundles of plants on the kitchen table, rejuvenating the level of freshness in them.

    Garrett tinkered with a broken lantern, a faint golden glow flickering from his fingertips as he mended its shattered glass.

    Perched near the window, Mari hummed a quiet tune to herself while crocheting strands of colourful yarn. A little animal slowly formed in her hands.

    Then came the knock at the door. Three sharp raps echoed through the house, followed by the muffled voice of their neighbour, Mrs. Errolyn.

    "Lila, Garrett! I''ve brought something for you!"

    Garrett opened the door to reveal Mrs. Errolyn, a stout, rosy-cheeked woman, her arms cradling a cane basket. Inside, a litter of wriggling, yapping puppies practically glowed with energy. Their little bodies shimmered faintly, their fur streaked with hues of iridescent blues and greens, showing their arcane nature.

    "Oh no," Lila muttered, pausing her work and eyeing Mrs. Errolyn with a wary stare. "Are those... arcane pups?"

    Mrs. Errolyn smiled sheepishly, stepping into the house and placing the basket on the floor.

    "Aye. Our fluffy little Nora got herself in a tangle with an arcane wolfhound from the forest. The litter came out... well, like this. Half-breeds." She gestured to the puppies, one of whom had a tiny spark of lightning flicker across its nose as it sneezed.

    Lila frowned. "You know how much trouble arcane animals can bring, Errolyn. They''re unpredictable, dangerous even."

    "I know, I know," Mrs. Errolyn said, holding up her hands. "But they need homes. And I thought that... well, your Mari''s always had a way with animals, hasn''t she? And you''ve got the space. Just one? You''d be doing us a favour."

    Before Lila could protest, Mari was already on the floor, her hands darting eagerly toward the basket. "Look at them! Mama, they''re beautiful! Can we keep one? Please?"

    Kai, sitting in the corner of the room, tensing his leg muscles while making random noises, watched the scene with growing excitement. His infant body couldn''t quite express the joy bubbling within him, but his mind raced. These were no ordinary dogs, they were arcane puppies!

    ''There''s no way my parents would deny me this chance.''

    Garrett glanced at Lila, his expression torn. "Well... maybe just one. If we''re careful."

    Yes!

    "Garrett!" Lila protested, but Mari was already rifling through the basket.

    Mari grabbed the runt of the litter. A silver arcane pup with deep blue streaks throughout the coat.

    "This one!" she declared, holding up the small, fluffy creature with fur that shimmered in the sunlight that filtered through the windows. Its ears twitched, and a faint hum of mana emanated from it, as if the puppy itself were a tiny reservoir of magic.

    Kai gurgled loudly, drawing everyone''s attention. Mari turned to him, cradling the pup in her arms. "Kai likes it too! Don''t you, Kai?"

    Kai cooed in agreement, his heart pounding. This was his chance to make his first real contribution to this new life.

    Kai strolled over to the pup and petted its head. He brushed its warm, colour-shifting fur and giggled.

    The pup pulled away from Kai, as if the mere touch from the toddler caused it pain.

    ''Did I do something wrong? Bert loved me in my last life. Maybe he just has to get used to me, or maybe he can tell I''m not from this world. They say that dogs can smell cancer, so maybe he can smell that my soul is different or something.''

    The other newborn pups in the basket tried their best to climb out of the basket, but their little limbs failed to find the strength. Kai watched them tumble around, roll onto their backs, and then back onto their little feet.

    ''I know that pain, little doggies. Don''t give up, though! You''ll soon be walking and talking and casting magic. Well, maybe not talking. Can arcane creatures talk? If we get one, I will have to test that out later.''

    "Buh," he babbled, trying to force the word out with all of his might. "Buh... Buuuh... Buht!"

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    ''Yes! My first ''T''! I hope I can say everything I want, and soon. I really just want to ask everyone a bunch of questions. Maybe I should have focused less on my body and more on my voice.''

    "Bert?" Mari echoed, tilting her head. "You want to name him Bert?"

    Kai nodded vigorously, his tiny body wriggling with excitement.

    Mari laughed. "It''s Bert, then!"

    Lila sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine. But if that dog starts setting things on fire or summoning storms, you''re dealing with it, Garrett."

    Garrett chuckled, kneeling down to scratch behind Bert''s tiny ears. "Welcome to the family, Bert."

    Kai couldn''t help but feel a bittersweet pang as he watched the little fluff ball stumble around.

    Seeing the arcane energies fizzle around Bert''s fur lit a fire inside of Kai.

    ''Time to practice some magic!''

    While everyone was entertaining Mrs. Errolyn and Bert, Kai snuck away to his room.

    For the last month, Kai trained his senses to feel the magic in the air without someone else channeling it first. In the beginning, he strained so hard he emptied his bowels in his pants, but got the hang of it after three failed attempts and Lila cleaning up after his first attempt. Now he needed to channel that magic.

    Once again, Kai felt for the magic in the air. He opened his eyes wide, and gripped it with invisible hands. The magic moved with Kai''s intent, and he focused that intent into something else, something restorative.

    Instead of the green or gold light that Lila or Mari create when channeling magic, or the brown that came from Garrett''s magic, Kai changed the ambient magic in the air to a deep shade of purple. It hung heavier in the air than any magic he''d witnessed from his family or the townsfolk when out and about.

    On top of that, rather than a feeling of a single stream of magic, like he''d experienced before, his magic tapped into several different streams of magic, originating from places far beyond what he could see.

    Like a fire, the magic consumed him. His thoughts grew unfocused as sweat pooled across his body like a torrent.

    ''I... I can''t stop it...''

    The density of the streams increased, and an explosion of force expelled itself from Kai''s body. Kai slumped to the ground while it continued to drain him physically, magically, and emotionally.

    His limbs refused to move, and he struggled to breathe, as though someone was standing on his chest. Ringing filled his ears like those scenes in movies after an explosion went off near one of the characters.

    A distant, muffled voice cut through the haze. "Kai!"

    Footsteps pounded against the wooden floorboards, and strong hands lifting him up, shaking him gently.

    ''Garrett.''

    "What happened to Kai?!" Mari''s panicked voice was high-pitched and trembling.

    "Magic is still in the air!" Lila''s voice carried an edge of fear. "It''s thick and unstable. What in the gods'' names did he do?"

    "I''m sorry, mum! Kai watched me practice magic and this is all my fault!"

    "This is nobody''s fault, Mari..."

    Kai barely felt a couple of cool fingers brushing against his forehead.

    "He''s burning up," Mrs. Errolyn murmured. "Lila, this magic¡ªthis is not normal. No child should be able to draw this much at his age! Not without training¡ªnot without¡­" She trailed off, the horror in her tone unspoken but heavy.

    Garrett''s grip on him tightened. "This isn''t natural." His voice wavered, the usual steady calm slipping away into something closer to dread. "Did someone tamper with him? Is he cursed?"

    Mari sniffled, her hands clenching into fists. "He was just playing! He wouldn''t do... he couldn''t have done something bad!"

    Lila let out a shuddering breath. "I don''t care how, or why¡ªjust don''t die, Kai. Please, just stay with us." Her voice cracked at the end, and that, more than anything, made Kai''s fading heart lurch.

    His mother never begged.

    Ever. For anything in her life.

    ''I''m sorry...''

    He tried to answer his mother''s pleas. He attempted to reassure her that he''d be okay, but his eyelids fluttered several times before darkness swallowed his consciousness.

    ''Did I push it too hard? Am I dying again? Maybe I was too hasty.''

 First Spell

    When Kai opened his eyes, he saw the familiar room he''d known for almost seven months. Lila greeted him with a smile and some tears, and Mari rested her head on the edge of the bed.

    "Thank the gods! A whole day, Kai! You had me worried for a whole day!"

    [Specialist Path Unlocked - ???]

    Specialist Path? At least I didn''t die.

    Kai looked to the centre of the room, where he fell unconscious. Around the position he practiced his magic, a layer of charcoal coated the wooden flooring in what looked like an explosive force in all directions from the centre where Kai has stood.

    ''And I''m still alive? Huh...''

    Lila and Garrett did not let Kai leave his bed for the remainder of the day. They brought him warm bread to dip in soup, and even some sausages from the butcher. Kai struggled to eat it all with his baby teeth and his gums hurt a little, but he''d missed the taste of solid foods.

    Until he fell asleep later that night, at least one of his parents was with him at all times.

    ---

    Kai stirred awake the next morning to some horrified shouting.

    "No! Bert!" Mari cried out from the living room.

    Kai rushed through the house as fast as a toddler could manage and into the living room.

    The house was heavy with silence while Garrett and Lila slept. Mari sat in the corner of the living room. She hugged her knees while tears streamed down her face.

    She pointed to a little lump of fur on the ground.

    Bert lay on the floor before her, curled up and unmoving, his shimmering silver-blue fur dulled to an almost lifeless grey.

    Kai walked closer. He''d never seen Mari like this with her vibrant, confident energy utterly drained. Her hands still glowed faintly with residual magic, her attempts to heal Bert having failed.

    "I-I tried everything," she choked out, her voice barely above a whisper. "Mama taught me the binding weave, the flow of restoration... but nothing worked. I can''t save him."

    Kai felt his chest tighten. Mari''s pain was unbearable to witness, but more than that, something inside him rebelled against the idea of his Bert being gone.

    The dog was more than a pet. He was a bridge between Kai''s two lives, a thread tying his past to his present. Losing Bert felt like losing a part of himself.

    ''This can''t be happening. He''ll be fine. He''s a fucking magical dog, he can make it through anything.''

    Before he could think, before he could process what he was doing, Kai reached out toward Bert. His fingers brushed the cool fur, and a strange warmth bloomed deep within him. It wasn''t like Mari''s gentle and nurturing magic. This was raw, wild, a force that surged through his veins and demanded release.

    ''I guess I should try it. I haven''t had a chance to experiment with my magic on something alive yet...''

    Kai focused. The energy that flowed through the air wisped around him violently as he reached out for the energy connected to each living being.

    A faint purple light flickered from his palm, dark and otherworldly. Then, like a tornado, the magic pulsed in the air around them, the colour like the deep violet of a storm-lit sky.

    The air around him grew cold, and for a moment, everything seemed to stand still as he held his breath.

    With a few gentle arcs made with his hands to attempt to control the flow of magic, he imagined, in the centre of his mind, disease, illness, injury, and death.

    ''Gods, I hope this works...''

    He imagined the process of what each meant to him and reversed that, feeding the flow of magic into Bert''s body like a funnel helping liquid flow from a large jug into a small bottle.

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    ''Rejuvenate!''

    Mari gasped, scrambling backward as the dog''s body twitched. Bert''s chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, his dull eyes snapping open, now glinting faintly with an eerie light.

    [Specialist Path Chosen - ???]

    ''Again? And path chosen? I didn''t choose anything!''

    "Bert!" Mari cried.

    She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around the dog''s neck. Bert responded with a low, rumbling growl. Not an aggressive growl, but far from the warm and happy bark they were used to. His movements were stiffer, and his shimmered differently in the dim light.

    But, for Mari, it was Bert.

    For her, he was alive.

    To her, it seemed like he was okay.

    Garret and Lila burst into the room, their expressions panicked.

    "What''s going on?" Lila demanded, her eyes darting between Mari and Bert.

    Mari turned to them, her face flushed with relief. "Kai did it! He saved Bert!"

    Lila and Garret froze, their gazes snapping to Kai. The toddler sat on the floor, his small hand still resting on Bert''s fur, his wide eyes filled with a mixture of feigned confusion and fear.

    "He... what?" Lila asked, her voice shaky.

    Mari nodded affirmingly.

    "I couldn''t save him. Bert wasn''t breathing, and he was so cold! I tried everything, but Kai just touched him, and..." She gestured to Bert, who now sat stiffly, his head cocked unnaturally to the side as if listening to something they couldn''t hear.

    Lila knelt beside Kai, her hands trembling as she placed them gently on his shoulders. "Kai," she whispered, her voice filled with awe. "You... Actually healed Bert."

    ''They can''t feel it? The difference between how their magic feels and mine?''

    Kai wanted to protest, to tell them that wasn''t true.

    Bert wasn''t alive.

    Not really.

    Or, at least, it didn''t feel like he was alive.

    It felt like Bert was long gone¡ªfar away, and that whatever stood in his place was just accepting the role of ''Bert''.

    But he couldn''t explain the dark magic that still pulsed faintly in the room to his family. Instead, he looked up at Lila, his face a mask of innocent bewilderment.

    "I did?" He continued his gaze, making sure his eyes were wide and full of fake wonder.

    Garrett laughed, the tension in the room breaking slightly. "A prodigy," he said, his voice brimming with pride. "Almost seven months old and already healing the sick and injured! Our son''s a prodigy!"

    "I told you that when he took his first steps!" Lila punched Garrett''s shoulder and laughed.

    "You did! Magical Academy? Heck, he might become a heavenly scholar!"

    Garrett and Lila danced around the room with glee, singing the praises of their boy.

    Over a month ago, Mari confided in Kai about wanting to become a heavenly scholar.

    From what he understood from his conversation with her, they served the supreme council of the Citadel, and would carry out tasks and research to benefit the entire country. A country he didn''t even know the name of.

    If Mari had paid more attention to the conversation and less to Bert, she may have acted out in a fit of jealousy.

    ''Something isn''t right here, though...''

    Kai focused his thoughts on himself and the system screen appeared.

    [Name: Kai Tensen | Age: 7 Months | Languages Translated: Imerian | Skills: Mana Manipulation | Spellcasting: Novice | Spells: Rejuvenate | Specialisation: ??? - To be revealed upon Magical Assessment]

    ''It changed a little. I''m a novice spellcaster too, now. Not very intuitive, since it doesn''t update me on everything in real-time, though.''

 Maris Magical Assessment

    Kai sat up, watching his sleeping sister with anticipation. Earlier than usual, Mari woke with a start.

    Today was the day.

    Her day.

    Her fifth birthday.

    From what Kai heard, it was the moment she had been waiting for since she first watched her parents work their spells for their patients.

    She sprung up in bed and let out a sharp squeal with her hands balled into fists trying to contain her excitement.

    Kai laughed, watching and imagining how he would feel when his time came.

    Through the wooden shutters of their shared bedroom, rays of the morning sun blanketed everything in a golden light.

    The door slowly creaked open, and their mother stepped inside with a warm smile.

    "Good morning! Do you know what day it is?" She knelt by the bed, brushing a hand over Mari''s wild curls.

    "Magical assessment!" Mari replied.

    "That''s right! Are you ready for your big day?"

    Mari grinned, nodding rapidly. "I''ve been ready for ages!"

    Garret appeared in the doorway, arms crossed, a proud smirk on his face. "That''s my girl," he said, ruffling her hair before she could duck away. "Whatever your magic is, it''ll be strong, I can feel it."

    Kai, barely able to sit upright on the floor, babbled excitedly in his own way. He lifted his little arms toward Mari, his chubby hands reaching for her. "Mah-i!" he said.

    ''I can almost say everything I want. Stupid vocal cords.''

    Mari scooped him up, awkwardly as always, spinning in place as she laughed. "I''ll make you proud, Kai! I promise!"

    Lila chuckled. "Come eat breakfast before you leave for Ylthara."

    ''Ylthara, that''s a big city, I think. The merchants who come in for treatment mention it sometimes.''

    As Mari was led downstairs for her meal, Kai watched her go, his small fingers curling into his palm. He was excited for Mari, truly, but this was also an opportunity for him.

    The moment the door shut behind them, Kai turned to Bert.

    The arcane puppy sat still, his glowing eyes locked onto Kai with unnatural focus. Though the others saw Bert as the same playful pet he had always been, Kai knew the truth. After spending hours upon hours with Bert, he quickly realised the dog''s heartbeat no longer drummed in its chest. His breath was a mere performance, a trick played upon the living.

    Somehow, Kai had kept Bert in a constant state of animated death.

    An undead arcane creature.

    Kai closed his bedroom door and pressed his tiny palm against the wood. A faint shimmer of dark energy pulsed from his hand, sealing the door with a quiet click. A magical lock¡ªsomething he had been practicing in secret.

    He turned to Bert.

    "Alright, let''s try again."

    Bert tilted his head, as if waiting for an order.

    Kai exhaled and focused, reaching deep into the strange energy that had first surged through him the day Bert had died. He extended his hand, feeling the unnatural current beneath his skin. Something different from the usual mana he felt when others performed magic. A wisp of black-violet energy slithered from his fingertips, coiling around Bert''s paws like mist.

    ''Approach!''

    Bert twitched, and for a moment, his body seemed to move without will. He took a single, precise step forward, unnatural in its stiffness.

    Kai shuddered.

    ''This isn''t healing. This is something else.''

    Kai took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders as he sat back on his heels. His magic had been growing stronger. Not stronger as in bursts of power, but in endurance.

    Through a constant circulation of mana around himself, he trained in secret, making sure no one could sense it while simultaneously growing accustomed to the feeling of magic moving through him.

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    Tonight, he wanted to push further.

    Extending both hands in front of him, he let the dark mist pool at his fingertips, tendrils coiling together like living threads. He concentrated, willing it into shape. The surrounding air crackled with an unnatural hum, and before him, something dark formed.

    A shadow-like creature, no larger than a rat, flickered into existence. It was nothing more than a vague silhouette. Four legs, a tail, no discernible features. The moment Kai tried to will it forward, it collapsed in on itself, dispersing like smoke.

