Five months and twenty-eight days passed. To this day, I was unable to perform magic.

"A prayer to the Lord of the universe, the Owner of the majesty, and the Restorer of life. Allow me to use your blessings to restore strength and life, Healing!"

As I cast the incantation, no faint light appeared from my hands or other limbs. My concentration was perfect, my body position was steady. I tried imagining the concept I had seen. Yet, it was for naught. 

Could it be that magic only can be used by certain people? And I wasn't one of them? If that was the case, I didn't need to push myself.

I sighed heavily. Quite disappointed, but what can I do about it? I still had memories of how to fight with my bare hands. Perhaps close combat would be my field of expertise.

However, it wasn't that easy. I tried to perform the consecutive punches I've learned on earth. Yet, my undeveloped body was unable to follow the instructions issued by my head. Even when doing a side-step, my feet easily tripped.

I realized that my time was still long. But, if I didn't acquire a special ability as soon as possible, I might not survive here. 

Enough with the rumbling, I should go outside to get some fresh air.

When I walked out of the room, my parents were standing in front of the door. It seemed that they were welcoming guests. As I came and looked through the gap in my parents' legs, I saw a little kid in a ponytail with a man. 

"Damna!" she yelled, "remember me?"

Her emerald eyes radiated an overwhelming aura of joy. As she kept repeating her question, our distance continued to narrow until it got too close and made me take a few steps back.

“I remember you, Aila." After all, there was no way I could forget the incident that made me realize that I was not on earth.

Aila let out a happy squeak. She spun around my body and hugged me from behind. "Yey!" 

This child was so happy.

"I'm sorry we came unexpectedly and interrupted your time," Raul said, bowing his head.

"No worries. You're not bothering us. Right, dear?" Mom glanced at Rosch with a smile.

"Of course not." Rosch extended his hand. "I am Rosch. Sonja's husband."

Aila's father shook Rosch's right hand and introduced himself. "Raul. You could say that I was taken care of by Sonja when I was a little boy."

"Oh..." Rosch smiled and placed his left hand on Raul's shoulder. "It must be hard, huh."

They chuckled in unison. And that confused me. I thought there would be a conflict between them. Perhaps, I was wrong about it.

It was still early in the morning, and mom made breakfast for us. Aila was eager to help. Surprisingly, Mom accepted her offer.

I observed Aila and Mom. I could feel the harmony between them the longer I watched. As if a mother and daughter.

My chest felt strange. There was a sense of dread that came up for no reason. What was this? I couldn't decipher it. Even so, this scene wasn't so bad.

After all the food was served, we sat on the chairs, offered prayers, and ate the food immediately. 

For the first time, I saw another child having breakfast. Her way of eating was much messier than mine. Mom even wiped the leftover food that stuck to her cheeks. 

Why did mom pay so much attention to her when she was so far older than me? 

I rushed to touch my chest when a strange pain appeared in it. I rubbed my chest to relieve it. It was gone. However, when I looked back at them, the pain returned.

This feeling... Could I be jealous? 

This was so confusing. I was happy to feel a new emotion. And yet, it wasn't as wonderful as I had imagined. 

I averted my eyes instead and focused on my breakfast.

Remember yourself, Damna. You were an adult. You couldn't be jealous of a child.

I kept repeating that in my head.

After finishing breakfast, Mom took Aila with her to the room. I could see their relationship growing that much. Not even a day had passed. Maybe because Aila's personality was so friendly, or my mom was that amazing.

Later, Rosch asked Raul about his purpose for coming here. Raul happily went into detail. 

"You're going to the Winter Robe tomorrow? It seems difficult." 

"That's right. I'm worried if I bring Aila, she'll have a hard time. There are many wild monsters on the way and the temperature is freezing."

Rosch stroked his chin. "I don't mind having to take care of Aila for a while, but are you sure about going alone?"

"I am a former Oracle-class spearman, Rosch. Not to boast, but I'm pretty confident in my survival skills."

"Oracle-class or not, what makes adventurers lose their lives is carelessness in the face of critical situations. Yet, I hope you return safely, Raul."

Raul chuckled. "Of course, I'll do my best to come back. For the sake of Aila and my wife who is waiting for me there."

I had a pretty good idea of what was going on. I got out of the chair to let the two grown men talk as much as they liked. They must have something to talk about and I, as a child, was not allowed to hear it.

So, I excused myself.

As I was about to return to my room to solve the magic theory, Aila pulled my hand. She kept pulling regardless of what I said. 

What did mom say to this little girl earlier? I hope it wasn't my disgrace.

"Let's play!" Her index finger pointed at the harvested wheat fields. Her smile was so bright that I couldn't resist. I felt like an uncle going to play with his nephew.

We ran around inside the wheat field. The soft texture of the soil made it difficult for me to catch up with Aila. Also, my body was not yet capable of running fast. I didn't know what we were playing, but it seemed like police and thieves. Somehow, I became the police. 

I tried to chase Aila who was hiding behind a two-meter-high cylindrical bale of straw. But when I caught up with her, she wasn't there. 

