After hearing this, Alice tilted her head and said with concern, "Dear, you have a fever," as she touched my forehead. Finding nothing unusual, she said, "Dear, you don't have a fever; your head is not warm."
"Mommy," I replied rudely and anxiously, "my face turns red and my heart beats fast when I talk to Ribi. I have a fever, Mom!" I declared loudly.
Alice listened to every word with a shocked expression. Then she asked, "Baby, Ribi is a girl?"
"Yes, Mom," I replied.
She looked at me and started to laugh. I was surprised. Just then, my father, Reyand, came in and saw Alice laughing in the kitchen.
"Alice, what happened, dear? Why are you laughing?" he asked.
Alice saw Reyand and said, "Come here, honey; you have to hear what Rudra is saying." She moved toward him and whispered in his ear, and Reyand also began to laugh.
I just stared at them, completely confused. Then, Father came over to me and said, "Son, what does she look like, and where did you see this girl?"
I was taken aback by his sudden question but proceeded to explain everything. After listening, they started laughing again, this time even louder.
"Why are you laughing?" I asked, my face filled with shock.
Father exclaimed, "You will understand when you're older, kid, but this is not the perfect time to know." I wanted to ask what he meant, but he continued, "When you get bigger, you will understand your priorities and these feelings. For now, just wait and become strong."
His words and determined gaze stopped me from asking more. My mom interrupted, saying, "Enough talk for now. Both of you go and get cleaned up. I'll make dinner." We nodded like soldiers receiving orders from a senior.
After dinner, I went to my room to study mana control in swords before going to sleep.
The next morning, after my usual routine, I went to Vivian's house, and we headed to the training field. We saw Ribi waiting for us. She was wearing a brown frock and holding a wooden sword.
"You're prepared for training," I said.
She nodded, but before we could begin, she asked, "Rudra, if you don't mind, can I ask a question?"
"Yes, ask anything. If I know the answer, I'll tell you," I replied.
"Why do you have a white flower pin in your hair?" she asked.
I smiled. "That's the question you wanted to ask?" She nodded. "My mom says the flower is from the goddess's temple, and it protects me from any negative energy."
"Sorry for asking," she said.
"Don't be," I replied. "It's unusual, I know, but I like that my mom does it every day."
After that, we began our training, focusing on mana control. Ribi was right; she did have a magic affinity. I taught both Ribi and Vivian mana control, and afterward, we ate lunch. This time, we all brought our own meals. Her lunch was really tasty.
Then, I played my guitar. "You really play well," she said after I finished.
"I told you he was amazing," Vivian said.
"You're right, Vivian," Ribi acknowledged.
"Thank you," I said. "But I should tell you, I'm not who you think I am."
As evening approached, we said our goodbyes and headed home. After eating dinner and talking about the day's events, I went to sleep.
The following months were a routine of waking up, meeting Ribi and Vivian, playing together, and helping my mother with housework. I also spent time playing with my dad.
Eight months passed, and now my mother's stomach, Tommy, got big; she couldn't work as much. I stayed home to help her, and Granny was also there to assist us. I was really worried about my mom, but she said, "It's normal, and your father is also here. Don't worry, honey." My friends came to see me at the house