By the end of October, Mylene was already five months into her pregnancy. She continued to follow the balanced diet and exercise routine I had suggested, using the forged books I had created as a foundation. Over the past few months, I had also thrown myself into studying every book in the library related to pregnancy. Unfortunately, the knowledge in this world on the subject is still painfully limited. Most of the books are handwritten, which made forging new material easier—but it also makes knowledge sharing frustratingly slow and scarce.
Despite my efforts, something still nagged at me. Could Mylene's death really be attributed solely to her small frame and poor diet?
Mylene is strong and resilient—I've seen it firsthand. Plus, she has access to the best doctors in the city. So what could have gone wrong? What am I missing?
Damn it! If I had a second chance at my old life, I would've gone to medical school and specialized in obstetrics! For Mylene, I would do anything.
After exhausting all the information I could find on pregnancy complications, I realized I needed to take a different approach—one I'd already been experimenting with for a while: healing magic.
Yes, this world has magic, though it's not the flashy kind you see in anime or fantasy stories. Wizards don't obliterate armies with massive fireballs. Instead, magic is more subtle here. Warriors who use mana can enhance their physical strength and speed, making their attacks more powerful.
There is also a form of healing magic—using mana to close wounds and stop bleeding. However, not everyone can use magic, and even fewer are capable of healing magic. But I was confident I could. My biological father, Karios, possessed Serene blood—a lineage known for its magical potential. And my biological mother, with her monstrous strength as a mercenary, must have had mana abilities, too. It's in my blood; it has to be.
The real question was whether I could successfully wield healing magic. Fortunately, I remembered something from one of the game's routes—something that gave me hope.
In most of the routes, Alexio is responsible for the death of one of the heroines—usually Clarisse. What kind of twisted mind comes up with that? Only a sick author could write something like that. But there was one route—one that gave the fan community hope for a happy ending, at least for a while.
In that route, Alexio lands a fatal blow on Clarisse. However, as she lies dying, she calls him "brother." It must have stirred some long-buried emotions in him—regret, perhaps—for killing the daughter of the woman he loved most. Alexio, desperate to save her, tries to use healing magic.
But it's too late. He fails. When the protagonist arrives, he finds Alexio cradling Clarisse, and in a rare moment of remorse, Alexio doesn't resist when the protagonist kills him.
That scene was a revelation for me. If Alexio—cold, cruel Alexio—was capable of using healing magic in one of the game's routes, then that means I am capable of using it too.
After meeting Mylene, I could understand Alexio's feelings. Mylene must have been the only person that ever truly loved him, just as she loves me now. When she died, he must have lost the one thing that kept him tethered to any shred of warmth or kindness. Rubens, in his grief, distanced himself from both children because Clarisse's resemblance to Mylene became too painful for him to bear.
With Mylene gone, Alexio's resentment toward Clarisse grew. He couldn't see her as anything but the cause of his loss, and that bitterness turned him cruel. The Serene family, seizing the opportunity, took him in and twisted him into a monster.
Clarisse, meanwhile, was raised by her mother's family. She grew up kind, honest, and graceful—a perfect reflection of Mylene.
But none of that has to happen. I will change things. My mission is to save Mylene and prevent the tragedy that set everything in motion.
This is why that memory from the game is so important. If Alexio was capable of using healing magic in that route, then I can use it too.
Over the past few months, I've been secretly practicing magic whenever I could. Now that I've read every medical book available and uncovered as much as this world knows about pregnancy, healing magic is my third contingency plan.
If I can master it in time, I might be able to save Mylene from the same fate she met in the game.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
My daily routine was packed. In the mornings, I focused entirely on training healing magic. At lunchtime, I went to the kitchen to pick up Mylene's meal, fed her, and stayed by her side. In the afternoons, I helped her with her daily exercises. At night, I practiced magic again, and by dawn, I continued until the next day.
Time was running out. I had to improve my ability to use healing magic—I needed to be able to sustain the spell for hours if necessary.
In this world, magic worked based on our mana reserves. There was always a limit to how long a spell could remain active. Warriors favored suppression magic—using mana to reinforce their bodies. Even individuals with low mana could fight for long periods since reinforcement spells consumed only small amounts of energy.
The other form of magic was emission magic—projecting mana outside the body, like casting fireballs or, in my case, healing magic. Emission magic drained far more mana. And unfortunately, as a child, my mana reserves were limited. Reserves grow as we age, but I didn't have time to wait for that.
In the game, there were items—some borderline cheat items—that could expand a character's mana pool. But I had no way of accessing anything like that right now.
My only option was to expand my mana through sheer effort—pushing my limits by using magic as often as possible. It was a slow process, but it was the only path available to me. Even if it meant skipping sleep for nights on end, it had to be done.
"Young Master, don't you think you should rest?"