    Kai grit his teeth.

    ''Again.''

    ---

    He repeated the process dozens of times over the next few days.

    The energy responded faster this time. The creature reappeared, twitching slightly, holding its form for a few moments longer before dissolving once more.

    Excitement surged in his chest.

    ''I''m getting closer.''

    He prepared to try again.

    A knock at the door startled him.

    "Kai? Are you in there? I''m back!"

    Mari''s bright and excited voice reached Kai through the door.

    Kai jumped, shaking off the energy and waving his hand toward the door.

    The doorhandle wriggled, and the door shook as Mari tried to enter.

    The magical lock dissipated. He quickly scooted away from Bert, feigning innocence as Mari burst in.

    "I did it!" she announced, nearly vibrating with excitement. "I got my results!"

    Lila and Garret followed, both beaming with pride. Kai clapped his hands together, mirroring their excitement, though he was mostly relieved his secret was safe. "What is it?" Lila asked, urging Mari forward.

    Mari took a deep breath and looked around, making sure everyone was looking.

    "I''m a Divine Cleric!" She declared.

    Gasps filled the room.

    Garret breathed deeply and his chest swelled with pride.

    "A Divine Cleric?" he repeated. "Mari, that''s a great honour!"

    Lila covered her mouth, her eyes shining. "Oh, my sweet girl... You''ll serve the archbishop himself, and even the gods!"

    "Those filthy undead and malevolent arcane creatures..." Garrett looked at Bert and coughed. "Well, not you, Bert. All the other ones."

    Kai tilted his head. He heard the term before from a villager in town, but never paid much attention to it. Chosen to wield holy magic, Divine Clerics were the enemies of beings that defied the natural balance.

    Mari knelt beside Kai, taking his hands with hers.

    "At fifteen, I''ll join the church," she told him. "I''ll be protecting people, standing beside heroes! I''ll be fighting against dark things like monsters, spirits, undead..." she laughed. "Can you believe it?"

    His stomach twisted.

    ''Undead. Like... Bert? That''s what he is, right?''

    Kai forced a smile, though his mind raced. Mari was now, unknowingly, sworn to fight against magic like his. Against things like Bert.

    His heart pounded.

    He wanted to be happy for her, and he was, but a shadow of fear loomed over him.

    [Name: Kai Tensen | Age: 8 Months | Languages Translated: Imerian | Skills: Mana Manipulation, Mana Tempering, Shadow Manipulation, Sealing Magic | Spellcasting: Novice | Spells: Rejuvenate, Thrall Control, Shadow Conjuring, Sealing | Specialisation: ??? - To be revealed upon Magical Assessment]

    ''Those are some crazy changes. I guess I have been tempering my mana by circulating it? And sealing sounds useful. I thought I was just locking the door, but I guess it didn''t have a lock in the first place. Seriously, what am I becoming?''

 Strengthening Magic

    The morning sun warmed the village. At the entrance of Kai''s house, his father, Garrett, knelt in the dirt before him. His broad, calloused hands rested on Kai''s shoulders.

    Heavy hands.

    ''I was going to work on Shade today. He''s finally able to accept small commands and can interact with physical objects...''

    "You''re three now," Garrett said, his voice steady but tired.

    ''Really? I know you idiots don''t celebrate birthdays here, but we did have a better meal than usual.''

    "I am! I turned three last month!" Kai said, happily.

    ''I''m over halfway towards my magical assessment!''

    "Your sister is practicing her divine magic in the church, and you''re old enough to see the world with your own eyes. Figure out what you want to do. Figure out what kind of man you want to become."

    ''Man? Dude, I''m three years old.''

    Kai looked up at his father. Garrett always worked, always moved, as if stopping for too long would cause everything around him to fall apart. Even now, exhaustion clung to him like a shadow, yet his gaze was unwavering.

    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pendant, pressing it into Kai''s small hand.

    "This will keep you safe, no matter what," Garrett promised. "Whatever path you take, wear it."

    Kai looked down at the pendant, then back at his father.

    Kai clutched the small pendant in his tiny hands, rubbing his thumb over its smooth, worn surface. The metal was cool, the intricate design on its face a mystery to him.

    He nodded, fastening the chain around his neck. Garrett ruffled his hair before standing with a grunt.

    "Go on, then. The village is yours to explore."

    With that, he turned and walked back toward their home, already lost in the work that awaited him. A broken clock here, a broom there.

    Kai took a deep breath and stepped forward.

    Kai stepped out of his home''s front yard, the cool morning air brushing against his skin as he clutched the small pendant in his palm.

    The weight of the pendant comforted him, though he wasn''t entirely sure why. His father''s words echoed in his mind.

    A big request for a three-year-old, but Kai wasn''t just any child.

    The village stretched before him, a collection of sturdy wooden buildings with stone foundations rested between mountains on one side and a large river on the other.

    The scent of freshly baked bread drifted from the Tom''s bakery, mingling with the sharper tang of burning coal from the blacksmith''s forges further down the street.

    He walked at a steady pace, taking everything in.

    Farmers hauled sacks of grain toward the market. A group of women stood outside the washhouse, their hands glowing faintly as they used magic to control water. Nearby, burly men stacked wooden beams, muscles flexing as they reinforced a new structure.

    Everywhere he looked, there was movement. There was purpose.

    Kai tightened his grip on the pendant.

    ''And what about me? Where do I fit in?''

    Eventually, he reached the heart of the village, the square, where a towering stone statue dominated the space. He settled himself cross-legged before it, gazing up at the figure of Esmerelda.

    Carved from weathered stone, the hero stood tall, her armoured form exuding an air of power and grace. A massive sword rested in her hands, its tip planted firmly against the ground. A long cape flowed behind her, frozen in mid-billow, as if caught in an eternal gust of wind. Her face was calm, resolute, eyes staring forward as if watching over the village she had once saved.

    Esmerelda. The warrior who had defeated a great evil and saved the world.

    Kai studied her, tilting his head. He had heard the stories, just as everyone had. Bedtime stories often had small tales of her brave adventures sprinkled in. She was a legend, a hero of unmatched strength. People still worshipped her, prayed at the statue''s base for guidance and protection.

    ''What would you do, Esmerelda? Would you just sit around waiting for someone to tell you what you''re meant to be?''

    The pendant in his hand pulsed with warmth. Or maybe that was just his imagination. Either way, he exhaled slowly.

    ''Alright. If I don''t know where to start¡­ I''ll just have to try everything.''

    ---

    Kai''s eyes flicking between the burly men standing before him at a construction site.

    They were thickly built, with arms and legs like bodybuilders from magazines in his old world.

    ''These guys don''t skip leg day.''

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    Their leader, a man with a bushy beard and an even bushier personality, cracked his knuckles and smirked down at him.

    "So, kid. You say that ya got magic unlike yer folks? How''s about ya try strengthening magic with us and the boys, then? We''ll keep ya out of trouble, and ya''ll get to see if our magic is more yer style."

    Kai resisted the urge to grimace.

    ''This wasn''t my intention, but learning more magic wouldn''t hurt. I''d prefer to have a mentor who can speak normally, but the physical strengthening magic in this village is used by men like this...''

    Instead, he grinned up at them.

    "Sure! I want to try it! How do I use your magic?"

    The bearded man laughed, clapping Kai on the back with enough force to nearly knock the air from his lungs. "That''s the spirit! Now, close yer eyes and feel for the magic in ya bones."

    Kai did as he was told. He reached inward, searching for a power that resonated with the men around him. The image of a hulking, muscular warrior flickered in his mind''s eye, an overwhelming presence of pure, raw strength.

    He grasped at that feeling, pulling it toward himself. His body trembled, a strange, buzzing warmth spreading through his limbs.

    "There ya go! Keep at it, lad. Strength ain''t just muscle, it''s ''bout willpower, too."

    Kai exhaled, nodding.

    Kai gritted his teeth. As he tried to lift a boulder, or what was a boulder, to a three-year-old, sweat beaded above his brow and streaked down his face.

    Around him, the burly men of the village watched with folded arms and approving nods. Their leader, the bearded giant named Garrik, barked out encouragement.

    "That''s it, lad! Feel the magic in yer core and push it through yer muscles! Strength ain''t just lifting heavy things! it''s ''bout mastering yer own power!"

    Kai exhaled sharply, feeling the familiar buzzing warmth of magic coursing through his veins. He pulled on the source of mana harder, trying to channel it more efficiently. But something felt¡­ off.

    The warmth intensified, growing hotter, wilder, like a firestorm ready to burst.

    His fingers trembled against the rock. His vision blurred.

    "Uh, kid¡ª" Garrik started, his voice shifting from excitement to alarm.

    A surge of raw energy erupted from Kai''s body, a purple aura flaring to life around him. With a sudden urge, Kai called out the name of his technique in his mind.

    ''Bull''s Strength!''

    The boulder lifted, but with the updraft created the raw power of Kai''s strengthening magic, so did a dozen other objects in the vicinity.

    Wood planks, buckets, even one of the smaller men, were momentarily swept into the air by the force of his uncontrolled magic.

    The ground beneath his feet cracked, sending tremors through the construction site.

    "Whoa, whoa! Stop that, NOW!" Garrik shouted, grabbing Kai''s shoulder.

    The instant their skin met, Kai''s power dispersed like a popped bubble.

    Kai gasped for air and his knees buckling beneath him.

    The boulder, along with the other debris, dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, sending dust into the air.

    The construction workers steadied themselves, some coughing from the dust and dirt that got caught in their lungs, while others gawked at the spectacle.

    Kai panted, staring at his shaking hands.

    ''I lost control.''

    Garrik let out a booming laugh, though his eyes held a flicker of unease.

    "Well, kid, if that ain''t the biggest burst of raw strength magic I''ve seen in years. But next time, let''s not go turnin'' the village square into a war zone, aye?"

    Kai gulped and nodded. Lesson learned¡ªhis magic wasn''t something to be toyed with. He needed control.

    ''I''ll get the hang of this.''

    He spent a couple of hours with the construction workers and started lifting heavier items as the day went on. Heavier objects at 3 years old than he even lifted as a thirty-five-year-old man in his past life.

    Kai focused on himself until a familiar screen appeared.

    [Name: Kai Tensen | Age: 3 Years | Languages Translated: Imerian | Skills: Mana Manipulation, Mana Tempering, Shadow Manipulation, Minor Strengthening Magic | Spellcasting: Novice | Spells: Rejuvenate, Thrall Control, Shadow Conjuring, Bull''s Strength | Specialisation: ??? - To be revealed upon Magical Assessment]

    Bull''s Strength, huh? I guess, if I don''t call the spells anything, they''ll be given a suitable name, but if I call them something, that''s permanent as well. I may need to be careful about naming my spells. I don''t want weird things in there that I name impulsively...

 Household Magic & Combat Training

    After the disaster with strength magic, Kai wandered through the village, his mind on his training.

    He stopped by the washhouse and approached a group of housewives bustling about their daily chores, their hands glowing with faint magical energy as they manipulated water, ice, and even fire to aid their work. One of them, a tall woman with soft eyes, looked at him curiously.

    The women chatted amongst themselves, spreading gossip at every opportunity.

    "Did you hear that the chickens at the Aldridge farm have been going missing?" A woman said while scrubbing clothes against a washboard.

    "Poor Mr. Aldridge. But the Drummer farm found some of their sheep and a cow dead last week." Another woman added, hanging dripping pieces of clothing.

    "What do you think is doing it?"

    "It might be arcane creatures. It could be a person, too. People can be scarier than beasts."

    Maribel, the self-designated leader of the local women, hushed the gossipers and welcomed Kai with a warm smile.

    Kai thought about how he could prey on the kindness of the housewives of the village and opened his mouth.

    "Can I learn magic with you? I want to help my family around the house!"

    He flexed his tiny muscles in an attempt to show his enthusiasm. Involuntary "aw"s reacted to his actions from several of the women at the washhouse.

    "You want to help us with chores by learning elemental magic? You haven''t had your assessment yet, right?"

    "That''s right."

    A few of the women exchanged glances.

    "I don''t know how I feel about this. Are your parents okay with it?" An older lady frowned.

    Kai widened his eyes, giving them the best pleading look he could manage. "Yes, they are. So... please?"

    "Alright, dear. We''ll start with something simple. You''ll heating water for tea."

    Maribel gestured to a small wooden tub filled with water. Kai approached and touched the water. Drawn straight from the nearby river, its icy temperature made him pull his fingers back out of reflex.

    "Feel for the warmth in the air, in your own blood, and guide that into the water."

    Kai nodded and closed his eyes. Like before, he reached inward, searching for the magic. Like before, he closed his eyes and reached for the magic that matched theirs.

    This time, a new image surfaced in his mind. A dainty warrior woman, her hands emitting three different types of elemental magic at once. Her control was elegant, almost effortless.

    Lightning, fire, and ice whipped around a battlefield as she slaughtered her enemies with precision.

    Kai held onto that vision, grasping at the warm, soothing magic that swirled in the air around him. A soft chill brushed against his fingertips.

    ''A chill?''

    The moment his magic flowed into the water, something felt wrong. Instead of warmth, a biting cold spread from his fingertips.

    Frost laced the edges of the tub, shooting through the water like veins of ice. The water darkened, then froze solid with an audible lightning-like crack.

    As he looked around, all the other water sources froze solid at the same time.

    Maribel''s eyebrows shot up. The other housewives gasped.

    Kai winced. His fingertips grew numb from the flash of cold.

    ''Not again.''

    "That¡­ was not what I expected," Maribel said slowly, poking the frozen surface. "You were aiming for heat, correct?"

    Kai scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. I swear I was trying to make it warmer."

    He watched as Maribel scrambled for words to comfort him, but a younger woman behind Kai laughed.

    "Well, congratulations! If this was a bucket of tea, you would''ve made the perfect summer treat instead!"

    ''Right. People probably don''t bother with popsicles here, since they can''t store them. Maybe I could make money like that in the future. But still, I failed again.''

    Maribel chuckled while shaking her head.

    "I think we need to work on your elemental alignment, kid. Your instincts lean toward ice, but with training, you''ll learn how to balance both. Just don''t freeze the entire water supply next time. We''d have trouble washing the clothes if you froze the river."

    "I''ll try." Kai groaned.

    ''That''s so damn embarrassing...''

    Kai spent much of the rest of the day practicing cooling magic with the women from the washhouse while they completed their chores.

    He breathed deeply, focusing on the wooden tub before him, and put his hand inside.

    He thought back to the warrior woman and pictured the ice magic she used. The moisture in the air formed particles of ice, which built up into something resembling spear-heads which hovered above her in an arch.

    Kai envisioned the water surrounding his hand slowly freezing. As the water solidified, he pulled his hand out, and a cube of ice rested in his palm. Perfectly square.

    "Good start, kid, an excellent start," Maribel said with an approving nod. "You''ve still got a long way to go, so don''t get ahead of yourself."

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Kai grinned.

    ''It''ll be fine. I have time.''

    ---

    His final stop for the day was the village outskirts,

    By the time Kai reached the village outskirts, he was exhausted. But when he saw Master Rael Drakethorne, the warrior waiting for him, nervous anticipation replaced his fatigue.

    Rael was nothing like the other villagers. Most villagers looked at you like the scenery around them, but he watched Kai with sharp, inspecting, calculating eyes.

    The old warrior always tied his black hair back in a short ponytail. A sword always rested against his hip, and he wore a crude mix of leather and steel attire.

    Rael approached. The man moved like a predator, every step deliberate. Unlike Garrik''s booming energy or Maribel''s warmth, Rael exuded a quiet deadliness.

    "You look tired," Rael observed.

    Kai straightened his posture. "I''ve had a big day. You wanted to see me?"

    The man studied him for a long moment before nodding.

    "I heard you''ve been training in magic with just about everyone who will teach you. That''s good. But magic alone isn''t enough."

    Kai frowned. "It''s not?"

    "Not if you don''t know how to fight." The man took the sword from his hip and held it out. "You have potential, kid. If you''re serious about getting stronger, you''ll need a lot more than magic to keep you safe, let alone defeat your enemies. You''ll need skill. Skill that comes through combat experience."

    ''Seriously... What''s with the people in this world? I''m just a kid and you''re already talking about making and defeating enemies?''

    "I''m serious. I can still train."

    Rael smirked. "We''ll see about that. Take a stance."

    Kai gripped the small wooden sword Rael handed him and mimicked a basic stance he had seen warriors use. Not warriors in this world, but in anime, tv shows, and video games.

    He pushed his legs apart, one in front of the other, and bent his knees slightly. He stabilised his core and balanced his weight evenly between both of his legs.

    ''I doubt I''m doing it right, but it feels balanced enough. I can probably take on an adult if I use my strengthening magic.''

    Rael gave a curious stare, and then a nod of approval with pursed lips.

    "Attack me," Rael instructed.

    Kai hesitated.

    ''I thought he was going to attack me. I don''t know how to attack anyone!''

    He charged forward and lunged towards Rael, swinging the wooden sword with all the strength he could muster.

    Rael never drew his sword, and Kai didn''t even see Rael move, but he disappeared.

    Before Kai could even blink, he was facing the sky, his back aching from the impact on the ground. His wooden sword clattered beside him.

    "That was sloppy," Rael said, unimpressed.

    Kai groaned, rubbing his ribs as he sat up.

