New Life

Bana Village in the Astral Kingdom…

Chayil suddenly opened his eyes. his heart pounding as he sat upright. Gasping for breath, he scanned his surroundings but all he could see was a vast expanse of white. 

After a moment, he realized that there was only a piece of cloth draped over him, and he quickly removed it. 

The sight before him was kind of blurry at first, but it quickly cleared up as he squeezed his eyes tight and opened them again.

"Where am I this time?" he mumbled.

Chayil spotted a little girl's head peeking through the doorway. The child seemed to have been crying. He blinked repeatedly, ensuring he was fully awake and not dreaming.

When her eyes met his, she yelled, "Mama! Mama! Brother's alive!" Her voice brimmed with excitement, ringing loudly in the room.

As soon as she heard her daughter's shout, the Mother rushed into the room. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and tears glistened as they streamed down her cheeks once more. 

Seeing him awoke, she hurried towards him without a moment's hesitation and enveloped him in a tight hug, still crying.

Through her tears, she said, "This is a miracle, thank you so much God for bringing back my son."

'Is this the family of this body that God was referring to?' Chayil muttered to himself. He remained silent and played along with what was happening.

He looked around him and took in his surroundings. Everything seemed to be ancient. His fingers brushed against the rough, uneven surfaces of the head of the bed. 

'Am I in the province?' Chayil wondered silently.

As Chayil continued to grapple with his confusion, the woman he believed to be his mother inquired, "What would you like to eat?" 

Chayil could feel her gaze upon him, her eyes conveying both concern and warmth. 

 "Anything," Chayil answered at once. Then he tried to stand up.

However, his mother intervened, her touch gentle yet firm as she stopped his movement. "Don't get up just yet," she advised. 

"You need to take it easy for now. Your body needs time to adjust since you've been asleep for almost four years." 

"Four years?" he blurted out.

"Yes, the healer was here earlier. They said you were already gone-" the mother said, her face contorting with pain briefly before she shook her head and smiled. 

"But you're here, alive!" she exclaimed, her eyes shimmering with relief. "They've gone now with your father. He'll be so surprised when he sees you awake." 

She added with gratitude, "I prayed for you to wake up, and you did. God really listened to me."

'The person who used to be in this body actually passed away?' Chayil murmured quietly to himself. A somber expression crossed his face.

"You stay here for now, I'll just make your food," the mother said. 

She then turned to the little girl and instructed her to call her father as soon as she got there and informed him that his son was finally alive.

The two left and Chayil was all by himself. He lifted his arm to observe his physical state. 'It's pale and I'm definitely thinner than before too. Guess I'll give walking a shot.'

He walked around the room and tried to assess himself. 'Well, I don't feel weak despite being in a coma for two years. But I feel tired.'

Chayil could hear the clinking of pots and pans in the kitchen, and he tried to go outside of his room.

The Mother was surprised and happy when she saw Chayil walking. "Oh! Wait here. I'll just finish preparing your food."

While waiting, Chayil tried to wash his face using the water from a bowl. Peering into the makeshift mirror, he held his face and muttered, 'It's still me, but it seems like I'm younger now.'

The face staring back at him was unmistakably his own—black hair, black eyes, and the same nose and lips he'd always had. But something was different. 

His skin was smoother, unmarred by the lines and creases of age. He touched his cheek, half-expecting to feel the roughness of stubble, but there was none.

Chayil looked up and noticed a window above the sink. He opened it and peered outside. 

Through the window, he saw several small houses, all constructed from wood. The fresh breeze brushed against his skin, carrying the scent of pine and earth. 

Curious, he decided to go outside. As he stepped out, the sight of the green land and forest caught his eyes. 

The sound of rustling leaves and a few birds chirping added a natural melody. And the touch of fresh air also felt refreshing.

'Why did I wake up here?' Chayil wondered. 'It looks like I'm far from the city. Why do the clothes and houses all look old-fashioned?'

Turning his attention to the right, he was shocked by what he saw. There was a gigantic cliff structure that he couldn't even see the top because it was surrounded by clouds. 

The longer he looked, the more the sight of this massive cliff left him in awe. 

While he was looking at the cliff, someone grabbed both of his shoulders.

Chayil turned around and to his surprise, a man immediately embraced him. The embrace was tight, desperate, as if the man couldn't believe Chayil was real.

"We thought you were dead!" The man's voice cracked, and Chayil could feel the tremor in his grip. "What happened? You had no pulse when we left." 

His words spilled out in a rush, as if he couldn't hold them back any longer.

Chayil's gaze settled on the man before him. The man stood tall at two hundred twenty centimeters, his shoulders broad and weathered. 

His black hair, now cropped close to his scalp, revealed hints of silver at the temples.

The man stepped back, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. 

"Anyway," he said, his voice steadier now, "what's important is that you're alive." He managed a shaky smile. "We'll figure out the rest later."

'Hmm… must be his dad,' Chayil thought as he smiled.

"How are you, son?" he asked, his eyes searching Chayil's face. "How are you feeling?"

Chayil tried to speak, but his throat felt dry, as if he'd been wandering in the desert for days.

"Is there anything hurting in your body?" The man's concern was palpable as he studied Chayil intently. "Come inside. You don't need to stand. Don't push yourself."

Chayil nodded and followed the man deeper into the house.

After some time, his mother called them to the table for a meal. 

Chayil settled into the chair, the wood creaking under his weight. 

The mother then placed a plate of meat and vegetables in front of him, her eyes kind and curious. 

"Eat," she said simply, as if nourishing his body could heal more than just hunger.

And so, Chayil picked up his fork and took a bite—the flavors exploded on his tongue. 

As the aroma of home-cooked food enveloped the room and the family's laughter echoed in the air, Chayil's heart slightly fluttered. 

It was his first time sharing a meal with a family, even though he understood he wasn't their biological son. 

After they eat, Chayil asked his father, "What is this place? And what country are we in?"

"You didn't know," the father responded, "We're in Bana village, part of the Kingdom of Astar. Don't you remember anything?" 

"No, I don't remember anything," he replied. He tried to recall how he died. And he remembered how the demon crushed him. Suddenly his head throbbed, and he instinctively held onto it.

"You don't need to remember everything, son!" the father immediately intervened. "It's enough to know that we are in Bana village in the Kingdom of Astar."

"Kingdom of Astar?" he said, trying to figure out where that kingdom was on Earth.