Kaelith's world was a haze of sensations—warmth, light, and the faint hum of voices that seemed to come from a great distance. Though his body was that of an infant, his mind was anything but. Fragments of memories, disjointed and fleeting, flickered through his consciousness like shards of a broken mirror. He could not yet grasp their meaning, but they carried with them an undeniable weight, a sense of something vast and ancient.
*I've lived before.*
The thought echoed in the depths of his mind, a truth he could not yet articulate but felt with every fiber of his being. He remembered… pain. Betrayal. A life cut short by forces he could not yet name. And now, here he was, reborn into a world that felt both familiar and alien. His silver eyes, though closed, seemed to perceive more than the darkness of his cradle. He could feel the energy of the world around him—the pulse of life, the hum of magic, and the distant whispers of the stars.
As he lay there, a faint ripple passed through the air, and Kaelith's tiny fingers twitched. He could feel it—the presence of something powerful, something *other*. It was as if the universe itself were reaching out to him, testing him, waiting for him to respond. But he was still too small, too weak to do more than acknowledge its existence.
---
Lyria sat by the cradle, her gaze fixed on her son. She had not slept since his birth, her mind too restless to find peace. The words of Master Orin haunted her, and the strange phenomena that had accompanied Kaelith's arrival only deepened her unease. She reached out, gently brushing a finger against his cheek. His skin was warm, his breathing steady, but there was something in the way he seemed to *look* at her, even with his eyes closed, that sent a shiver down her spine.
"What are you, my little star?" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "What destiny have you brought with you?"
Kaelith stirred at the sound of her voice, his tiny hand reaching out instinctively. Lyria's heart swelled with love, and she took his hand in hers, marveling at how small and fragile it was. Yet, even in his fragility, there was a strength that defied explanation. She could feel it in the way he gripped her finger, in the way his presence seemed to fill the room.
---
As the days turned into weeks, Kaelith's awareness grew. Though his body remained that of an infant, his mind began to piece together the fragments of his past life. Visions flashed before him—a battlefield drenched in blood, a throne room filled with shadows, a woman with eyes like fire who had once called him *brother*. He could not yet understand the context of these memories, but they carried with them a sense of urgency, as if time were running out.
One night, as Lyria slept in a chair beside his cradle, Kaelith's eyes fluttered open. The room was bathed in the soft glow of moonlight, but to him, it was alive with energy. He could see the threads of magic that wove through the air, the faint pulses of life that emanated from every living thing. And then, he saw *her*.
A figure stood at the foot of his cradle, her form shimmering like a mirage. She was tall and regal, her features sharp and ethereal. Her eyes, a deep, burning gold, locked onto his, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still.
*"You remember,"* she said, her voice a whisper that echoed in his mind. *"You remember what they took from you."*
Kaelith's tiny body tensed, and a faint sound escaped his lips—a cry that was more than a cry, a sound that carried with it the weight of a thousand unspoken words. The figure leaned closer, her expression softening.
*"Do not fear, little one. You are not alone. The stars have chosen you, and I will guide you when the time comes. But for now, rest. Grow strong. The world will need you soon enough."*
The figure began to fade, her form dissolving into the moonlight. Kaelith reached out, his tiny hand grasping at the air, but she was gone. The room was silent once more, save for the soft sound of Lyria's breathing.
---
The next morning, Lyria awoke to find Kaelith staring at her with an intensity that took her breath away. His silver eyes seemed to hold a depth far beyond his age, and for a moment, she felt as if she were looking into the eyes of someone much older.
"Good morning, my little star," she said, forcing a smile despite the unease that gnawed at her. She reached out to pick him up, but as she did, she noticed something strange. The air around him seemed to shimmer faintly, as if he were surrounded by an invisible aura.
"What is this?" she whispered, her heart racing. She held him close, feeling the warmth of his body against hers, but the shimmering did not fade. If anything, it grew stronger, pulsing in time with his heartbeat.
Kaelith's tiny hand reached up, brushing against her cheek. In that moment, Lyria felt a surge of emotion—love, yes, but also something deeper, something that resonated in the very core of her being. It was as if he were trying to tell her something, to reassure her.
"I don't understand," she said, her voice trembling. "But I will protect you, Kaelith. No matter what."
---
As the days passed, Kaelith's presence continued to affect those around him. Servants who entered the room to tend to him often left feeling as if they had been in the presence of something divine. Animals in the palace gardens would gather near his window, their eyes fixed on him as if drawn by an unseen force. Even the stars themselves seemed to shine brighter on the nights when he was awake, their light reflecting in his silver eyes.
But not everyone was enchanted by the child. In the shadows of the palace, whispers began to spread. Some spoke of him as a blessing, a sign of the gods' favor. Others, however, saw him as a threat—a harbinger of change that could upset the delicate balance of power in the kingdom.
One evening, as Lyria walked through the palace gardens with Kaelith in her arms, she felt a chill run down her spine. She turned, her eyes scanning the shadows, but there was no one there. Still, the feeling of being watched lingered, and she held Kaelith tighter.
"We're not alone, are we?" she murmured, her voice barely audible.
Kaelith's eyes flickered toward the shadows, and for a moment, Lyria thought she saw a faint glow in their depths. But then it was gone, and the garden was silent once more.