The subsequent years proved difficult for Atom.
Over time, he obtained permission to ask many questions. Thus, he managed to fill most of the gaps in his vocabulary and began to discover details about his family and the world that surrounded him.
He discovered that they lived on Lord Percy's estate, located within the barony of Selmburg, which formed part of the Kingdom of Lutia.
His parents knew the names of neighboring nations but were ignorant of everything else. They had no knowledge of life beyond the estate, nor did they care.
For them, the king represented an almost mythical figure. All their faith and concerns rested on Lord Percy.
They never spoke with their children about wars or history. They only shared stories that could easily be mistaken for bedtime tales, even in that new world.
All their narratives included charming princesses, brave heroes, and ruthless tyrants.
Atom was not satisfied with such scarce information. He desired to know the name of the planet and understand the level of scientific development achieved.
He also longed to discover the traditions, the legends, any element that offered a clue about what he could expect from life.
Five years passed in the blink of an eye. Inside the house, the morning light filtered through a half-open wooden window.
The golden rays illuminated a modest interior, where each object seemed to tell a story of effort and simplicity.
Will, with skin tanned by the sun and torso bare under a sleeveless shirt, sat on the floor.
In his hands, he held a piece of white cloth that until that moment adorned the living room. His expression showed concentration, as if that piece of cloth hid a deeper meaning.
"Tell me again how old you are, Atom?"
"Five."
Behind him, Atom occupied a wooden chair. He enjoyed breakfast in front of a rustic rectangular wooden table.
A steaming bowl of soup sat on the plate, and beside it rested some breadcrumbs. The boy wore a brown sleeveless shirt and short pants that revealed his thin legs.
Atom did not understand why his father asked him that question. He silently observed how Will stood up.
His hands held the piece of cloth, and as he moved it, the floor revealed a square wooden board. The uneven planks covering the floor seemed to hide secrets, and that opening hinted at a suspicious entrance.
In a corner of the room, on a simple bed leaning against the wall, lay Vanessa, reclined with her hands crossed over her stomach.
Her face showed a worrying pallor, and her half-closed eyes reflected profound exhaustion, but the prominent curve of her belly indicated that it was not an illness.
The pregnancy consumed her during the last days.
"Darling…?"
Vanessa tried to sit up. Her hand rested on her stomach upon seeing that Will revealed the secret the family kept for generations.
"It's okay. The time has come. Besides, he is smarter than most other children his age."
Will lifted the square board and submerged his body up to the torso into the opening. Before disappearing completely, he raised his head and looked at Atom with a confident smile.
"Come, follow me, Atom."
Atom descended with caution down the ladder made of improvised ropes. A long, thick candle illuminated the underground tunnel. His mouth remained open, and his eyes shone with profound surprise. Nothing he saw resembled what he imagined.
"This tunnel was made by your grandfather's grandfather?"
Will did not seem certain of the statement. His tone suggested doubt, but the place showed signs of antiquity. The walls and floor spoke of decades of existence.
The tunnel was filled with shelves. Each one housed dozens of books of different colors, masterfully arranged. At a single glance, Atom knew there were at least hundreds of volumes.
"No. It was created by the father of our grandfather's grandfather."
Over time, Atom discovered that they were slaves. They barely managed to survive. Therefore, the existence of an underground library was so disconcerting.
"Atom, do you know which two things are restricted for us slaves?"
Will approached one of the shelves. Before taking any book, he looked at Atom with a small smile.
"Yes. Weapons and books."
"You're correct." Will extended his hand and took a blue book. He opened it carefully to the middle. "Slaves are forbidden to possess a book or a weapon."
"Why?"
Atom understood the reason. Throughout history, events like that repeated with an almost inevitable regularity. Even in the modern era of his previous life, the pattern persisted.
Knowledge always remained in the hands of a select elite. The barriers were high and numerous. Learning something useful was difficult, and its utility was not always immediately apparent.
Meanwhile, that elite enjoyed privileges without facing the same difficulties. Inequality perpetuated, rooted in time.
"Atom, do you know what all the nobles of this world fear?"
"Hmm… Bad smell?"
Atom acted like a child his age.
He did so for most of his short life. He did not want anyone to suspect him. Though, upon thinking about it, the situation seemed absurd.
Who in their right mind would think that the child before Will was the reincarnated soul from another world?
Not even Atom would.
"Don't play dumb with me."
Will looked at him with severity. His father was more perceptive than Atom supposed.
"Eh… Alright," Atom sighed, defeated. "It's the changes of the world."
"Exactly! And those changes always begin with a weapon or a book." Will seemed excited. "When the world changes, the great nobles don't want us to change with it."
Will closed the book and touched it gently with the palm of his left hand.
"The father of our grandfather's grandfather understood that the world will inevitably change someday." Will extended the book toward Atom. "That's why he wanted to leave this place to his descendants, so they would be prepared when that change arrived."
Atom extended his hands.
The weight of the book felt strangely heavy, as if instead of words it contained stones.
"So, Atom, promise me that you will keep this place a secret and prepare silently. Because listen to my words… I am sure that the world will change."
…
Another five years passed, and since then, Atom lived secluded in the library as if he were a centenarian hermit.
Well, almost.
If Vanessa had not dragged him out from time to time to breathe fresh air or help with household chores, Atom would have remained completely locked away.
A voracious hunger for knowledge tormented him relentlessly. His consciousness demanded answers.
He desired to understand every corner of that world he arrived in, because until he was five, he knew nothing. Now he was ten, and his thirst for learning showed no signs of satisfaction.
If someone asked when Atom was happiest each day, the answer would surely be right now.
The library, with dark walls and shelves full of books, became his refuge. There, seated in a wooden chair, he held an open book between his hands.
Atom understood that the world in which he reincarnated possessed a colossal scale.
The continent called Gaia, where he was, far surpassed any territory known in his previous life.
Not only was it more extensive than any continent he remembered, but, according to his calculations, Gaia reached an overwhelmingly superior magnitude to the total sum of all of them.
Legends claimed that not even the gods managed to traverse it completely. Although that statement seemed exaggerated, the truth was that Gaia housed an overwhelming number of kingdoms and empires.
It should be noted that the difference between a kingdom and an empire was not only marked but abysmal.
While kingdoms represented political entities of limited scope, empires stood as colossi of power, influence, and territorial extension.
Their classification obeyed a hierarchical system based on levels of strength, represented by stars, ranging from one to six.
One-star empires occupied the lowest rung, while six-star empires dominated the pinnacle of the continental hierarchy.
Despite this, he discovered that no empire within the continent dared to contradict the rules or challenge the orders of the Holy Church.
Its authority seemed absolute.
Was the Holy Church truly so powerful?
Did not even a king have the power to impose his will on it?
Atom recognized that his knowledge was still limited.
The daylight suddenly filtered through the skylight in the ceiling. A golden beam descended gently, illuminated the space with a warm glow.
But he was so focused that he did not even notice. Then, a shout from above interrupted him.
"Brother! Brother! Something happened to Father!"
The voice of Aurore, his younger sister, resounded with urgency. She was five years old and had opened the library's entrance abruptly. Her pressing tone filled the tunnel with sudden unease.
"Huh?"
Atom raised his gaze, completely disconnected. His mind took time to react.
What happened?