"Over here!" The voice came from above. The girl had climbed to the top. She was smiling with excitement.

Wait a moment. I knew that my body felt stronger than a child on earth. However, was it possible to climb this thing?

I took a deep breath.

Doing nothing would not prove anything. 

So, I stuck my fingers into the straw bales and felt the dry texture. After gaining confidence that this big object would not collapse, I climbed up. It took a while to get up because my feet slipped a few times. 

Aila held out her hand for me to climb onto the straw bale. We sat side by side and felt the refreshing breeze. My eyes were spoiled by the view of the wheat fields and the vastness of the village. As far as I could see, there was not a single skyscraper.

"Let's climb another one," she invited.

"Eh?" 

Without waiting for my response, she slid down. I could only follow this energetic little girl.

We quickly ran to another straw bale and climbed it. Later moved on to the third straw bale and so on. 

"Eh, it's bad!" Aila yelled, grabbing my hand suddenly. 

"W-what's wrong?" 

"Look, your arm is bleeding."

Ah, it was true. There was a cut without me knowing it. Could it be that I was having too much fun playing? I didn't want to admit it, but my childlike instincts justified it.

Aila touched the bleeding spot. Her right hand glowed dimly and my scratch disappeared.

"Huh? You can do it without chanting a spell?"

Aila looked confused. "What does that mean? You can't?"

Hmm, was using magic something that everyone could do? Then what about me? 

"Hmm …when did you get to use magic, Aila?"

Her forehead wrinkled. She was trying to remember. Then she smiled and said, "Can't remember."

Her answer didn't dispel my curiosity. 

"Forget all that. Let's play again." 

She rushed away while I glanced at the scar that had vanished without a trace. Then, I felt a sting in my calf and found another scratch there. I wiped away the blood and left the scar.

Time passed and we were tired of playing. The afternoon was quite hot and made me sweat a lot. On our way home, Mom was already at the door and waved her hand.

"You have to take a bath immediately." That was mom's order and I carried it out. 

While in the bathroom, Aila suddenly entered without any clothes on. So, I walked out as soon as possible. I stood with my hands folded outside and waited my turn.

A shadow covered my body and I looked up. Mom's face appeared with wrinkles decorating her forehead. 

"So, why are you naked and not taking a bath?"

Huh? A weird question. It seemed mom didn't understand. "Mama, Aila is a girl."

Without listening to my long-summarized speech, my mother lifted me up and placed me in the small bathtub. The water was warm-wait! That wasn't the main point! 

"Mama, I can't take a bath with a girl!"

Mom still didn't listen to my babbling. She immediately poured warm water and made my body wet. Mom really didn't give me a chance to argue. My hair and body were cleaned with a bundle of fibers with foaming liquid. I didn't understand where they got it from. 

I felt helpless. Not to mention, Aila was also ruffling my hair. She sounded so happy, her laughter didn't stop.

Ten minutes passed and my body became clean and pure. It felt like my sins had vanished with the foam washed away by the water.

Although it was refreshing, for some reason I was getting sleepy. It seemed like it was time to rest. After putting on my shirt and pants, I went to bed. I quickly laid down and let my eyes close on their own.

It was a good nap. 

When I woke up, Aila was still sleeping beside me. I got out of bed and saw no one at home. The door was also closed. So quiet. It seemed that my parents were continuing their work to clear the wheat fields.

The silence was pleasant. It made me focus on practicing my magic. Even so, I had no results to show.

The next day, the cheerful girl cried bitterly because she had to be separated from her father. It was unexpected.

This morning, the breeze was chilly, but the scene of father and daughter that I had seen was so warm. A kind of warmth that could melt the snow. 

"Father, don't go!" she whined.

"Honey, I'm going to pick up your mom. You be a good girl and wait here for me."

Aila continued to bawl and her tears didn't stop. Her fingers clung tightly to the father's robe. 

I understood how Aila felt. Parting with your family for even a few days felt so suffocating. 

Thanks to my body, I learnt about that feeling here.

I realized, Sonja and Rosch never left me for a whole day. Usually only about 3-4 hours at most. They would come and check whether my pants were wet or not. 

My vision became blurry. I gripped Mom's long skirt. My little body was still unable to hold back emotions. Such an innocent and honest reaction. 

"My dear Aila, I’m going now." Raul kissed her forehead and stroked her hair.

Aila continued to cry, but tears alone could not stop her father. 

Three hours had passed.

Aila stayed under the blanket all day. Mom continued to comfort her. When she asked me to join her for a meal, I politely declined. To be honest, I didn't know how to comfort a child. I had no significant experience with small children.

Night fell. When I peeked into the bedroom, Aila was already eating and mom was feeding her. Through the door gap, I could see the tears lingering in the corners of her eyes. 

I went to the other room. I sat on the floor and calmed myself down.

"Being a useless person turns out to be a lot of trouble."

I took a deep breath and let it out. And as usual, I took twenty minutes to perform an incantation. Over and over again. After more than ten times, I gave up. 

My practice was getting less and less. I used to chant the incantation more than twenty times. Maybe I was feeling desperate? 

