"Huh... ?" Being absolutely dumbstruck by what I've just heard.

"My my, you will have a great future ahead!" Hayla delighted.

"Yes, no doubt with that, but... doesn't this match too accurately by the old prophecy?" Finn muttered.

"Do you mean by the old calamity war prophecy? pfft~ that probably won't happen Finn. I mean, there's numerous number of geniuses that appeared after the war and still, nothing has happened." Hayla shrugged.

"You aren't wrong but the other geniuses, as an example, Wulae Puot awaken fis naturally at the age of 5, not intentional."

"But it's Levn we are talking about. There's no way that could be the case."

Knowing absolutely nothing what they are saying, I stammered. "Wait! What do you mean? Old war? Genius? Aren't I'm going to be caged somewhere?"

"What are you talking about now, Levn?" Hayla confused.

Am I not going to be sent to some high security prison?

What were they talking about then?

Something about a genius and war or something.

Wait, genius... ?

They think that I'm a genius?

So it was like that huh.

Ah... Thank god.

Looks like I have to stop my crazy overthinking habit.

Coming back to my sense, I heard Finn calling me. "—evn? Levn?"

"W-what?" I stuttered.

He continued. "As I was saying, can you try extracting fis from your body again."

"Huh? sure..."

"Won't it be dangerous?" Hayla interrupted.

"I don't think so." Finn insisted.

"Well, even if it isn't, I'm against it."

Its sounded as if Hayla doesn't trust me.

Well that makes sense, I'm a kid in her eyes after all.

But it's the only chance I got and I really wanted to have fis...

No choice, I gotta convince her somehow.

I raised my hand and said. "Um, Hayla I want to do it."

"No way. If anything happened to you, what should I say to sister Kaera?" Hayla exclaimed.

"Please..." I tried making an innocence face.

"Ugh... I get it."

"You don't have to worry too much Hayla since I'll be the one instructing him." Finn stated.

"You are just curious if the kid really can awaken right?"

"You guessed it." Finn laugh it off.

"But please be careful alright?" Hayla worried.

"Of course." I replied.

"Are you ready?" Finn asked.

"Yeah." I replied, trying to hide my excitement.

"Okay, try focusing on the little energy that you feel inside your body." Finn began instructing.

I closed my eye and focused on doing what he said.

After a while, I feel a weak energy resides within me.

"You're doing good! Okay now, try extract the energy you feel from your body. You can take it easy."

Now, how the hell am I going to do that.

Extract...

No matter how I think about it, I still can't manage to find a solution.

It must be like this since this is a new experience to me.

Wait thinking back, in the previous attempt I did feel like I extracted something from my body.

How was it again?

Trying my best to recall, I remembered that I simply thought about extracting something from my body.

Yeah that is it!

Fis energy is located inside my veins, so in order to extract it I have to flow it out from my veins.

Just like a water stream...

As I do it for a while, sharp itches can be felt spreading through my body everywhere.

"Arghh!" I groaned while trying my best not to lost focus.

"Hang on! You're almost there!"

"I have a bad feeling about this." Hayla mumbled.

Ignoring the sharp itches, I continued.

Oh... I'm feeling it!

The energy are making it way out.

They are flowing through my veins.

Opening my eyes back, I noticed that my body is slightly lighter than usual.

"I did it... ?" I stuttered.

"We are seriously witnessing a historic event..." Finn eyes widened.

Suddenly Hayla leaped and hug me.

Shocked by the sudden hug, I blurted. "W-w-wha—?"

"I'm glad nothing happened." Hayla stroked my head.

Was she worried?

Yeah she was, you dumbhead.

"As you can see, I'm alright..." I said, trying to sway her uneasy.

Hayla slowly pulling her arm away from me. "That aside," Hayla shakes her head. "But to think you succeeded on your first try, I'm amazed!"

"Now that he has fis energy dwelling inside his veins I wonder if he can use it off the bat." Finn suddenly let out a thought.

