In the instant the gunshot was heard, Lark felt a brief spike of pain before all of his senses disappeared. Darkness enveloped him like a suffocating shroud, as he soon lost his concept of time. Seconds stretched into minutes, as minutes then stretched into hours.
He was adrift in a realm of nothingness, robbed of his sight, touch, and sound.
'How much time has passed?' Lark wondered to himself. 'If this was the afterlife, I just might die from boredom! Oh wait, I'm already dead!'
Floating aimlessly in the void was not the vibrant afterlife Lark had envisioned. He wanted to sigh in defeat, yet he could not even do that.
However, all of a sudden, he felt movement. Lark grew excited at the change of pace. Anything would be better than residing in a bleak nothingness for eternity.
The movement grew stronger as Lark did his best to match it, after a few moments Lark began to see light.
He could see!
***
"Lady Alise, just a little more…!"
Alise groaned in pain as her husband clasped her hand tightly beside her. She was currently giving birth to her first baby. Her face was dripping with sweat as her attendants were taking care of her.
"Alise, just bear with the pain for a little longer, we can see the child!"
Lael watched his wife's face continue to contort in pain prompting him to hold her hand even tighter. It has been a couple years since they first married and now he could finally get the opportunity to hold his own child in his arms.
Several long minutes later…
'What the hell is this?!'
Lark slowly peeled open his eyes and was immediately greeted by a light so blinding he almost mistaken it for the wrath of the sun. Squinting in displeasure, Lark began to make out his surroundings.
Currently he was in a medieval styled room made from what appeared to be worn down stone walls. A fireplace was lit, crackling away the warmth spreading across the air.
And then there was her—the woman standing over him with a gaze so tender it nearly took his breath away. Her hair, a cascade of platinum gold, framed a face of delicate beauty. Bright blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears, yet a radiant smile graced her lips despite the exhaustion etched into her features.
Lark was even more confused. Who was this woman? How was she holding a fully grown man with ease? Why did she feel so familiar? Several questions popped up into his mind but he couldn't find answers for any of them.
"Congratulations, Lady Alise," a voice interrupted his thoughts, drawing his attention to a woman retreating from the room with a warm smile. "It's a boy! I'll leave you and your husband to have some private time. Call me if you need anything."
After she left, there were only people left in the room. One of them was the young woman holding him while the other was a handsome young man with jet black hair. He was lean and muscular, Lark almost mistaken him for a model of some sort.
The man then walked closer, reaching out his hand to touch Lark's face.
"Lael," the woman whispered softly over the silence that had settled over the room, "This is our son."
Son. The word echoed through Lark's mind. Very slowly he raised his arm as a small hand came into view.
Finally, it dawned on him.
He had been reincarnated, with all his memories intact.
***
It has been a few days since Lark was reincarnated. So far, he's learned a couple of things about his new environment. This world definitely wasn't the Earth he was used to. The technological levels here were too low. His family lived in a small wooden house on the outskirts of a small town with no heating, no running water, and of course no electricity. Not to mention the language his parents spoke was something completely unheard of.
What was even more strange however was that he could understand it. After hearing the foreign language enter his ears, his brain would automatically interpret it into language he understood.
Bizarre.
Another weird aspect was that even though life should have been uncomfortable in such a predated period of technology, it was actually quite comfortable. On cold nights his mother would lay beside him and warmth from an unknown source would envelop him. Although he never saw his mother fetch water, they would always have clean water to cook, clean, and drink. During the day the house was much cooler than what should have been possible with a simple wooden hut.
Lael and Alise Shawling were the names of Lark's parents. Lael was the son of a merchant who later on became an adventurer. Alise was from a relatively small family of nobles. Supposedly they met during one of Lael's adventures and later on got married.
Lark glanced up at his mother holding him. Part of him wanted to coddle up to her. Is this how all babies felt?
"Albert say ahhhh…"
Eagerly, Albert opened his mouth as his mother fed him. Albert—the name that now belonged to him.
Having taken his fill, Albert soon succumbed to the drowsiness that often claimed newborns. As his eyelids grew heavy, he watched his mother's face, a sense of peace settling over him as sleep gently claimed him once more.
For the first time in years, no nightmares haunted him.
***
Alise watched with tender affection as her baby, Albert, slept soundly in her arms. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, each breath a gentle sigh of innocence. Jet black hair, reminiscent of his father's, framed his peaceful face, while bright blue eyes, mirroring her own, peeked out from beneath delicate lashes. More than anything, Alise longed to pinch those soft cheeks, to shower her newborn son with all the love in her heart.
A moment later, her husband Lael entered the room, his footsteps quiet against the worn wooden floor. His eyes lit up with eager yet gentle concern as he approached. "How's Albert?" he asked, his voice a soft murmur.
