Toddler Life

"Garrett! He's doing it! Our boy's a genius!"

I did it again. Come on. One more!

Garret barged into the room, and his face softened. The face of a loving father stopped Kai in his tracks. An unusual sight.

I was older than you when I died. I shouldn't be happy that you're proud of me, you idiot.

Kai tensed his legs again, still standing upright in the living room, and took a wobbly step towards Garrett. His calves and quadriceps burned furiously, and he sat down, huffing and puffing.

Time to pull out all of the stops!

"Ga, ga!"

Shit. I fucked it. Garrett is still too hard for me.

Garrett got down on his knees and laid in front of Kai.

"Aw, you're amazing, my boy, but it's da-da, not ga-ga."

I'm not going to call you my father. That's ridiculous.

"Garrett! Our baby boy! He's talking and walking at half the age our little Mari was! Surely, he's a prodigy!"

Lila laid beside him as well, both of them with their stupid, proud faces while poking and prodding Kai's body with joy.

For six months, Kai endured his "training sessions" of rocking, crawling, pulling himself up on furniture, making the weirdest sounds to train his voice, and even meditating to control the frustration that came with the limitations of his body. All for these moments.

Frustrated stomps on the wooden floor caught everyone's attention.

"Hey, I'm smart, too! I am!" Mari exclaimed, frowning with pursed lips.

"Yes, yes, Mari. You're very smart, and you even have your magical assessment next month! We're very excited for you, so make sure you train your magical aptitude before then, and maybe you can go to the citadel as a healer!"

Kai's ears pricked up. He smiled. His toothy grin hurt his soft gums, but he didn't care.

New words. Training. Magical aptitude. The Citadel. If I follow Mari around and learn how she's training, maybe I can do it as well! This is so exciting!

"See? Even Kai is excited for you!" Garrett laughed.

"He better be! I'm going to show him just how amazing his big sister is!" She pumped up her chest and ran to her room.

Kai tried to stand, but his legs refused his request.

Dammit. If I didn't show off, maybe I could have followed her... Right! I'm a baby! I can resort to crawling and it's not weird at all!

Kai crawled after his sister at lightning speed. The wooden floor was cold against Kai's palms as he dragged his small, wobbly body forward, inch by determined inch.

"You've got a gremlin coming after you, Mari!" Garrett yelled.

Mari screamed playfully as she continued to race to her room.

His arms trembled with the effort, but he pressed on, his gaze fixed on the open door at the end of the hall. He'd seen glimpses of her practicing magic before, and now, he was determined to watch her up close, training for Magical Assessment.

The moment he crossed the threshold, he froze. Mari's room was bathed in a soft, golden light, the air humming with energy.

She stood in the center, her hands extended in front of her, her expression focused. In her palms, faint green tendrils of light swirled, twisting together like delicate vines.

Kai's breath caught as he felt the flow of magic. It wasn't just visible; it radiated from his sister. A gentle warmth spread through the room, brushing against his skin like a comforting breeze. The magic was alive, vibrant and full of purpose, and for a moment, he forgot his tiny body and the effort it had taken to crawl here.

The light subtly eased the pain in his muscles.

Incredible. The stream of magic itself is healing my fatigue.

Mari moved her hands in careful arcs, guiding the green light into a small potted plant on her desk. The plant shivered, its leaves glowing faintly as they grew a fraction larger, their vibrancy deepening into a richer hue.

"There," she murmured to herself, a satisfied smile tugging at her lips.

"Almost ready for the M.A."

Kai's heart swelled with admiration. Mari wasn't just practicing; she was nurturing, breathing life into the world around her.

The magic seemed to respond to her in kind, swirling around her like an adoring companion.

So, you pull the threads of magic towards you, and through your willpower, shape it into what you need? And that's all you need to practice? I mean, I already gathered at least that much from watching Lila and Garrett.

But then, deep within Mari, an explosion of magical essence erupted like a fire. She stood firm, an aura of light surrounding her and lifting her hair into the air.

"And now... I... Just have to hold this!"

She turned slightly, her gaze falling on a small basket of aging apples on her bedside table. Extending her hands, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

This time, the light in her hands changed, shifting from green to a much more powerful, but soft gold. A warm pulse of energy rippled through the room.

As the magic settled, the apples gleamed brighter, their skins now flawless and plump. Mari's hair fell back to its original position, the aura of light faded, and she opened her eyes with a wide grin.

"Perfect!" she said, wiping her brow.

Kai, still lying on his stomach, couldn't suppress a coo of delight.

Mari turned sharply, startled by the sound. When her eyes landed on him, her surprise melted into a laugh.

"You are a gremlin, Kai! How did you get here?"

She crossed the room, scooping him up effortlessly.

"You little troublemaker! Do you want to learn magic?"

Kai babbled in response, reaching a tiny hand toward the fading traces of her magic. He wanted to tell her how incredible she was, how the flow of energy she commanded was more beautiful than anything he'd ever known. But all he could do was smile up at her with awe-filled eyes.

Mari's grin softened as she kissed his forehead.

"You're lucky you're cute. Don't tell Mama and Papa about that big light, okay?" She carried him back to her desk, holding him close.

So, after channeling magic, you can temporality access more magic than before? How does that work? I need to figure it out!

Kai nestled against her, letting the warmth of her magic linger in his mind.

Soon, magic, you will be mine!

Kai chuckled to himself as he thought about the various applications he could use magic for.