The first breath of air in the new world came slowly into Caelum's lungs, as if the very air itself was foreign. His lungs filled with warmth, but it wasn't the warmth he expected, and the pain in his chest made his eyes snap open in alarm.
Light. It was the first thing that hit him, soft golden light filtering through the ceiling above, caressing him like a gentle embrace. He lay on his back, staring up at beams of wood and a thatched roof. His head hurt, his mind cloudy, and his body felt weird, not his own. As his senses sharpened, he realized the body he was in was smaller than what he was accustomed to. He was a child.
He struggled to sit up, but his muscles were weak. His arms shook, and his legs felt like they had not held the weight of his body for years. A soft hand reached out to steady him and a voice, warm and soothing, echoed in his ears.
"Easy, Caelum," the woman said, her voice smooth yet laced with an underlining strength. "You are awake, it is alright."
The eyes of Caelum fastened upon her-young, with auburn hair, a face lined with faint traces of worry, and above all, kindness in the eyes, a soothing current washing over him, calming him. She was holding him with a soft grip, as if protecting him from something.
But Caelum didn't understand. His mind, still foggy from the shock of rebirth, refused to connect the pieces. He spoke, but his voice was little, barely above that of a baby. "Where. am I?"
The woman's gaze gentled. "You're home now. You're safe. You're with us."
"Caelum," she whispered again, softly, as though she were reminding him of something he should remember.
Caelum blinked at her. Caelum? The name sounded right, but then again-not quite. It wasn't his birth name. Once upon a time, Alec Winters had lived a humdrum life, and one ended with an impulsive ultimate act of self-sacrifice. But here he was, alive again and inside a child's body.
The woman's eyes filled with understanding, though she said nothing more. She helped him sit up fully, and for the first time, Caelum looked around. The room was simple-wooden walls, a fireplace in the corner, a small hearth that crackled with life. But something about it felt. right. There was an ancient, grounding energy in the air. Something that spoke to him on a primal level.
Before he could process further, a large figure stepped into the room, a man with dark hair and sharp eyes—eyes that seemed to hold a thousand secrets. His movements were steady, controlled, but there was an undeniable power in his presence. The man knelt beside Caelum and smiled warmly.
"You're awake," he said. "I'm Toren, your father."
Caelum's heart skipped. Father? He looked at the two of them—Toren and Mira. These two people, they're my parents in this life? But they didn't feel like strangers; it was more as if some deep part of his soul had known them, known them always.
Toren's voice broke through his thoughts. "You've been asleep for a while, Caelum. We were worried."
"You'll be alright," Mira whispered softly, pushing his hair back with her fingers.
For the first time in this new life, Caelum let himself sink into their care, though questions roiled in his mind. One thought stuck fast, though: this world was different, very different from that cold, unforgiving one he had left behind.