    ''What just happened?''

    "Again," Rael ordered.

    Kai picked up his sword, adjusted his stance, and tried again. Another instant, another humiliating defeat. Then another. And another.

    By the time the sun set, Rael defeated Kai countless times without ever drawing his sword. His arms ached, his legs felt like mush, and the dirt beside him had absorbed what little pride he had left.

    But, by that point, Kai started seeing Rael''s movements and beyond that, the mana circulating in the warrior''s arms, core, and legs.

    Before moving, Rael focused strengthening magic in his legs for increased speed, while maintaining strengthening magic in his core to prevent injury. The moment he stopped moving, he focused all of his strengthening magic into his arms before striking.

    But the strike was only to disarm Kai. A half-second after the disarm, Rael swept Kai''s legs out from under him in one smooth motion.

    The entire movement felt fluid and calculated, as if performed hundreds of times.

    ''Rael might be old, but I doubt anyone could best him in a one-on-one fight.''

    Rael finally called a halt, watching Kai struggle to stand. "You have potential, but right now? You''re just a kid swinging a stick around."

    Kai clenched his fists. "Then teach me how to do it right."

    Rael raised an eyebrow. For the first time that evening, he looked somewhat pleased. "Good answer. Come back tomorrow. And be prepared to really fight."

    Kai nodded weakly, barely staying upright. Today had been a disaster. But he would not let failure stop him.

    [Name: Kai Tensen | Age: 3 Years | Languages Translated: Imerian | Skills: Mana Manipulation, Mana Tempering, Shadow Manipulation, Minor Strengthening Magic, Novice Combat Arts | Spellcasting: Novice | Spells: Rejuvenate, Thrall Control, Shadow Conjuring, Bull''s Strength, Frozen Touch (Contact), Frozen Zone (Area) | Specialisation: ??? - To be revealed upon Magical Assessment]

    ''I will master magic. I will learn how to fight. Next time, I won''t go down so easily.''

 Vanishing Children

    As summer turned to autumn and the leaves browned and covered the village, a child went missing.

    Kai''s village, Orrinsby, was used to small misfortunes. Wolves and bears would take livestock, the odd traveler would get lost in their forests and be found dead by the village hunters. A missing child, though? Something that hadn''t happened in the few years Kai had been in this world.

    At first, the elders reassured the townsfolk and the parents of the child.

    "He''ll come home," they said when the first child went missing. "Children wander too far sometimes." But he never came back. And then another child disappeared.

    And another.

    And many more.

    By the time winter''s breath crept into Orrinsby, dozens of children had vanished.

    Garrett and Lila did their best to keep their children inside at night, but it didn''t help.

    Mari disappeared while going to the market for bread and cheese.

    Kai had always felt different, but never alone as long as Mari was there. She anchored and protected him in a world where he always felt like an outsider in the village, and even in his family.

    Her absence was like an open wound.

    Anxiety about the present and possible future crippled him without her there.

    ''If she never comes back... What do I do?''

    Kai dreaded the thought.

    That was when the dreams started. Whispers in a dream of darkness.

    At first, the whispers were faint. Just murmurs on the edge of his consciousness, like a conversation happening just out of reach. Children''s voices. He couldn''t make out the words, only the urgency, the fear.

    Then one night, a voice cut through the noise, clear as day.

    "He keeps us in the dark place."

    Kai jolted awake. Cold from being drenched in his own sweat, he attempted to catch his breath. He turned toward his window and when he saw something looking back; he froze.

    A small, child-like shadowy figure stood beyond the glass. Still. Silent. Watching.

    Kai blinked and rubbed his eye.

    The figure disappeared.

    ''Was that still just part of my dream? I heard things about the mind creating hallucinations for people just after waking up. Waking dreams or something?''

    The next morning, Kai wandered through the village in search of answers. The eerie whisper still echoed in his head.

    ''The dark place. But what does that even mean? Where''s Mari? Where are the others?''

    While mulling over the strange dream, Kai saw him.

    A man stood at the centre of the market square, speaking with another villager. At first glance, he seemed ordinary¡ªa simple coat, boots muddied with dirt, unremarkable features. With a longbow slung over his shoulders, he handed parcels of meat wrapped in leaves to a woman at Delilah''s butcher''s shop.

    He had never once come to see Garrett or Lila about healing or mending anything, and just about everyone in the village had visited them since Kai was born.

    As Kai approached, their gazes met, and something inside him twisted.

    It was like looking into a void, wearing a man''s skin. A thing that mimicked human life but was anything but. Something about the way he smiled... it was too broad, too deliberate. His eyes were like black stones reflecting no light.

    Empty.

    Wrong.

    Kai''s stomach churned and threatened to get rid of the ham, bread, and cheese from his lunch.

    The man tilted his head, watching him.

    And then he smiled.

    A deep, insidious terror crept up Kai''s spine. He could feel it. A darkness within the man, writhing like a trapped, starving thing. It wasn''t just evil. It was hungry. Hungry for something vile, something that he could see in Kai.

    Kai backed away from the man and turned. He walked briskly back towards his home, but he could still feel the man''s gaze on his back. Watching. Waiting.

    That night, Kai struggled to sleep. He walked down the hall to his parents'' room and opened the door. Peter snored quietly whilst Garrett snored like a freight train. Lila remained quiet while he crawled between them.

    Several minutes passed in the darkness before his dreams returned.

    Kai stood in a space of ever-extending darkness. A speck of light appeared in the distance and flew closer.

    "Please."

    The whispers were louder.

    "We''re cold."

    More numerous.

    "The dark place."

    Stronger.

    A fresh voice grabbed his attention. One he recognised. A friend Mari would bring around to the house occasionally, a girl named Janette.

    "Save Mari, Kai."

    His blood turned to ice.

    Mari...

    The whispers weren''t just dreams anymore. They followed him into the waking world.

    And they were begging him to listen.

    For two days, Kai searched for the man from his nightmares, the one whose very presence made his skin crawl. He started by asking questions around the village, careful not to raise too much suspicion. The last thing he needed was Father Aldric''s priests sniffing around, twisting his inquiries into something sinister. His first stop was Delilah''s shop. Before approaching the butcher, Kai looked up and down the streets in case the man was around. When he believed the coast was clear, he spoke to Delilah standing behind the counter.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Delilah was a tall, muscular woman with graying hair and blue eyes. She glanced up as he entered. The scent of raw meat and blood clung to the air. Something about it reminded him of sausages. "Excuse me," Kai said with a shaky voice. "I was wondering about a man, the man from yesterday that sold you some meat? Dirty, with a bow? A hunter, maybe?" Delilah''s expression twisted slightly, her fingers tightening around a blood-covered cleaver that was wedged in a wooden chopping board.

    ''Uh... Lady?'' "Not a customer? You''re after Graham? Aye, I know ''im. Comes by every so often with fresh kills. Interesting cuts of meat sometimes. Strange fellow that keeps to ''imself. Why do you ask?" She turned around and slammed the cleaver into a piece of meat, slicing it in two with a single blow, bone and all. Kai tried to keep his face neutral, but his stomach churned at the thought of where that ''meat'' might have truly come from.

    Delilah looked at Kai with a worried expression. He swallowed before responding, trying to ease his stomach. "I think I saw him wandering near my house and don''t know him." Delilah squinted at him but eventually shrugged. "Can''t say I know much about him. He lives on the edge of town, near the old well. Comes in when he has something to trade, then vanishes again. Some say he''s been in the village for years, but no one really knows where he came from. Just showed up one day. If you want to know more, you can go and ask him, but don''t go into the forest alone." Kai thanked her and left, the unease in his chest growing. He spent the rest of the day quietly asking around.

    By the end of the day, Kai determined that most townsfolk barely knew anything about Graham, and those who did only repeated what Delilah had said."He''s a reclusive hunter who keeps to himself."

    But there were rumours.

    Kai spoke to Horrus, an old man that frequented his house for his failing knees.

    "Ah, young Kai!" Horrus exclaimed as he saw Kai approach.

    "Hi! I''m sorry to bother you, but I''ve been asking around about a hunter named Graham, and nobody can tell me anything."

    "Oh, it''s not a bother. Your mother and father have helped me out much more than I can help them. So, are you wanting to become a hunter like young Graham? Magician, warrior, and hunter?"

    Horrus liked to watch Kai practice his magic and train with Rael from time to time, talking about how he was like Kai when he was younger.

    ''Doubtful that any four-year-old could do what I''m doing, though.''

    "I think it''s admirable to provide for myself and my family. Hunting would help me do that."

    "That''s wonderful! Just wonderful! But, perhaps, might I suggest something?"

    "What''s that?" Kai asked, sensing the worry in Horrus'' voice.

    "Ask another of the hunters in the village. Strange sounds come from the woods at night when Graham is out hunting, and sometimes livestock goes missing whenever he lingers in the village. Now, I''m not saying anything is wrong with the man, but you put all of that on top of the fact he looks like he''s barely aged a day in ten years, and something''s just not right."

    Kai thanked Horrus for the information and promised to ask another hunter for training and left for home before it got too late.

    --- By the second day, Kai grew restless. Mari had been missing for too long, and he hadn''t seen Graham himself since that fleeting moment in the marketplace.

    The voices in his head only became more insistent. They came not only in his sleep, but in waking hours. Faint, pleading cries which faded before he could fully grasp them. In the early evening of the third day, Kai finally spotted him.

    Graham walked through the village, moving toward the forest with his longbow slung over his back.

    Goosebumps spread over Kai''s body.

    The air around the hunter felt thick, oppressive, as though something unseen clung to him like a second skin. The shadows at his feet stretched unnaturally long in the fading light. Kai forced himself to move, trailing behind at a careful distance as Graham disappeared into the trees. The deeper they went into the woods, the quieter everything became. The usual sounds of birds and rustling leaves vanished, replaced by an eerie stillness that prickled at the back of Kai''s neck.

    ''It''s not normal to experience silence in a forest.''

    Graham never once looked back. He moved with purpose, his steps confident.

    ''It''s his home territory. I need to be careful.''

    Kai kept to the shadows, his breathing shallow, his heart hammering against his ribs. Then, suddenly, Graham stopped. He tilted his head slightly, as though listening to something Kai couldn''t hear.

    ''Has he caught me?''

    Kai pressed his back against the trunk of a tree, trying to steady his breath.

    When Kai peeked around the trunk of the tree, a translucent face with deep purple otherworldly eyes stared back at him. A silent scream escaped Kai''s lips, and the face turned into a wisp of fog.

    Beyond the dissipating fog, he saw Graham''s back disappear into the growing darkness. Kai hesitated for a moment before pushing forward, stepping deeper into the unknown that awaited him.

 The Collector

    As Kai ventured further into the forest, he heard the voices calling him.

    The dark place was real.

    ''I have to find it.''

    The first sign was the stench. Not a typical stench that one would smell, but something felt in the air. It clung to the natural mana that flowed with the wind.

    In a small clearing, surrounded by dead trees, he saw a decrepit house.

    An old house, sagging and rotten, sunk slightly into the ground.

    ''Everything about this feels wrong. Graham, this spot, this house, the whispers. Every fibre of my being is telling me to run.''

    The structure should not have still been standing, it should not have been whole. It felt like it would consume him the moment he stepped inside.

    Kai hesitated at the threshold. His body screamed at him to run, but the voices urged him forward. Mari was here. She had to be.

    Once inside, Kai covered his mouth as he coughed. The thick air, heavy with dust and decay hurt his throat and lungs. He watched the shadows dance on the walls, created by the few candles lit throughout the house.

    A soft clink vibrated down the hall. Like metal on metal.

    At the end of the hall, a door, slightly ajar, lead downward.

    The whispers, now screams, reverberated through his skull.

    "Hurry!"

    Kai rushed forward and shoved the door open, revealing a narrow staircase descending into pure darkness.

    Kai focused his strengthening magic on his eyes, and the darkness eased up.

    He took a step forward, but a hand clamped around his wrist.

    He turned, staring into the cold, empty eyes of Graham, the man from the market.

    "Shouldn''t be here, boy," Graham murmured, his voice soft but full of something ancient.

    Kai tried to pull away, but the grip tightened.

    Summoning as much magic as he could, he stood his ground.

    ''Bull''s Strength!''

    But even then, Graham, completely unprotected or strengthened by magic, remained still and unfazed.

    The man''s head tilted, his smile stretching wider.

    "You''re not a boy, though, are you?" Graham''s smile widened further, reaching his ears like some sort of demented creature.

    The voices pierced Kai''s thoughts again. More desperately this time.

    "Please save them!"

    "I''m trying!" Kai yelled.

    "Oh? Do you hear them?" he whispered. "The dead ones? You can! I need to collect you. I must."

    A shock of cold ran through Kai''s veins, spreading to his fingertips.

    The whispers in his mind screeched.

    Something inside Kai snapped, and for a moment, his vision disappeared.

    A force, raw and powerful, exploded outward from within him. Graham stumbled back, his grip breaking. Kai didn''t hesitate.

    He ran down into the dark.

    The first thing he noticed was the cold. An unnatural chill.

    The second was the acrid scent of death and decay that forced its way into his nose. Kai pinched his nostrils closed.

    The third was the cages.

    Row upon row of iron bars, filled with small, motionless shapes. Someone scattered small pieces of food in the cells, like a person feeding wild birds birdseed.

    Then Kai saw her.

    Mari, huddled in a corner, clutching another child. The child wasn''t moving. Janette, Mari''s friend who told him to save her, was in her arms.

    Her eyes locked onto his. Terror. Relief.

    "Kai..."

    But her voice broke, and before she could say another word, her body slumped forward, unconscious.

    A deep, rattling breath echoed behind him.

    Kai turned, his stomach dropping.

    The man wasn''t alone.

    The darkness inside him¡ªit was spilling out.

    Shadows crawled along the floor, twisting, writhing. They had no eyes, no mouths, but Kai could feel them grinning.

    "Too late," the man whispered. "They''re his now. Their souls will always belong to the Collector."

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The shadows surged forward.

    Kai screamed.

    And the whispers answered.

    Something burst forth from him¡ªnot just magic, but something older. Dark tendrils lashed out, colliding with the crawling shadows. The room shook.

    The shadows wailed.

    And suddenly, Kai wasn''t just hearing the dead.

    He commanded them.

    The shadows that spilled from the man turned their attention around and tore at the man''s flesh. The spirits they had controlled, the hundreds of them, howled in rage and sorrow. They tore into the writhing darkness, yanking it from the man''s body, pulling it apart piece by piece. The Collector shrieked, not with a voice, but with something deeper, something that made Kai''s bones hum with the sound.

    And then it was gone.

    The moment the last of the spirits had left him, the man''s body crumbled. His skin withered in an instant, his limbs mummifying before turning to dust as though time had finally caught up with him all at once. Within seconds, there was nothing left. Not even bones.

    The spirits flickered.

    "Thank you..." many said in unison.

    As the lights of the spirits left the basement, they left only silence behind.

    Kai searched the man''s clothes, now covered in ash and dust, for a key. A large ornate key rested inside a hidden compartment in the heel of their left shoe.

    After unlocking the cages, he used strengthening magic to bring Mari to the surface while the rest of the living children followed.

    ---

    By the time the villagers arrived, the house was burning.

    The children were found, alive¡ªall except for a few who had been taken too soon. The Collector was gone, no trace of him remaining in the ashes.

    "What happened here?" Rael asked, being one of the leaders of the search party.

    "That man. Graham. He took me while I was looking for Mari! I was so scared, but someone came down and saved us!"

    "Hmm... A stranger saved you? A travelling hero, maybe? Where did they go?"

    "I don''t know. They said something about needing to save a priestess and left us here."

    ''I already told all the children here that story more than a dozen times before the adults arrived. They should back up my lies.''

    "A priestess? If the citadel is worried about one of their priestesses, something must have happened. I''m glad he found all of you before something dreadful happened."

    Rael and the rest of the search party carried the children back to the village while a couple of women from the washhouse put out the fire by creating and spraying water at the house.

    Something had changed in Kai that night.

    Mari did not speak of that night. Not of the bodies. Not of the darkness. But sometimes, in her sleep, she whimpered, whispering reassurances to someone who wasn''t there.

    "It''s okay, Janette," she murmured one night. "It''s okay now."

    But Janette was dead.

    Most of them were.

    Mari still heard them, the memories of the whispers from all the children who never made it out.

    But Kai... Kai still heard them all. The spirits lingered around him.

    He felt their remorse, their pain, their sadness.

    ''But what was that man saying about a collector? There was something else to him, something inhuman. If there are things like that in the world, I''m just going to stay here in the village.''

    [Name: Kai Tensen | Age: 3 and a half Years | Languages Translated: Imerian | Skills: Mana Manipulation, Mana Tempering, Shadow Manipulation, Minor Strengthening Magic, Novice Combat Arts | Spellcasting: Novice | Spells: Rejuvenate, Thrall Control, Shadow Conjuring, Bull''s Strength, Frozen Touch (Contact), Frozen Zone (Area), Focus Sight, Soul Threading | Specialisation: ??? - To be revealed upon Magical Assessment]

 Shadows and Light

    Kai sat on his bed, fingers twitching as he focused on the shadows pooling beneath his hands.

    Mari spent most nights with the church for the past year, learning her future cleric duties, so Kai woke up early to practice magic every morning.

