It's been months since my reincarnation. I still remember the confusion, the disorientation from that first day, but things have settled into a routine now. I've had plenty of time to think about what those voices said—the voices that promised me powers in this new life. Well, if they gave me powers, today's the day I find out.
Aurora, my sister, is away, and my parents are off doing whatever it is they do. For the first time in weeks, I've got a bit of peace. I should use this chance to test my abilities. Who knows how long I have before someone barges in? First things first: I should try something simple. A flame. That should be easy enough, right?
I clambered up out of my cradle. Yes, I'm still technically a baby—ten months old, to be exact—but no one knows that I can already walk and talk. I figure it's best to keep this little secret to myself. After all, who wouldn't be freaked out by a talking baby?
Now, back to the task at hand. A flame. In the comics and manga from my previous life, they always made it look so easy. You just visualize it, and bam, it happens. I can only hope it works the same way here. Closing my eyes, I focused on the idea of a tiny spark, something small and harmless.
But what I got was anything but small.
A massive burst of fire erupted from my hands, crackling in the air like a roaring bonfire. The heat was intense, far more than I had expected. I blinked at the flames, completely stunned. I was pretty sure I'd only imagined a spark, not... this. Well, at least I know I've got the fire part down.
I smirked to myself, extinguishing the fire with a quick wave of my hand. One element down, a few more to go. It was time to see what else I could do. I moved on to water, then wind, then earth—experimenting with every element I could think of, testing my limits. It felt natural, like these powers had always been there, waiting for me to unlock them.
Just as I was about to take things up a notch and combine a few elements, I heard the sound of hurried footsteps coming down the hallway. I froze, recognizing the familiar pattern of those steps. In just ten months, I had already grown accustomed to the routine of my sister, Aurora. She was always bounding around the house, full of energy, and unfortunately, always wanting to wake me up whenever she could.
Aurora couldn't seem to leave me in peace, even when I was pretending to sleep. If I'm being honest, though, I didn't entirely mind it. I'd grown fond of her company in a way, even if she was a bit much at times.
The footsteps drew closer, and I quickly did what had become my daily routine: I jumped back into the cradle, pulling the blankets up over me and pretending to sleep. I couldn't have her catching me standing up and summoning flames. Who wouldn't freak out after seeing a baby stand on his own and start slinging magic around?
A few seconds later, the door to my room burst open with a loud bang, and Aurora skipped into the room, her voice ringing through the air as she sang, "Little brother, little brother!" She always did this, barging in without a second thought and making as much noise as possible. I guess she thought I needed waking up. Fine. I'll play along. For now.
I let out a cry, high-pitched and loud enough to sound convincing. As expected, she rushed to my side, scooping me up in her arms. "Oh, what's wrong, brother?" she asked, her voice full of concern but clearly pretending that it wasn't her fault for waking me in the first place.
She paced around the room with me in her arms, bouncing me lightly in an attempt to calm me down. But I wasn't going to let her off that easily. I had been in the middle of something important, and she had interrupted me. So, I cried even louder.
Aurora's eyes widened in panic. "Shh, shh, it's okay! Please stop crying!" she pleaded, but I refused to give in. I wasn't going to let her win this round.
Just as I expected, the real help arrived.
"Aurora! Let him sleep for once!" my mother's voice called from outside the room. Thank you, Mom. I stopped my crying immediately, snuggling into Aurora's arms as if I'd finally been soothed.
Aurora frowned, looking a bit disappointed, but she knew better than to argue with our mother. She gently placed me back in my cradle, casting one last glance at me before turning to leave.
Mother entered the room, her presence calming as always. "I told you to let him sleep, Aurora. He's still a baby. Now, off you go. Let him rest."
Aurora pouted, clearly reluctant to leave, but she gave in and shuffled out of the room, looking back at me with every few steps. It was almost sad to watch her go, but I had bigger things to worry about right now.
Mother approached me with a gentle smile, leaning down to whisper, "Did she bother you, little one?" Her voice was as affectionate as always, full of warmth that I was starting to get used to. But despite the comfort it brought, I still had more pressing matters to attend to—namely, figuring out my powers.
The only way to get her to leave was to pretend to sleep, and so I did. I closed my eyes, feigning exhaustion, and within moments, I felt her carefully tucking me back under the blankets.
"Sleep well, my little Aiden," she murmured before slipping out of the room and quietly closing the door behind her.
I waited a few moments, listening carefully for any signs of her returning. When I was sure the coast was clear, I threw off the blankets and stood up in the cradle once more.
"Now, where was I?"