The first thing I noticed was the warmth.
It wrapped around me, gentle and comforting, as though the air itself wanted to reassure me. A soft rustling sound accompanied it—leaves swaying in a breeze—and, in the distance, I could hear faint chirping, the kind that belonged to birds welcoming a sunrise.
The smell came next: fresh, floral, and earthy, like spring had taken root all around me. It felt too perfect, too serene, but the knot of confusion in my chest refused to loosen.
Was this some kind of dream?
For a brief moment, I let the peacefulness wash over me, trying to convince myself that everything was fine, that I wasn't still drowning in darkness or falling through the void. But even as the tension in my body eased, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
I blinked, or at least I thought I did, but the world around me refused to sharpen. My vision was fuzzy, as if I were staring through foggy glass. I could make out faint shapes—wooden beams on the ceiling, a flickering light from somewhere nearby—but no matter how hard I focused, everything stayed hazy.
What… happened?
I tried to move, to sit up, but my body felt heavy. Immovable. My fingers twitched—at least, I thought they did—but no matter how much I strained, I couldn't lift my arms or legs.
A deep, gnawing dread started to creep in, pulling me under like the currents of a dark river. My breathing hitched, and I tried to speak, to yell, but no sound came out.
Why couldn't I move? Why couldn't I speak?
Before the panic could fully take over, muffled voices broke through the haze.
"Why isn't he crying?" (TN: words in bold are what Kael doesn't understand yet)
The voice was frantic, sharp. A woman.
"Why isn't he moving? Is… is he even alive?"
Another voice, calmer but no less urgent, responded. A man this time. "Tell us the truth. What's wrong with him?!"
"I assure you, he's fine," a third voice interjected. This one was older, worn with experience but steady. "Not every child cries immediately, especially those born in unusual conditions. He is breathing, his heartbeat is strong, and there's no need to panic."
"But he hasn't moved at all," the woman countered, her voice trembling. "Not a single sound. This isn't normal."
I could hear their steps—light, deliberate—drawing closer to where I was. My heart raced as their voices became clearer, more distinct.
I wanted to yell, to tell them I was here, but my lips refused to move. My body remained still, unresponsive, as though it wasn't even mine.
The older voice sighed softly, a touch of sympathy bleeding into her tone. "See for yourself."
Suddenly, I felt myself being lifted.
A jolt of panic shot through me as I was hoisted into the air, as though I weighed nothing at all. My head spun, and my blurry vision barely registered the silhouette of the woman holding me—her long, dark hair and wide, emerald eyes shimmering in the light.
She was young, but her arms were steady as they cradled me, and her lips curled into a faint smile.
"He's alright," she murmured. Her voice was soothing, but it did little to quell the rising storm inside me.
What did she say? What language are they even talking in?
A man peeked from behind her shoulder, he had a wide grin on his face. Blonde hair, a sharp jaw and a lean body most men would kill for. In short, he was a dashing young man.
"He looks just link you doesn't he?" He said, his face turning to the woman. She smiled in return but her eyes were glued to me.
I felt the soft fabric over the woman's hands as they held me, but my limbs refused to obey my commands. I couldn't even wriggle in her grasp, let alone speak or fight back.
I was trapped.
My panic clawed at me, tearing through my mind like razor wire. How could she hold me so easily? I weighed over a hundred kilograms in my previous life! There was no way someone with such delicate arms could lift me like this—
I peeked around my neck barely managing my head's weight. The realisation hit me like a punch to the gut.
This wasn't my body. My hands were tiny. My torso ended before it even started.
The pieces fell into place all at once: the muffled voices, my unresponsive limbs, the strange sensation of being held. My heart raced, and a single thought pushed through the fog of my panic:
It's just like those games.
I've… been reborn?
........................…
It's been two weeks since I woke up in this strange new world.
The initial wave of panic that consumed me has settled somewhat, though the fear never fully goes away, but at least I've stopped hyperventilating every time someone picks me up.
I've spent most of my time trying to observe and learn. Listening to my parents' conversations has been the only way to piece together this world. Their language is unfamiliar, and while I've managed to pick up a few basic words, it's not enough to make sense of everything.
The woman who held me that day. My 'new' mother—Alithea Ashenvale—has barely left my side. She's… kind. Her gentle smiles and soothing words calm me in a way I don't understand. And then there's Dorian Ashenvale, my father, whose booming laugh fills the house every morning when he tells stories to my crib.
It feels surreal.
They treat me with a warmth I've never known.
But no matter how kind they are, I can't shake the weight of my helplessness. I can't move on my own. I can't speak or ask questions. I am utterly dependent on them for everything, and it terrifies me.
What if they leave me alone? Will I even be able to find for myself? Heck! What obligation do they even have towards me?