    A tendril of darkness slithered out from his fingertips, coiling and shifting, forming into the small, goblin-like shape he had been practicing with for weeks.

    ''Shade. An appropriate name.''

    The shadow creature now stood as tall as Kai, its form, usually fluid and shifting, had been trained to look like a goblin from the games he''d played in his last life.

    Its body maintained a pseudo physical form that existed not as a shadow on the objects around the world, but as a pit of darkness taking up physical space.

    ''This really is weird magic.''

    It had no true eyes or mouth, yet Kai could feel its attention on him every time he brought it into existence.

    He willed it to move, and it obeyed, darting across the wooden floor with eerie silence.

    A small grin tugged at Kai''s lips.

    "Alright, let''s try to increase the difficulty."

    He pointed at a wooden spoon on his desk.

    Usually, there would be a feather, a piece of parchment, or another very light object for the experiment, but Kai felt confident.

    Shade slithered up the leg of the table, its inky form stretching unnaturally before wrapping itself around the handle. With a flick of Kai''s thoughts, the spoon lifted into the air. Shade wobbled slightly but adjusted, floating it over to Kai''s waiting hand. He caught it easily and nodded in approval.

    "Good. Let''s try something heavier."

    An hour passed as Kai experimented, pushing Shade''s limits. It could wrap around objects, retrieve them, even mimic simple gestures. But the more he used it, the more he felt a strange pull in his chest, like the magic inside him wanted to spill out, to grow.

    ''I need to be careful. My magic isn''t like Mari''s. I don''t know what an explosive burst of my mana would do.''

    No one knew about Shade. Not his mother, his father, nor his siblings.

    In the last year, Peter was born into the Tensen family. A baby brother.

    Kai remembered watching the shocked look on his father''s face when they found out Lila was pregnant. He laughed to himself while remembering it fondly.

    Peter slept in Kai''s old crib in their parents'' room, waking them up occasionally throughout the night.

    ''They got it easy with me. Even if I woke up, I wouldn''t wake them up when I was a baby. Now they have to remember what it''s like to have a normal child.''

    His family had been nothing but kind to him, but he knew he was different.

    His magic wasn''t like theirs. He couldn''t mend damaged items like his father''s side of the family, or traditionally heal injuries like his mother''s side.

    His power was quiet, cold, strange.

    And in a world where clerics and heroes and priest hunted down anything strange, being strange was dangerous.

    A sharp bark cut through his thoughts.

    Kai flinched, Shade instantly dissolving into the room''s natural darkness. He rushed to the window and peered out.

    Bert was snarling and snapping, his once-friendly eyes, now wild and unfocused. A shredded carcass lay at his feet. A goat from the neighbouring farm, dark blood soaking into the dirt.

    Villagers stood at a distance, some clutching farm tools, others whispering in hushed, anxious voices.

    Kai''s father, Garrett, stepped forward.

    "Bert?"

    The dog lunged.

    Chaos erupted.

    People screamed.

    Garrett almost failed to dodge in time, stumbling backward as Bert''s jaws snapped where his arm had been.

    The Tensen family''s dog, once loyal and full of love, now turned on the closest living beings around it while red foam frothed in its mouth.

    Rael walked forward from the crowd, iron sword in hand.

    ''Rael, I don''t think that''ll do anything...''

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    Kai watched, anxiously.

    Subconsciously, Kai assisted Bert in dodging Rael''s strikes from his sword, the two of them dancing back and forth as though they were playing. But this wasn''t a game.

    Then came a voice of authority.

    "Enough!"

    The village''s religious leader and head priest of the church, Father Aldric, strode into the square. His long white robes trailed behind him while he approached Bert.

    Father Aldric had trained many clerics and priests in his lifetime. Healers, users of divine magic, and devout souls all flocked to him in his church, and he held more power than the mayor himself. Between that power, his communication with the gods, and his divine magic, almost everyone respected him.

    The villagers stepped aside as he walked towards Rael and Bert.

    His expression was grim, but there was no fear in his eyes, just a look of judgement.

    "This beast is possessed."

    ''Possessed? That might actually be accurate.''

    Kai rushed to the front door, passing Lila nursing Peter who was watching the commotion from their bedroom window, with Mari nowhere to be seen. Once exiting the house, he ran towards the commotion.

    The murmurs intensified.

    Father Aldric raised a hand, golden light radiating from his palm. The brilliance was blinding, a warmth that pressed against Kai''s skin even from a distance.

    "No!" Kai''s mother, Lila, clutched Garrett''s arm. "He''s sick! We can¡ª"

    "Silence." Aldric''s voice rang with finality. "It is a demon''s corruption. It must be purged."

    Before anyone could protest further, the priest thrust his hand forward.

    "Mari, this would be a perfect chance to use your practiced gifts!"

    Mari stepped forward, looking at each of her family members with a conflicted expression.

    ''You evil bastard. Making Mari kill her own dog? Are you testing her loyalty?''

    A bolt of divine energy shot from her fingertips, striking Bert square in the head.

    The dog let out a chilling, inhuman howl before collapsing. His body shimmered for a brief moment, light consuming him from the inside out.

    Then...nothing.

    Only dust remained where Bert had been.

    Mari shook slightly. Kai saw it. She felt guilty, sadness, and possibly frustration.

    Silence settled over the village. Then the whispers began.

    "Did you see how crazed it was?"

    "A demon¡­ living in our village."

    "Isn''t the family cursed? That boy¡ª"

    Kai felt their eyes on him before he heard the words. He shrank back from the crowd before more people could spot him.

    His heart hammering in his chest and his parents stood firm, their faces grim.

    But Kai felt it.

    Something had changed.

    The next few days confirmed his fears.

    Neighbours who had once greeted his family with warm smiles now hesitated. Conversations cut short when he entered a building. The baker who used to slip him extra pastries now barely met his eyes. Even the children in the village gave him a wider berth than before.

    His family, too, felt the shift.

    Lila carried herself stiffly, forced smiles hiding her worry. Garrett worked longer hours, avoiding unnecessary interactions. Mari noticed, but didn''t understand why.

    Kai understood.

    Their family was different. He was different. And in a village where faith dictated right from wrong, where light was good and shadows were evil¡­

    Kai knew he had to be careful.

    [Name: Kai Tensen | Age: 4 Years | Languages Translated: Imerian | Skills: Mana Manipulation, Mana Tempering, Mana Sense, Advanced Shadow Manipulation, Minor Strengthening Magic, Minor Elemental Magic, Intermediate Combat Arts | Spellcasting: Novice | Spells: Rejuvenate, Thrall Control, Shadow Conjuring, Bull''s Strength, Frozen Touch (Contact), Frozen Zone (Area) | Specialisation: ??? - To be revealed upon Magical Assessment]

    Shade slithered from his palm in the darkness of his room, curling around his wrist like a silent comfort.

    ''They don''t need to know.''

    ''They can''t know.''

 The Traveler

    The days after Mari''s rescue, and the end of Bert''s undeath, were different.

    Kai felt it in the way the villagers spoke to him. Merchants spoke with careful words, others with silence. Even those around Maribel, Garrik and Rael acted more cautiously when he was close.

    His family still treated him kindly, but there were slight changes in their behaviour. Instead of wishing him a good morning, his parents would just serve him breakfast and move onto talking to each other or to Mari.

    Mari would speak to him less around their parents, but treated him no differently outside of that.

    They tried to hide it, but Kai noticed every change.

    The villagers were worse. The same hands that once ruffled his hair now hesitated. Conversations he used to be welcomed into ended when he approached. The whispers followed him wherever he went.

    "Unnatural."

    "Bad omen."

    "Could be Old Magic."

    Elders muttered that last part the most. The Old Magic. Kai did not know what it meant, but he could see the weight the words carried. It was something feared, something unspoken except in hushed tones when they thought he wasn''t listening.

    But he always listened. His strengthening magic worked not just on his muscles, but his senses, too.

    Instead of dwelling on it, he turned his attention to Shade. His secret. His only friend.

    In the safety of the woods, Kai practiced. The inky creature moved as an extension of himself, shifting forms and shapes with each command.

    At first, it training was simple. Shade fetched feathers and curled around his shoulders like a scarf. Kai formed sharp tendrils that danced at his fingertips and could puncture fallen leaves, but not much more.

    I need more control. More precision. More power. I can''t be weak in this world.

    He had Shade weave between trees at high speeds, balance objects on its shifting limbs, even mimic animals in its silhouette.

    It was exhilarating. It felt right. But more than anything, it felt like something that belonged to him and him alone. No judgment, no whispers. Just him and the shadow that obeyed his absolute authority.

    After training on a cold autumn day, while walking back into the village, Kai spotted a stranger setting up a small stall in the market square.

    The traveler looked unlike anyone in the village. Anyone else he''d ever seen, even in most fiction back in his world.

    ''Is this going to be someone else like the collector?''

    A long patchwork coat covered his body, strange embroidered symbols extending all over it. Rings adorned his hands crafted from different metals with various stones inset. His inspecting eyes flickered with amusement as he spoke to the curious villagers gathered around him.

    "Tales from the northern mountains," the traveler said, waving a hand over a collection of odd trinkets laid before him. "Magical artifacts from distant lands, tokens from the realms of old. But most importantly, stories of heroes who walked this world long before us."

    The villagers murmured with interest, some skeptical, others intrigued.

    Kai watched from a distance, cautious. The traveler was different, but he wasn''t feared. Not like Kai.

    Then the man''s gaze landed on him.

    For a long moment, he just looked. As if assessing something unseen. Then he motioned Kai forward with a subtle nod.

    Kai hesitated but approached the stranger.

    He felt the depths of the stranger''s mana. No hidden depths, or other entities, no spirits clinging to him.

    ''I think he''s safe... A con artist, maybe.''

    "You walk a road few understand, kid," the traveler said, his voice quieter now, meant for Kai alone. "The kind of road that draws attention. And not the good kind."

    Kai tensed. "What do you mean?"

    ''Can he read my system? Or does he know someone like me? I need answers.''

    The traveler smiled, but it didn''t reach his eyes. "If you ever get the sights of the inquisition on you, head west until you find the ruined mansion."

    Kai blinked.

    "What? Why?"

    "He will help you."

    The words sent a chill down Kai''s spine. Someone knew more about what Kai was.

    "Who''s ''he''?" Kai asked, but the traveler turned his attention elsewhere, addressing another villager with a charismatic grin as if their conversation had never happened.

    Kai stood there for a moment, hoping to have his questions answered, but the traveler ignored him.

    Ruins to the west? I''ve never even been outside the village. And why did he think I''d need help from some stranger? With how quickly things in the village are changing, maybe I''ll find out sooner than I''d like to.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    As he walked through the town, Kai''s steps faltered when he saw Father Aldric standing near the temple, watching him with a blank expression.

    The village''s religious leader had always been respected by all. But now, after Bert''s so-called possession and the brutal display of light magic that followed, Kai wasn''t sure if he should feel reassured or afraid.

    The villagers, however, seemed to worship the ground he walked on, and even called Mari The Lightbringer.

    Father Aldric approached, his long white robes flowing behind him, his golden sunburst pendant catching the light.

    "Kai," he greeted, his voice smooth like all charismatic priests that would try to suck them into their cults back on Earth. "How have you been?"

    Kai forced a smile.

    "I''ve been fine, Father."

    Aldric studied Kai''s face for a moment, then nodded.

    "That is good. Your magical assessment approaches, and I imagine you must be nervous. Many young ones feel the weight of assessment."

    Kai swallowed hard. "Yeah. A little."

    The priest smiled and the gaze that accompanied it gave Kai goosebumps. Even when Father Aldric baptised him under the names of the gods the year before, he felt repulsed by the man.

    Something always felt off.

    "Do not fear what awaits you, my child."

    "I''m not your child."

    "No, Kai, you are not, but you are a child of the gods, just as we all are. The gods have a plan for everyone. Even those who feel¡­ different."

    Kai froze in place. He tried his best to keep his breathing and eye movement to a minimum.

    Is he trying to intimidate me? Get me to admit to something? Or is he just warning me?

    Before he could respond to Aldric, Mari''s voice called out to him.

    "Kai!"

    Mari rushed toward him, her arms outstretched. She skidded to a stop beside him as she noticed Father Aldric.

    Sparing only a brief nod towards her superior, she turned to Kai.

    She gave him a hug before her usual smile spread across her face.

    ''Please never change. Everything else is changing too much.''

    Kai forced his tears from escaping, but he felt his eyes water slightly.

    "Brother! I''ve been looking for you! I had a question."

    Kai hesitated. Mari was one of the few people in the village who still treated him as before, despite the rumours. But with Father Aldric here, he wasn''t sure if it was the best time.

    Mari waited for acknowledgement, but when she realised she wouldn''t get it, she continued.

    "Your test is soon, so you can use magic, right? You never told me what kind."

    Aldric''s gaze sharpened slightly.

    Kai forced out a laugh. "I don''t know yet. That''s what the affinity test is for."

    Mari puffed out her cheeks.

    "But I can tell you''ve been practicing. I can!"

    The back of Kai''s neck prickled as he felt Father Aldric''s eyes bear down on him.

    "Maybe I have. Maybe a little."

    "I knew it! Can I see?"

    Kai glanced around quickly while Mari smiled from ear to ear.

    Several of Father Aldric''s priests loitered nearby. They pretended to be absorbed in their tasks, but clearly monitored him.

    "I¡­ not right now," he muttered.

    Mari pouted, but nodded.

    "Fine! But after the test, you''ve gotta show me something cool!"

    Kai forced a smile. "Of course! Anything for my big sister."

    Father Aldric placed a hand on Kai''s shoulder, looking down at him with a stern expression.

    ''Now, if there''s anyone I still have to worry about in this village, it''s you. You know more about this, what''s happening to me, than I do.''

    "You are at a delicate age, Kai. Curiosity is natural, but be mindful. Magic is a gift, but you must also understand and respect it. Do not let it lead you astray."

    Kai nodded, but his mind screamed at him to retreat.

    To be anywhere but there.

    Father Aldric gave him one last look before turning away, his priests following like branched shadows.

    Kai exhaled slowly, a deep unease settling in his gut.

    Heading back home, Kai stuck to the shadows, hoping to slip away from any prying eyes.

    [Novice Concealment learned.]

    ''Just two months away until my assessment. Once it''s finalised, I can finally be free of this stress.''

    [Name: Kai Tensen | Age: 4 Years and 10 Months | Languages Translated: Imerian | Skills: Mana Manipulation, Mana Tempering, Mana Sense, Advanced Shadow Manipulation, Minor Strengthening Magic, Minor Elemental Magic, Intermediate Combat Arts, Novice Concealment | Spellcasting: Novice | Spells: Rejuvenate, Thrall Control, Shadow Conjuring, Bull''s Strength, Frozen Touch (Contact), Frozen Zone (Area) | Specialisation: ??? - To be revealed upon Magical Assessment]

 Imeria

    The coming winter''s chill came early and Kai''s home had the hearth going constantly. In his home''s dining room, Kai, dressed in thick outdoor clothes, watched as his father unrolled a worn parchment across the dining table. The map crackled as it flattened and Garrett blew a layer of dust off the surface. He laughed casually.

    "It''s been a while since I''ve brought this out."

    Garrett ran his hand over the carefully drawn lines, his brow furrowing in thought.

    "I suppose, since you''ll be assessed soon, you should know more about the world." His voice was gentle, but there was something behind it.

    ''Is he being cautious? He never brought this out for Mari. Heck, this is the most he''s spoken to me in months.''

    Kai leaned in, his eyes widening as he inspected the intricate drawings. He''d never seen a map before, not in real life, and not one that wasn''t digital. In this world, the village was the only world he knew, but this parchment spoke of something greater, something far beyond his knowledge.

    ''I should have been more focused on learning about the world, but I was so focused on my training... It''s fine. I still have plenty of time.''

    "This," Garrett pointed to the very centre image. A large cityscape and the most detailed image on the entire map. Below, the name ''Forne - The Citadel'' was written in a large, bolded text, "is the Citadel."

    "Isn''t the citadel where you and mum said Mari might go when she finishes her training?"

    "The very same, yes, that is the heart of Imeria. It''s been around for a thousand years. That''s what the records say, at least."

    "Scholars have only found texts dating back five hundred years. Our known history is only that long, I''m afraid. It''s where the Grand Council resides, the ones who oversee everything. It''s where the priests, the scholars, the affinity masters, the guild masters all live."

    Kai ran his fingers lightly over the long-dried ink. "Have you been there?"

    His father nodded, though his expression darkened slightly. "Only once. For your grandfather''s funeral. It''s an impressive place with towering spires made of white stone that forces you to cover your eyes when the sun is bright enough. The streets are always busy, filled with scholars, traders, and knights. But it wasn''t for me."

    Garrett''s hand moved outward from the centre of the map, gesturing to the surrounding areas.

    "Surrounding it are the Eight Provinces, each with its own specialty. People are usually born with an affinity suited for their homeland, but sometimes, a child is different. When that happens, they''re taken to the province that best fits their abilities."

    Kai frowned. "Taken?"

    Garrett laughed dismissively. "No, no. Not like that, not against their will. It''s considered a great honour. To be chosen means you''ll serve Imeria in the way the gods intended. But¡­ it also means leaving your family behind."

    Peter woke up in the other room, crying for warmth or food, possibly both. Garrett looked towards the bedroom where Lila still slept.

