The sun, still shy, filtered its first rays through the wooden shutters of the small family home. Kael, lying in his carved wooden cradle, opened his eyes. He blinked several times, adjusting to the soft morning light, and gazed at the thatched ceiling, simple and reassuring. A slight smile crossed his lips, barely noticeable to an outside observer but vibrant in his mind.
Even at this age, his mind was already racing. Despite his fragile infant body, Kael felt deep within him something unusual—a sensation of forgotten knowledge burning at his temples. He remembered, in confused fragments, his past life, the battles, the betrayals, the terrible moment when he was torn from everything he knew… only to be reborn here.
On the other side of the room, a silhouette moved. It was Elaia, his older sister, about six years old, radiant and full of energy. She had long silver hair, almost translucent in the morning light, a delicate and expressive face where every smile seemed to promise a bright future. Her eyes, a deep blue, reflected the mastery she already possessed over the world's magic.
Elaia was training in the small garden behind the house—a patch of fertile earth surrounded by shrubs and wildflowers. On her palms, a sphere of energy floated, luminous and unstable, dancing to the rhythm of her precise gestures. She spoke softly to herself, a nearly sung melody, focused.
"Just a little more… a little more control," she murmured, eyebrows furrowed, guiding the sphere as it slowly rose above her hand.
Kael, though unable to move his body with ease, followed every movement. In his mind, a calm and ironic voice commented on the scene: "Yeah, you'll get there, Elaia. Show me how you do it… because right now, I'm just struggling to keep my head up."
Despite his young age, Kael was trying to understand this mysterious magic called Ezrath, which was everywhere in Nysereth. He had already observed that every being seemed connected to a natural element: water, earth, fire, wind… And some, like Elaia, could control several, a rare and envied gift.
Kael wanted to touch this magic too. One night, he had tried, in a dream, to levitate a simple pebble in his hand. Nothing happened, of course, but the feeling of concentration made his heart beat faster, awakening a spark buried inside him.
Days passed, and every morning, Kael watched Elaia practice, tirelessly repeating her gestures, murmurs, and silent incantations.
One morning, their mother entered the room quietly. Her name was Lyanna, a woman with a gentle face framed by light chestnut hair tied in a loose braid. Her green eyes, always full of kindness, stopped on Kael before settling on Elaia.
"Your children are growing well," she said with an affectionate smile.
Their father, a solid man with a frank gaze named Eryndor, soon joined them, placing a firm but tender hand on his daughter's shoulder.
"Elaia, don't forget to take time to play as well. Magic is important, but balance is even more so."
Kael, though still unable to respond, felt the love in these exchanges. Yet deep inside, a small voice wondered: "Do I look like them? Can I be like them, or am I really who they think I am?"
This question haunted him, but he pushed it aside. For now, he had to learn, move forward, grow, even if this path seemed longer than in his previous life.
One afternoon, Kael managed something strange. As he stared at a small feather that had fallen near him, he focused all his attention, without even really meaning to. The feather trembled, then rose slightly from the ground, floating for a moment before softly falling back onto the grassy carpet.
*"Well, that's not much," he thought with amusement, "but for a baby, it's not bad at all."
Elaia arrived at that moment, raising an amused eyebrow. "Did you try?" she asked.
Kael answered with a smile in his mind, promising himself to keep this small achievement a secret. He wasn't ready to reveal anything yet.
At night, Kael's dreams grew more and more intense. He saw confused visions: the Nexus, its ravenous shadows, the collision of worlds… A truth gradually imposed itself on him: he was much more than a simple child of Nysereth.
But all this remained a secret he carried alone, between his thoughts, his stumbles, his first steps toward awakening.