My crib sits by a large window, and whenever I'm alone, I stare outside. The view is breathtaking—green fields stretching out into the distance, tall mountains looming in the background. The sound of birds chirping.
It's beautiful.
And yet, every time I look out that window, I feel the same tightness in my chest. A gnawing anxiety that whispers,
This isn't real. This can't last.
........................…
That day was just like any other— I was peeking out of the window, after all, it was my only way to kill time. It's not like I could play video games here.
It was a bright day, a light breeze accompanied by the rustling of leaves. Just enough to bring my mind to peace. Outside my room I heard the main door open, followed by someone talking to my dad. Their voice was husky and deep, for some reason they growled a lot while talking almost like an animal.
After a few minutes the sound of our main door open and close filled my ears.
Guess someone went out…
I was still peeking out of my window, when I heard footsteps. Loud thumps followed by people chattering. The voices grew louder, as if they were coming closer.
My breath hitched as a massive figure pressed against the glass.
It was a creature, half-man, half-beast, with fur covering its broad shoulders and sharp claws gleaming in the sunlight. Its wolf-like ears twitched, and its glowing amber eyes locked onto me.
It opened its mouth, revealing jagged teeth.
My entire body froze, my tiny limbs refusing to move. My mind screamed for me to run, but I couldn't even crawl away.
The creature leaned closer, and I thought I saw its lips curl into a smile.
But there was nothing kind about that smile. It was wide, sharp, hungry.
I shut my eyes, tears looming at the edge of my eyes as I braced for the end.
Seconds passed. Then a minute.
Slowly, I opened one eye, only to find the beast looking… smaller. Its massive frame seemed to deflate, and its once-fearsome face now looked oddly human. Its sharp, glowing eyes were brimming with tears, and its shoulders sagged.
It wasn't a monster. It was… crying?
Wait. Now that I think about it. He does look quite a lot like the beast men from those fantasy games I used to play.
It finally dawned over me and everything started to make way more sense. I had hit only been reincarnated but that too in a fantasy world?!
All sorts of possibilities invaded my mind, like would I be able to use magic like the games? Heck would their be other races like elves and dwarves?
Although I quickly snapped out of my thoughts, when the door to my room flung open.
"Kael? Are you okay?" My mother's worried expression softened into a quiet laugh as her gaze shifted to the beast-man.
"Drufis, why are you the one crying like a baby?" she teased.
"I'm not crying," he mumbled, wiping at his eyes. "Something got in them."
"Oh? Did Kael get scared when he saw you?" Her grin widened, and he didn't bother denying it.
My mother scooped me up from my crib, hugging me. Her warmth felt surreal almost like a dream. It was something I had longed for seventeen harsh years in my previous life.
Was I allowed to have this? Was this truly something that will stay?
"Kael, dear. That man over there is uncle Drufis. Now I know he might look scary and all but contrary to his looks he is a good person with a heart of glass. Got it?" my mother said, putting me back in my crib. "There you go now he won't be scared of you."
"Dont tease me like that Miss Alethia. I just like kids, my own daughter is about Kaelric's age." Drufis said through an embarrassed smile. "And he obviously can't understand you."
I mean he isn't wrong. Any normal kid would definitely not but for some reason learning something in this body just felt downright easy. I still struggled with complex sentences and all but I could still understand more than half of what they were talking about.
"Don't worry. I used the special mother-son telepathy" she said, sticking out her tongue. "Now, go back to work. I need to get back to my workshop too."
I turned to see Drofis, he was still looking sad so this time I smiled at him, that seemed to cheer him up. At least he looked happy going back.
I spent the rest off the afternoon thinking about the various things I could do. If this world truly is similar to the games, they must have adventure guilds. I'll join one of those for sure. Heck this world might even have monsters.
Heck I might even be destined to become a hero.
I soon drifted to sleep, thinking about all the various things waiting for me.
It had only been a few minutes when suddenly I was jolted awake by a loud
BOOM
The sound pierced my ears as the whole house shook for a second.
What is this an earthquake? I thought in my half asleep state.
The loud noise was soon followed by loud footsteps, cruising from the ground floor to the first till it stopped right in front of my bedroom door. The door knob started to rattle and the door flung open once more.
The silhouette I saw from my hazy eyes was that of my dad. He held a glowing sword in his hands with strange symbols carved on the metal. He had a grim face, almost scared. Sweat lined his brow as if he had just seen a ghost.
"Thank god you are ok Kael." He said, his voice filled with a sense of relief.
"Stay here. I'll be back" he continued picking himself up, rushing out of my room.
For a second there was silence but that was quickly replaced by another loud explosion. The entire house threatened to collapse. Its old wooden bones barely holding the weight.
I held the bars to my crib tightly. I couldn't run myself, my parents were both in the attic. Another one of those explosions and the only that would be left was my carcass.
What the fuck was even going on? Was I seriously going to lose everything this quick?