    "I''ve got this one!" Lila yelled.

    With a gentle sigh, Garrett turned his attention back to the map and gestured to the northernmost part.

    "The Iron Mountains: harsh lands of stone and snow. The people there are warriors, blacksmiths, and miners. Those born here are strong, their affinity often tied to endurance, strength, or metalworking. If you meet someone from Ironhold, you''ll know. They''re built like stone and just as stubborn. Most of them are shorter, stockier in appearance."

    Kai''s eyes moved downward. "And here?"

    "The Verdant Hollow, to the south. That''s where you''ll travel to for your assessment, just like Mari. They have the most beautiful scenery in all of Imeria, with lush forests, fertile lands, and rivers that stretch for miles. The best healers and herbalists come from there, blessed with the ability to mend wounds, cure disease, and understand nature like no one else."

    He tapped the west.

    "Embermere: a land of fire and industry. They''re the artificers, the ones who craft machines and tools that make life easier. Their specialty is with invention, metal, and the forge. Some say the best weapons and armour in all of Imeria come from Embermere''s workshops."

    Kai''s gaze drifted to the east.

    "And this one?"

    Garrett''s mouth pressed into a line. "Celestine, the province of the Lightbringers. It''s home to the most devout people. They are a heavily religious area, filled with priests, paladins, and those with holy magic. The Citadel holds them in high regard, believing them to be blessed by the gods themselves."

    ''I''ll take note to never, ever go there, then.''

    Kai shivered, remembering the day Father Aldric forced Mari to destroy Bert with her light magic.

    Garrett continued, pointing to the northeast.

    "Therinus: the province of the Scholars. If knowledge exists, they''ve written it down. They control the archives, study old texts, and decipher the mysteries of the past. Most never leave their libraries."

    He shifted his finger southeast.

    "Stormveil: where the Elementalists come from. Those with an affinity for the elements. Fire, water, air, or earth. I hear some even use elements that most don''t, like lightning. Their magic is volatile, powerful, and often unpredictable. Most battlemages and magic-wielding adventurers are born there."

    Kai blinked. "That sounds like dangerous magic."

    ''It''s not like I know nothing about it, though. My cold magic is getting pretty good.''

    Garrett gave a wry smile. "It is. That''s why they train from childhood. The wrong kind of storm could wipe out a village."

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    He moved his finger southwest.

    "Duskwatch: a province known for its Seers. They deal in secrets, illusions, and foresight. The Citadel watches them closely since there are rumours that some of them can see into the past or even the future. Pretty interesting stuff, honestly."

    Garrett''s finger landed on the last province, northwest of the Citadel. It took him several breaths to continue this time.

    "Dreadmyre: A land of fog and superstition. People there have strange gifts, but there are tales that the land is completely overrun with arcane beasts and that the citadel can''t even tame it."

    Kai hesitated. "Isn''t that sort of..."

    Garrett exhaled.

    "Dangerous? Many think so, but if even the citadel and all of their resources cannot tame it, what are we to do?"

    He leaned back, watching Kai absorb the information.

    "And what''s beyond the provinces?" Kai asked, while tracing one of the smaller marks on the map.

    Garrett smiled faintly. "Villages like ours. Free settlements that exist outside of the Citadel''s direct control."

    He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "Not everyone lives under the Citadel''s rule. Some villages exist on the outskirts, in the wildlands. We''re still part of Imeria, but the Council doesn''t interfere much with us. We tend to and fend for ourselves, trade with merchants who pass through, and keep to our own ways." He sighed. "But that also means we don''t have the same protections. We''re lucky to have people like Rael and Father Aldric to protect us here, you know? Usually, they would find work elsewhere with their incredible gifts."

    Kai nodded slowly, taking it all in. He had always thought of their village as his entire world, but of course that wasn''t the case, and now it seemed so small.

    ''Well, I guess I never left my state back in my world. Too much of a hassle, and too expensive.''

    "Have you been to all of these places, Father?"

    "Oh, no. Just Ylthara for my assessment and like I said, to the citadel."

    "Hmm, okay." Kai pondered over the map and soaked in all of the details, "and what''s beyond all this?" Kai pointed to the edges of the map, where the land cut off into empty space.

    Garrett smiled. "Water. Endless stretches of it. We''re landlocked by the sea."

    Kai''s brows furrowed. "So¡­ nothing is out there?"

    "There''s definitely something," Garrett said, tilting his head. "Traders come from a place they call Sala. It''s a desert land, far across the waves. They wear long robes to shield themselves from the sun, and they bring spices, fabrics, and gold we don''t have here. They have much darker skin than we do, and some of them are quite beautiful. Their language is unfamiliar and their customs strange, but they''ve been trading with us on the main continent for generations. I met one at your grandfather''s funeral who taught him much about their ways."

    "Why don''t we travel to them?"

    "We aren''t a seafaring lot. The rough seas caused by our two moons have destroyed enough of our ships to give up on that desire for now. The Salans, as we call them, have advanced seafaring knowledge that they haven''t shared with us."

    "You know a lot!"

    Kai found himself a sense of newfound respect for the man who became his father in his new life. His mind swirled with images of golden sands and robed figures carrying treasures from faraway lands.

    "Thanks, son," Garrett smiled wearily, "and there''s another people beyond the ocean," Garrett added after a pause. "Not... humans."

    Kai pivoted his head to stare at his father.

    "What do you mean?"

    His father exhaled, shaking his head. "I know very little. Only whispers. No one in our village has ever seen them, and I doubt even the Citadel knows the whole truth. But some say they''re different from us in every way. Not just in looks, but in the way they think, the way they are."

    "Are they really real?"

    Garrett tapped the map absently. "Maybe they''re just stories, or maybe they''re real. Either way, I wouldn''t count on meeting one, especially since your grandfather never did."

    Kai sat in silence for a long moment, absorbing everything. The world was so much bigger than he had ever imagined.

    ''I wonder if he''s telling me this just in case I need to leave the village, though. Does Garrett think I''ll need to run to safety just like that traveler?''

    Garrett smiled, reminiscing. "I wanted to be a historian once. Like my father." His fingers traced a line along the map, his thoughts seemingly elsewhere. "I wanted to travel, to learn the truth behind these stories. But then I met your mother. And, well¡­" He chuckled. "Some dreams are set aside for more important things."

    ''Ah, so that''s why he knows so much.''

    His eyes watered slightly as he looked at Kai and then to Mari at the windowsill, who pretended not to listen in.

    Kai looked up at him. "Do you regret it?"

    Garrett''s eyes softened. "Never."

    Kai turned back to the map, running his fingers over the inked borders once more.

    He looked to the west, where the traveler had mentioned to go if things ever became dangerous for him.

    "And what''s here?" Kai asked, pointing to an illustrated mass of buildings.

    "That''s just the ruins of an old city that existed long ago. Your grandfather mentioned that a war happened there hundreds of years ago and nobody has ever tried settling there since.

    ''Nobody? A whole uninhabited city? For hundreds of years?''

    "Well, that''s everything. Almost everything I know about this world, at least. Anything else, you''ll need to find out yourself."

    Several thoughts filled Kai with unease and kept him up all throughout the night.

 Strange Occurrences - Part One

    The days leading up to Kai''s magical assessment were marked by an increasing sense of unease.

    Ever since the traveler left the village, Kai paid closer attention to the peculiar things happening around him.

    Things that no one else seemed to notice.

    The more he observed, the more certain he became that something was wrong with him and the closer he got to his Magical Assessment, the more things changed.

    Kai sat beneath the old oak tree near his house on a hill that overlooked some of the village.

    He traced patterns in the dirt with a stick he''d stripped as he let his thoughts drift. The afternoon breeze carried the usual scents of the village; tilled earth, coal, and cooked meals.

    ''But something feels off... The lively aura of the village feels different.''

    Kai''s body resisted the urge to have constant goosebumps across his body from the moment he woke up to the moment he fell asleep.

    Some in the village might say that someone had walked over his grave, or was speaking ill about him, but it went beyond village superstitions.

    Absentminded, Kai brushed his dust-covered fingers over a small patch wildflowers growing by the thick roots at the base of the tree. As his fingers touched the flowers, he felt something touch him back.

    An energy of sorts.

    A harsh wind picked up, causing the blue-white petals to fight for their lives. The violent swaying made it difficult to see, but as he brought his fingertips against them again, the colour bled from the petals.

    Kai''s eyes widened as he inspected the wilting wildflowers.

    The stems twisted inward like gnarled vines, as though recoiling from his touch.

    Nothing but brittle husks remained.

    Kai jerked his hand back and coughed as his breath catching in his throat.

    ''That wasn''t normal. Of course, that wasn''t normal. Am I actually cursed?''

    He stomped the flowers into the dirt gaze darted around while checking if anyone had seen, but the faint images of people in the village still continued about their day.

    As an experiment, he reached for another flower, pressing his palm lightly against the soft bloom.

    He focused on the feeling it created instead of the physical changes of the flowers.

    A familiar, almost electric sensation stirred in his chest, like a thread being pulled taut.

    The flower quivered beneath his fingers. Just as before, the petals dulled, the leaves shriveled, and the life simply drained away.

    Something inside him stirred. As if, like a container, he was being filled.

    "Hmmm."

    Kai turned around, impulsively placing his palm on the oak tree. The bark beneath his hand turned grey and crumbled.

    He pulled away, but not before leaving his mark.

    A child-sized handprint of decayed wood now rested on the trunk of the oak tree.

    Kai felt it would be a mark that stayed with the tree until it died. He curled his fingers into a tight fist.

    ''Am I killing it? Absorbing its energy? I have to be careful not to touch Mari, Lila, or Garrett before I figure this out.''

    In the following days, Kai''s appetite changed.

    Meals that once filled him now left him strangely unsatisfied, as if normal food didn''t provide any nutrients for his body. He picked at his food, chewing slowly, feeling an odd emptiness no matter how much he ate.

    Several mornings after his appetite changed, Kai sat on his bed in the safety of his room. He rolled a juicy red apple from the Aldridge farm in his hands. Apples were always Kai''s favourite fruit, but he felt hesitant.

    Manning up, he bit into the fresh fruit and nearly gagged.

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    The crisp, sweet fruit he expected was anything but. Instead, blackened, rotting flesh filled with a foul bitterness coated his tongue.

    Kai recoiled, spitting it out.

    But when he looked at the apple in his hand, it appeared perfectly fine. Untouched. As though it had never decayed.

    Confused, he hesitantly placed it back on the table.

    A few minutes later, Mari walked by, grabbed the same apple, and took a bite.

    She chewed happily. "Mmm! It''s so fresh today!"

    Kai stared, nausea rising from his stomach to his throat at the thought of eating the rotten fruit.

    He examined his hands, turning them over several times as if they were at fault.

    His breath quickened.

    ''That doesn''t make any sense... Why did it only rot when I touched it? Was it only my imagination? Am I going crazy?''

    That afternoon, Mari had dragged him into the forest, eager to play beneath the canopies as they did often. Never too far from the village, though, as everyone warned.

    The light from the sun''s rays shone through trees and cast leafy shadows on the soft moss, bark, and leaves below. Since winter was right around the corner, most of the birds and bugs ceased their songs. Still, even with the crisp almost-winter air chilling them, Kai and Mari ran around, surrounded by the beauty of nature.

    For a while, it almost felt normal. Peaceful, even.

    They played hide-and-seek, their laughter filling the forest.

    ''I miss tag. I used to catch up to her with my strengthening magic. But in hide and seek, she''s too quiet. Like a mouse.''

    But as Kai reached out to tag Mari, his fingertips brushed against her wrist.

    She immediately recoiled, stumbling back a step. For a moment, Mari looked at Kai with disgust.

    The pain of that look shot through Kai''s chest and brought immediate tears to his eyes.

    ''Shit. I forgot. I hoped maybe they were just delusions, because they only happened to me! Is she going to die now?''

    Kai''s heart pounded. "Mari?"

    He watched with an intense gaze, making sure she wouldn''t wilt like the flowers or decay like the tree.

    Mari rubbed her wrist with a worried expression. She rubbed while backing away from Kai, hard enough to redden her skin.

    "That felt weird," she murmured, staring at him with an expression he couldn''t quite place.

    Kai swallowed hard. "Weird how?"

    Mari hesitated, as if struggling to find the words. "Like¡­ cold and painful. Like something was pulling at me."

    ''Was she protected because of her specialisation? Thank the gods for that.''

    She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered as if it had suddenly become winter.

    "I think I want to go home..."

    Mari didn''t look Kai in the eyes when she spoke.

    "But we''re playing? Can''t we play a different game?"

    ''It''s nice to just feel like a kid sometimes. And the longer I spend out here, the less time I spend around everyone else...''

    "I don''t want to play anymore, Kai!"

    Mari had never raised her voice at Kai before.

    Taken aback by her outburst, Kai''s chest tightened, but he accepted her request with a nod nodded.

    "Okay..."

    They walked back in silence, and though Mari never mentioned the incident again, something changed between them.

    She grew cold and distant.

    She stopped reaching for his hand when she was close to him and she sat further away from him at meals. Whenever he was around their parents, Mari''s expression grew tight, though she never said anything about what she thought.

    A week passed, then two.

    A month went by, and Kai realised something.

    On top of not touching him, she hadn''t spoken to him since.

    Not once.

 Changing Routine

    Kai spent most of his days in the forest away from the village and where the hunters would go to catch their game. The entire village treated him as though he didn''t exist.

    Maribel and the other housewives were the first to give him the cold shoulder. Garrik and his crew were the second. They were within Kai''s expectations, though. Rael came as a surprise. An outsider, just like Kai, he expected to resume his combat arts training but was let down when Rael raised his sharpened steel sword to Kai''s face and threatened him to keep his distance.

    With his only connections to the village torn, he felt no need to stay there.

    He practiced his combat arts with wood tied to ropes he crafted by threading bark. When he wasn''t swinging his wooden sword at the suspended targets, he played around with Shade and his other magical abilities.

    Shade constantly stayed hidden within Kai''s shadow, no longer tiring him out from simply existing. The creature grew stronger and more defined, slipping in and out of the darkness like a living wisp of smoke.

    It no longer needed to be called out, conjured, or summoned. It was simply there, lurking.

    Sometimes, Shade whispered to him.

    Nothing coherent, just impressions of thoughts and urges.

    A nudge when Kai faltered, or a whisper when he hesitated.

    Kai understood that the shadow had no will of its own, not a thought in its empty head. It acted as an extension of his subconscious mind and acted faster than he could, physically and emotionally.

    The longer he stayed in the forest, the more he felt the change deep within himself.

    His hunger diminished; normal food felt like ash in his mouth. Meat still retained some semblance of flavour. Water no longer refreshed him, either. He''d lost track of when it started, but he now slept far less than usual.

    He''d remain awake, eyes fixed on the twisted branches overhead, ears tuned to the forest''s nocturnal sounds.

    Several nights in a row, Kai stayed out all night, and when he returned, his family acted as if he''d been out for an afternoon stroll.

    ''It''s not like the cold of winter affects my body anymore.''

    Kai stood in the clearing, his breath even despite the exertion of the last few hours. Three square wooden targets, precisely carved with impossible details only Shade''s claws could make, stood in a row before him. Every engraving showed an identical, clean, symmetrical bullseye, surrounded by swirling patterns like ancient symbols.

    ''I never asked Shade to carve those symbols, and I have never seen them before.''

    Kai rolled his shoulders, flexing his fingers. The cold was always there, waiting just beneath his skin. It had taken time to understand it, to wield it rather than let it drain him. Now, he embraced it, pulling from that chilling well within his core.

    He raised his hand, and a thin layer of frost crackled across his fingertips. Snowflake-like patterns wrapped themselves around his fingers, hands, and climbed up his arm. Mist swirled at his feet as the air grew colder around him. His attention zeroed in on the first target; he felt a tightening in his chest, a surge of energy.

    ''Hold it steady¡­''

    With a sharp exhale, he released.

    A spear of ice, nearly as long as his arm, shot forward. It struck the target dead centre, embedding itself with a satisfying thunk. A spiderweb of frost spread from the point of impact, cracking through the wood like veins of frozen lightning.

    Shade, who had been resting in Kai''s shadow, let out a pleased rumble.

    Kai smirked. "Not bad, huh?"

    He raised his hand again, conjuring another javelin. This time, he adjusted his phantom grip.

    From sneaking around in the forest, he witnessed the village hunters throw javelins numerous times, but Kai didn''t have the long limbs needed for it. Instead, he mimicked the best he could and stepped into the throw, shifting his weight to his front foot, and released.

    The ice spear flew faster this time, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle before slamming into the second target. The force of it sent a few splinters of ice and wood flying.

    A thrill ran through him.

    ''I''m getting stronger! But there has to be a better way to do this.''

    Kai set another spear-head to float in the air. He pictured his previous movements and simplified them. Keeping only his middle and index fingers extended, he lifted his hand up, and waved it towards the target like he''d seen people command archers to fire in movies.

    With even more precision than before, the ice bore through the thin wooden target, leaving a gaping hole through the bullseye.

    ''Perfect.''

    After several more successful throws, Kai let the ice melt. He warmed his icy hands by rubbing them against his clothes. The sharp chill still clung to his skin, but creating and manipulating ice no longer exhausted him like it had before.

    ''Next time, I''ll try multiple at the same time.''

