"I love you, Lukas"
The last words I hear are from my seven children. As someone who lived for almost 121 years, all I can say is that I am happy. Being a leading figure in making the world healthier again, building an isolated nutrient/supplement company that used technology to separate and sustain any kind of compound the body can ever need, and lastly, creating a family.
The moment I hear those words as I am laying in the soft chair that resides on my hillside mansion, the light in my eyes flickers in and out, and eventually, I am gone.
…
"Save me! Save me!"
Unknowingly to my dead self, I was in a pitch black void with a distorted voice calling for help. A conversation was occurring, and time seemed to flow slow and fast at the same time, and without even remembering anything, my blurry eyes saw a dim candle burning in the distance.
…
The night was a tempest, a cacophony of thunderclaps echoing across the darkened sky. Rain lashed against the windows of the small candle lit room, drumming a frantic rhythm that matched the quickening pulse of the woman lying on the bed. Each flash of lightning illuminated her face, a blend of pain and determination, as she grasped the hand of the midwife beside her.
With each contraction, the storm outside seemed to roar louder, as if nature were heralding the arrival of something extraordinary. And then, in a moment suspended between fury and calm, a sharp cry burst forth slicing through the din of the storm. The world welcomed its newest inhabitant, a fragile spark of life born amidst the chaos, destined to weave their own tale against the backdrop of the raging night.
Yes, I am actually crying, but not intentionally. Only because my stomach has been twisted and turned in ways that would almost kill anyone. What felt like an intense scream brimming with pain and anger, came out as a joyful cry in the chaos of the night.
To me, what makes life special is that it doesn't last forever. Any sane person would make the most of their lives because of this.
What I guessed has happened to me, has filled me with anger and sadness. Imagine putting your all into life, and accepting true eternal peace as your life wanes away. And then waking up and realizing you have to do it again…
The weird part about this is how I am retaining the memories of my past and remember everything as if it was yesterday. However, none of this seemed real. How was this possible?
A large a-frame beam supported the dense wooden roof above me. Smooth wooden dressers were to the left and right of the soft cotton bedding.
My mother has black hair and blue eyes and is wearing brown clothing made from fur, leather, and cotton. My father has dark brown hair and brown eyes. Shock and fear was within my soul, and the only thing I tried to do was forget.
This isn't real.
"His name is… Elijah"
…
One year passes by extremely slowly. I felt every long second of a wise man inhabiting an infant. Excruciating is the first word that comes to mind.
Contrary to how I feel, this world that I am in is beautiful. I won't say it's on the level of the solarpunk style of architecture that was becoming "the trend" back in my old life. However, I can't lie when I say medieval fantasy makes my heart beat faster. All the buildings are made of wildly smooth stone with small and intricate protruding details like indented columns, and wooden window shutters. And better yet, everyone living around me has health and contribution as their main priorities. The architecture is rather bare with no colors other than stone and wood, but the fine details make up for it.
In my past life, I knew multiple languages because of my excessive traveling. However, the language that everyone spoke felt similar, which was normal, but came very easy for me to adapt to. The name of the language is what they call "Kotun".
I don't know much about the layout of where I reside, but I do know my family owns farmland where they grow the run of the mill crops that were on earth. Corn, barley, rice, sugarcane, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and just about every vegetable you could imagine.
However, something that I never expected was shown to me not by accident, but out of necessity.
"Quick baby, we need to stop the bleeding!" My father was carrying my older brother Julian inside after he accidentally fell into the river next to our nimble house.
A dim but ethereal light came about from my mothers hand as water coated the back of the right shoulder where Julian was wounded.
"Ma-jik?" An almost inaudible sound came from my mouth as my parents looked at each other in confusion. I've spoken my first words rather quickly almost a month back, but have been relatively silent ever since.
If what I saw was true, then that means there must be more elements. Also, I did not hear any words being spoken. I've read my share of fantasy books in the past, and realizing this is a very important detail.
I need to find out the limits and understand what exactly is happening for magic to be used. Unfortunately for my feeble and immobile body, I assume it won't be possible right now.
…
My third birthday started off with a bang. A wet involuntary bath in the river, completely naked. I have to say, I am not complaining, but I have been doing nothing for the past 2 years besides exploring and learning as much as I can about magic.
Firstly, I reside in the Kingdom of Astraea, a kingdom surrounded by walls. A large river passes through the kingdom's center moving southwest. The specific area I live in is called the Outer West of the outer region. A commoner is what I am… Although I am not complaining about anything besides being bored. What fueled me in my previous life was my physical goals, and business goals. Strength, accuracy, mobility, agility, balance, and helping people.
Secondly, I was completely caught off guard when my parents spilled the beans on everything all in one go. It's as if they didn't expect me to remember or understand what they were saying. What this world calls magic, is the manipulation of the elements and only the elements. How powerful and useful you are is almost fully dependent on your imagination, which has piqued my interest. Anything is possible as long as it relates to the element you are manipulating.
…
A barely exciting 2 years pass as I get more opportunities to meet the people around me, and travel into new territory.
Alexia Sinclair, a girl who lives across the dirt path, and whose family are farmers just like mine. The only difference being that they specialize in small vegetables that are better to grow in gardens, rather than surplus crops that are meant to be grown in vast amounts of large fields.
The sky was pouring rain, and the sound of the drops hitting the puddle behind the window of my brother and I's bedroom window made it hard to fall asleep.
I focused on relaxing my body, while focusing on the center of my chest, which is a way I used to divert my focus in my past life. Unexpectedly, my whole body started tingling as I lost all control, and then suddenly…
POP!
My body squirmed violently and suddenly stopped. My eyes opened and saw the same dissipating ethereal energy moving away from my body. I felt new, refreshed, awakened.
Where I previously had my focus, was now a deep black circle that didn't seem to physically be there, but rather, spiritually. All the signs in my head were pointing to the idea that I can use magic.
However, no matter what I thought, nothing worked. Fire, water, earth, air, lightning, ice, metal, and poison.
With one final try, a longshot, I was finally able to dull my boredom. My breath slowed, and seconds later, my body rose from my small twin-sized bed. Huh? What element is this. The amount of times I wished for the ability to fly in my past life was insurmountable.
Quickly, things took a turn for the worst. My head started buzzing and a tingling sensation washed over my entire body as I fell to my soft bed sheets. The last words I heard before I passed out frightened my soul.
In the most indescribable and distorted voice, I heard…"Save me! Save me!"