"He fell asleep just now," Alise replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She shifted slightly to give her husband a better view, a small smile playing on her lips.
Lael's expression softened as he watched his son sleeping.
"I've talked to the doctor earlier by the way," he paused, "You were wondering why Albert didn't cry right?"
Alise nodded, a faint furrow of concern creasing her brow. "I'm sure it's nothing, but I just want to make sure he's healthy."
Lael approached the bed, his eyes gentle as they met hers. "There isn't anything wrong with him," he explained, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Apparently, some babies just don't cry when they're born. It's completely normal."
A wave of relief washed over her as she gently brushed her fingers through Albert's hair.
"Do you regret marrying me and settling down in this small town? Even if you didn't fully inherit the Shawling wealth, you would've at least been entitled to some of it."
Lael let out an exasperated sigh at his wife's words.
"Didn't we already talk about this? I'm already lucky my father allowed me to open a trading post in such a small town. Besides, I set off as an adventurer not only because I was the youngest son, but because I disliked life in a large town," Lael smiled at his wife, "I'm already the luckiest man alive to marry such a beautiful woman."
"Sweet talker."
"Isn't that why you married me?"
Alise pinched her husband's sides, "You wish."
"Although I disliked the thought of being a merchant, opening a trading post is certainly a lot safer than continuing to be an adventurer."
She nodded in agreement. Although being an adventurer was a suitable profession for someone who enjoyed freedom, Alise would've never agreed to settle down if her husband continued his shenanigans.
Lael chuckled, his hand reaching out to gently grasp hers. "But being here with you, Alise, watching our son grow up... there's nothing I would trade for this."
***
A month swiftly passed by as Albert quickly adapted to his new environment. Within this time period he learned what made this world different from his own.
Magic.
Although the technological levels here were low, development progressed in a different direction. Albert witnessed his mother lighting the stove with a flick of her fingers, filling up the tub with a pure stream of water.
In this world, there was an energy called mana. It existed everywhere in the atmosphere, an ethereal force waiting to be tapped into. Living beings had learned and evolved to harness this energy for their own uses.
Currently Albert and his family lived on a nation named Eston, a small country on the eastern coast of the Araxian continent. Things were pretty peaceful here as far as he could tell. Then again he hasn't exactly stepped foot outside of the small nameless town his family resided in.
"Albert, do you want to go to town today?" Alise asked her son.
Albert's initial impulse was to shake his head, but before he could react, his mother interpreted his fidgety movements as excitement.
"Look at you, so eager!" Alise exclaimed with a warm smile, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
For the first few times, the prospect of exploring this new world had indeed been exhilarating. The rustic charm of the town, the quaint stone streets filled with friendly villagers had all been a welcome sight. However, after visiting town at least five times a week, the novelty had started to wear thin for Albert.
The same old scenery, while undeniably picturesque, began to bore him. Most days, he found himself struggling to stay awake in his infant body, yearning for the simple comfort of his home.
As Albert's mother began to prepare for their outing, he simply steeled himself for another long day out.
Moments later, the mother and son pair were on the familiar loosely paved stone roads. Residents would often wave as Alise passed by as everyone recognized the young mother. It was a town where everybody knew everybody.
Oftentimes she would come home with baskets of vegetables or fruits, showing just how much the town's residents adored her. Albert couldn't blame them, his mother was such a beautiful and warm person after all.
A few hours later he began to feel drowsy as his mother continued to interact with the shopkeepers and residents.
***
Alise gazed down at her baby boy, fast asleep and snuggled against her chest, and couldn't help but feel her heart swell with affection. Each time she looked at him, a smile tugged at her lips uncontrollably. He was simply too adorable for words.
Her own mother had once warned her about the challenges of raising a baby in the early stages of life. They were said to be picky eaters, prone to erratic sleeping schedules, and often quite moody. However, as Alise watched her son sleep so peacefully, she couldn't help but marvel at how different Albert was from what she had been told.
Albert never disturbed her in the middle of the night, always contentedly ate whatever she offered him, and surprisingly, he hardly ever cried. Instead, he would gaze up at her with those bright blue eyes, his expression full of innocent curiosity and trust, before snuggling up to her for comfort. Compared to the stories her mother had shared about raising a baby, Alise found herself thinking that raising Albert was remarkably easy.
'Maybe I should head home soon,' Alise thought to herself, her steps slowing as she contemplated their next move. 'Lael would love to see Albert when he's awake.'
Originally she wanted to visit her husband at work, but after looking at her sleeping son, decided to change her plans.
After a pleasant stroll, the family eventually made their way back home. The wooden house, nestled among the trees on the town's outskirts, welcomed them back with its familiar charm.