    But now, an opposing energy, just as strong, pulsed in the air.

    ''Heat?''

    Kai turned his attention away from the frozen targets, focusing instead on the fallen leaves that littered the ground nearby and the sun''s rays that warmed them ever so slightly.

    Fire magic had been trickier to grasp. Unlike ice, which had always felt like second nature, fire had taken patience, trial and error, and more than a few singed sleeves.

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    ''I can''t even make a flame as small as a lighter.''

    But as the pieces fit together, he finally grasped the concept.

    He knelt down, pressing his palm against the damp earth. He imagined the warmth of the sun, the way its rays felt against his skin during the height of summer.

    That warmth existed inside him, too. It just needed to be drawn out.

    Slowly, a small flicker of orange light sparked beneath his palm. It wavered, unsteady, but Kai fed it more focus, more intent.

    An explosion of flame erupted from beneath his hand, and instinctively, Kai stood up and produced an equal amount of ice to extinguish the torrent of fire.

    ''Shit. That is how all of the other magic I''ve started using ended up. I should have anticipated it.''

    Kai bundled another bunch of leaves up and knelt down again. Instead of imagining something, he remembered a time from highschool before dropping out. To gain popularity, he sprayed his hand with deodorant and set it ablaze. He lost the hair on his other palm, becoming less, not more, popular, but the memory fired up his imagination.

    He set his hand on the leaves, and smoke rose up. The warmth on Kai''s hand soothed his mind.

    The flame grew.

    As he lifted his hand, and the fire followed. It coiled around his fingers like a living thing, dancing along his knuckles without burning him.

    Kai grinned.

    With a flick of his wrist, he sent the fire outward. A low wave of flame swept across the ground, licking at the leaves and reducing them to glowing embers.

    ''It doesn''t seem like I can shoot it like the icicles. Not yet, at least.''

    He stood, feeling the heat settle into his bones. This power was like breathing in sunlight and exhaling fire.

    His gaze flicked toward the remaining target.

    He extended his hand, fingers curling slightly.

    ''What about this, then?''

    The air around him shimmered as a wall of fire erupted before him, stretching up to his chest. It roared, wild yet controlled, crackling as if eager to consume everything in its path.

    ''It worked. A wall of flame. Not bad.''

    Kai held it there, watching the flames dance, feeling their warmth wrap around him.

    He tried to stretch the wall high enough to set the targets on fire, but had no luck. The flames only reached half of his height.

    "I''ll get the hang of this."

    ---

    His presence, once unnoticed by the animals, now caused them to act strangely. Birds fell silent when he approached. Sensing danger, small creatures scattered. Even the wolves and some smaller predators hesitated when they spotted him with their glowing eyes, sensing something else from him.

    Something that frightened predators that would happily tear apart a five-year-old boy for dinner.

    The world shifted on its axis, the ground tilting beneath his feet as Kai stood at the centre of an unnatural, unsettling energy.

    An energy that nobody else around him experienced.

    One evening, as he sat by the river, running his fingers through the frigid water, he noticed something odd. Along with the frozen chunks of water floating downstream, there were several fish in the water, bellies up.

    Kai yanked his hand away, breath catching in his throat.

    "Shade," he murmured, glancing at the shadow that rippled beneath him. "Was that me?"

    Shade flickered, shifting, curling around his form like smoke in the wind.

    ''Of course, being just an extension of myself, you won''t answer. But you''re my only companion now.''

    A feeling stirred in Kai''s chest. Something of an understanding, not words but instinct.

    Yes.

    It was him.

    It had always been him.

    Kai clenched his fists. He had always known he was different, but the realisation that everything around him¡ªlife itself¡ªwithered at his touch sent a sickening feeling deep into his gut.

    Yet, a part of him felt something else.

    A cold thrill.

    He had power.

    Power that could protect him, and his family.

    The village had abandoned him, cast him aside as if he were already dead. But he wasn''t. He was stronger now than ever before.

    Still, the isolation gnawed at him. He missed Mari. He missed the warmth of his home, the quiet moments when Lila would hum as she cooked, when Garrett would tell him stories of far-off lands.

    ''But what sort of home is left for someone like me to return to?''

    Kai pulled his knees to his chest, staring at his reflection in the darkened water of the river. Subtle changes to his face had surfaced.

    The change wasn''t stopping. If anything, it was only speeding up.

    Shade shifted beside him, a quiet presence.

    Kai closed his eyes. The whispers that plagued his mind never ceased, murmuring in the back of his mind, waiting

    Always waiting.

    And he was listening.

    [Name: Kai Tensen | Age: 4 Years and 11 Months | Languages Translated: Imerian | Skills: Mana Manipulation, Mana Tempering, Mana Sense, Advanced Shadow Manipulation, Minor Strengthening Magic, Minor Elemental Magic, Intermediate Combat Arts, Novice Concealment, Shadowmeld, Precision Targeting | Spellcasting: Novice | Spells: Rejuvenate, Thrall Control, Shadow Conjuring, Bull''s Strength, Frozen Touch (Contact), Frozen Zone (Area), Icicle Javelins (Ranged), Searing Touch (Contact), Wall of Flame (Minor) | Specialisation: ??? - To be revealed upon Magical Assessment]

 Strange Occurrences - Part Two

    With Mari and everyone else avoiding him, Kai sought interaction elsewhere.

    The village dogs used to like Kai. They would wag their tails when he passed, nudging at his hands for scraps or a quick pat.

    But, as everything else seemed to change, they wouldn''t come near him. Even worse, they would run from him.

    Whenever he walked through the village, dogs would grow tense. Some whimpered and backed away, tails tucked between their legs. Others growled low and wary, hackles raised.

    As he made his way home one night, he passed the yard of an abandoned house near the forest''s edge. Behind its high fence a large group of stray dogs had gathered.

    They stopped playing and determining who was the alpha between them the moment they saw him.

    Then, all at once, they howled. Not one or two of them, but the entire group.

    It wasn''t the usual baying of dogs calling to one another. It was eerie, drawn out, almost mournful.

    Like a funeral dirge.

    Kai''s breath hitched. A shiver ran down his spine.

    He walked faster.

    The howling followed him until he was out of sight.

    Then, later that night, the shadows moved when they shouldn''t have.

    While lying on his straw mattress, he stared at the wooden ceiling beams above. Shadows shifted across the walls, projected by the moonlight streaming through his shutters.

    At first, he thought nothing of it.

    ''The wind outside could be making the trees sway, right?''

    But then he realised something... there was no wind.

    And yet, the shadows in the corners of his room stretched and curled like grasping fingers, shifting even when everything else remained still.

    Kai sat up, heart hammering. His own shadow twisted unnaturally, almost as if it was watching him.

    The air grew heavy, thick like fog pressing against his skin. Then, just for a moment, he swore he heard a whisper.

    Indistinct, like a voice from a dream.

    Words that were just out of reach.

    Then... silence.

    His shadow stilled. The room returned to normal.

    But Kai couldn''t shake the feeling that something had been there, watching.

    Waiting.

    Something unlike a shadow.

    Something from another place.

    Then, another day, something started as a whispering itch in the back of Kai''s mind, a feeling or instinct he couldn''t quite describe.

    While walking home from the from his self-directed training in the forest, he spotted a dead bird lying in the dirt, wings spread limply.

    its tiny body... still and cold.

    A raven, its glossy black feathers dulled by dust.

    His steps slowed. That same invisible thread inside him pulled taut again, drawn toward the lifeless creature. Like a child being drawn towards laughter, song, or the smell of sweets.

    Kneeling beside it, Kai hesitated.

    Instinctively, his hands hovered over the small body.

    A shiver ran down his spine.

    It was just a dead bird.

    And yet¡­ he felt it. He understood it. Something lingering. Like a faint ember deep inside, waiting to be rekindled.

    Before he could second-guess himself, he pressed his fingers lightly against the raven''s chest.

    A pulse of cold seeped from his fingertips, crawling along his skin.

    Then the bird twitched.

    Kai''s heart pounded in his ears.

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    The raven''s claws spasmed. Its beak parted with a dry, rattling click. And then its wings fluttered, stiff and jerky, like a marionette on frayed strings.

    Just like Bert''s eyes changed after Kai healed him, the raven''s eyes glowed a deep green.

    Kai scrambled backward, his breath coming in short, uneven gasps.

    The raven''s head lolled, its glassy eyes unfocused. It swayed for a moment before crumpling once more, truly lifeless this time.

    Kai sat frozen, staring at his own hands.

    His entire body felt cold, his stomach twisting with unease.

    ''I¡­ I didn''t mean to¡­''

    For the first time, the whispers in the village made sense. The wary glances. The hushed voices about the Old Magic.

    Because this wasn''t normal magic.

    Kai tried to convince himself for years that Bert''s revival was purely accidental, but this proved him wrong.

    And if the villagers ever found out¡­

    Kai clenched his fists, his pulse thundering in his ears.

    He had to be more careful.

    ''Much more careful.''

    ---

    On top of all the changes happening around Kai, he began to avoid looking at his reflection.

    He told himself it was just his imagination, but deep down, he knew something was wrong.

    His ears were next. It started subtly, just a small lengthening of the tips.

    Kai first thought he was seeing things, but over the days, his ears grew more pointed.

    His skin, once a warm olive tone, grew paler with each passing day. Even though he spent most of the time outdoors, his tan didn''t get darker. He no longer had the healthy, sun-kissed shade of his family, but a sickly, unnatural pallor.

    In his past life, someone might mistaken him for cosplaying an elf. A sick elf, but an elf nonetheless.

    His hair, once as black as the midnight sky, grew grey from the roots, leaving half of his hair grey, and half black.

    ''Some people would spend a lot of money for that look back on Earth.''

    Then, one evening, as he washed his hands in the basin, he looked up into the small, cracked mirror hanging above.

    It felt like his reflection watched him and moved slower than he did, but he couldn''t be sure.

    Kai stumbled back, heart racing. The reflection still stared, his own face, but wrong.

    For a split second, his eyes had seemed too dark.

    Too hollow.

    Then, as quickly as it had come, the strange vision was gone.

    ''It''s not just a hallucination. Things are happening to me. Around me. Real things. Things I can''t control. After assessment is finished, I''ll know how to deal with everything happening to me. Someone will help me. Train me, maybe.''

    His only saving grace was that it was winter.

    He wore more hats to cover his head and long sleeves and pants to cover as much skin as possible without drawing attention to himself.

    Sometimes, he''d get odd looks from the townsfolk when travelling between his house and the forest, but nobody spoke anything of it.

    He had become like a stray dog, or a homeless person from his old world.

    People would acknowledge them, but walk by and pretend they didn''t see anything.

    ''I understand how they felt now. Does it get any easier? Maybe after my assessment, things will go back to normal. I can have a normal family life again and Mari will talk to me and touch me again.''

 Leaving Home

    A warm fire crackled softly in the hearth, the only sound in the otherwise quiet house on those cold winter nights. Before dawn brightened the world outside, Kai explored his house on the morning of his fifth birthday. His assessment day.

    In the living room, he spotted his mother.

    Standing by the window overlooking the front yard, Lila gazed into the night, as if searching for something or someone in the shadows. A memory, a feeling, or even just her son, who she no longer knew.

    The candlelight danced on her face, the shadows under her eyes hinting at weeks, maybe months, of lost sleep.

    She was mostly silent all evening, and avoided speaking to him, as always. In the quiet darkness, he watched her turn to him. Her expression caused a queasy feeling in his stomach.

    She looked at him the way his mother had in his previous life, as he was dying. Disgust. As if he was a stain on the ground she needed to clean. But there was something else, too.

    A softness in her eyes.

    ''Empathy? Guilt? I know it''s not love.''

    "When you are in the sorting room, be careful." Lila''s words, as monotonous as they were, felt more lively than anything to Kai at that moment.

    Kai blinked. His thoughts stammered in his head like an offbeat drum.

    ''She stopped speaking to me before Mari did¡­ Why does this feel like this will be our final conversation?''

    Kai shook his head, pushing aside his thoughts and focusing on his mother, who was finally speaking to him.

    "Careful? Why?"

    She hesitated, her fingers tightening around the edge of the windowsill. For a long moment, she simply looked at him, like she was memorizing his face. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

    "There''s a curse that runs in the blood of our family. And with how you''re changing, Kai... Well, it might not happen¡­ but if it does¡­"

    A chill ran down Kai''s spine. "If what happens?"

    Lila inhaled sharply, as if debating whether to say more. Then she turned to face him fully, stepping closer, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly. Her fingers were cold. Too cold.

    Her voice dropped lower, raw with urgency.

    "Whatever happens while you''re being sorted¡ªif something strange happens, if they say your magic is strange in any way, if they leave you in the room alone¡­"

    She squeezed his shoulders, eyes dark with something that looked like fear.

    "Run."

    Kai swallowed hard. "Run?"

    "You fucking run. All the way home."

    The words hit him like a blow to the head.

    ''Not only is she talking to me, but she''s cursing as well? Am I dreaming?''

    His mother almost never cursed. She did not do it in front of her children, not in front of anyone as far as Kai knew.

    Kai looked up at her, searching for answers in her face.

    "What aren''t you telling me?"

    Lila exhaled shakily, her grip loosening, her gaze flicking toward the door. For a moment, he thought she might finally explain everything, finally tell him the truth. But instead of answering, she forced a thin, wavering smile.

    "Just¡­ promise me, Kai. If something happens, you won''t hesitate."

    His heart pounded.

    He nodded.

    "I promise."

    Her shoulders sagged in relief, but the fear in her eyes didn''t fade. Without another word, Kai stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. She was tense at first, but then she held him tightly, her fingers tangling in his hair.

    ''I just won''t touch her skin. That''ll be okay, right? I can hug my mum... Right?''

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    Tears streamed down Kai''s face as they embraced for the first time in months.

    "I do love you, Kai. Things have been different, but I still love you," Lila joined him, sobbing like a grieving mother.

    "I know... I... Love you too, Mum."

    Kai felt a fragility in the moment, like holding glass, and held his breath and still, terrified of shattering it.

    When they finally parted, she didn''t say another word. Taking one last look at her, he retreated, then turned toward the hallway. His chest felt tight.

    Leaving his mother to collect herself at the window, he crept back to his room.

    Sitting on the edge of her bed, Mari was wide awake, her legs tucked beneath her. The room was almost shrouded in complete darkness, but his eyes were used to it, and the moment he found himself in darkness, Kai used his strengthening magic on his eyes.

    She looked up at him, wary.

    After a moment''s hesitation, Kai sat back, cross-legged, on the wooden floor, keeping his distance. He noticed her fingers clench on the blanket in her lap.

    "Hey, Mari," he started, voice steady. "What happens during the magical assessment? Mum and Dad won''t tell me. Dad won''t even talk to me."

    Mari blinked and then frowned.

    "That''s weird..."

    Kai frowned. "What?"

    "You always called them Lila and Garrett until recently. Even as a baby!"

    "Oh? I guess I did."

    Kai thought back. ''When did I start calling them Mum and Dad?''

    It had only been after they started acting more like his parents from his last life. After everything with the Collector.

    "But you want to know about the assessment?" Mari asked, tilting her head. She tried to sound casual, but he could hear the unease beneath her voice. "Are you scared, little brother?"

    "A little," Kai admitted.

    "You don''t need to be scared!" Mari smiled, but it was strained. "They just put wires on me and a glass screen showed a lot of words about me."

    Kai exhaled, nodding. That didn''t sound too terrifying.

    "Thank you, Mari."

    Without thinking, he leaned forward to hug her.

    Mari flinched.

    Her whole body recoiled, pressing back against the wall, her breath hitching sharply.

    "Don''t touch me." Her voice was tight, barely above a whisper. "It hurts."

    Kai''s stomach dropped. He quickly pulled back, holding his hands up. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry."

    She was shaking.

    Mari swallowed hard, glancing away as if ashamed. "I didn''t mean... I just-"

    "I know," Kai said quickly. His voice was flat, but inside, something cracked.

    ''Will I never touch another living thing again?''

    He forced himself to his feet, feeling a leaden weight settle in his chest. Mari kept her eyes down, twisting the blanket between her fingers.

    Kai left his room, with nothing but the clothes on his back and the amulet Garrett gave him years ago. As he re-entered the living room, Garrett stood there, consoling Lila with Peter in his arms. Mari slowly approached the room from the hall.

    Kai turned toward the door.

    As he stepped away from his family, none of them stopped him.

    They only watched.

    No hugs or kisses goodbye.

    Not a single word of advice.

    No affection shown.

    And as he left the house, he couldn''t shake the feeling that this was the last time he would ever see it the same way again.

    These people had been his family for five whole years. He received and gave more love to those three people than he did from his original family for thirty-five years.

    ''I''ll come back soon. We''ll be a family again. I promise.''

 The Hall of Sorcery

    Outside of his house, a carriage with two horses at the front stood firm. A person from outside the village sat at the reins, while two figures sat inside. The carriage had been there long enough for the water on the wooden wheels to frost over in the cold.

    Kai approached the carriage, and the door swung open. Father Aldric and one of his priests welcomed him in.

    "Are you ready for your magical assessment, Kai?"

    "I''ve been practicing. I''ll be ready for anything."

    "The assessment isn''t something you have to prepare yourself for, my... Kai, it''s something everyone is born to go through. You''ll see."

    ''He was going to call me his child again... At least he''s being... nice? What''s the catch?''

