Einar was woken up by the sun peeking through the window. He was still tired, so he decided to snuggle up closer to his mother. More than a year had passed since he had died, and his life had changed considerably. He went from being one of the most powerful people on the planet to an impoverished baby in the blink of an eye. The first few weeks had been hell for him. He couldn't understand anybody and he wasn't free to move at all. To him, his new life had felt like a glorified prison.
Even after he learned the language his situation didn't get much better. He could only listen to his parents talking. A one-month-old baby speaking in full sentences would have aroused too much suspicion, so Einar decided to play it slow. After 4 months he allowed himself to speak a few simple words. Not enough to be abnormal, but enough to be considered a gifted child. He had chosen his first word very carefully. He knew from experience that the first words a baby said would completely shift the political balance in a household.
A baby saying "Papa" would imply the father's importance over the mother's. A baby saying "Mama" would mean the opposite. He was fighting a war where there would be no winners, so he decided to minimize the damage. He chose the safest word possible: "food".
As expected, both his mother and father became ecstatic. To them, their little angel had just spoken his first words. This had led to them doting on him even more. They considered him a genius for speaking at such a young age.
He had to admit that he was having fun. After spending most of his previous life upholding the duties being an Archmage cursed him with, he could finally let go. Every once in a while he would think about what happened after his death. He would think about his wife and children, about the people of Draconis who surely would have suffered after his defeat.
These memories usually resurfaced in his sleep, making him wake up screaming and crying. Luckily babies tended to do that, so his parents weren't aware of his ever-growing PTSD.
"It's fine for now, but I can see this becoming a significant issue as I grow up," he thought to himself.
The sound of his parents waking up brought him back to reality.
"Good morning, dear," Alicia yawned, stretching her arms. Her hair was disheveled, and her face still showed signs of weariness from just waking up.
"Morning honey." Vedel replied. He already looked readily awake. The years of hard work in the mine had long since forced him to cope with waking up early.
"Did you sleep well, Ruen?" Alicia asked as she picked her son up.
Einar stared off into the distance for a while, before realizing his mother was referring to him.
'Damn, I still can't get used to my new name.' He thought.
Einar quickly nodded to appease his mother, who looked increasingly worried for every second he failed to respond.
"Great to hear!" She smiled, though a hint of worry still lingered behind her eyes.
"Well alright then." She continued. "Let's go dear."
"Right behind you." Vedel answered, hastily climbing out of bed.
Together, they walked to the kitchen. As a family of three in the poorest district of the Empire, they couldn't afford much, so their apartment was extremely small. The walk from their shared bed to the kitchen took them barely 5 seconds. Ruen couldn't walk yet. At least, he had decided he couldn't yet. In his eyes being 11 months old was a bit too early. The most he had allowed himself to do was crawl.
Alicia started making breakfast whilst Vedel took Ruen and put him in his high chair.
"Today's the day, honey," Vedel announced. "I'm finally getting promoted."
"I'm glad, dear," Alicia replied with a warm smile.
"Once I get promoted, our financial situation will improve by leaps and bounds, and I'll finally be able to buy you a wonderful gift," Vedel proudly declared.
"Will you get a present for me too, Dad?" Einar asked, attempting to sound enthusiastic, although he didn't care much for the present. He was, after all, a grown man. However, his curiosity about the differences in toys in this new life was genuine. Under normal circumstances, such matters wouldn't pique his interest, but he was starved for any information about his new life. The apartment had quickly become too confining, and he was eager to explore more.
"Of course, Ruen," Vedel reassured him. "I'll get you the most incredible toy you've ever seen."
"Really?" Einar responded, raising an eyebrow out of habit. While he knew his father loved him, such an extravagant promise seemed excessive.
"Absolutely," Vedel replied with unwavering confidence.
Alicia had just finished preparing breakfast, filling the small apartment with the aroma of freshly cooked food. It wasn't very extravagant. They all had porridge, sprinkled with the few bits of fruit they were able to afford. They gathered around the table, and the family enjoyed their meal together, savoring each bite.
As they finished breakfast, they talked about their everyday life, speaking without a worry in the world.
Einar found it to be pleasant as always. It provided him some solace from the internal struggles that came with his new life.
Once their plates were empty, they carefully cleared the table and washed the dishes together, the clinking of utensils and the chatter of their conversation filling the kitchen.
After the morning rituals, Vedel, dressed for a day at the mine, prepared to leave for work. He kissed Alicia and gently patted Ruen, who was quiet as usual.
As Vedel headed out the door for the mine, Alicia lovingly picked up Ruen, cradling him in her arms. The two of them moved to the bedroom, and she settled Ruen down on the bed, her voice soft as she sang a lullaby to him, hoping to soothe him into a peaceful nap.
"Where does Dad go every day Mommy?" Einar asked. He couldn't pass up on this golden opportunity to learn more about his parents.
"Your father works in the mines, Ruen. He has a very important job."
"Do all Dads have the same job?" He asked with a puzzled look on his face. It was all a farce of course. He hated having to ask such stupid questions, but there was nothing he could do about it.
"Yes, most of them do." She replied.
"Why?" Now he was genuinely puzzled. Back in his previous life, the mining industry had been small. The mines were all run by dwarves, who were famous for being excellent miners. Humans had always preferred the more creative jobs, like tailoring and woodwork.
"Most of the dads in the Empire are miners. That's how we get the metal to build the city. If we didn't have enough, we would be in big trouble." Alicia tried to explain
"Oh." Einar simply replied. He didn't want to pry further. His mother clearly didn't know a lot about it.
'That's not surprising. It doesn't seem like my parents have received any real education.' He thought.