"So, what do you wanna get outta this life?”

Her words caught me off guard, and my heart sank slightly. “What do you mean?”

She snorted, as if I’d asked the most obvious question in the world. "Pfft, c'mon, you think I couldn’t tell? Your fighting style’s way too refined for some country bumpkin. It’s totally different from what they teach around here. And the fact you can use ki? That’s rare. Sure, everyone’s got ki in their bodies, but almost nobody can actually sense it, let alone weaponize it. And don’t even get me started on how mature and sharp you are! A normal ten-year-old should be bawling their eyes out or wetting their pants after everything you’ve been through. But you? You carry yourself like some stone-cold killer. So don’t act all innocent and hit me with, 'What do you mean?'"

I blinked at her, caught completely off guard by her perceptiveness. For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

She leaned forward with a knowing grin. “Hey, don’t worry! I won’t tell anyone. You’ve got my word!”

Dammit. I have to trust a cat with the biggest secret of my life…

I let out a long breath. "Fine, you got me. I won’t lie to you. What I want out of this life…”

To be honest, I’d never really asked myself this before, but the answer came instantly, like it had been buried deep in my soul.

"I want to experience love. I don’t want to be a 'stone-cold killer,' as you put it. I want a family. People to share meals with. People to create cherished memories with. My past life… it was all combat, blood, and endless loneliness. I had no one. I won’t let that happen again.”

Alina’s grin softened, her sharp features glowing with warmth. “Good answer, Nikolai.”

Over the past two months, Alina had been training me relentlessly. For a talking cat, she was a surprisingly good teacher. Her depth of knowledge about magic—and even a bit of ki—was unmatched, though she was frustratingly secretive about her origins, the portal she’d used to save me, or the strange rainbow magic she employed to nourish me. Every time I pressed, she’d deflect or flat-out refuse. Eventually, I stopped asking.

Under her guidance, I’d learned to wield wind and fire magic, progressing to the point where I could cast basic combat spells with relative ease. Ice magic, an evolution of my water affinity, had quickly become my strongest element.

Alina had analyzed my fighting style in detail and concluded that ice would complement me best, urging me to develop it as my primary focus. Fire and wind, she said, would work better as supportive elements in my arsenal.

Alina taught me how to meditate and it became a daily ritual, a method to smooth my mana heart and expand my pathways. The process was deceptively simple: sit comfortably, focus inward, and mentally fill the uneven ridges of my mana core. It sounded easy, but it demanded absolute concentration and patience. Alina had explained that magic users classified their cores by reflectiveness, with tiers that showed the core's progression toward perfection.

Mana Core Tiers:

• Dull (1-20%)
• Dim (21-40%)
• Radiant (41-60%)
• Brilliant (61-80%)
• Ethereal (81-95%)
• Transcendent (96-99%)
• Mana Convergence (100%)

My core, sadly, was still in the Dull stage, but Alina assured me I was on the verge of breaking into Dim. A few more days of meditation and consistent mana use, and I’d ascend a tier. An interesting point though was that she claimed the amount of mana pathways I had was on par with a Transcendent mage.

Despite her catlike laziness, she constantly pushed me to refine my techniques, offering tough love and encouragement in equal measure.

Her guidance had become a constant in my life, and to my surprise, I’d grown fond of her. She wasn’t just my teacher—she was my first real friend in this new life.

I woke up early, the crisp morning air filling my lungs as I stretched. Alina, surprisingly, was already awake. She usually hated mornings.

“Hey, Niko!” she called, her tail swishing with excitement. “Guess what? We’re heading to Crullsfeld today!”

I rubbed my eyes, still groggy. “Wait… really? Why the sudden decision?”

She puffed out her chest, standing proudly. “Because you’re ready to make the journey now! I’ve been waiting for you to catch up, but you’re finally strong enough to handle the trip. I’ve decided against the mountain route, though. The new path will take longer, but it’s safer—and easier on your legs!”

I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, but then the realization hit me like a thunderbolt.

If we’re heading to Crullsfeld… I’ll get to see my family again!

I missed my family deeply. I’d only spent two years with them, but in that short time, they’d shaped so much of who I’d become in this life. They cherished me, loved me unconditionally, and treated me as though I were truly one of their own.

Of course, I’d deceived them—hidden the truth of my origins, my knowledge, my past life. But their kindness was so pure, so genuine, that I couldn’t bring myself to see it as undeserved. I owed them more than I could ever repay.

The warmth and joy they brought into my life, even for just two fleeting years, were gifts I would carry forever.

“Lets go!” Alina said proudly as we exited her tree stump portal, I forgot how beautiful nature was, I hadn't left her home since I got there…

There was something different about the area though… as if something had changed.

Welcome to the Kingdom of Arcadia!

“What?”