As I ran, I could feel the fresh wind seeping in through the little pores in my attire, refreshing me and offering vitality.
I gazed at the faces of the workers that surrounded the estate, watching their remarks grow from calm to troubled as soon as they sighted Natasha running after me, probably in tears.
Even though I hadn't fully come to terms with my new reality, where I lived was definitely beautiful.
Bountiful iridescent flowers and short evergreen trees filled the entire lawn which seemed to scale for hectares upon hectares, encompassing my entire view as I ran.
"What a world!" I yelled at the top of my voice, totally enthralled by the outdoors.
Perhaps it was my mind trying to suppress an emotional breakdown, or the fact that I was too preoccupied with my recent trivialities, but I had forgotten an important factor tied to my transmigration.
"So it's here huh..... ha" the pacing of my breathing raged higher as I tried to catch my breath.
It was the first time I had exerted so much energy on an activity ever since I awoke, but I wasn't troubled whatsoever by the fact.
I stared at the pond right in front of me, glistening as the rays of sun refracted at it's surface, triggering a memory that was now as vivid as daybreak.
Where it all started -this was where Milo had drowned and died.
In a successful attempt to take his life, Milo von Brithuels had drowned on the very pond which I stood from, barely a mile away from the estate.
According to the memories in my head, he had been accompanied by Natasha and his youngest sister, Jem, to watch the fishes and the scenery like they usually did from time to time.
Unfortunately, Milo had already contemplated taking his life the day before, designating that day as the "D" day.
I walked further towards the waters, feeling a cold sensation sting my feet gently.
Whilst away from the gazes of onlookers, he had dropped himself into the water calmly, without so much of a sound.
It wasn't until after about ten minutes, till Natasha realized the unusual silence from the young Lord, before proceeding to check on him from where she was hurdled, picking herbs and flowers.
"Young Lord please come back!" A feminine voice, screamed behind me, jolting me back to reality as I turned to stare at her face. It was Natasha and she was crying uncontrollably, the croaking from her voice filling the air.
I stopped when the water reached my waistline, stared at the maid who was now in relief because of my action, the proceeded to dive into the water, immersing myself totally for a moment.
"Bahhh..." I exhaled, shaking my head to stop the water from filling my ears, and drying my hair a little, in the process.
Natasha was already preparing to jump in, tossing her boots and head tie aside, but I quickly signaled her to stop, laughing as i stepped out from the water.
It wasn't an efficient means but it had definitely worked to an extent.
"Do you know what the best way to deal with trauma is, huh Natasha?" I inquired from her reaching to brush off the tears from her flushed face with my fingers, and collecting her scarf from her.
She shook her head in disdain, cleaning her face with her hand, before asking.
"What, young Lord?"
"It's closure. That's the most efficient way to deal with trauma" i replied, feeling as proud as a therapist, upon solving another case of depression and trauma.
But this time, it was Milo's- and mine.
"Let's head back now, I wanna dry up"
I was feeling a lot more elevated than i had, ever since I awoke.
In a way, I could relate with the feelings of Milo, since childhood trauma was one of the things I had to battle while growing up, even pushing me to become a therapist in the future- an oddly second rate one though.
There were expectations that he had been charged with ever since he was born, his family continually expecting him to meet them.
But no one could even try to view his predicament from his perspective, rather they felt compelled to chastise and criticize his efforts. Except of course, Natasha who was his biggest fan, constantly cheering him up.
"I kinda feel for you Milo, it definitely wasn't easy" I whispered, staring at my shaky hands and feeling my skin crawl from the encounter.
It would take time to eventually deal with the side effects, but thankfully the hard part was over.
I waved at the worried looks of the servants as I passed through the garden once more, feeling their thoughts crash against my heart.
'Is he crazy, didn't he almost die the last time....'
'The lake again?, surely the trauma has gotten to him and caused him to go mad.....'
"Is definitely what they're thinking right?" I concluded, hiding my face in shame at my plight.
As soon as we stepped into the main hall I reminded Natasha to keep the details of my little trip a secret, rushing quickly to my room so I could dispose of any evidence.
After that was done, I retired for the day, feeling fatigued and sore all around my feet and body from all the running,
Something I had guessed nobles hardly practiced.
I just wanted to get a quick rest before the sun went down, so I could practice some magic casting by the end of the day.
Unfortunately I slept throughout the entirety of daylight, even until it was time for dinner with my family.
"Curse you, adolescent body that craves sleep endlessly!" I yelled, my head buried in my pillow by the time I woke up.
*****
The entire family had chosen to sit for the evening meal, that is excluding, my mother Vicky von Brithuels, the first son Jade von Brithuels and lastly the first daughter that had been given away in marriage to the grand Duke Kirach a year back, Sasha von Brithuels.
It was a really rare occasion for such an occurrence, as the last time every member sat on this very table was over a year ago.
"Pass the sauce, would you Milo" A voice spoke, jolting me back from my brief upright dose.
"Oh, sorry brother " I apologized, staring at the boy beside me, before reaching to grab the bowl, barely a metre from me.
It was none other than the second son and Milo's immediate elder sibling, Frederick von Brithuels.
He snarled at me before collecting the bowl, possibly disgusted by my lack of etiquette.
'But what can I possibly have done huh?, eating right after a nap is bound to always be tiring' I thought to myself, before smiling back at the taunt.
Frederick used to be extremely close with his younger brother Milo in the past, at least until the 'ascension ritual'.
A ceremony that every human and possibly every being in this world participated in, to usher them into the era of magic officially.
According to what I had read, it was a little different for that of nobles and royalty, as theirs were conducted publicly rather than in closed quarters by a priest.
And unsurprisingly, Milo had put on a show on the day of his own ritual, by not showing any affinity for magic at the usual five-year mark.
Causing shame to the rulers of the land- his parents- as he became a laughing stock of the people for a long while. He later showed affinity three years later but it didn't matter by then.
Ever since then, Frederick stopped defending and even interacting with Milo, earning him the title - the mediocre young Lord.
'So fucking unfair!!!'
"I heard Jade will be coming back home in a few weeks, we must prepare for his welcoming party, right dear?" Luvelia, the first wife enquired, clasping Romelis's right hand as he sipped his wine.
He nodded at the remark before clearing his throat to speak.
He reached out and wiped his face with the white handkerchief that was tucked in the nape of his white sleeve.
"It is an honor to have given birth to such an extraordinary child, even his grace, the grand Duke Kirach, was greatly pleased by his achievements" He exclaimed, beaming with a smile as he stopped eating to relax and brag a bit.
Jade von Brithuels was the first son of the Brithuels household, and by general constitution, the legal successor of the Brithuel county.
But there was a twist though, according to the decree of the founding patriarch, if there was ever a third son in the household, possessing the eyes of Sundra- the God of war, he would succeed any immediate successor irrespective of position and circumstance.
A very daring and partial evaluation on the founding patriarchs part, but I couldn't argue with it, since, I was the third son of this generation, and I also bore the eyes of Sundra.