You can look at the sky and notice how many stars shine brightly, and how many stars glow faintly. You can imagine, from the comfort of your home, how many people right now are being killed, tortured, dying, suffering from incurable illness, or whose souls are exhausted. The possibilities are endless.
Raider whispered quietly to himself:
> "Life… is really hard to live."
He advanced through the dense shadows of the cave, his head bowed under the dim glow of lanterns, his hand gripping the axe tightly. Around him, the echo of stones striking the ground resounded in an unending rhythm: thunk… clack… crack… Each strike took a part of himself away, and every falling stone felt like the weight of the world pressing down on his heart.
The laborers worked beside him, their digging sounds merging with the echoes of the rocks, and the air was thick with black coal dust, obscuring vision and making breathing difficult. Despite the exhaustion filling his body and soul, he continued working in silence, muttering to himself:
"Ah… I am so hungry. Damn this work. If only this fatigue would never reach me… let there be an eternity where I can rest."
After several swings of the axe, he noticed a light shining so intensely it temporarily blinded his eyes. His hand moved toward it and grasped it, and his eyes stared at the brilliant glow. Suddenly, the air around him trembled with a sound like distant electric murmurs, mingling with a low rumble, like far-off thunder. It was not just a sound but a feeling moving under his skin, as if every particle in the space vibrated with this violent light.
Memories poured over him like relentless rainfall: the faces of the family he had lost, their laughter that once seemed friendly but had been masks betraying trust. Every moment of his life had been difficult and exhausting, as if the world itself conspired against him, until he began to doubt the purpose of existence itself.
Yet, in the heart of this darkness, a faint thread of hope emerged, a strange and wild idea: what if he were immortal? What if he could live without end, to correct mistakes, to face pain without mercy?
This hope was small, but like a ray of light piercing a dark window, it whispered that life could be more than he knew, and that perhaps he was not yet meant to give up.
---
Suddenly, he felt something strange envelop him, as if time and space had become fluid.
He opened his eyes to find himself in a wide, bright room, unlike any place he had known in his previous life. The bed was luxurious, and the heavy curtains allowed morning sunlight to filter softly, sparkling on the polished floor.
He sat on the bed, feeling a new weight in his body and a strange strength in his small limbs. This was not the weary body he had known moments ago, but the body of a five-year-old child, agile and striking, dressed in fine clothing.
He approached the mirror, and his eyes devoured his reflection with astonishment. There was his face… but a child's face he had never known. His small eyes carried memories of his past life, yet he no longer had his old features.
He whispered to himself in a soft voice, mingled with awe and fear:
> "Is this… me? Have I really become a child… in a new body?"
He tried moving his arms and legs, each movement making him feel the weight of new responsibility, as if everything in this world had changed. His previous life was only a distant memory, while a new world awaited him.
He lifted his head and looked around the room: everything was luxurious and meticulously arranged, showing that he was part of a noble family. A strange feeling of hope began to touch his heart: a new chance… a new life… and responsibilities he had never known before.
---
While Raider stood before the mirror, still examining his new features with wide eyes, he heard soft footsteps on the polished floor.
He turned quickly and found a small girl standing at the doorway, her eyes wide and her face covered in worry and innocence.
She spoke in a gentle voice:
> "Sir… why are you sitting here? Your parents are calling you for breakfast. Are you alright?"
His heart trembled, and his mind tried to comprehend everything: his new body, his young age, the large castle around him… everything seemed like a dream, yet it was a shocking reality.
He whispered softly to himself:
> "I… I am really here… a new body… a new life… a world I have never known…"
Noticing his hesitation, the girl stepped closer, extending her hand gently and said with innocence:
> "Don't worry, sir… I will accompany you to your parents, and everything will be fine."
Raider took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and then followed the girl, every sense in him charged with astonishment, fear, and responsibility. Every corner of the room and every piece of furniture reminded him of his new family's wealth and his place as the child he had become.
He spoke in a trembling voice:
> "Little one… what is my name? And where exactly am I?"
The girl smiled gently and said:
> "Sir… your name is Aryn, and you are the son of Mr. Edward and Mrs. Liana Valen. You are in your castle… come on… your parents are waiting for you."
Raider felt a flood of emotions mixing astonishment, caution, and hope. With each step he took toward his parents, he began to realize the magnitude of the responsibility awaiting him, and that this new life was not merely a chance… but a test of everything he could become.
He whispered to
himself:
"How can I act like a child… when I know everything about my past life?"