Morning came like a gust of wind, uneventful. With the sun's ray gazing by the window of the apartment owned by Ludwig, his eyes slowly opens, covering it with his hands, yawning and giving his eyes a rub before finally rising up from the bed.
His vision gradually clears, revealing a messy, trash-filled studio he rents from an affordable price enough to give him change to feed himself. He look around the room and found the smartwatch that keeps track of his health.
This piece of technology has become a mandatory equipment for him to wear due to the underlying immuno disease he suffers from. He is in a constant state of collapse or weaknesses with no apparent reason that the doctor can only assume expensive procedures can fix it. Medication has been given to him, but not to heal him, rather to maintain the symptoms.
After taking a couple of seconds feeling blank, he get up from the bed and reach for the smartwatch. He wear it like he always do and found himself stretches his body until he's satisfied before grooming himself.
But, as usual, he collapsed. Maybe the oxygen in his body fell short, or that a vein basically blocked the entirety of the bloodflow. No one knows.
Just that the smartwatch is no longer detecting a heart beat.
---
It was abrupt. The collapse of my body. As if I died on that spot. Yet, I am not. How could I? I am here, thinking, continuing to exist.
Yet darkness consumes my surrounding. With no weight I can measure of my own nor limbs I can move from here. All I can "think" is that just earlier I have woken up from last night's restful sleep and was about to start my early shift. But now, my mind is elsewhere and here at the same time. Concurrently thinking back and here as if spinning a wheel so fast it might as well be a ball falling on a steep cliff.
Confusion starts getting the better of me whenever I find myself thinking of the "present". This darkness that I cannot think through, pass through. As if something's blocking my thought from visualizing the exact moment and position of where I am.
It's not exactly null. My thoughts remain active, alive. That's exactly why I still have my inner voice in me. But... now that I am speaking with my self, it is as if the language I have known since I was alive no longer fits—.
It is unknown to me. Perhaps that is an example of how my thought lead to confusion when I think of the present, but I can no longer discern it. No longer construct a word or letter. My thoughts run merely on what my mind "thinks".
Then a force of something suddenly pulled me from somewhere to... nowhere... was it me or simply my thoughts?
And a blinding light violated my eyes.
It hurts, my eyes feels like burning and requires water. And so, did my tears help ease it.
...tears?
I opened my eyes... ah, my eyes. It feels foreign. Yet not. My vision is blurred, unlike from before. I tried to look around but even looking around didn't help. It still hurts, still blurry. Cloudy.
However, someone decided to wipe my eyes. Their hand is big, yet soothing. Gentle. Feminine. I long such touch for some reason, my hands instinctively hug it.
My hands. As my vision clears, I can now clearly see around me. And my hands.
It's of a baby. Disproportionate of my arm and body. No, it could be...
I—
"Sweet little child, your mother is here." A feminine voice. I tried to look up to see the source, but couldn't. My neck hurts when I try to move much.
I tried to move my limbs, but I could only kick air since I assume I'm being carried.
Have I been reincarnated in another world?
My thoughts finally formed a sensible one. And it seems I have. And it means I had died.
"Mother Helen. What power does my beloved possess?" The gentle, feminine voice echoes in my ears. They are soothing, indeed. And it feels like I need it to sleep.
Ah, speaking of sleep, I do feel tired already.
"Let me examine him." A person appears in my sight. She's old but... beautiful. Mature-like. Young to be called old but old nonetheless.
She... brings her hands close to my eyes. It's large, casting a shadow on my face. It feels threatening, but the hug of a person and its warmth ease my tension.
When the woman retrieve her hands from me, she wear a smile... and quite a worrisome expression.
"He's gifted. But not in the field of magic. It will play a part, but in the grand scheme of things, he will not be focusing on the magic." The woman spoke, her words filled with uncertainty.
"Mother, you speak of implicity. I am confused."
I cannot fathom their conversation, they speak gibberish and its frustrating.
"His magic power is mostly average. But his insight is by far the highest our family have ever produced. His intelligence is fighting with it, around the level of 78."
"78? That is indeed high. Is that for when he grows up in his coming-of-age?"
"No." The woman's answer leave no room for questions.
"My son possess such intelligence and insight caliber?" The gentle woman looks at me with... worrying eyes.
What is it, woman?
"Yes. He possess insight of a leader and intelligence of a scholar. It's either a gift or a curse." The woman remarks before bowing her head, "I shall take my leave and have your husband, the count see you."
Once the woman left my vision, my eyelid started feeling heavy. I yawned and had decided to sleep and get some rest when another figure entered my view. It's a woman as well but this woman wears a weird maid outfit. A maid outfit, in this time and age?
That interrupted my preparation for the sleep, but it's hand wiping my face feels... comfortable and once again, I approach my slumber state.
But a knock came from a door that interrupted it once more.
I cried.
"Shh. Shh. Little Hanz. Your mother is here."
The door opens and reveal a man, young man, but his eyes are fierce.
"Magdalene. How's the child."
"He's well."
"That's not what I'm talking about."
"Well. His magical capability is of average—"
"Then he shall not be the heir."
"But Sir Johanne—"
"Silence. Magdalene, you do understand that von Rosen cannot have a heir with magic power that is subpar, right?"
"He is not subpar, he is of average."
"Which makes him subpar. He possess magical power equivalent of a peasant."
"..."
"I shall name Louisina's son as my heir."
The gentle woman looks at me
"I am your wife. And this is your child."
"Magdalene, my love for you is true. But that's why I have to say this. If I pronounce this child as my heir, my father will come for my head. It is part of the deal, was it not?"
"But you do not understand, he may lack magical power but his insight and intelligence is—"
"Then he shall be a commander of my army, or he shall be one of my vassal when he's old. But he can never be the head of von Rosen."
The gentle woman looks at me once more, and I see that she's biting her lips. The conversation must be serious.
"I will be at the capital indefinitely. The king has announced a Cassus Belli with the Kingdom of Ortus. It seems he require all nobles to amass seventy thousand men. My father will lead the army he can amass while I will be at the capital.
The battle may become fierce, and it may lead to the capital's siege. If that occurs, my death will be certain. So, when Louisina's son ascend the throne, you shall leave for Northham. I have sent letters to my vassal that in the case of my death, and you shall be its regent until this child's comes of age."
"Yes."
The man was hesitant at first, but then lean on the women's face, giving her a kiss.
A hard, cold feeling enters my chest. A feeling of betrayal, or jealousy? For some reason I cannot fathom.
"I shall take my leave."
The woman looks at me again, her eyes teary. Since she helped me with my eyes. I decided to wipe hers as well but I couldn't reach it.
I tried to mumble a few words, but when it resound, it felt like a drunk's word of wisdom.
Still, the women's sob seem to have ease, and it made me happy.