"That's enough Finn, the boy must have been exhausted from awakening." Hayla pointed out. "Also Kaera need to know about this."

"Yeah sorry about that, I was just curious."

Now that she mention it, I do feel a bit tired.

No, more like sleepy.

Soon, I noticed that my body is slowly losing its posture.

"Hey the kid is falling off the chair!" Hayla warned.

Out of reflect, Finn quickly hold me out. "That was a close one."

My sight... are getting blurry...

——

"Mn... hm?"

Opening my eye, I see an unfamiliar ceiling.

Narrowing my eyes to observe the room, I realised that I was in an unknown room.

Was I sleeping?

The last thing I can remember is hanging out with Hayla and Finn in their work lab.

Anyway, my body feels nice right now.

Could sleep really feel this good?

No that aside, where am I?

"—Really?!"

Being shocked by the loud voice I quickly directed my eye toward it.

There were three people having a chit chat at the table beside the room's window.

"—I'm telling you the truth sister. We were just doing our experiment back then and suddenly, we felt a fis energy toward Levn."

"Yeah and I was just curious if he really can pull it off so I guided him the basic way to use fis and the next thing we know is, he awakened! You really has been blessed with this child Kaera."

Slowly pulling my body from the bed, Hayla noticed me. "Oh, look who has woken up."

"What... ?" I tilted.

Why is everyone looking at me like they have found a gold.

"I've heard from Hayla and Finn that you awakened this morning Levn, is it true?" Mother asked me in disbelief.

Morning? In the first place, do this world even has morning?

Slowly getting my memories back, I remembered that I fainted during my attempt to use fis.

"Oh that?" I let out, finally figuring out the situation. "Yeah..." I nodded

"I knew it! My Levn was a genius!" Mother thrilled.

She then hold me up and said. "I'm proud of you Levn, you're my one and only treasure." and kissed me on the cheek.

Proud...

It really has been a long time since someone said that word to me.

"Actually it's not that surprising to me the fact that he awakened, because I already guessed that it was a matter of time." Mother said.

"Oh really, How come?" Finn puzzled.

"I've been taking care of Levn since he was just a tiny little baby of course I would figured it." Mother boasted. "Looking at how he learned everything without anyone assistance who wouldn't?"

"Yeah, Levn has been a weird kid since the day he was born." Hayla giggled.

That sounds rude if its being worded that way.

But Hayla isn't wrong though.

"Um... what time is it? And where are we actually?" I asked.

"We went to Finn's house since you fainted all of sudden." Hayla looked at her pocket watch and said. "It's almost past evening."

Wait we stayed in his house for an entire day just because of me?

Mother probably talk it out with him but still I should apologies for troubling him just in case. "I'm sorry for troubling you Finn, I hope you aren't bothered about this."

"It was nothing Levn. Don't mention it." Finn smiled.

"Pfft! We, troubling Finn?" Hayla laughed. "If you're talking about the troubling person, Finn would be the right person, right Kaera?"

"Yeah, now that if you recall the troubles he brought when we were a teenager... It's uncountable." Mother chuckled.

And then I saw Finn's smile turned into a pissed expression.

I would hate being him, if someone brings up my past.

But the past they're talking is for sure different from mine.

Looks like they had a fun teenager phase...

"Grrrowl!"

My stomach suddenly growled.

"I think it's time for dinner." Mother decided.

——

Eating on the dinner table, Hayla questioned. "Now what are you going to do with Levn, sister?"

"Do what?" Mother asked.

"For an example, sent him to a special academy or something since he has awakened early than usual."

"Isn't it better to report to the higher ups? This will be a huge achievement for the ashen race, right?" Finn added his opinion.

Hey hey... don't just go around deciding my future without me.

"I don't think so. I hate the way how the higher ups dealing things. Plus, It's too early for Levn for us to decide something. Even if he is labeled as a genius, he's still a kid." Mother replied.

That sounds just like right.