Stop it. I should not overthink. I only needed to rest so I could try the next day. 

Anyway, I forgot an important notice. After the night passed, I became three years old.

***

I opened my eyes and everything was dark. Could it be that the candle went out? I fumbled for the bed and found no one beside me. Strange. Anyway, I started to climb down from the bed slowly.

"Mama?" I called. "Rosch? Aila?" 

No one answered. They were still sleeping in the next room, I guessed. 

A smile spread across my face. Considering this was the first time I'd ever done something useful for my parents.

The candle I was looking for was between the doors of the room. It was so close. With a few steps, I could get the candle without a sweat.

After opening the door, I saw nothing but three seats illuminated by the light. A king's throne, a couch, and a wooden chair. All the seats were empty at first. A few seconds later, the couch was occupied by a man wearing a suit and looking mature. I couldn't see his face. Something like a black thread covered it.

I approached, but a barred door extended to infinity like a fence blocked my way. It wouldn't budge when I tried to push or slide it. My head kept wondering about who was sitting there.

A soft pat landed on my shoulder. I was startled and jumped in the opposite direction. When my eyes caught the sight of her, my jaw dropped.

A woman wore a black dress and a veil. This darkness should have made it impossible for me to see her. However, the dim light coming out of her body caused my eyes to catch a visual.

"Take this." She opened her hand. It was a key.

Could it be the key to open the iron bars? There was a speck of doubt. However, there was no harm in trying. If this woman tried to do something terrible, I still remembered how to immobilize my opponent. Although I didn't know what the percentage of success was. 

If the situation got serious, I would scream at the top of my lungs.

I caught my breath, focused my mind, and then reached out to grab the key. 

The moment the key passed into my hand, the woman vanished. My head spun to look for traces of her but to no avail. 

I waited for a minute and nothing happened to me. I guessed she was a good person. 

I was not sure if I should use the key. But, if I kept quiet, I wouldn't go anywhere. 

I walked over to the barred door and inserted the key. The doubt in my chest was growing. If left unchecked, I might retreat and run away. But, I had to push it aside. Without caring about my trembling hands, I turned the key and slid the door open. 

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind hit me. Lost in control, my body floated in the air. I was carried by the wind out of the darkness. The scenery changed to a star-filled night sky and then, I fell down. Gravity pulled at my body as if it longed for me.

I fell at high velocity. At this speed, I was definitely going to die. 

My eyes looked around and found nothing to prevent my fall. I tried to scream and found no one to help. I clenched my teeth and held my breath. My head was spinning to find a solution amidst the procession of death.

I did everything I could but it was useless. There was nothing I could do! 

As I looked down, my hair touched the ground. In a split second, I felt an electric current flow through my hair and shock me until my eyes opened wide.

I couldn't blink. My whole body was sweating and my breathing labored. I got up and checked all parts of my body. It was still intact.

I let out a long sigh. I'd never had a dream like this before. It was the first time I had one in this world. What a wild dream it was!

When my composure returned, I looked around. Aila was sleeping next to me. Rosch and Mom too. Then I paid attention to the room lit by candlelight. It was dim but not as dark as the dream. 

My sweaty body forced me out of bed to change my clothes. All this was so I wouldn't catch a cold. 

The moment I touched the floor, an extraordinary sensation came from the contact of my feet. It was like there was a new force from the ground into me. Then it went into every blood tissue and warmed my entire body. 

The sensation made me more energized than usual. It was like the cells of my body were dividing and evolving into something extraordinary.

I didn't know what came into my mind, but the first thing I wanted to do was the healing magic. 

I looked at my calf. Then I placed my right hand on the scar. I caught my breath to regain my composure. The moment my mind focused, I quickly recited an incantation.  

"A prayer to the Lord of the universe, the Owner of the majesty, and the Restorer of life. Allow me to use your blessings to recover myself, Healing!"

A powerful sensation entered the soles of my feet. It rushed into my body and gathered in my palms. As if blood accumulated there.

At once, my hands emitted a faint glow and I felt a warm sensation enveloping the scars. My skin cells were regenerating and restoring their shape to normal. 

After the magic stopped, I stroked the scar that disappeared without a trace. 

A smile was carved on my face. I tried to control my squeal, yet a small giggle leaked.

Calm down, Damna. Calm down! You should not disturb anyone's sleep!

I took a deep breath to regain my composure. Yet, my hands still trembled.

One … two … three. Okay. I took another deep breath to relax my body.

Uh, wait a second. It seemed I cast the wrong incantation. But why was it working?

Should I give it another shot?

Hmm… I didn't have any reason to stop, right?

At once, I closed my eyes and gathered my concentration. Taking another breath before I recited the same spell. “A prayer to the Lord of–?” 

Huh? My voice… I could not get my voice out! What happened? And why did everything I saw become weird? I had never known I had four hands! Was I high or something?

I tried to keep my feet on the ground, but the dizziness came like a flood and swept my consciousness away. In a few seconds, I hit the floor. Someone got off the bed and shook my body. 

Afterwards, everything went dark.