Infancy

Kai's initial shock of being reborn into a strange new world dulled after two weeks, and was replaced by a growing awareness of his surroundings.

This was not Elora, the game world he had once known. No sprawling kingdoms or epic quests awaited him here.

He first noticed this when Lila, his new mother, brought him out into the world outside his house for the first time, only two days after being reborn. Garrett, his father, protested that she should rest longer, but quickly gave up his resistance after a stern glare from his wife.

Instead, Imeria, the name of the land or planet they were on, reminded him of drawings, shows, and tales of pre-industrial England, its cobblestone streets bustling with townsfolk in simple clothing, the air filled with the sounds of distant workshops and carts rolling by. 

No knights, nobility. or adventure.

Yet the most startling similarity to Elora was the magic. Magic that was everywhere, in everything, constantly worked into the activities of daily life. From the men using strengthening magic to perform manual labour, to fire magic to light the lanterns in the street, everyone used it in their day-to-day.

From his crib, Kai observed his parents' work for weeks with growing fascination.

Lila was a Naturopath, a healer who used magic to mend sick patients and nurture plants. Patients came daily, limping in or coughing, leaving with their ailments soothed by glowing hands and herbal remedies that seemed almost alive within their bottles and vials.

Garrett had the Tender specialisation, a repairman of sorts, who could restore broken objects and minor injuries with a touch and a bit of concentration. Hearing broken bones crack back into place always unsettled Kai, but he knew that even if he managed to fall out of his crib, he would be in safe hands with his parents.

Between them, Kai watched almost a hundred customers come into their house some days.

The patients and customers who came in would also return to provide them with water, spun out of thin air, heat up their oven, warm up a meal that they brought, and more.

Seeing them work filled Kai with awe and a touch of anxiety.

Everyone in this world could use magic.

Magic wasn't special. It wasn't a gift; it was expected.

When Kai focused on himself, his system, Eidolon, flickered faintly in the corner of his vision, revealing little more than:

[Name: Kai Tensen | Age: Newborn | Languages Translated: Imerian | Specialisation: Unknown: To be revealed upon Magical Assessment]

No HP? MP? Stamina? Are those stats not recorded? I wonder if this system is what spoke to me when I first woke up in this world. What about my Magical Assessment? I'm probably a healer like my parents. 

The M.A., as his parents called it, was a milestone every child reached.

At around five years old, a child's magic would awaken fully, and their specialisation, a type of magical affinity, would be revealed. Until then, he was in limbo, a blank slate in a world that valued rare skills and productivity. It was a disquieting thought for someone like him, who had spent his previous life utterly ordinary.

As the days passed, Kai learned more about his new family and their abilities. His parents worked tirelessly but seemed content. Their modest home bustled with energy every day. He also met his older sister, Mari, a boisterous girl of four who radiated a never-ending supply of energy that reminded him of Leena, his little sister from his past life.

"Kai, Kai, Kai!" She yelled loudly, as if babies had no sense of hearing.

Kai rolled his head so that at least one of his ears was protected from the shrill of her voice. He tried to protect his other ear with his tiny hands, but lacked the fine motor control to cover it completely.

"Mum! Kai's ignoring me!"

Lila walked over and petted her daughter on the head.

"He's not ignoring you. He's too small for that. You're just too loud."

"I am?" she asked.

"Sometimes," Lila responded.

Mari crept around the crib slowly and looked into Kai's eyes.

"Sorry, baby brother. I'll be more quieter," she whispered.

Guilt washed over him when he thought of Leena and how often he had been dismissive or impatient with her. Looking at Mari, who seemed to regard him with equal parts curiosity and excitement, Kai breathed a strong little breath.

This time, I will do my best to be a better brother.

Being better would have to come later, though, while not trapped in the helpless body of a newborn.

For now, he could only respond with a toothless, awkward smile.

She's worth being better for.

"Mum, Kai smiled at me!" Mari yelled.

Realising her loudness, she slapped her hands over her mouth, pursed her lips with a sad expression, and left Kai's crib.

I wonder what Mari's specialisation will be. When is she turning 5? Our parents, Lila and Garret, said her fifth birthday is coming up, but haven't mentioned a date. Not that I'd know what the date is in this world. And I can't really ask with these underdeveloped vocal cords.

Determined not to remain idle, Kai started small.

Every chance he got, he wiggled his limbs, pushed his tiny muscles to their limits, and rocked from side to side. He tried making noise as often as possible to train his vocal cords for speech.

It wasn't much, but it was something, and it was exhausting. After exhausting himself and getting all the protein he needed from Lila, he often fell asleep before repeating the same process.

These actions were his way of taking control, however minor, of his new existence. Making the most of his second chance.

Over the next few months, as Kai's time in this world continued, he further understood his family's place in town by watching from his crib or his mother's arms.

The house they lived in was old, very old. Its wooden beams creaked with age, but with Garrett's Tender specialisation, they needed not worry about it falling into further disrepair and causing accident or injury. Anything that needed fixing was repaired with his magic.

His parents' work, especially his mother's, was in high demand, and though they weren't wealthy by any means, they lived comfortably compared to most of their neighbours.

The inequality for services rendered to payment received unsettled him. Like immigrants who gets paid minimum wage, working themselves to be bone, they earned enough money to support themselves, but nothing more.

If this was considered well-off, what did that mean for the average person? And more importantly, what does it mean for me when I grow up?

In his past life, money had been a struggle and the thought of repeating those hardships gnawed at him.

Despite these worries, Kai resolved to focus on what he could control. He studied his parents' work as best he could, memorizing the spells and techniques they used, even if he couldn't practice them himself.

Magic wasn't invoked through words, but gestures and possibly feelings. Every time his parents used magic, Kai felt a shift in the air. Something being pulled towards the hands of the person or people using magic.

He tried to get used to that feeling. That change in the air. Soothing, yet powerful and a little scary.

As time went by, Kai noticed small specks of light in the air when people channeled magic. Each person creating different coloured specks.

The door to their house burst open while one man dragged another screaming man inside, the injured man's leg bones jutting out through his flesh and skin. His blood-soaked pants threatened to drip onto the wooden floorboards.

"Lila, Garrett, we need your help!"

Ooh, this one will be good!

Kai rolled over and peered through the bars of his crib to get the best angles for watching another magical feat.