I woke to a world that smelled of damp earth and burning wood, my body stiff and unfamiliar. My memories were fragments—shards of another life, distant and vivid, like visions trapped behind a veil I had yet to lift. Yet, somehow, I knew who I was: not just a child born in 540 AD, but something greater, something that should not exist in this age. I was the first spark of a legend yet to come, the prototype of Merlin, a being whose very presence could shape destiny.
The sky above me was heavy with clouds, gray and bruised, and the chill of early winter seeped into my bones. I pushed myself from the moss-covered ground, my fingers brushing against the coarse fibers of my tunic. It was simple—rough wool dyed in muted earth tones—but it fit me like armor. My hair, long and dark, fell over my shoulders, catching stray threads of light from the sun peeking through the clouds. I reached up, feeling a faint warmth pulse from my palm. That warmth… it was not natural.
"Focus," I whispered, my voice strange in my own ears, like a song half-remembered. I clenched my fist, willing the warmth to spread. Sparks of light danced along my skin, faint as a candle flicker, yet unmistakable. Power. Real, raw, and waiting. I was not meant to be just a mortal child. I was something else entirely.
I rose fully to my feet, the forest around me silent except for the distant cry of a raven. The trees swayed as if bowing to some unseen rhythm, and I sensed it—threads of magic, ancient and patient, weaving through the world around me. I had always known that power existed, even in my past life. And now… it called to me.
My mind reeled with fragments of knowledge: mystical runes, incantations in languages I had never learned, visions of battles I could not have witnessed. Fire and lightning, shadow and steel—all intertwined with symbols that glowed faintly behind my eyelids. The world was alive with possibilities, and I, a child of this strange new birth, held the key.
I stumbled toward a small stream, its waters clear and cold. Gazing at my reflection, I hardly recognized the face staring back. My eyes… they shimmered, not with the simple blue or green of a human child, but with a depth that seemed to hold storms, stars, and eternity. I reached out, touching the water, and for a heartbeat, the ripples froze. Then, as if startled, the stream continued its course, leaving me trembling.
"Is this… magic?" I murmured, awe lacing every syllable. Yes. It was magic. And not just any magic. This was the beginning of something vast, something that could shape kingdoms, summon storms, or rend the very fabric of reality. My chest tightened as I realized the weight of what I carried. I was a child, yes, but I was also the first step in a legacy that would echo through centuries.
The forest shifted then, subtly at first, as if it were testing me. A fox appeared at the edge of my vision, its eyes unnaturally bright, its fur glinting with hints of gold. It did not run. It stared, unblinking, and I understood without thought: it was a messenger, a creature of the old world, sent to gauge me.
I raised a hand, uncertain, and the fox stepped closer. Sparks of my power flickered in the air around me. The creature circled, sniffing, then, with a sound like a bell, it transformed. Not fully, but its form stretched and shifted until it resembled a human—tall, ethereal, eyes glimmering like twin moons.
"You are… awakened," it said, voice like wind through the trees. "The threads have chosen you. But beware—the world you see is only the beginning. Marvels and horrors beyond imagination stir even now."
I swallowed, a strange thrill coiling in my stomach. This was no ordinary life, no ordinary birth. I was reborn into a world where gods, heroes, and monsters from ages yet to come would cross paths, where powers beyond comprehension would clash, and where I… could be the spark that shaped it all.
"I understand," I said, my voice firm despite the tremor of fear. "I will learn. I will master this."
The figure smiled faintly, and with a whisper of wind, it vanished. Alone again, I felt the pulse of the forest, the heartbeat of the world, and beneath it, the hum of something deeper—threads of fate bending subtly toward me.
I was reborn. I was Merlin's prototype. And I was ready to awaken a destiny that would span centuries.