Void space

[ TWO YEARS LATER ]

I opened my eyes to another morning in this strange new world. My physical development was right on schedule—crawling at nine months, first words at eleven. But my mind? That was anything but normal. While other two-year-olds were learning to stack blocks, I was planning reconnaissance missions to the storage room.

Today's objective: books. I needed to understand this world I'd been reborn into.

I watched Mother's morning routine with calculated patience. Kitchen first, then laundry, followed by tending to her beloved plants. Three hours. That's what I had to work with. Father had let slip yesterday that there were some promising books in the storage room, specifically on the story shelf.

The storage room door creaked open to reveal dusty shelves climbing the right wall. Of course they'd be too high for my toddler frame to reach. I scanned the room for anything that might serve as a makeshift stepstool, eventually spotting a promising wooden box. But when I tried to move it, the thing wouldn't budge.

Curiosity got the better of me. I managed to pry open the lid, and my eyes widened at what lay inside. While I'd hoped to find maybe one useful book on those high shelves, I'd stumbled upon something far better: twelve books, with one bearing the title "Gemesia" on its cover—the very continent where I now lived.

The first pages revealed a world far more fantastic than I'd imagined. Gemesia wasn't just home to humans; it was a land shared by elves, dwarves, and beast-folk. But it was the hastily scrawled note at the bottom of one page that made my blood run cold: mentions of a land to the east, home to creatures I'd thought existed only in myths. Dragons. Phoenix. Basilisks. Titans. Chimera. Griffin. Wyvern. Hydra.

I sat there, stunned. Even with my previous life's experience, I couldn't fathom facing such beings. What kind of world had I been reborn into?

The book proved to be a treasure trove of information. Humans here wielded elemental magic—fire, earth, wind, and water—with rare individuals capable of commanding advanced elements like lightning and gravity. Only ten percent of humans could use mana, though all could manipulate aura, a force that enhanced weapon attacks and could even counter magic.

Elves, it seemed, were natural masters of magic, born with the ability to control all basic elements. Dwarves specialized in crafting artifacts and weapons, their affinity lying with fire and earth magic. And the beast-folk fascinated me most—humanoid in form but with distinctive animal features, capable of wielding both magic and aura with natural grace.

The map at the back of the book painted a clear picture: the eastern fifth of Gemesia was pure wasteland, home to those mythical supreme creatures. The human kingdom of Emea dominated the north, while the beast-folk kingdom of Kitias sat at the continent's heart. The elven realm of Eurisa claimed the south, and the dwarven kingdom of Kanash stretched across the western reaches.

"What do we have here?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin as Mother scooped me up from behind. I'd been so absorbed in my reading, I'd completely missed her approach. She reached up to the shelf and handed me a children's story book with a gentle smile. "If you want to play with books, this one's more your speed, little one." Then she carried me off to lunch, my mind still swimming with visions of dragons and magic.

After our meal, Father pointed out something covered in white cloth. Before he could finish explaining, Mother interrupted with enthusiasm. "Oh, my little cape hasn't seen himself yet!" They took me to their room, where they unveiled a mirror against the wall.

I stared at my reflection. Black hair. Blue eyes. My father's proud voice drifted over me: "He's going to be quite handsome, isn't he?"

"Indeed," Mother agreed.

I couldn't help but smirk inwardly. 'Watch out, ladies. In a few years, I'm going to be breaking hearts of yours. You better start preparing those rejection speeches now.'

Later, Father pulled me aside with a conspiratorial wink. "Let's head to the field. I've got something to show you—but it's our secret, alright?" I knew instantly what this meant. After all, my father wasn't just any man; he was Robert Krater, a former Class A adventurer and one of the rare magic swordsmen. My mother, Yuna Krater, had been a Class B adventurer in his party, a water mage of considerable skill.

As we stepped into the sunlit field, my heart raced with anticipation...