    Kai climbed into the carriage, seating himself across from Father Aldric and the priest. The moment the door shut behind him, he felt trapped. All of a sudden, the carriage lurched forward.

    ''And here we go... to Ylthara and all that awaits me.''

    Except for the rhythmic clatter of horses'' hooves, the first part of the journey suffered from silence. Kai stared out of the small window, watching as the dense, twisted woods of his village gradually thinned out, giving way to rolling fields of golden grass and patches of wildflowers.

    Father Aldric, instead of taking in the view, glared at Kai.

    ''A priest glaring at a child in an enclosed space with only another priest as company. That would almost sound scandalous in my previous world.''

    Kai stifled a laugh.

    As the hours passed them by, the world outside changed. The journey took them from the sparsely vegetated area of his childhood to lush, emerald forests where sunlight streamed through in golden rays. A river of almost crystal-clear water ran alongside the road, reflecting the sky and forest in shimmering waves. Brightly coloured birds flitted between the trees, their songs a melody unlike any he''d heard.

    Just as his father had described.

    Verdant Hollow, especially his village, had never been beautiful to him. At least, not after the village changed its temperament towards him. It became a prison, a place where people barely acknowledged his existence unless it was to show fear or contempt. But here, beyond the village, the world felt different.

    ''Lively. Freeing. I wouldn''t mind living in Ylthara if it''s like this.''

    Father Aldric cleared his throat. "Beautiful, isn''t it?"

    Kai turned his gaze away from the window, meeting the priest''s dark, unreadable eyes.

    "Yeah," he muttered. "It''s nice."

    Aldric''s smile was thin. "Ylthara is the pride of Verdant Hollow. The heart of magic, trade, and faith in our lands. You''ll see wonders there that you could never imagine."

    Kai didn''t respond. He wasn''t interested in wonders. He was interested in the truth, the real reason his mother had warned him to run.

    They rode in silence after that. The further they traveled, the more the landscape flourished. The dirt paths became stone-paved roads, and the small wooden homes and farms that dotted the countryside gave way to towering buildings of smooth marble and dark stone.

    Then, finally, Ylthara came into view.

    Kai had seen nothing like it.

    A giant purple film covered a gigantic area like an orb or a dome. It shimmered brightly, stretching further than he could see.

    "Ah, the pride of the city. The impenetrable arcane barrier. Once closed, nothing can get in or out. It protects the most important place in all of Verdant Hollow."

    ''Or out? Why wouldn''t they let anything out?''

    Kai''s heartbeat quickened.

    As they approached, a small hole opened up and some guards in heavy armour bowed to the carriage.

    Inside the barrier, the beautiful sight of Ylthara opened up to them.

    Grand buildings, each with intricate carvings and soaring arches, lined the street. The air smelled of roasted meat, fresh bread, and something sweet he couldn''t quite place.

    People bustled about, dressed in rich fabrics and adorned with jewellery that caught the light. Extremely dense magic lingered in the air, humming beneath his skin. Kai could feel the life of the city pulse within it.

    Unlike the sparse population from his village, the city of Ylthara had thousands, or maybe hundreds of thousands of magic users. All of their energy spilling out through the streets.

    Kai felt his mouth salivate, and quickly swallowed.

    ''What was that? I don''t really feel hungry anymore, so was that a thirst for mana? Life? I need to hurry up and get this over with.''

    And then, towering above the rest of the city, stood a massive stone building. Unlike the rest of Ylthara, which gleamed with wealth and beauty, this structure was different. It was far older than anything Kai had witnessed so far. The stone was weathered, its dark surface covered in twisting runes that pulsed faintly with magic.

    Upon their approach, Kai looked out the window of the carriage and spotted a downtrodden area.

    "What''s that?"

    "Oh, that?" Father Aldric followed Kai''s line of sight, "That''s the stain of Ylthara. The oldest part of the city, the slums, inhabited by some pests who don''t know their place."

    ''That didn''t sound very priestly of you, you know.''

    The carriage slowed as they approached the entrance of the giant stone building. The heavy iron gates creaked open, revealing a long pathway leading to their destination.

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    Father Aldric smiled.

    "Welcome, Kai," he said, "to the Hall of Sorcery."

    ''It almost feels like a crypt that could become my tomb.''

    Kai wandered down the halls to a receptionist-like desk where a huge woman stood, dressed in a cloak similar to that of the other workers in the building. Deep purple with gold trimmings, covering the top of pure-white pants and jacket. Without the purple cloaks, Kai could have mistaken them for employees of a psychiatric ward.

    "Another magical assessment?" the receptionist asked Father Aldric, who stood beside Kai.

    "Indeed. A boy with a rather unique set of skills. I''m interested to see his results."

    "Is that so?" she asked, looking at Kai, "Well, the priest here can help sign all of your forms, so just wait over there."

    The receptionist pointed toward a row of ornately carved chairs where several other children sat, all waiting for their assessments.

    Kai scanned the room, taking in the nervous faces around him. A few fidgeted with their clothes, some whispered among themselves, while others sat stiffly, trying to appear composed.

    But what stood out most to him wasn''t their expressions¡ªit was their mana.

    Pathetic, he thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. Like comparing an ant to an anteater. Compared to Mari, these kids barely had any presence.

    "My father says I could be a Rank Ten Fire Elementalist!" a boy suddenly declared, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

    Kai turned his head. The boy had vibrant red hair, a grin full of confidence, and a puffed-out chest as if he were already wearing the title he boasted about.

    "Ranks?" Kai blurted out without thinking.

    The boy turned to him and smirked. "Heh, heh. You don''t even know what ranks are?"

    Kai''s fingers twitched. A dark shape rippled beneath his seat, responding to his irritation.

    ''I''ll kill this kid.''

    The thought flared so naturally, so easily, that it startled him. He clenched his jaw, forcing Shade back into his shadow. ''What am I thinking?''

    The boy leaned forward, his grin widening. "You look like you''re super duper shocked! I can tell! Well, I will tell you¡ªif you ask really nicely!"

    Kai stared at him. "W... What are ranks?"

    "Very good!" The boy nodded sagely¡ªthen immediately faltered. "Uh..." He scratched his head, clearly struggling.

    Kai raised an eyebrow. "So, you don''t know either?"

    A low chuckle interrupted them.

    One of the employees had approached, settling onto the bench beside them. Unlike the others bustling around in purple robes, this man wore a blood-red cloak with black trim. A golden cross was woven into the fabric above his left breast. His long black braids framed his sharp features, and his green eyes gleamed with quiet amusement.

    He seemed separate from the goings-ons inside the building. Like a man without a care in the world.

    "Ranks," the man began, his voice smooth, "are a classification system for mages. When children reach five years of age, they receive their specialisation here in the Hall of Sorcery. Upon assessment, the system evaluates their spell knowledge, mana reserves, and aptitude for spell-casting, determining their rank."

    Kai nodded, absorbing the information. "How many ranks are there?"

    "Thirteen," the man answered. "Most children undergoing their first assessment are at ranks twelve or thirteen. Most adults never surpass rank seven. It would be incredible to be rank ten or higher at your first assessment. And currently, there are only six people on the entire continent at rank one."

    Kai frowned slightly. So ranking up must be incredibly difficult... Then again, his village never cared about ranks¡ªjust whether or not someone could do the work.

    "Emille Lockheart!"

    A voice called from across the hall.

    The red-haired boy perked up. "That''s me!" He shot Kai a quick grin before darting off toward the summoned official.

    As Emille disappeared behind a set of heavy doors, Kai turned his attention back to the red-cloaked employee.

    "Thanks, sir," he said.

    "Don''t worry about being so formal." The man smiled, though it didn''t quite reach his eyes. "My name is Broderick, and I serve as the church''s emissary here as an inquisitor."

    Kai stiffened slightly.

    ''The Inquisition? Here? Aren''t they bad? The traveler said so, but this man seems so friendly.''

    Broderick''s smile widened. "Meeting bright children such as you is a pleasant contrast to my usual work."

    Kai forced himself to smile back. "It''s a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Broderick."

    "Mister? Rather polite, aren''t you, young man? I suppose that''s fine." Broderick studied him for a moment, his green eyes gleaming. "If I meet you again..."

    "I''m Kai. Kai Tensen."

    Broderick nodded slowly, his gaze lingering. "If I meet you again, Kai, I hope it is under circumstances as pleasant as today."

    Kai felt a shiver run down his spine.

    ''That look in his eyes... Actually, I have a bad feeling about this guy...''

    A smile was on Broderick''s lips, but there was something behind it. Something cold. Calculating. Similar to the smile of the Collector. But Broderick had nothing clinging to him.

    Kai sat back in his chair, forcing himself to stay composed.

    The feeling of being trapped here grew more intense.

    ''Even if I have to leave, how can I escape this building, and then the barrier?''

 Kais Magical Assessment

    A sharp voice rang through the hall.

    "Kai Tensen!"

    Kai straightened, his fingers twitching against his knee. He glanced at Broderick, whose thin smile remained, unchanged.

    "It seems your turn has come," the inquisitor mused.

    Kai forced a polite nod. "Goodbye, Mr. Broderick."

    Broderick chuckled. "Goodbye, little Kai. May the gods grant you clarity."

    ''Was that supposed to be a blessing from the gods or something else?''

    Either way, he didn''t stick around to enjoy his company any longer.

    Rising from his seat, Kai followed an employee dressed in the standard purple robe down a long, winding hallway. The walls were smooth stone.

    Kai felt the mana surging from the walls themselves. Glowing inscriptions made with mana, invisible to the naked eye, lined the edges of the walls.

    ''Someone has reinforced it with magic? Now, that''s intriguing. I wonder if I can learn how to do that.''

    Kai bumped into the employee, who had stopped walking.

    "Be sure to pay attention. This isn''t a game like the ones you play back in your village," he said, voice clipped and professional.

    The employee, an older man with greying hair, babbled about the importance of the Halls of Sorcery under his breath. He led Kai to a wooden door and pushed it open, gesturing inside.

    "The attendant will be with you shortly. Please make sure to remove your shirt and lie down on the examination bed."

    Kai stepped inside, his gaze sweeping the room.

    It was colder here. Glass vials, strange instruments, and stacks of parchment filled shelves along the walls. At the centre of the room was a long, cushioned table.

    ''At least the examination table looks comfortable?''

    Metal wires hung from the ceiling, ending in glass orbs that pulsed with faint light.

    He hesitated, then sighed.

    "Might as well follow directions. Still... This place seems different to how I imagined it."

    Pulling his shirt over his head, he folded it neatly and placed it on a small table nearby. The cold air bit at his skin, but he ignored it, settling onto the bed.

    For a few moments, silence.

    The silence was disturbed as the door creaked open.

    Kai lifted his head, expecting another purple-robed figure.

    Instead, a woman stepped inside, her movements fluid and graceful. She was unlike the others he had seen. Where most wore deep violet, and Broderick had been wrapped in blood red, she was dressed in flowing emerald robes, embroidered with delicate golden patterns resembling vines.

    Her beauty was striking. She had long, silken hair cascading past her shoulders, sharp eyes the colour of the forest after rainfall. Her presence filled the room, commanding attention without effort.

    Kai swallowed, suddenly more aware of his own bare skin.

    She smiled softly. "Good evening, Kai Tensen."

    Her voice was warm, but there was something beneath it. Something unreadable.

    Kai sat up slightly, studying her with careful eyes. "Good evening."

    She stepped forward, closing the door behind her, followed by a soft click. Without Kai''s strengthened senses, hearing that would have been impossible. Then she turned back to him, her gaze steady.

    ''She locked it? Is that normal?''

    "Shall we begin?"

    The attendant pulled heavy-duty gloves, a blacksmith''s apron, and thick goggles out of a magical space. She put her robe inside the space before dressing herself new attire. None of which seemed to hinder her work speed.

    ''I guess that''s to protect her from magic after one''s specialisation is uncovered? I hope it''ll stop her from getting hurt by me...''

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    A partition in the ground opened up, and an obelisk of dark stone slowly rose. The attendant opened up a hole in the space before them with magic once again, and pulled out twelve wires.

    "What specialisation do you believe you will be sorted into?" she asked, her tone light and professional.

    Kai hesitated. He had rehearsed his answer, but the words still felt heavy on his tongue. "Well, I''ve never been good at pyromancy, telekinesis, fortification, creation, or any of the other types. But I am okay at strengthening, healing, and cooling magic."

    Of course, he left out the most important parts, his shadow magic and the rest his abilities. The one ability that set him apart from everyone else, the one thing he couldn''t explain, shouldn''t explain.

    ''Will that show up somehow?''

    The woman smiled. "You seem like a bright young man. I''m sure the healing field will enjoy having you beside them. Is there anywhere in particular you''d like to go?"

    She began to fix the wires to the obelisk and a low hum vibrated through the room.

    Kai shrugged slightly. "I was thinking of being a medic in the main military force, helping keep the borders safe. I might be better suited to a hospital, though."

    The woman raised a brow. "Less scary?"

    Kai shook his head. "No, that''s not it. I just don''t know how I feel about soldiers running into battle, depending on me to heal them."

    Her smile softened. "That''s a thoughtful way to see it. Well, let''s not waste any more time. Just sit back. There are a few things I need to hook up to your body, and then we''ll find out what your specialty is."

    She worked efficiently, attaching small, sticky patches to the ends of the wires, and then to his skin.

    Kai winced. He watched for any changes in her behaviour, or for a sudden onset of death, but she continued.

    "Cold? Sorry about that." She laughed playfully.

    "Yeah, it''s okay."

    Floating in front of the obelisk was a translucent glass screen, its surface shimmering with symbols and data that made no sense to him.

    Kai frowned.

    ''I knew it felt different. It''s oddly futuristic. Nobody ever told me something like this existed. Mari mentioned the glass screen before, but seeing it in person feels like an ECG back from my world. Except instead of reading my heart, it''s reading my abilities. My entire system?''

    The words etched into the side of the device caught his attention, words made from symbols he didn''t recognise.

    [Ancient Language of the Forebearers partially translated.]

    Suddenly, the few symbols became shapes he recognised.

    ''That''s creepy. I wonder who the Forebearers are. Are you going to tell me, system?''

    Silence ensued. Kai turned his attention back to the obelisk.

    "M.A.S ¨C Magic Assessment System," Kai read aloud.

    The attendant must have noticed his unease. "Are you worried about the system? Don''t be. It will be over shortly."

    ''Does she thinks I''m nervously babbling? She didn''t realise I read the symbols?''

    But, as soon as she pressed a button, something went wrong.

    The floating screen pulsed violently, flashing red. A sharp, piercing sound rang through the room, like a warning siren, making Kai''s breath hitch. His body tensed. The woman cursed under her breath, frantically tapping keys on the panel beside the obelisk. For a moment, he saw more symbols flickering across the screen that he didn''t recognise.

    Then, silence filled the room.

    The red glow faded. The screen returned to normal.

    "I''ll be right back. I just need to... get your assessment results from another room."

 Necromancer

    The room was silent, save for the low hum of the Magic Assessment System. The floating glass screen flickered, the symbols shifting erratically. Moments ago, the attendant muttered something about needing to check the results.

    Kai''s heart pounded erratically in his chest.

    Every moment felt like an eternity while he waited for his attendant to return.

    ''Something isn''t normal. They should be back by now, right?''

    Then, system screen appeared before Kai''s eyes. The screen pulsed with an eerie, green glow, and a new set of words materialised before his eyes.

    [Requirement Met: Die.]

    [Requirement Met: Complete Magical Assessment.]

    [Requirement Met: Raise an undead creature.]

    [Additional abilities unlocked for meeting requirement before magical assessment.]

    [Determining Specialisation...]

    [Specialisation Identified.]

    [Necromancer Specialisation Unlocked.]

    Kai stared at the screen and held his breath.

    Sure enough. It didn''t change.

    ''Necromancer? I didn''t want to believe it, but of course I had a feeling... Necromancers are always the bad guys... I wanted to be better in this life. But what''s the deal? That''s not a recognised specialty. Out of the hundreds of patients coming into the clinic, I''ve never heard of anyone being sorted into it.''

    Before he could process it further, more lines of text scrolled across the screen, accompanied by a strange sensation. It felt like cold fingers trailing down his spine. He struggled to keep up with the bombardment of text.

    ---

    [New Skills Acquired]

    [Rejuvenate has been replaced with: Raise Lesser Undead.]

    [Raise Lesser Undead (Novice) ¨C Animate small corpses, such as rodents or insects, for a short duration. Requires minimal energy.]

    [Death Sense (Passive) ¨C The presence of dying or recently deceased creatures becomes apparent to you. You can sense the ebb and flow of life force in your surroundings.]

    [Wither (Basic) ¨C Drain the vitality of small plants or weakened creatures with a touch. The effect is subtle but noticeable over time.]

    [Gravebound (Novice) ¨C Call forth an ephemeral skeletal hand from the earth to grasp and slow a target''s movement for a few moments.]

    [Murmurs of the Departed (Passive) ¨C In places thick with death, faint whispers and fleeting impressions of the deceased may reach your mind.]

    [Soul Binding (Novice) ¨C bond souls to yours at the cost of your mortality. Learn some of their skills in the process.]

    [Tether the Fallen (Locked - Requires Further Awakening) ¨C ???]

    [Bloodborn Pact (Locked - Insufficient Knowledge) ¨C ???]