"Hmm?!"
I jumped slightly. When did Sebas get in here? I hadn't even noticed him enter—proof that I was more exhausted than I realized.
At the moment, I was practicing healing magic on a fish while reading some documents. Fish are simple creatures. A competent healing mage should be able to keep one alive using magic, even if it's removed from the water.
Advanced versions of this training could get far more extreme. In some cases, masters would rip the heart out of a horse and have their apprentice keep the animal alive through magic alone. The most skilled wizards could keep the horse alive for hours.
I'm nowhere near that level yet. Keeping anything more complex than a fish alive was impossible for me, let alone something without its vital organs. But that wasn't my goal right now.
I needed to master controlling and stopping bleeding. That's why I had made a few shallow cuts on the fish. I know it seems cruel, but I don't have many options right now.
"Don't worry, Sebas. I'm fine. I'll keep going just a little longer," I said without looking up.
Sebas stood silently, watching me with that familiar, unreadable expression.
"Why are you trying so hard, young master?"
Because... if I don't, she'll die.
Of course, I couldn't tell him that.
"I just..."
Suddenly, my vision blurred. No, not now... Darkness crept in at the edges of my sight. I can't pass out, not yet!
I swayed, my legs giving out beneath me, and felt the ground rushing up—until strong hands caught me mid-fall.
Sebas. He must have grabbed me before I hit the floor.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
In my dream, I was back in the same place as always. I sat on the old couch—the one I always used to sit on while playing games in my past life. In front of me, countless screens flickered, each displaying moments from that life I'd rather forget.
It was a life full of regrets.
On one screen, I saw a young boy cowering in an orphanage, shielding himself from the blows of a clearly drunk man. His body curled tight, trying to absorb the impact of each kick.
What was that man's name again? Raymond? Ramires? I couldn't remember. What I did remember was how much force he put into every hit. Even during my time in prison, I hadn't taken that many kicks… well, aside from the ones I got the day I died, of course.
Watching it again, I realized how close I came to dying on those nights. That orphanage was by far the worst of all the ones I passed through. If I had died there… would I have ended up in this world?
I hadn't even known that cursed game existed back then, so maybe not. Still... if I had come to this world sooner, I could have avoided so much of that hell. And more importantly... I could've met Mylene sooner.
No. If I'd reincarnated earlier, it would've been pointless. I wouldn't have known the story of this world, wouldn't have known that Mylene's life was in danger. And if I didn't know, I wouldn't have been able to do anything to stop it.
I need to stop dwelling on the past. I've met countless people like that man—cruel, selfish, drunk on power or misery. But just meeting one person like Mylene made me realize how comfortable life can be when you're with someone who cares about you.
It's time to wake up. I can't waste any more time here.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
I woke up in my bed, with Rita and Sebas standing over me.
"Young Master!" Rita exclaimed.
"Rita? I... slept?" I asked groggily.
"You passed out! Are you okay? You look exhausted," she said, her brows furrowed with worry.
I glanced at Sebas, who remained silent. Good—he didn't tell her I'd been staying up for several nights. That's one less person to worry about.
"Don't worry, Rita. I just didn't sleep well last night and used too much mana. It's probably just exhaustion. See? I'm fine now!" I forced a smile and got out of bed, moving around to calm her down.
Ah... I'm really tired. And my head hurts.
Rita frowned, unconvinced. "Are you sure? Maybe you should see the doctor..."
"Don't worry, I'm fine," I reassured her. "Besides, it's not the best time to worry Mylene."
"True..." Rita admitted with a sigh.
She glanced at the small meal tray by my desk. "I prepared some food for you. It's still hot—go ahead and eat while it's fresh."
"Thank you very much." I made my way to the table and began eating as instructed.
Rita lingered by the door, her expression still concerned. "Please try to rest, okay?"
"I will, I promise."
With that, she finally left the room, though not without one last glance over her shoulder.
After Rita was gone, Sebas remained where he was, silently watching me.
"You are still young," Sebas said after a long pause. "You have a long future ahead of you. Why do you run as if your time is running out?"
He's sharp... Of all the people in the house, Sebas pays the most attention to me.
"It's not my time that's at stake," I replied honestly, barely looking up from my plate. "That's why I need to run faster."
My words took him by surprise.
"What do you mean by that?"
I'm sorry, Sebas. I can't tell you the truth.
"A feeling," I answered vaguely, keeping my tone light.
Sebas studied me for a moment longer before speaking again.
"I understand," he said softly. "At the very least, try to sleep for one or two hours each night. And if you can't sleep, close your eyes for that long. Your brain still needs rest, even if your body doesn't cooperate."
Of course he noticed...
"I understand. I'll follow your advice," I promised.
Sebas gave a small bow, then quietly left the room.
I need to hurry.