The morning began like any other. I sat with my parents at the table, while my mother prepared breakfast and my father made his usual jokes. But today, something was different.
I had decided to try. I wanted to tell them who I really was—or at least hint that I wasn't just an ordinary child. But I knew it wouldn't be that simple.
"Mama, Papa…" I hesitated for a moment, carefully choosing my words. "Have you ever wondered what happens after death?"
My father raised an eyebrow. "Such thoughts this early in the morning? You're not becoming a philosopher, are you?"
My mother smiled gently. "Some believe in an afterlife, others think everything ends. Why do you ask?"
I looked down at my hands, searching for a way to make it clearer. "And what if… someone had lived before? And then… was reborn?"
In that moment, everything around me began to blur. It was as if reality itself was tearing apart. A sharp pain pierced my head, and I lost consciousness—or rather, I was thrown back.
Restart.
Suddenly, I was sitting back at the table. Breakfast was untouched, my father was laughing at one of his jokes, and my mother was humming quietly to herself. Everything was just as it had been before.
I snapped my eyes open. It had happened. Again.
I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. It was no use trying again. I stood up. "I'm going outside to train."
My mother turned to me. "Don't stay out too long, okay?"
My father laughed. "And don't overdo it."
I didn't reply and left the house.
Outside, on the clearing, the endless expanse of the forest stretched out before me. The sun was already high in the sky, its rays dancing on the wet blades of grass. A light breeze brushed against my skin. But I didn't pay attention to the beauty of nature—my mind was elsewhere.
The restart.
It was the second time I had consciously experienced time being reversed. The first time, I had thought it was just my imagination. But now, there was no doubt. Every time I tried to tell someone the truth, I was sent back.
But why? Who or what decided this? Was it a punishment? A rule? A defense mechanism?
I snorted in frustration and sank to the ground.
"What happens if I try again?" I murmured quietly. Would it happen every time? Was it just limited to telling my parents, or would it happen with others too?
I shook my head. I didn't have time for that now. I was here to train.
I began with what I already knew—fire. I stretched out my hand, gathered my energy, and let a small spark appear. The flame flickered in my palm, larger than the day before, steadier. I smiled.
"It's getting easier."
I shaped the flame, letting it dance over my fingers before extinguishing it again. Then I turned to the water.
I knelt by the stream and dipped my fingertips into the cool water. I closed my eyes and focused. The last time, I had created a small wave—this time, I wanted more.
I felt the energy flowing, sensed how the water reacted to my touch. Slowly, I lifted my hand—and with it rose a thin water serpent from the stream.
My heart skipped a beat.
It was only for a brief moment, then the water fell back. But it had been there. I had moved it.
"Interesting…"
I continued experimenting, combining fire and water in different ways, making the water whip like a lash, trying to hold it in a shape. I tested how far my control reached, how precisely I could shape the elements.
"In the end, I tried something else. I let the fire and water merge, hoping to discover a new power. The elements reacted with each other, and suddenly, a dense mist rose, spreading quickly and enveloping everything in impenetrable gray. I could see nothing, only the thick moisture that surrounded me.
But as the mist enveloped me, a thought came to me: Maybe I could use this ability to my advantage. In my previous world, I had learned many things, techniques that might be useful in this new world. Concentration, patience, the ability to combine different things—that might be the key to mastering magic. Perhaps it wasn't just fire and water that could merge, but other things I hadn't discovered yet. I just had to keep thinking, keep experimenting. These new abilities weren't fully developed yet, but I could use them—if I just knew how."