In that time, I had achieved many great things.

I had mastered walking.  

Learned how to speak properly.  

Stopped falling on my face every few steps.  

Truly remarkable accomplishments.

But today marked a far greater milestone in my life.

Today was the first time my parents were taking me outside.  

Not the back garden.  

Not the space behind the house where I was allowed to wander under constant supervision like some rare specimen.

Outside.  

Freedom.

I still didn’t understand why they had kept me locked inside the house for so long. I was convinced they were overestimating my ability to spontaneously die.

Nevertheless, I was finally free.

My mother wore a beautiful dress that day—soft fabric decorated with elegant floral patterns. She had used the same cloth to make Misa’s dress as well.  

They looked almost identical.  

Both of them looked… radiant.

Misa spun around happily, showing off her clothes, while my mother adjusted my collar and took my hand. She slipped a few coins into my palm as well.

I smiled.

I had developed a habit of asking her for money every day, despite never spending it.

In my previous life, I wasted money on candies, snacks, pointless things in my childhood, I didn’t even remember enjoying.

Now?

Now I was saving. Maybe I will become rich till my teenage or invest in something.

I didn’t crave sweets anymore. My mind knew what really mattered.

I was a child—but not really.

The streets were alive.

Carts rolled past us, pulled by beautiful black horses with a single horn on their foreheads. They looked like unicorns, but sturdier. Grounded.  

No wings. No elegance. Just strength.

There were also many more magical creatures in this world for me to discover.

It was an annual festival.  

A celebration for the God of Life.  

The same god my mother had prayed to when I hadn’t breathed.

Aeritus.

People filled the streets. Laughter. Music. Color.

Another fascinating thing I learned that day was that this world had thirteen months, each with twenty-eight days.  

Strange.  

But only strange to someone who hadn’t grown up with it.  

To them, it was normal.

By the time we reached the temple, the place was overflowing with people.

Stalls lined the path, decorated with food, trinkets, charms, offerings. The air was thick with scent—sweet, bitter, unfamiliar.

It reminded me of fireworks festivals in Japan.

Except here, people weren’t here for spectacle.  

They were here to honor.

Guards stood watch near the entrance. Among them, I saw my father. He noticed us and gave a small wave.

I waved back.

As I climbed the temple steps, something twisted in my chest.

A sharp, sudden pain.

I frowned.

What…?

I tried to ignore it and took another step.

The pain worsened. My breathing grew shallow. The air felt thick—wrong.

No. Not now.

I didn’t want to ruin this moment.

But my vision blurred.  

The world tilted.

“Aren—!”

The last thing I heard was my mother’s voice calling my name.

Darkness and an infinite void.

When I woke up, the sun was already low.

The festival was gone.  

The streets were quiet.

I was lying down, my head resting gently in my mother’s lap as the cart carried us home.

No.

No, no, no.

I missed it.

“Aren, are you alright, dear?” she asked softly.

“I’m fine,” I replied. “I just… got dizzy.”

That was the truth.

Just not all of it.

There had been a smell in that place.  

Not incense.  

Not flowers.  

Something else.  

Something that made my chest ache.

I didn’t tell my parents.  

I didn’t want them to worry.

Life returned to normal soon after.

Chief Elden’s wife passed away around that time, so he began leaving his daughter, Lisse, at our house.

My mother welcomed her without hesitation.

Lise was shy at first. Quiet. Reserved.  

But Misa’s overwhelming joy and affection broke through her walls quickly.

I was glad.

Unfortunately, the two of them decided that I was their favorite toy.

They made me play all kinds of games.  

Princess games.  

Marriage games.

They argued over who would marry me.

Normally, I wouldn’t mind two cute girls fighting over me.

But the circumstances were… humiliating.

They dressed me up as the princess.  

They played the charming princes themselves.

My mother watched and laughed.

I tried to escape.

Escape was impossible.

So I endured.

These were the kinds of memories I sincerely hoped my mind would erase with time.

Not long after, my father told me it was time.

Time to learn.  

Time to train.

He would be the one teaching me magic.

I was nervous.  

But also determined.

Because no matter how peaceful this life felt, there was something I couldn’t forget.

The voice.

The beginning of everything.

What did it want?