Chapter 5

The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was the strange ceiling above me. Unlike the carved stone of castles, the polished wood of manors, or even the rugged thatch of village huts, the material here was smooth, pristine white, and unfamiliar. It seemed otherworldly, as though I had entered a place beyond my understanding.

I shifted slightly, my small body rolling within what I realized was a cradle. The sensation was strange—I had never felt so weak, so... small. My mind was sharp as ever, yet my body was frail, delicate. It felt wrong, as though my soul had been forced into a vessel unfit to contain it.

Where... am I? I wondered, narrowing my eyes at my surroundings. The air smelled sterile, and a strange beeping sound echoed rhythmically in the room. Magic? No. It was something else.

Turning my head, I saw her— a woman lying still on a bed beside me. Her chest rose and fell slowly, a faint sign that she was alive, though her skin looked pale, and there were small cuts and bruises across her body. I tilted my head slightly. Is this... the one who gave birth to me? My mother?

The thought was jarring. I had never known what it meant to have a mother, not truly. I had always existed outside of those bonds of life. Yet as I stared at her peaceful face, something unfamiliar stirred in my chest—a strange warmth that softened my thoughts.

But then I noticed the injuries.

Instinctively, I raised my tiny hand. Though weak, my magic still answered my call, swirling faintly around my fingers in streams of pale light. Should I heal her? I wondered, even as the energy pooled, ready to mend her wounds.

Before I could finish, the door flew open with a loud bang. The sound startled me, and the magic flickered out instantly.

Two men entered. One was dressed in a strange white robe that reminded me of priests, though there was no divine energy about him. The other wore practical clothes that resembled those of an adventurer from my previous world. He carried himself with confidence and purpose.

The adventurer knelt beside the woman—my supposed mother—and extended his hand over her. A warm golden glow flowed from his palm as he used healing magic. I blinked in surprise.

So they have magic here, too? I thought, analyzing every movement.

The man in white—whom I assumed was in charge—began fiddling with a strange box sitting on a table. It emitted the repetitive beep-beep-beep I had been hearing. He watched it carefully and nodded to himself.

"Her heart rate is calming down," he muttered under his breath.

The adventurer smiled as the light of his magic faded. "Thank you, doctor, for giving me the opportunity to help," he said with genuine gratitude.

The man in white chuckled softly. "Oh, no, thank you. If not for magic, the surgery would have taken hours. Who knew magic could be this effective for treatment?"

I frowned slightly. Doctor? Surgery? What are these strange words? This wasn't like any healer I'd seen before, and that strange box—was it measuring her health? It was advanced in ways my previous world's magic could never achieve. What is this place?

Before I could process it further, I felt movement near me. My gaze snapped to the woman on the bed as her eyes fluttered open. I froze.

Slowly, she turned her head, her gaze softening as it landed on me. Without warning, she reached over, carefully picking me up from the cradle and cradling me in her arms.

I stiffened at first, unaccustomed to being held, let alone in such a gentle and protective manner. But the warmth of her embrace quickly seeped into me, melting the tension in my tiny body. Her arms were firm yet tender, her heartbeat a soothing rhythm that seemed to call me to rest.

She smiled down at me, her expression filled with a kind of love I had never witnessed. It was overwhelming, and I didn't know what to do with the unfamiliar emotions rising in my chest.

The doctor, who was watching, broke the moment. "Miss Xavier? You're awake so early! That's a surprise."

The adventurer chuckled, stretching his back. "I guess magic's more effective than a master's degree in medical science."

"Don't remind me," the doctor replied with a sheepish laugh. "We're still years away from understanding how surgery can work alongside magic. You magicians are putting us surgeons to shame."

Their conversation blurred into background noise as I focused on the present. The woman—my supposed mother—continued to hold me, rocking me gently. I didn't understand why, but being here felt... safe. The weight I'd carried for so long—the loneliness, the sorrow—felt momentarily lifted, as if her arms could shield me from it all.

So this is what it's like to be cared for...

Before long, the door burst open again, this time with far more force than before. A man stumbled in, panting heavily as though he had sprinted down a long hallway. His disheveled hair and anxious expression were at odds with the joy that slowly bloomed on his face as his eyes landed on us.

The doctor turned to him with a broad smile. "Mister Xavier? Congratulations! You have a daughter."

The man—Mister Xavier—stared at me in shock for a moment before his lips curved into a wide, elated grin. He approached with hesitant steps, his gaze fixed on me as if trying to believe what he was seeing.

So... this is my father? I mused, though my thoughts were growing hazy. The warmth from my mother's arms, combined with the softness of her gentle rocking, was pulling me into a peaceful daze.

It's... too much effort to think... I thought lazily, my tiny eyelids growing heavy.

For the first time in what felt like centuries, I allowed myself to relax, to let go of the constant weight of worry. I nestled closer to the woman holding me—my mother—and let the comforting embrace lull me to sleep.