October 15, 1108, was a pivotal day in the Vinestead village council.
The heated discussion about burning the little girl as a witch continued unabated. William and Victoria, two empathetic individuals who had witnessed the injustices inflicted on innocent wanderers before in the capital, struggled to contain their anger.
They exchanged knowing glances, both silently agreeing that they needed to act carefully, lest they become targets themselves. They knew well of the Church's influence on the illiterate populace and how easy it was for them to be swayed by fear of the Wanderers.
Just as they were involved in a silent conversation, a villager spoke out from the sidelines.
"It is the damn heretic wanderers; we should burn her at the stake!" one villager vehemently proclaimed, and the others echoed their agreement.
Amidst the chaos, a third wife accused the little six-year-old girl of trying to seduce her husband. False accusations and derogatory remarks flew around the room, further fueling the frenzy against the helpless child.
In the midst of the turmoil, Ethan, within Victoria's womb, was shaken by the revelation that he, as the founder of the Guardians with the moniker of Sovereign Shield, was considered a villain who had threatened the world's existence.
His consciousness turmoil, a mix of anger and helplessness washed over him as he realized how history had twisted the narrative of the Wanderers and the Guardians, and how people still didn't know about the Dreamcatchers.
It was the eighth month of Victoria's pregnancy, and Ethan had already recovered many memories from his previous life as Sovereign Shield. However, he didn't know anything after what happened at the age of 40.
In today's council, he finally knew that he—the founder of the Guardians—had become an enemy of humankind after hearing the villager's conversation and didn't know how to handle this information.
Victoria's hand instinctively moved to protect her unborn child as she caressed her stomach, sensing the unrest. She exchanged worried glances with William. They both knew that they had to act wisely, for any impulsive move against the church's messenger—the main perpetrator of today's event—could have dire consequences.
Meanwhile, the little girl deflated in the middle of the hall with battered breath and ragged clothes seemed detached from her surroundings. She silently bore the weight of the villagers' accusations with a blank expression and a dead look in her blue eyes like silent night.
From the looks of it, she had been through unimaginable torment, and her spirit seemed broken, unable to defend herself or understand the gravity of the accusations. She didn't know what burning at stake meant, or what death felt like, but she instinctively understood she might be freed once and for all, giving her a liberating feeling deep within her heart.
She sought to die and disappear, never to open her eyes again. The pain a six-year-old bore was clearly visible to Victoria, who was more sensitive, maybe because of her heightened motherly instinct at the moment.
With a heavy heart, Victoria spoke up, her voice firm yet cautious. "We must not act hastily. Accusations need to be supported by concrete evidence. Burning her without fair judgment goes against the principles of justice."
As the discussions raged on, Ethan, who was listening quietly from the depths of Victoria's womb, felt an inner turmoil. He didn't know why, but a deep feeling inside his consciousness urged him to protect the little girl, the Vyom Entheonite, who bore similarities to him. He felt a connection with her, but he was a helpless fetus with no real power.
William interjected, his voice firm and measured, "Hold on, my friends. Let us not rush to judgment based on one person's account. We must consider that perceptions can be distorted, and we need to gather more evidence before we make any decisions."
The villagers looked sceptical, but William continued, "We don't know for certain whether she is truly a Wanderer or not. We must conduct a thorough investigation and hear from the girl herself before we reach any conclusions."
The guard's wife, still visibly agitated, stepped forward and recounted her experience, "I swear by the Church and the Guardians that what I saw was real. I couldn't believe my own eyes. In the dead of night, I saw her shadows moving on their own, like sinister tendrils trying to grasp anything in their path."
As the woman spoke, fear and anxiety spread among the villagers. Some nodded in agreement, while others exchanged worried glances.
Victoria, feeling a deep sense of empathy for the girl, spoke up, "Even if you think she possesses strange abilities, did she act against you? it doesn't necessarily make her evil. We need to understand her circumstances and consider that she might be a victim too. There might be a hidden conspirator, probably the real Wanderer who can manipulate shadows like you said."
William nodded, acknowledging Victoria's logical retort, but he knew he had to be cautious in expressing any sympathy towards the girl as the topic of Wanderers was a taboo that he didn't want to be invoked in this assembly. As a ruler, he couldn't be seen going against the Church's doctrine otherwise the consequences would be dire.
"Yes, we should approach this matter with caution. But let us remember our duty to uphold the laws and protect our village from potential threats." William took his time replying with a sombre voice.
***
The atmosphere in the council chamber was tense as the villagers grappled with conflicting emotions of fear and the desire for justice.
Ethan, listening from within Victoria's womb, and understanding her emotions through their shared connection, felt a surge of emotions as he realized the gravity of the situation.
He understood that his parents wanted to protect the girl from the unjust fate that awaited her, but they didn't know how to go about it.
Then, as if compelled by an unseen force, Ethan made a decision. He knew he had to do something, and he had to do it now.
"Ugh!!", As Victoria gasped in pain from the labour he stimulated, Ethan felt a pang of guilt but also a sense of resolve. The pain would be temporary, but it might be enough to disrupt the council's focus and buy some time to save the girl.
