Three families sat together at the table today: mine, Alice's and the Scarlets: our new neighbours. I was quite curious about our neighbours since their customs and mannerisms do not align with what I have been used to seeing during my time in this world. Or maybe the brash behaviours and poor etiquette I've been accustomed to were exclusive to my ancestry. What scared me the most was seeing how well-mannered their daughter was, taking the initiative to serve food to my parents and helping my brother receive his second helping of roast beef before chowing down. 

"Wow, your daughter is so well-mannered," my mother glowingly praised. "What's her name?"

"Yllsse, it's a portmanteau from my nation meaning 'snowy star'," Mrs. Scarlet said proudly. "We came from Dreiga, the land of dragons." Her response noticeably shook my father. I remembered hearing that he had an unpleasant experience in that country due to special circumstances.

"Hey kid, who's that little girl?" Ethos suddenly asked causing me to react in shock.

 "Wait, you could talk to me while I'm awake?" I asked internally while still flabbergasted.

"Always could, just never found it necessary," he responded.

"Then why did you start now? Is that girl really that fascinating?" I inquired.

"Her aura is different, I can't get a good grasp on it but it's indeed different," he said genuinely curious. 

"Well, you already know everything I know about her since you can read my mind. Why did you bother asking me?" I asked.

Ethos was silent for a brief moment and then spoke up, "I wanted you to ask her something in my place. Just ask her if she's a mage."

"If she's a what?"

"It's none of your concern. Just say it," he pressed impatiently. I adamantly refused. I resolved to never say anything besides "Mama" and "Papa" until I can walk on my own two feet. Ethos was visibly disgruntled.

After I sulked about in my inferiority complex, I helped myself to a spoonful of pureed baby food and peas on the side. Damn, I wanted to eat roast beef. Albert and Alice helped themselves to their third plate of meat and ate like animals. Yllsse elegantly ate her rice porridge without spilling a single drop and all the parents engaged in a colourful conversation. Our lunch was quite lively that day. 

Once everyone left, we settled back into our usual routine. My brother was doing his homework and our maid Sylvia was helping out my mom in the kitchen. I've made a decision. Today will be the day I will walk on my own two feet. I crawled towards the sofa and used it to pull myself onto my feet. My legs were shaking heavily. Regardless, I moved forward.

One step

Two steps

Five steps

Ba-BONK! I faceplanted on the floor. Blood drizzled from my nose and began my crying tantrum. My mother rushed out of the kitchen with a damp cloth in order to stop the bleeding. I'm pathetic. Once my bleeding stopped, I was brought back into my room to rest. I took advantage of this time to organize my thoughts. I learned some more things about my father. He shared some of his stories about when he was a high-ranking officer in the military and eventually retired and moved here with my mom and started a family. That being said, I could tell that his head held many secrets. 

"Hey, old man," I spoke.

"Can't you at least use my name?" Ethos complained.

"Is it possible for me to read someone's mind?" I asked him. I wanted to learn more about this world and its governing powers. Being able to read someone's memories could give me insight without having to go outside. 

"Hmm, it's possible but you're too underqualified. You haven't even learned how to enter your virtual state," he replied.

"Could I learn that right now?" I wondered.   

"You're rushing things." Ethos said matter-of-factly. "That said, I don't mind helping you just a bit. However, we should wait until midnight. It will make things a lot easier." I'm not in a rush, so I agreed. Hence, I went to sleep for today. By the time I woke up, the sky was pitch black. It's probably some time after midnight. I called Ethos to begin my training.

"You sure are serious about this," Ethos said sternly.

"It's probably midnight now, so let's begin the lesson, Sensei." I snarked back.

He scoffed, "the first thing you need to do is to sit up straight. I don't want to see you slouching like an old man as you grow up. Also, put both of your hands together as if you're making a prayer."

I corrected my posture and clasped both of my palms together awaiting his next directions. 

"Now close your eyes. Imagine yourself outside of your body," he instructed. I imagined myself a few steps away from the door. I walked towards the door and reached for the doorknob. Not that I'm actually doing it, simply imagining myself doing it doesn't make anything happen. 

"Your aura is pathetic. Even if you try for another hundred years, nothing is going to happen." Ethos commented bluntly. "Here, I'll lend you some of my aura. Just concentrate on imagining yourself and you'll see a big difference." Suddenly, a huge wave of energy began flowing into my head. I followed his instructions and maintained my imagination. The imagined image suddenly became a lot clearer. It was like my eyes opened up and can visualize the imaginary world I manifested. 

Through my imagination, I gripped the doorknob and yanked the door open accompanied by realistic auditory cues which would easily convince me that this is reality. But honestly, why do I need to adhere to physics in my dream? I headed towards my parent's bedroom and phased through their door. They were both sound asleep, I went up on their bed and began toying with their faces. After I had my fun, I opened my eyes back up. 

For some reason, the door to my room was opened. Beyond the door, I could hear sounds of moaning and heavy breathing coming from the direction of my parent's room. It seems they were not asleep after all. Regardless, I was not in the mood to investigate further. All that imagining ate up a significant amount of my energy. I lay back on my bed and slept for the rest of the night.