    [Call of the Forgotten (Locked - ???) - ???]

    [Veil of Midnight (Locked - Requires Greater Mastery) - ???]

    [Wraithstep (Locked - Incomplete Soul Synchronization) - ???]

    [E?o?b?r?a?n?d''s Covenant (Locked - Name Forgotten to Time) - ???]

    [Marrow-forged Sentinel (Locked - Insufficient Dominion Over Death) - ???]

    [Lament of the Unheard (Locked - Requires ??? to Unlock) - ???]

    [Eclipse of the Soul (Locked - You Should Not Have Seen This) - ???]

    [Godsforsaken Truth (Locked - Requires Knowledge Forbidden by the Inquisition) - ???]

    [Oblivion''s Gate (Locked - Incompatible with Current Power Level) - ???]

    ---

    Kai''s hands trembled. He could feel the new abilities settling into his bones, like they had always been there, simply waiting to be awakened and used. The room looked darker than before; the shadows stretching unnaturally along the walls.

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    More voices echoed from within the room, from within him. Others.

    ''That''s a lot of hidden and locked stuff...''

    This wasn''t normal. This wasn''t supposed to happen.

    Kai covered his ears as the screams of what sounded like thousands of people entered his head. Words jumbled into a single point of pain inside Kai''s skull.

    ''Stop it!''

    Magic burst from Kai''s body and stretched out further than the walls that kept him confined in his assessment room.

    A warning flashed on the system screen as all of the text turned red.

    [Caution: Specialisation detected outside of standard parameters.]

    ''I knew it! I knew this was all wrong!''

    [Data reported to the system overseers.]

    [Please wait to be examined by the system overseers.]

    Kai''s pulse spiked and his heart pained briefly.

    ''Overseers? Who are they? That doesn''t sound good. There''s no way I''ll wait for them.''

    Lila''s words slammed into his mind like a thunderclap.

    "If something strange happens¡­ run."

    With shaking hands, he ripped the sticky patches from his skin. The floating screen flickered wildly, alarms beginning to blare in the hall beyond the door.

    Heavy and urgent footsteps approached from outside.

    As the attendant turned away, Kai examined the room while his heart pounded against his ribs.

    One entrance and exit. The door locked when not in use so that the assessment couldn''t be interrupted.

    ''Or maybe so that the examinee can''t leave without permission? I should never have come here.''

    He had barely processed what had happened when he remembered his mother''s words.

    "If something strange happens... run. You fucking run. All the way home."

    Since the attendant had left the room, the only time he could escape was when she returned.

    His fingers curled around the cords attached to the patches stuck to his skin. With one sharp motion, he ripped them off. His skin stung where the patches came off, but he slid off the bed and waited by the door.

    The attendant barely had time to react before Kai dodged them and ran down the hall. The attendant held a syringe filled with a murky fluid.

    ''No doubt that was for me...''

    From the adjacent hallway, the rhythmic stomp of heavy boots echoed. Men in a military uniform surged forward, their expressions grim and their hands already reaching for weapons or restraints.

    Something had gone wrong.

    Terribly wrong.

    And so, Kai ran.

    [Name: Kai Tensen | Age: 5 Years | Specialisation: Necromancer | Rank: 11 | Awakening Requirements: Unknown | Life Essence Stored: 159/1,000 | Mortality Deviance: Minimal | Souls Bound: 3 (Winfried Drummond, Angelica Trunsdale) | Languages Translated: Imerian | Skills: Mana Manipulation, Mana Tempering, Mana Sense, Advanced Shadow Manipulation, Minor Strengthening Magic, Minor Elemental Magic, Intermediate Combat Arts, Shadowmeld, Precision Targeting (Magic), Death Sense, Murmurs of the Departed | Spellcasting: Novice | Spells: Raise Lesser Undead, Thrall Control, Shadow Conjuring, Bull''s Strength, Frozen Touch (Contact), Frozen Zone (Area), Icicle Javelins (Ranged), Searing Touch (Contact), Wall of Flame (Minor), Wither, Gravebound]

    ''So, this is the family curse? I couldn''t have been born into a normal household? How does someone even fix or help necromancy?''

 A Life Taken

    Kai dashed through the halls of the assessment building. His eyes darted to every open door and passageway, staying prepared for an enemy to appear. The narrow stone corridors felt claustrophobic. Along with his adrenaline-fueled panic, he struggled to keep his mind calm.

    ''Surely, they won''t kill me just because I''m a necromancer, right? They''ll teach me how to control my gifts, or lock me up at the very least, right?''

    But his feet wouldn''t stop. His body. His instincts. Everything knew the truth.

    The moment the magical assessment system revealed he was a necromancer, he was an enemy.

    To the people in the building.

    To the residents of Ylthara.

    And most of all, to the world.

    He heard the hurried footsteps of his pursuers behind him, the scrape of boots against polished floors, the sharp barks of orders being given.

    ''Keep moving. Faster.''

    Mana swirled through the air like fog. The mana protecting the walls moved towards one singular direction. Behind Kai.

    ''Someone can redirect the mana? That''s a lot of power.''

    His breath came in ragged gasps as he forced himself forward, relying on memory to retrace his steps to the entrance.

    One corner. Another. Then a third.

    A shadow loomed before him.

    A man blocked his path, built like a fortress, his broad chest encased in heavy priestly robes adorned with red fabric and golden embroidery.

    ''Another inquisitor? Are they here just for me?''

    Against the light behind him, Kai struggled to make out his features, but could tell it wasn''t Broderick. The size of the man alone set him away from almost everyone Kai had ever seen, except maybe Delilah and Garrick.

    Kai skidded to a halt, nearly stumbling as he saw the air around the man distort with the gathering of mana. It swirled violently, thick like a storm about to break.

    ''No time to think or question. Attack first.''

    He thrust out his hand. "Icicle Javelins!"

    Five jagged spears of ice materialised in midair. Each glinted from the faint light of the magic protecting the walls.

    With a flick of Kai''s hand, the javelins whistled through the air, aimed for the man''s torso.

    For a moment, Kai thought he had the upper hand.

    The brute merely lifted his arm, fingers spread wide. The look on his face showed his disappointment.

    "Tempered Flames of Iris!"

    Five orbs of molten fire burst into existence, each at the exact point of the ice javelins, enveloping them. The resulting steam hissed violently as the shards melted away, vanishing before they could reach their mark.

    Kai''s pulse spiked.

    ''That wasn''t just fire magic. That was refined. Controlled. This man isn''t some low-level priest. He''s a seasoned spellcaster.''

    Kai''s magic hardly compared. It was like someone who wielded the sun facing a caveman with a flaming stick.

    Shade''s presence lingered in Kai''s shadow once again. He felt the urgency of his minion.

    ''They''re coming.''

    The brute pressed his hands together in prayer, his deep voice echoing through the corridor.

    "By the word of Emeron, lord of light, I summon the divine magics of his holiness. Sanctu-"

    A blur of darkness shot from Kai''s shadow.

    Shade moved faster than the eye could follow, twisting into a goblin-like form mid-leap. Its wickedly curved sickle, a weapon made of pure darkness, sliced through the man''s stomach.

    For a second, Kai thought it hadn''t worked.

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    The brute remained standing, his lips parting in stunned disbelief. A faint glow flickered across his chest, as if divine protection had shielded him.

    But instead of retaliating, Kai heard a wet, sickening schlick.

    The man''s torso slid down, severed cleanly from his hips to his chest. His eyes bulged, mouth forming silent words of denial before his body collapsed in two, blood pooling rapidly beneath him.

    Kai didn''t move. He just stared at the dying man.

    ''With the collector, it didn''t feel like I killed him, and he just turned into dust. It might have been Shade again, but I caused this man''s death. Not a monster, but a man. With friends, family, coworkers, dreams, and aspirations.''

    The terror frozen on the man''s face sent a chill through Kai''s spine. Then, to his own surprise, he felt something else.

    A smile curled at his lips.

    ''I can fight against them. I can kill them. I will kill them.''

    The smile widened.

    He stepped past the bisected corpse, but something caught his attention.

    A wispy, green fog drifted upward from the two halves of the body. It moved unnaturally, swirling, pulsing¡ªcalling to him.

    The energy radiated hunger. No, not hunger. Offering.

    Before he could think, Kai knelt and reached out.

    The moment his fingers brushed the corpse, a surge of raw, unfiltered existence flooded into him.

    His vision exploded into colour.

    Then everything was gone.

    Not darkness. Not light. Just¡­ nothing.

    And then flashes of memory, but not his own.

    A sword in his hand. Blood on his face. The laughter of children. The embrace of a lover. The weight of duty. Fear. Hope. Pain.

    A name.

    Troy.

    The memories slammed into him like a chaotic storm, overwhelming in their sheer intensity. He couldn''t grasp them all¡ªonly scattered fragments. Yet, they felt so real, so familiar.

    Then, with a thunderous boom, the memories settled.

    Kai gasped as a tremendous burst of mana exploded outward from his body. The very air vibrated, the floor beneath him cracking under the force.

    Something changed, and he felt it.

    His body, mind, and soul.

    A strange clarity settled over him as he ran a hand through his hair, catching a glimpse of it in his periphery.

    No longer dark.

    Pure silver.

    All of it.

    He exhaled slowly, the name slipping from his lips without hesitation.

    "Troy. Battlemage. Wife, husband, and four children." His voice was steady, eerily calm. "And now we are one."

    But he wasn''t alone.

    He felt them. Two others. The two he pulled in during his first time training with Maribel and Garrick. The ones known as Winfried Drummond and Angelica Trunsdale.

    Their presences lingered at the edges of his awareness, watching, waiting. For something.

    [Name: Kai Tensen | Age: 5 Years | Specialisation: Necromancer | Rank: 11 | Awakening Requirements: Unknown | Life Essence Stored: 841/1,000 | Mortality Deviance: Minimal | Souls Bound: 3 (Winfried Drummond, Angelica Trunsdale, Troy Saren) | Languages Translated: Imerian | Skills: Mana Manipulation, Mana Tempering, Mana Sense, Advanced Shadow Manipulation, Minor Strengthening Magic, Minor Elemental Magic, Intermediate Combat Arts, Shadowmeld, Precision Targeting (Magic), Death Sense, Murmurs of the Departed | Spellcasting: Novice | Spells: Raise Lesser Undead, Thrall Control, Shadow Conjuring, Bull''s Strength, Frozen Touch (Contact), Frozen Zone (Area), Icicle Javelins (Ranged), Searing Touch (Contact), Wall of Flame (Minor), Wither, Gravebound]

 Escape

    Lightning crackled past Kai''s shoulder, followed by a blast of ice that burned with an unnatural cold. The heat of fire magic scorched the air just behind him.

    More priests and inquisitors.

    More hunters. And he was the prey.

    Kai moved.

    Ignoring the lingering echoes of Troy''s memories, he sprinted forward, scanning the halls for the runes etched into the walls. They would guide him.

    "Stop!"

    A voice boomed from behind.

    A shockwave of energy erupted, slamming into Kai''s back like a battering ram. He barely had time to register the impact before he was sent hurtling forward, his body rolling across the cold stone floor.

    Then, a CRACK.

    Pain.

    Sharp, blinding pain.

    His left arm.

    Broken.

    A cry nearly tore from his throat, but he shoved it back down, the pain forcing him to his knees. He couldn''t stop. He wouldn''t stop.

    ''Shade, buy me a little time!''

    A section of the shadow at Kai''s feet twisted as a portion pulled itself free. Twisting itself into shape, Shade took its usual goblin-like form with one exception, he was larger and his claws looked deadly.

    Kai stood before lifting up a wall of flame, larger than ever before.

    The flames roared to life, crackling and twisting as they stretched from wall to wall, a searing barrier between Kai and his pursuers. The heat licked at his skin, but he didn''t flinch.

    ''It''s bigger than before¡­ stronger. Both Shade and my magic. Are those the effects of going through magical assessment?''

    Shade darted forward, its form shifting fluidly in the flickering light. Kai caught glimpses of its twisted goblin-like frame, the gleam of its dark sickle as it crouched, ready to intercept anyone who dared push through the fire.

    He could hear their shouts on the other side, their hurried incantations, the sound of spells preparing to be unleashed, but he didn''t wait to see what would happen next.

    He turned.

    And he ran.

    Kai grit his teeth, clutching his broken arm as pain throbbed through his entire body. He had no time to stop. No time to think.

    His vision blurred for a moment. His breathing was too fast, chest rising and falling in frantic, uneven beats. But despite the pain, despite the chaos, he could feel it.

    The mana in his body. The new mana.

    Troy''s memories still swam at the edges of his consciousness. The sensation of holding a sword, the heat of battle, the warmth of his children''s laughter. Everything was his now. A stolen life absorbed into his body.

    Kai forced himself forward, ignoring the way his left arm hung limply at his side.

    The hallways twisted ahead, the stone walls looming like a labyrinth. He had to find the entrance. He had to get out.

    Behind him, the flames wavered.

    He heard shouting. Not shouting, but chanting.

    "Light pierces the dark-"

    The fire exploded outward as a burst of divine energy shattered through it. The force sent a rush of heated air toward Kai, nearly knocking him off his feet.

    Shade screeched, its body recoiling from the holy light, tendrils of darkness sizzling as it retreated back into Kai''s shadow.

    A figure stepped through the dying flames, golden light swirling around him. A priest. Not just any priest.

    Father Aldric.

    Kai''s breath hitched.

    The man''s piercing blue eyes locked onto him, filled with something between rage and...

    ''Disappointment?''

    "Kai," Aldric''s voice was calm, far too calm for the situation. "You should not have done that."

    Kai clenched his teeth. "I should''ve let you kill me instead?"

    Aldric sighed, as if speaking to a disobedient child. "This would have been easier if you had cooperated."

    ''You mean died, not cooperated. You''re stalling for time.''

    Kai''s instincts screamed at him to move, but his body was still sluggish from the surge of expelled mana. He needed to get his strength back. He needed to keep going.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Aldric raised a hand.

    The light around him condensed, forming into a spear of pure energy.

    Kai didn''t think. He acted.

    A blast of ice erupted from his palm, not jagged spears like before, but a solid wall of frost that surged upward, sealing the hallway between them in a thick sheet of ice.

    He turned and ran.

    ''An ice wall might deter them better than flames.''

    His legs ached, lungs burning with every breath, but he forced himself to keep moving. He had to be close.

    The wide reception area opened up before him and Emille looked startled.

    "It''s the dumb kid!"

    ''If I had time, I would teach you a thing or two about manners.''

    Kai rushed to the entrance door. His heart leapt in his chest.

    ''Freedom.''

    He slammed his good shoulder into it, but it didn''t budge.

    Locked. Not physically, but magically, like he used to do at home when he didn''t want to be disturbed.

    And he didn''t have time to unlock it.

    "Dammit!" He spun around, searching for another way out, but the ice behind him cracked.

    The runes on the walls flickered.

    He was out of time.

    Kai''s mind raced.

    ''There had to be something. A window, another hallway, something...''

    His eyes swept over the entire room, looking desperately for help. The frightened children probably wouldn''t even work in a hostage situation. The walls were too thick to burst through, and the runes protected them from damage.

    ''Of course! The runes!''

    He didn''t just see them. He felt them now.

    Magic pulsed in the walls, running through the very foundation of the Hall of Sorcery like veins carrying lifeblood.

    And now, he had Troy''s mana. But what Kai turned it into wasn''t mana, but what the system called Life Essence. He turned the lives of people, their souls, into mana, and harnessed that energy.

    Kai reached out with his good hand, pressing his palm flat against the cold stone beside the door.

    He closed his eyes. Focused. Listened.

    The runes whispered.

    Not words, but intent. They pulsed with old magic, layered spells woven into the very bones of the building.

    Kai took a breath.

    And he pushed.

    Mana surged from his core, raw and unrefined, colliding with the enchantments like a hammer against glass.

    A thunderous boom echoed from the door as the wall of ice partially broke behind him.

    Kai let forth another burst of pure mana.

    The lock shattered.

    The door flung open, ripping free from its hinges and flying outside.

    Cold night air flooded in, crisp and sharp against his sweat-drenched skin.

    Freedom.

    But before he could take another step, a voice rang out behind him.

    "Stop, now!"

    Aldric.

    Kai turned and a golden chain of light shot toward him.

    He barely had time to react before it wrapped around his torso, burning into his skin like molten iron.

    ''Yeah. Of course divine magic works against a necromancer. That definitely clears things up. I am evil in this world.''

    His breath caught in his throat as his body seized, magic surging through him in a desperate attempt to resist.

    The light tightened, pulling him backward, but Kai wasn''t alone.

    Shade lunged from his shadow, its form stretching into something monstrous, something wrong. Something that even scared Kai. Its claws gleamed, and for the first time, Aldric''s expression flickered with fear.

    Kai gritted his teeth, pouring every ounce of stolen mana, of Troy''s strength, into one final burst.

    The chain shattered.

    He fell forward, hitting the ground hard, pain lancing through his already-broken arm and all of his torso.

    ''No time. No time.''

    Kai didn''t even watch Aldric''s fight with Shade. He pushed himself up and ran.

    Out the door.

    Into the night.

    Streaks of several magics, including chains and arrows of light soared past him, some grazing him as he ran deeper into the city of Ylthara.

    Kai lost himself to an unfamiliar city that night.