"Aagh!!," As the pain became unbearable, Victoria clutched her stomach in panic, the sudden labour painstaking her by surprise. William rushed to her side, concern etched on his face, and the villagers were distracted from their fervour.
"Victoria, what's happening? Are you alright?" William asked, his voice tinged with worry.
"I don't know... The pain... it's unbearable," Victoria managed to say between heavy breaths, the intensity of the moment drawing her attention away from the girl's plight.
Unbeknownst to them, it was Ethan, within her womb, who had taken action. Despite his advanced state of development at eight months, he had been careful not to cause any inconvenience to Victoria until now. But this time, he knew he had no other choice.
As Victoria's labour pains continued, the chaos in the council grew. William seized the opportunity to declare an emergency and disband the session, diverting attention from the girl.
The villagers' momentary concern for Victoria overpowered their previous anger, and William, a retired royal guard and strategist for the Imperial guards in his previous incarnation, quickly seized the opportunity, declaring an emergency and disbanding the council session.
"There's no time for this now. We need to get Victoria to safety and attend to her immediately!" William announced, taking charge of the situation.
Amidst the chaos, he managed to convince the villagers to allow the little girl to be taken to their estate, isolating her to prevent any potential influence on the village. He played on their fear of the witch's supposed powers, planting the idea that she might curse the village before her death, causing a greater catastrophe.
With the villagers swayed by fear and Victoria's urgent need for medical attention, they reluctantly agreed to release the little girl into William's custody.
As the council session came to an abrupt end, the little girl was taken away, still bearing the blank expression that had become her shield against the cruelty of the world. William knew that there was much they needed to do to protect her and unravel the truth behind her origins.
******
In the quiet confines of the estate, Ethan's consciousness resided within his mother's mind. He felt a mixture of emotions—relief that the immediate threat had passed, but also a sense of unease as he contemplated the unknown future that lay ahead.
"I only remember that I had formed a group called Guardians in my previous life, and we were fighting the Dreamcatchers. The Church was being used as a propaganda machine by the Dreamcatchers to capture Wanderers who had awakened suddenly, however, until today, I wasn't sure whether the Guardians succeeded in the end or not. But looking at today's incident and what the villagers said, the roles of guardian and wanderer seem to have been reversed."
Although the villager talked very little about the so-called "Holy Crusade against the Wanderers," Ethan gained valuable knowledge he was previously lacking. The Dreamcatchers' conspiracy seemed to have passed, and they must have won the war.
"Looks like I died sometime before three decades ago, around 1070, as the current year is 1108, and I was born in 1008. Therefore, I must have died in my sixties, as I have few memories after the age of forty. I need to get all my memories back; only then will I know better what happened during the last decade of my life. Why did I die? How did the war between the two factions get exposed?"
As Victoria rested, recovering from the sudden labor pains, she felt an inexplicable sense of worry, as if a guiding presence enveloped her and her unborn child. Unaware that it was Ethan's consciousness that connected them, she whispered, "We will find a way to help her, my dear child, don't worry."
Ethan, in turn, felt a surge of determination within himself. He knew that today was only a single incident in the long road. He didn't know whether he had to rewrite the history of the Wanderers and the Guardians, but he knew that his role in this life can't just be about exposing Dreamcatchers' conspiracy anymore.
"I thought I could live a simple life in this birth, but now they have already knocked right at my door even before I'm born."
A tinge of worry appeared in his consciousness as Ethan remembered something that he had forgotten, "Will they figure out that I'm also an Entheonite upon my birth? They shouldn't, right?"
As the night wore on, Ethan's consciousness settled within his mother's mind, and he pondered the predicament they found themselves in. "I don't know how I have awakened my powers already in this life, but my Vyom powers are slowly recovering every day. I should be able to hide my presence from the Seekers, just like I did in my last life. I just hope this incident can go away quickly without causing any problems for Mom and Dad," he thought, trying to find a solution to protect both the girl and his family.
Meanwhile, William and Victoria sat together, discussing the events of the council meeting. They knew that today's incident wouldn't be over so easily. Even though they somehow avoided the worst outcome today, the church's messenger who had caused all this turmoil wouldn't let go of it that easily.
"I fear the church's messenger won't rest until he finds a way to punish the girl," William said, his brow furrowed with concern. "We need to be careful and discreet in our actions. Any misstep could have dire consequences for all of us."
Victoria nodded in agreement, her heart heavy with worry for both the girl and her unborn child. "We must protect her, William. She's just a child, and I can't bear the thought of her suffering at the hands of the church."
Ethan, within his mother's womb, felt the weight of the situation, knowing that he needed to find a way to help the little girl. As his Vyom powers slowly awakened, he realized that they might share a commonality. "The little girl is also a Vyom Entheonite, maybe I can get her help somehow," he mused, feeling a glimmer of hope that they could face this uncertain future together.
The night was quiet as the estate rested, but Ethan's mind was restless with thoughts and plans. He knew that he needed to be cautious, for the fate of the girl and the truth behind the Wanderers and the Guardians hung in the balance.
As the first light of dawn approached, Ethan's consciousness settled into a peaceful slumber, ready to face whatever challenges the new day would bring.