As the air flowed for the first time into his newly born lungs, that were mashed together, an unspeakable pain coursed through. Alas, he was alive! The baby cried, his vision was blurry, the sounds around him were barely distinguishable from simple noise, as it all mashed into one single feeling.
And, even if he was capable to listen, nothing would be understood. "It is a boy!" It was said outloud by the doctor, who held in his hand a nameless baby. Briefly, he carefully passed the baby to a man, with quite a sturdy body, scarse facial hair and a medium black hair that fell behind his ears, Mikael, the boy's father's arm, who held him close, with eues watering. "He... He has your eyes, Lina."
The tired woman, laying down as the nurses took care of her due to just being in labor, looked at him, with a faint smile, extending her arms, calling for her son. "Let me hold him..." Michael carefully put the baby on her arms, and Lina put him close to her, looking at his face. "You will be... Kiah." The dark blonde woman said, as he stared at the newborn's eyes.
'Fuck! I can't see for shit. I can barely tell figures a part, and my hearing is even worse. I forgot that I would have to live through this' The former Arthur thought, as he wasn't even capable of controling his body, being passed around adults. 'I don't even know my fucking name...'
The proud parents hugged, as they stared at Kiah in their arms. "He is going to grow up great... The boy seems really healthy." The doctor said, as he looked at them, before giving them 3 some time to stay with the baby. "Yeah... He is really going to make our family flourish with his siblings..." Lina said, as a proud face was evident in her face, with tears flowing down out of happiness.
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After all was taken care of, Kiah was brought home with his parents, and found himself a place to lay down. After that, time would pass as he would grow. As a baby, he didn't have any control over his actions and instincts, but worse than that, he was alone with his thoughts. Of course, for a scientist as himself, Kiah was used to think alone through days and weeks, even more as he had a solo research. The problem was that he had no paper to write down all his ideas. Kiah could only track so much.
'This is stupid! I can't even use my new magic. And I can't even force myself to cry because they will think I'm hungry or something.' He thought, lying on his back, looking up. After some months, his vision became gradually better, just like his hearing and most things. The problem was acting as he didn't know anything about qas going on, or being too agitated, which worsened his anxiety.
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As time passed by, his parents grew concerned, as their visits to the doctors revealed something that no one would expect for a human; the absence of a mana core. Kiah was truly smart, and could relate some words to concepts even though he was limited as a newborn.
"What will we do? How will we take care of him? This world isn't made for someone like him..." Mikael said in a worrisome tone to Lina. They were expecting him to be a late bloomer in relation to mana, but it could not be felt, even months later, passing way further from the expected time.
"I... don't know, dear... We already talked about it... Maybe we can put him in an institution so he can grow up normally, and we visit him..." Lina said with a trembling voice, knowing their decision would affect them greatly.
"We don't have that kind of money, and we have other children... We should give him to an orphanage or... Or a church, maybe, I don't know, maybe there they would take better care of him... Maybe they know what to do" The father, confused and shaken, he never expected to have to do such a hard choice
And they talked about the matter, worrying for not being able to take care of a child with such needs, in a world where magic and mana were essential to the everyday life.
Kiah knew something as up, through their tone of voice and constant talks. He also knew his mana couldn't be felt, as he couldn't flow it throigh his body or perceive his core. "I'm thinking I'll need to use the Anti-Magic circle again so I can have my Core. Having this shitty little body is so annoying." Kiah thought to himself.
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Weeks passed by and Lina and Mikael talked about Kiah everyday, worrying about his future in this world, and about what they should do about it. Giving him away was painful, but maybe that would guarantee him a better position in life, as they could not give him a life with quality.
And thus, their painful choice was made, to leave him at the door of a church, expecting the child to be taken care of. As dusk passed by, they walked the streets with Kiah in basket, covered with cloths and a note above it. When the movement around the church was reduced, they put him in front of door and left.
Kiah understood what happened. He was left to his devices, again. Abandoned, because he had no potential to be found by them. He sighed mentally. "I can't blame them. I wouldn't keep myself either... Well, perhaps the church will have a collection of books to read through childhood, so that's that." Kiah thought to himself, he had already depreciated himself too much in his past life, and was no beginner to shrugging it off to thinking about the future.
Alas, he was bound to only have his thoughts, no fighting destint when you cannot act in the world. While Kiah had his thoughts, waiting for the clerics to pick him, something unexpected came to him. A bald man, wearing ragged simple clothes, passed and went to see him. The lower part of his face was covered with a rag. The man was pale and thin, barely looking healthy, his body and clothing were somewhat dirty, and he picked up the basket with Kiah
"Abandoned, aye? I know how that feels like, little one..." He said with a strong accent, which Kiah couldn't discern because of the fact he barely understood this place's language. As the basket was held, the one holding out reached for the paper and read it.
Kiah was almost freaking out. "This dude doesn't look like a fucking public servant or priest, I'm going to die? Again? I'm too young... Please have mercy." Kiah was now freaking out. And, therefore started crying.
"Hah. I'm sorry my face does not look comforting. My shining years are far behind me, little Kiah. But you'll be taken care of. Priests are no good. Trust me." The man said as he stared Kiah and started to move through the streets.
Kiah cried, but it was already deep into the night, and so, no one came. The bald man moved through barely seen parts of the city, as if he was used to it, until he reached its outskirts, entering a simple home, that barely had any furniture. "Having no mana core is truly concerning, child. But no matter. You'll grow up well here." The man said, removing the rag out of his face and getting Kiah out of the basket, so he could go and feed him.
Kiah didn't cry anymore, he had accepted it, again. "Such is life. I hope I can get another try. This was a short one." Kiah thought. He knew not to judge things for what they look like, but he was concerned by his inability to truly act in the world. The man was unknown to him, and not all man are well intentioned, and that Kiah knew very well.
While Kiah expected bad things to come to him, they never reached him. The man truly took care of him, and time went by. Kiah lost his fear as time went by and nothing happened, but the place he was now made him feel awkard.
The man who took him in talked to him sometimes, which was good so he would not atrophy his ability to relate to the world, but when such was not happening, everything was far too quiet. Kiah could now move his head around a bit, and getting it up to see his surroundings, the bald man spent most of his time in front of his desk, writing and moving papers.
Sometimes people would come in and talk with him, but Kiah was never around to watch what went by, he could only hear voices. And so was what happened as he grew while the months passed once more.
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Kiah was now able to walk a bit, and understand language far better, even though talking didn't come out naturally yet. He also found out the man's name, "Kiver", as they interacted and he helped Kiah to get through his early developments.
"You are a quick learner, aye? Never seen a kid get to walking and mumbling words this fast. It's pity you do not have your core, if you are to develop this quick through your ages, you would become a great mage." Kiver said, as he sat Kiah down and reached a book, so he could read to him outloud.
Kiah didn't feel as uneasy as before, and even though he seemed sketchy, it truly seemed like Kiver was kind. Yet, his curiosity fluorished about him. Why did he take him in, if he only has such a simple place, with simple clothes that seem ragged and lives alone, with no seeming job?
The boy was now intrigued by what destiny reserved for him. But, now, it was time to learn how to write again, in this tiny, incovenient body, starting with crayons.