Noah
The world shattered beneath me.
One moment, I was with them, Jona..., no, my Father and Mother, their voices urgent, filled with fear and love. Then, suddenly, a blinding light swallowed me whole. It burned like a star inside my chest, ripping me from everything I knew, everything I was.
I didn't want to go.
I screamed inside, but my voice was silent in the void. My arms flailed, grasping at empty air. The ground vanished beneath my feet.
And then, darkness.
When I opened my eyes again, the sky was a strange color, pale and washed out, like a painting left out in the rain. The air tasted different, heavier somehow, colder and lonelier.
I was lying on soft grass, but it wasn't the green I remembered. It was duller. Strange plants curled around me, unfamiliar and silent. No birds sang. No laughter echoed.
I sat up quickly, heart pounding. My hands trembled as I scanned the horizon, desperate to see something, anything familiar.
But there was nothing.
No house. No garden. No Father's steady gaze or Mother's comforting smile.
Only silence.
Panic clawed at my chest. Where were they? Were they safe? Had they been hurt? Had they sent me away because something terrible had happened?
I swallowed hard, fighting back tears. I was alone. Completely alone.
I clenched my fists, trying to steady my breath. I was Noah Reizei son of Jonathan and Aria. I was strong. I was their son. And I would not give up.
But the weight of loneliness pressed down on me like a stone.
I tried to stand, but the unfamiliar ground felt slippery, uncertain. My legs wobbled. I had learned to walk here, in this body, but this place was different.
A sudden rustle made me freeze.
I turned sharply, searching for the source.
A small creature, something between a rabbit and a lizard, darted from the bushes. Its eyes were bright and curious. It didn't seem dangerous.
I exhaled slowly, reaching out a hand. The creature watched me cautiously but did not flee.
For the first time since I arrived, a small smile tugged at my lips.
Maybe this place wasn't as empty as I thought.
I moved cautiously, exploring my surroundings. The sky stretched endlessly overhead, painted with strange constellations. The air smelled of damp earth and unfamiliar flowers.
I thought of my parents again.
Their faces, their voices, their warmth.
Could they be okay? Were they fighting that terrible beast? Had they escaped?
Fear gnawed at me.
I remembered Father's words: "We will find you. We will come for you." I clung to that promise like a lifeline.
I didn't know where "here" was, but I had to survive... Somehow.
Tears blurred my vision, but I wiped them away fiercely.
I took a deep breath and started walking.
If they were out there... If my family was still alive, I would find them.
No matter what it took.
The days blurred into one another as I struggled to make sense of this strange new world. Every sound, every scent, every sight was a puzzle I was desperate to solve.
I practiced using the magic my parents had taught me, but here, the mana felt different , thinner and harder to grasp. The spells I once mastered faltered on my tongue.
Frustration bubbled inside me, but I pushed it down. I couldn't afford weakness.
I remembered Mother's gentle encouragement. "You're special, Noah. You have a strength inside you they can't take away." I clung to her words like armor.
I learned to watch the sky for signs of movement, hoping for any hint of home.
At night, I whispered their names into the darkness, praying they were alive, that they were safe.
But silence was the only thing that answered back.
The next evening, exhausted and aching, I collapsed beneath a strange tree whose leaves glowed faintly in the dark. As I lay there, eyes closed, a sudden warmth settled over me.
A memory.
Mother's hand brushing my cheek.
Father's steady voice telling me to be brave.
The soft promise that no matter what, they loved me.
I let the warmth fill me.
No matter how lost I was, I wasn't broken.
And someday, I would find my way home.
I Hoped.