I'm still a kid so I should be given time lazying around.

Also, school is the last place I would love to be—

"Levn should just attend a standard school like every normal kid." Mother decided

"Clang!"

My spoon fell while eating as I was being baffled by mother statement.

"Levn, eat carefully. It's very unlike you to make a mess." Mother said.

"Sorry, my hand grip suddenly lost." I blurted and picked up the spoon from the floor.

"Is the after effect of awakening still hasn't recovered?" Finn questioned.

"It has, I was simply not holding out the spoon properly that's all." I made up an excuse.

"Anyway, mother when will I be entering school?" I asked, trying to keep my posture calm.

"Why? Are you interested?"

Absolutely no, I intended to say that.

But the word died in my throat.

Weirdly, I feel like there's a part of me that still wanted to go there.

School was not a memorable place to me in my past life's experience.

So why is it I feel this way?

It's as if a tiny being inside me was yearning to go there.

Thinking that, I remembered something, something that I had always regretted doing.

In my past life, I pushed all of my friends after my family's feud.

Even after they reached out to me...I still pushed them away.

I was completely at fault for that.

I wanted to express my feeling to them with that way.

I thought it was fine since I'm dealing with enough things on my hand...but it resulted for the worse.

I ended up being excluded for, years...

But this time is different.

I had a good start in this life.

Though it is sudden, it isn't bad to start over again, right?

But if my life got messy again, won't there be a chance that I'll push them away like before?

It'll be the same as repeating my mistake.

Yeah...some things just won't goes right for me.

Wait, carefully thinking, I wasn't the one that should be put on the blame, right?

I felt like there was too much thing I was bearing at the time.

I only wanted to escape from my problematic parents.

Even so, that still sounded like an excuse.

Ahh...

Okay first, I should clear my mind.

Maybe for the better, I should give it a chance.

After sorting out my thought. "A little." I answered.

"Well that sounds good since you had troubles talking to people, this will be a good experience for you. School normally opened when kid started to develop their fis veins so that will be when you reach 7 years old." Mother replied.

"But Levn would just stand out among the kids, right?" Hayla cackled a joke.

"I agree, all the little girls will probably be head over heels to him." Finn joins in.

That probably won't happens.

But still, school huh...

It doesn't sound that bad.

Though there's still plenty of times before I will enter it.

Lifting my head slightly upward, I stare at those people who are eating with me.

They all are having friendly chat with each other.

When I look at them, it made me lighten up my mind.

Thinking back, they did a lot for me.

Whenever I'm being besides them, they gave me hope to live an another day.

When I talk to them, they made me feel like it's okay to loosen up sometimes.

Even though they're not my real family...

At that moment, I immediately come to a realisation.

No, what am I saying now after all this time I've spent with them?

After all those times we spent laughing together.

How could I say that?

It looks like I'm too blinded by my past and tend to ignore the little things that made me what I am today.

Hayla, Finn and, Mother.

Aren't they, too, my family?

"...Sniff- Sniff-" A quiet sniffle sounded.

Finally realising this fact, I suddenly felt an emotional feeling.

Ahh... no good, my tear are going leak out.

Hiding my face below the table so that no one will notice, I stare blankly at the floor, letting my tears fall freely.

Maybe... just maybe.

I too, can have a chance of leading a fulfilling life?

"Levn, are you not going to eat?" Mother noticed.

Shoot, how am I supposed to clean this.

"Ah, no—I'm just—thinking something..." I said while keeping my head under the table.

"Is that so?" She confused.

Then I quickly wipe my tears and wait until my sniffle is gone.

I finished my remaining food and stood. "Thanks for the meal, Mom." I said with a bright tone.

"There you go acting all weird again." Mother confused.

Yeah... that's it.

I'm going to let go of my past and starting over.

I have decided.

I'm not going to make the same mistake again.

This second life might as well be fate.

And I will try anything to make it not bear the same fate as before.

And this is going to be my first step toward that.

This is, my new beginning.