The days rolled on, each blending into the next with the steady rhythm of the orphanage. Henry had grown accustomed to the routines and the morning calls, the simple meals, the chores, the small bursts of laughter and arguments among the children. And yet, amid the ordinariness, there were moments that made him pause.
It started with small things. A cup teetering on the edge of a table, wobbling as if about to fall, only to steady itself at the last moment. A stack of papers sliding from the floor, caught perfectly in the air as though an invisible hand had intervened. At first, Henry dismissed it. Perhaps it was coincidence, or the wind, or his imagination running wild.
But then came the forest.
Henry had begun to wander farther from the orphanage, exploring the jungle at the edge of the compound. One afternoon, a sudden gust of wind knocked down a cluster of ripe fruit from a tree. He reached out instinctively, and the fruit seemed to hover, spinning gently, before landing safely at his feet. His eyes widened, but he said nothing. Surely, it was just chance.
That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, he sat on the porch watching the fireflies emerge, hundreds of tiny lights blinking into existence. He swore he saw a pattern of tiny arcs of light responding to his gaze, shifting subtly whenever he moved his head. A shiver ran down his spine. Maybe, just maybe, the world was stranger than he had imagined.
Henry's thoughts often wandered back to his past life the hospital, the movies, the books, the magic he had longed for. And yet, even now, in this ordinary place, something felt different. Something was waiting for him, something unseen. He didn't know what it was yet, but a spark of awareness stirred in the back of his mind, a quiet whisper of possibility.
That night, he lay in bed, listening to the soft rustle of leaves outside. The sounds of the jungle were vivid and alive, each rustle, chirp, and crack of a branch seeming to carry intention. He closed his eyes and wondered, had he truly been given a second chance, or was this just another illusion? Either way, he was determined to learn, to explore, to grow stronger than he had ever been.
And though he didn't know it yet, magic had already begun to touch him, lingering in the corners of his awareness, waiting for the moment he would finally recognize it.