After accidentally discovering the Baron and the Baroness genuinely cared for me, I had decided I would do anything for them. They were truly great, and the enormity of the noble deeds they bestowed unto me was so humbling I could not bow my heads any lower. That, I thought, was what it meant to win the hearts of one’s people. The Baron and the Baroness had surely won mine.

A few months after I had turned four, mother gave birth to my baby brother, and I went to the tavern as often as possible. I then understood the adults. It was such a sweet little thing I could not take my eyes off. I cooed over him and tickled his small tummy and looked into the large eyes and poked the incredibly soft cheeks. When I returned to the manor after such a visit, I would grab anyone passing by and describe, in great detail, what my little baby brother did that day. The maids would listen to me with hands clasped and go ‘Ohh~’ and ‘Ahh~’

But I soon stopped doing that as I realized maybe I was hurting the Baroness with all my baby brother talks. I made some tactful questions to relevant people and learned the Baron and the Baroness, no matter what they tried, never had a child. They had eventually given up, which made the people worry about the heir to the Barony. It was around that time that I conveniently waltzed into the Baron’s view. I was later told that Baron’s council was ecstatic upon discovering me, and they began to push the idea of adopting me shortly after my arrival.

In general, though, nothing really changed. The Baroness still spoiled me, and I kept on doing the tasks given to me and helped out in and around the manor; the only thing that had changed was that I now knew for the fact the Baron and the Baroness were sincere.

One day afternoon, I was crawling in the rose garden, looking for the signs of this one particular mole that had been troubling us for some weeks. We suspected it had dug an extensive tunnel network below the soil, which was a problem. I crawled slowly and carefully as not to hurt myself by the thorns, looking for small heaps of earth that were pushed out onto the surface. I was so engrossed trying to find the signs of tunnel entrances and the mole’s traces; I almost overlooked the mole itself that had been sitting in front of me for some time. I froze in my place and held my breath. It was close; I was sure with a quick lunge I could catch it. Slowly I tensed my legs and was about to-

“Really? They really named you René? Born again?”

I was stunned. I froze again, but this time with my jaw dropped. The mole wiggled its nose and continued.

“Sorry about the appearance. This creature was the closest thing that was around at this moment.”

“Ah… I’m guessing you are… which one are you?”

“Paris. Remember me?”

“Yeeeaaah,” I answered slowly, and my eyes narrowed. Paris, the goddess of disasters and calamities. The one who had unleashed the epidemic that killed my three siblings. I was named René because father wished my birth was the return of the kids he had lost. And this bitch had the audacity to mock my father’s naming sense?

“Anyway,” Paris continued, “I’ve come to warn you. Stay away from things that are very flammable. OK?”

“What do you mean?”

“You will know when the time comes. Just stay away. At least for a week. OK?” She… the mole looked around standing on its hind legs. “And when the time comes, get the heck away from people, OK? That’s for the best. We don’t want to hurt your mortal friends.”

The mole’s eyes flickered rapidly, and then it collapsed dead. Paris was gone.

###

My heart was thumping so hard I thought it was going to explode. A goddess, none other than Paris, the goddess of disasters and catastrophes and calamities, came to warn me of something happening in a week. And I should get away from people? Stay away from flammables? They don't want to hurt other mortals?

No matter how I looked at it, no matter how many times I ran her words again and again in my head, I came to only one conclusion; the goddesses were planning to smite me with something, and they were kind enough to warn me so that I, only I, were to die alone.

I couldn't concentrate for the rest of the day. I retreated to my room and hid under the blanket, cowering. I couldn't think of anything I had done that might have incurred the wrath of the divines. 'I kept my side of the deal, haven't I?' I muttered to myself. Yes, I knew for the fact Firis was divine, and she existed. That was all I had to do. To believe. To know. I had done all that. So why?

By the next morning, I relaxed because I had become delusional. 'The goddesses are bringing me back because my mission is accomplished,' I convinced myself. I speculated maybe they would send me back to my previous life. That led me to another depressed state because I was sure I would miss my current family and friends and the people of the manor. I had a sudden urge to go see my baby brother.

The servants dropped me off at the tavern. I barged in and hugged my family as tightly as I could. I didn't say much but had a good time with my little brother in my arms. I paced around the tavern, wading through the tables and chairs, cooing and cuddling and committing every bit of the baby brother's existence into my memory.

"René, do you have a magnet on you?" father asked.

I looked at him, confused. I followed father's eyes and finally noticed the phenomenon. Various small objects in the tavern were orientated towards me as if they were many compasses pointing the north. They followed me as I moved. I put my brother in father's arms and ran out of the tavern, away from my beloved family. I ran and ran. While running, I couldn't help but notice small things such as pebbles and nails, and light fruits like berries and such were drawn to me in my wake.

I huffed and puffed out of breath as I barged into the priest's dwelling. Once again, things moved slightly and pointed at me.

"Father!" I called my good friend. Surely he would know what was happening to me. From behind the altar, the priest emerged, and I was a bit taken aback. The old man seemed restless, uneasy. Sick, even.

