The three of us spent quite a well in the forest, sticking to the trail that we promised to stay on. With excitement bubbling within us, we realised we had experienced something quite extraordinary. These magical rabbits were a testament to the wonders hidden within the depths of the forest, yet I was wary. After all, it was when your guard was at its weakest that the unexpected always struck.
Heading back as it was getting dark, we finally arrived back in town, our faces flushed, my mother was waiting anxiously at the end of the trail closest to town.
"Darian, Anna, Adam," she called out, her voice filled with worry. Noticing our arrival, her expression softened, changing to a smile full of affection. "You're back, did you three have a good time?"
"Mama, you won't believe what we discovered!" I uttered, my giddiness so wholly evident all over my face and body language.
As the three of us shared our tales of the magical rabbit creatures, my mother listened intently, her smile never leaving her face even for a moment.
"I'm glad you had such an incredible adventure," my mother said, her voice tinged with a hint of longing. "Remember, the world is full of wonders, both big and small, but you have to remember to be careful, ok?"
"Ok." The three of us said in unison.
After dropping Anna and Adam at their home, I felt the weight of today on me as I climbed into my bed. In the comfort of sleep, I relived today's encounters – the rabbits, Anna, Adam, I would forever cherish today's memories. As weird as it was, those two were the first friends I had made in this world.
***
2 more years had passed, Darian was now 6 years old.
Anna, Adam and Darian would spend their time in the forest exploring, adventuring, and playing with the other kids. Sometimes, the boy would spend his time practising magic while the other kids played – the outskirts of Elunara Forest had been deemed safe by both the Town Hall and Guild Hall as adventurers and mercenaries would regularly surveille the area.
During their little escapades, away from the prying eyes of adults and the only two people he considered his friends, Darian would practise the magic spells he had come up with at a babbling brook (= a small stream) in the forest.
Looking at his own reflection, Darian realised he was quite good-looking – at least according to his own standards, with his black hair, red eyes and sharp features.
"I might even be a Casanova, with hordes of women falling for me left and right," he joked. 'I mean, who could resist this charming little face? Ha!" Darian laughed after making a 'check' hand sign with his thumb and index finger.
Regaining his senses, the boy sat cross-legged on the soft forest floor covered in green moss and weeds. Closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing, he allowed the natural energy of the world to flow into him using the Ithrin technique from his second life with slight changes.
As he inhaled, he senses the mana particles in the air converging towards his navel, drawing them to his mana core. With each bated breath, he felt the energy building with himself, filling his expanded core which was now the size of his own fist.
Finally managing to fill it, he noticed its colour change from a dark blue to a slightly lighter dark blue, except this time he felt a welling in his core, a sharp pain like he had never felt before!
An intense sweat fueled by the smouldering heat of his body quickly overwhelmed the boy as black, liquid blobs of sweat seeped out of his skin causing him to writhe due to the agonising pain. To him it felt like an eternity, yet his plight lasted a mere 30 seconds before he fainted on the forest floor.
He awoke to the sound of laughter echoing in the forest. Checking his body for what had happened, he noticed an immediate change to his core. It was no longer the size of his child-like fist, instead it had shrunk slightly and changed colour to a dark purple, yet it was more dense with mana.
'Was this normal?' He thought. The boy did not know the answer to the questions that flooded his mind. 'What was the black sweat that came out of my skin?' He continued, but before he could overthink some more, he was interrupted by the cheery sound of Anna chasing someone during their game of tag.
"Hahaha! Tag, you're it, Olfin!" Anna said, running towards Darian's direction.
"Hey! You can't do that! There's a 5 second rule!" Olfin protested, his voice a mix of playful annoyance as he chased after her.
Coming to an abrupt halt, Anna's joy turned to astonishment when she caught sight of Darian's dishevelled state. He was covered in black dirt, his clothes looked like they had been rolling in the mud, and worst of all he smelled disgusting.
"Darian! W-What on earth happened to you?" Anna's words stumbled out, a mixture of concern and incredulity in her tone, her delicate nose wrinkling at the smell as she cautiously moved closer.
Adam, appearing behind Olfin, pinched his nose as he made his way to Darian. "Yuck what were you doing all alone? You should go home and clean up."
Darian attempted to deflect with a weak grin. "Haha…Ugh yeah I kind of fell and there was this thing…Never mind. Yeah, I'll go home." He tried to cover up, his attempt at nonchalance somewhat awkward before he quickly made his way home.
Olfin, unable to resist a snide comment, interjected, "As usual, it's always him doing weird things, ugh."
***
"Why do you guys even play with him? He's a weirdo, he never plays and runs off on his own!" Olfin remarked, his nose still held as if he could still smell the lingering stench.
"Hey!" Anna's voice carried a note of offence. "You can't just say that. He's my best friend."
"Yeah, seriously, what's gotten into you, Olfin?" Adam chimed in, his loyalty clearly aligned with his sister.
"Tsk, whatever." Olfin brushed it off with a dismissive wave of his hand. "But you both know I'm not wrong. He's always wandering off by himself."
Anna's retort was swift and cheeky. "And so what? He's got a lot more coolness in his little finger than you do in your entire being, you idiot." She punctuated her point with a teasing tongue-out expression directed at Olfin.
Olfin turned red in offence causing his nostrils to flare as he became angry. The exchange lit the fuse for a heated squabble, the children soon finding themselves embroiled in a minor skirmish of petty words.
***