[Third Person's PoV]
'What did he just say…?' Alex asked himself in shock. 'I'm sure he picked that name from my chest...' he thought, bewildered.
Let's backtrack a bit—why am I so small? The answer should be obvious by now: I'm a freaking baby! The spell… it worked. It actually worked!' Alex thought, letting out an involuntary baby giggle, too excited to contain himself.
"Aww," Father Orsi melted at the sound. "Well, little Stephan, let's keep the fact that you have a last name to ourselves. We wouldn't want any trouble to befall you."
'What's he talking about?' Alex wondered, his baby mind trying to process the situation. Then, he heard Father Orsi turn to the side.
"As for the ones left beside you..."
Suddenly, loud crying erupted from one of the other babies, causing Father Orsi to smile. "He sure has some strong lungs for a baby. I'll name you Asta. And for you... I'll name you Yuno."
'So, I really did reincarnate… but why did I end up as Doctor Strange?' Alex—or rather, Stephan—thought, trying to piece together what had happened during the spell. 'Ah… during the process, I imagined myself as Doctor Strange. Maybe my thoughts influenced the outcome of the spell. After all, I'm a complete novice. I had no idea what I was truly doing.'
As Father Orsi tended to the other babies, the reality of his situation began to sink in. 'I've reincarnated… in a completely unfamiliar place… and I understand a language I shouldn't know.'
'It's not like I'll miss my old life,' Stephan thought, though sadness briefly tugged at him. 'I don't even want to remember it, but I still had friends…'
Suddenly, tears welled up, his baby body betraying him. Alex—no, Stephan—hadn't meant to cry, but the emotions overwhelmed him. Father Orsi quickly comforted him, soothing him with gentle pats.
After a few minutes, Stephan calmed down. 'This should be a serious lesson—one that's repeated in every magical story I've ever seen. Be careful with what you say and read aloud from a book.'
Stephan exhaled, resigned but determined. 'I'm not Alex anymore. I should practice and reaffirm that I'm now Stephen Strange… even if it's hard to accept. Repeat the lie enough, and it becomes the truth.'
Exhausted from the emotional roller coaster, Stephan's tiny eyes grew heavy, and his body finally gave in to sleep.
---
One Year Later…
'It's been a whole year since I became Stephan Strange…' Stephan marveled, still struggling to fully grasp his new reality.
Being a baby had nearly driven him mad. With little else to do, he focused on the only thing he could—recalling the spells from the Book of Spells. He couldn't remember all of them, but he committed five incantations and their hand signs to memory. One thing he realized was that he had developed a photographic memory, but since he hadn't possessed it before reading the book, many spells had slipped from his mind. Only the ones he reinforced remained.
---
Another Year Later…
At two years old, Stephan could now walk and talk, alongside Asta and Yuno. During this time, he began asking questions, eager to learn about his surroundings. He discovered that they were in a small village called Hage, where everything revolved around magic.
To Stephan, it was like being in paradise—literally a dream come true.
His most anticipated moment was turning fifteen, when he would receive his very own grimoire. But that day still seemed so far away. In the meantime, Stephan practiced magic in secret. For two years straight, he would go off by himself, making hand signs and extending his hand, hoping to summon magic. Yet, nothing ever happened.
Frustration mounted, but he didn't give up. He concentrated harder, made another hand sign, and this time—tiny orange sparks flickered from his fingers.
Tears nearly welled in his eyes as he watched the sparks. "Eldritch magic…" Stephan whispered in a tiny, joyful voice.
---
Age: 3 Years Old…
Now three, Stephan walked around the village, causing sparks to fly from his hands with increasing ease. At first, producing even the tiniest spark had been a challenge, but after persistent practice, he was improving. It wasn't easy, though. Without a teacher, everything he did was self-taught. Progress was slow, but Stephan felt proud of how far he'd come—even if, for now, he was little more than a human sparkler.
As for the cape and amulet he'd worn as a baby, Stephan decided to store them safely away. He didn't feel worthy yet. He wasn't powerful or skilled enough to wield them properly. One day, though… he would be.
For now, he will keep practicing.
…
Age 4:
Although Stephen spent much of his time trying to learn magic on his own, he didn't forget to live in the moment. The isolation of being reborn as a baby, unable to communicate with anyone, had been too lonely for him. So, despite Asta and Yuno being toddlers, he came to enjoy their company, seeing them as the younger siblings he felt responsible for—mentally, at least.
Stephen also found Father Orsi amusing and developed a genuine affection for him. Yet, even as he bonded with those around him, he never once stopped training in magic.
---
Age 5:
At five, children began to show their magical aptitude. Yuno displayed great promise with wind magic, while Asta... well, in Stephen's opinion, Asta had fantastic vocal cords.
Being a bit older, Stephen was allowed to venture into the forest to train his magic. It was also at this age that he cast his first spell.
Stephen spread his arms, palms facing up and down. An orange energy line materialized between them. He rotated his hands in opposite directions, forming a glowing circle around the line. With a swift punch to the center, he conjured a shimmering shield in front of him.
"Haha... Haha! HELL YEAH, BABY!" Stephen shouted triumphantly.
The shield flickered before vanishing, and his outburst startled a nearby bird, which veered off course and crashed into a tree, falling to the ground with a thud.
Stephen winced at the sight. "Sorry about that…" he muttered, rushing over to check on the bird.
The poor creature looked disoriented. It tried to walk it off but ended up limping, lifting one wing while crying out in pain as it struggled to raise the other.
"That wing might be broken... Once again, I'm really sorry," Stephen said, feeling guilty.
The bird shot him a glare.
"I said I was sorry," he muttered, then sighed. "Looks like I have no choice but to put you out of your misery..."
The bird's eyes widened in shock before it angrily chirped and pecked at Stephen's hand.
"I was kidding, I was kidding!" Stephen quickly reassured, then narrowed his eyes. "But... did you understand me?"
The fat little bird scoffed and tilted its head as if dismissing him.
Stephen grinned. "I've decided. I'm taking care of you and making you my familiar. Our meeting was fate."
He scooped up the bird, carrying it back toward home. The chubby bird gave an exasperated look, clearly realizing it had no choice in the matter.
"Though you might bankrupt me with how fat you are," Stephen teased. "I won't have enough to feed you."
The bird pecked him again, harder this time.
Stephen winced and chuckled, "Alright, alright, sorry! I take it back, you're just… pleasantly plump."
The bird gave him an indignant look but settled down in his hands as they headed back toward the village.
******************************************
+31 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3