"Father, are you well?"

"René, it's you." He smiled wryly and sat himself down heavily on a bench. "Something is happening, René, don't you feel it, too?"

"Yes, look!" I gestured around me, urging him to look around and see the many objects pointing at me. But he didn't. The priest was staring into my eyes.

"So, you hear it, too? The trumpets? Do you see the bright light? The burning air, too?"

I was baffled.

"Father, what are you talking about?"

"Surely you feel it, too, René, for you were touched by the divine. They have been getting stronger and stronger day by day. What's happening? What's happening!"

I told the frail old man he should get some rest and left as quickly as I could. Sitting in the carriage heading back to the manor, I bit my nails and chewed my lips. What the heck was the old man talking about? What trumpets? What light?

###

Things got worse the following days. Objects not fixed in places were starting to fly towards me. At first, the servants and the maids found the phenomenon amusing as they thought I was playing some tricks, but as it got stronger, they became worried, and, naturally, afraid. I had this feeling the entire universe was poring over me. The dreadful sensation got stronger and stronger day by day; it was too much to bear.

The words from the town were worrisome, too. The priest was losing his mind, and people were becoming agitated. I felt sorry for my old pal. He could sense the touch of the divine in me, and I finally figured whatever was happening to me was affecting him, too. I cursed the goddesses. Leave the poor man out of this!

For days I stayed in my room behind the locked door, which got everyone worried. The Baroness came to see me, but I told her to please leave me alone for her own sake.

Around midnight on the seventh day, I knew it. I felt the universe was collapsing on me, and I knew it was this night that I would die. I had to leave, away from the people, away from the manor. I slipped out of my room and tiptoed out of the manor. I was halfway across the rose garden, making good progress when a thin figure stumbled past me towards the manor. It was the priest. He had torn a piece from his own robe and blindfolded himself. I had no idea how he managed to get to the manor in such a state. Judging by the scratches and bruises, the old man must have fallen a lot and, at some point, walked through thorny rose bushes.

“My Lord!” The priest screamed at the top of his lungs. “We have to run! The Barony must go into hiding!”

Shit, I thought. This man was ruining my chance to get away from the manor unnoticed.

“Father, what in the name of God are you-”

“My Lord!” He screamed again. And again. I panicked as people started to come out of the manor with torches.

“Father? What brings you here at this late hour?” It was the Baron’s voice. I sighed and face-palmed. Now everyone was in danger from whatever the heck was coming to get me.

“My Lord, great trouble is brewing.” The priest stumbled forward. He kept going through the rose bushes. “Deaths!”

“Father, what are you… Are you well?”

“You fools!” The old man trembled, frothing in his mouth. Yet he continued forward, and soon he stood in front of the people of the manor.

“You fools! Do you not see the light as bright as the hundred suns? Do you not hear a thousand trumpets blaring?” He shook his fist in the air. “I see the air burning. And hundreds of banners! Thousands and thousands of men lie dead, slain! And those eyes! Those eyes! Oh, divine! “

A sudden chill ran down my spine, and all the hairs on my body stood up. Firis! The priest was talking about Firis!

The Baron was baffled. He then noticed me standing in the garden.

“René, what are you doing there? Come here-”

“You must hurry! Save the people!” The priest screamed, getting in the face of His Lordship. But then he doubled down, clutching his chest. He gasped for air, face contorted in pain.

“Father!” I rushed to my old pal as the Baron caught the collapsing priest in his arms. By the time I reached the scene and knelt beside the Baron, my friend was already dead. His Lordship was visibly in shock. The maids started to weep. The Baroness knelt beside her husband and softly prayed for the good old priest. And I prayed, too. Dear God, please tell Eris to take good care of this man. It was all my fault. Whatever the goddesses planned for me this night affected the poor old man. He could not survive the overwhelming sensation of divine presence that was gathering.

“Look, a shooting star!”

Somebody shouted, and we all looked up. In the pitch-black night, a lone shooting star was falling. But instead of streaking across the sky, it was getting bigger and bigger.

Then I finally understood. The entire week, the goddesses, the motherfucking bitches were homing onto me. Now they had a lock on, and voila! A meteor was on its way to smite me. Not even a lightning as was typical in the myth, but a freaking meteor!

I jumped up and was about to run, but the Baroness grabbed my hand.

“René, where are you going?”

“Your Ladyship, please stay away from me.” I was panicking. “Everyone, please! Stay away from me!”

I shook my arms and managed to free myself. I ran. Away from the people I cared. Away from the manor that I had spent a good year. I ran as fast as I could. I heard someone running after me, but they fell tangled by the rose veins. The loud yelp was clearly that of the Baron’s voice. For a split second, I almost turned around, but I didn’t. I kept running. As I ran, I heard screams of fear coming from the direction of my town not too far away from the manor. Obviously, folks there, too, were watching the impending doom falling in the course to their Baron’s manor. I ran faster.

But then again, I was only four. I had crossed only two patches of rose beds when the meteor landed some twenty yards behind me. The shock knocked me flat face down on the ground.