It's 202x, and here I am, approaching my 30s. I graduated from college nearly a decade ago and chose to focus on my career as a programmer. I thought I had accomplished everything I set out to do, but at the end of the day, I'm not happy with my life. What am I missing? I don't have many friends, and I don't enjoy traveling, so I usually just go to work, head home, and rest. My last relationship ended in college. I've been so focused on financially supporting my family that I've neglected taking care of myself. But today, I decided I'm going to start enjoying life.
I'm still in bed, thinking about this, unsure where to begin. Part of me even wants to quit my job. I've saved up enough, so maybe I'll start a business. Yes, that's it! Then I'll travel the world. Something inside me craves more from life!
Suddenly, I hear the wail of an ambulance, and I realize I'm inside it. The last thing I remember is saving a child from being hit by a car. I pushed the child out of the way, but I couldn't save myself. Blood pours from my body. I don't know the extent of my injuries my head throbs, and I can't hear the paramedics. They're urging me to stay awake, but my vision fades into darkness. I wish I had lived more fully. I'll miss my family, my parents, my brothers, and my sisters. I'll miss you all. I hope the child is safe. If I had the chance to live again, I'd make sure to enjoy life more. As I close my eyes, I die.
When I open them again, I know I'm dead, but somehow, I'm alive. It's so bright I can't see anything, and I can't move. Am I in a vegetative state? What happened to me? I want to cry wait, I already am. What's going on? My body feels light, as if someone is carrying me. It's a woman. I don't recognize her, and I can't understand what she's saying. I reach out, and that's when I notice my hands are tiny. What is happening? Is this real? Am I really in the body of a newborn child? Could it be true? Have I reincarnated? But when and where?
The room around me feels old-fashioned, with wooden walls and candles for light. I'm not great at describing this, but it reminds me of a setting from a fantasy novel or show. Have I reincarnated in another world?
The Last Saint's Sanctum (chapter 1)
So, as you know, I've been reincarnated but not in our world. I'm in a completely
different one. How do I know this? When my mom reads to me from a book, I can't recognize any of the letters, and from what I've gathered, it seems like I'm in medieval times. I'm not sure if I've traveled back in time or if this is a whole new world, but I'll figure it out eventually. My name here is Celeste, and my mother is Ilvia. I'm currently one year old, and I still don't fully understand the language they speak, but give me time, and I'll get the hang of it. After all, I'm still a baby.
My mom works at a brothel, and while she's at work, an older woman named Mama Rosario watches over me. I'm not exactly sure what my mom does at the brothel, but it seems to involve her appearance. I must say, my mom is beautiful she has brown hair and green eyes, almost like a Western model. But when I look in the mirror, I don't resemble her much. I have full lips, but my hair is a deep, scarlet red, almost like blood, not the ginger shade I had in my previous life. My eyes are a bright blue. Maybe I take after my father? Speaking of which, I haven't seen him. Where is he? I only ever see my mom, Mama Rosario, and some guy who works in the bar, but he's not my dad—his hair is black. Who is my father? I'll have to ask my mom when I'm older.
There's something else I'm a girl in this world. In my previous life, I was a boy. Is this some kind of gender-bender situation? I'm in a girl's body, but deep down, I still feel like a man. It's a bit awkward, to be honest. How will I adapt? Can I even have a relationship with the opposite gender? Well, I'll figure that out later. For now, I should focus on what's in front of me. I need to learn more about this world and help my mom. She's working hard as a single parent to raise me.
As I crawl around our room, I notice my mom has a lot of stuff makeup, dresses, shoes all things I'm not interested in. She also has three books she reads to me often: a history book, an encyclopedia, and a myth about a hero from this world. Maybe I should start with those to get a better understanding of my new reality.
"Mother Rosario, my child is strange," I overhear my mom say. "She's always so quiet, staring at the book a client gave me when I was younger, or gazing out the window. She rarely cries and uses hand signals when she's hungry instead of crying."
"Oh, Ilvia," Mother Rosario replies, "it might be too early to tell, but I think your baby girl will grow up to be very bright. In the 20 years I've cared for children in this brothel, I've never had one so easy to look after."
As they talk, I try to fall asleep. Am I being weird? Maybe I should act more like a regular baby to avoid raising suspicion. I don't want my mom to get into trouble because of me, but I can't help my curiosity. It's boring in this room. I want to go outside!
I've learned that I live on a continent called Ereípia. There are many continents in this world, but Ereípia is the largest, and I want to explore all of it before I die. That's my goal. But how will I achieve it? Thankfully, there's magic in this world. If I become a renowned mage, I can make that dream a reality or I could become an adventurer. I'm not too fond of wielding a sword, so I'll stick to magic. It's much cooler anyway!
I'm two years old now, and I've noticed it's much colder here. There's firewood, and I have plenty of warm clothes, but I'm still not used to the weather. There are three seasons here: spring, summer, and winter. The cold days are tough. So far, I've learned that I live in a medieval fantasy world. Everything here feels primitive compared to the standards of my previous life, but luckily, I live in a relatively upscale brothel. And I was right my mom works as a prostitute. I don't judge her for it; she has the looks, and I respect how hard she works. But I do pity her. My main goal for now is to help her leave this job. My mother, Ilvia, is an orphan and has been working here since she was a child.
How can I make money in this world? How can I achieve the things I couldn't in my previous life? Should I learn magic? I'm three years old now and can barely talk, but I've asked my mom if she can get me a book on magic. She thinks I'm a genius and gives me all the attention and support I need. I can't exactly tell her I'm reincarnated! Hopefully, she can get me a magic book before I turn five. She's working hard to save up for it, and once she does, I'll dive in. My mom knows a bit of magic, but it's mostly basic spells producing water, fire for daily use, some earth magic, and simple wind magic. Nothing powerful, just enough for daily tasks. But now, it's my turn. I'm going to master magic and help my mom.