My eyes were unusually heavy as I opened them. The sky that I was supposed to see wasn't there and what replaced it was a white ceiling. For a second I thought everything that happened was a dream but the cage I was in couldn't have been this white.

'I must have been picked up by someone.'

I tried to sit up but it was difficult as my body also felt heavy. I eventually was able to prop myself up with my arms and looked around. The surroundings consisted of multiple other beds and tables placed next to each, it resembled a hospital room and probably was on.

As I looked around I heard a gruff sounding voice beside me.

"Oh you're finally awake." 

I looked towards the voice and found a man that looked around his twenties with black hair and blue eyes.

"I was worried you wouldn't wake up, you were in pretty bad shape there."

The man continued talking while yawning. After he had finished his words I opened my own mouth.

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"The name's Xander. We're currently residing in the nursing quarters of the Schrift family castle."

"What's going to happen to me?"

"Probably nothing bad? Well, you were using [Hide Prescence] near the castle so they'll keep you here for a while."

"Why did you help me?"

There should be no benefit to treating me like this.

"You looked like you needed help. I don't really got another explanation." 

For a stranger to help me when my family abandoned me was a strange feeling. Unlike the servants in the past I wouldn't have to worry about him as I was finally free from that space.

"Thank you." 

My voice was as monotone as always even though I tried expressing my thanks in the warmest way I could. I didn't really know to act with people as I had rarely talked with anyone but myself, I was able to talk with my father fairly decently in our last meeting though. Other than that I was rather lacking in many areas like physicality, general knowledge and practical knowledge , the only area I could say I excelled in was magic theory.

I didn't know how the world worked or how it looked, I didn't know what was where and even the most basic of things were probably missing. In the cell were only books about magic and things faintly related to it.

"Hey, the interrogator is here. Be sure to be focused."

The man named Xander than waved and exited through the door and through that same door came another man with a checkboard and what seemed to be a pen. He asked me many questions about me but when he reached a certain question I was confused.

"Why are your eyes golden?"

My eyes should have been green. They must have changed due to the gods deal with me, but why gold? Gold eyes though are mostly associated with dragons. Only dragons have been documented with golden eyes and if a human were to have them it meant they had either killed a dragon and eaten their heart or a dragon had given them their eyes.

I couldn't think of a satisfactory answer to it so I just answered that I didn't know.

"Thank you for answering my questions, the nurses will come in soon, they'll bring some food with them."

The man bowed towards me and walked out leaving me alone again with my thoughts. I silently roused up the mana within me and cast a [1st class: Flame]. It seems I could still use magic alongside the library, I then closed my eyes and the library appeared with the same two books or so I thought as a 3rd book appeared in the [1st class] bookshelf named [Fire Generation].

A new book had appeared, was the acquisition conditions based on sight? or usage? 

I opened my eyes and used all the spells I could currently and again closed my eyes to find more books in the library. Using the library didn't consume my small mana pool that was now empty due to my experimentation. The lower class spells could pretty much be used consecutively, while the higher class spells had longer replenish times.

If the acquisition condition was based on usage it would be impossible for me to acquire anymore high class spells. If it was sight it would be too easy so I could almost rule that out. 

"Hello, I'm here to check up  on you." A nurse walked in with some equipment and did a thorough examination on me while easing me in and talking with me.

"How are you feeling mentally and physically?" She also brought out a clipboard like the interrogator and started asking simple questions about my current condition.

"And there we go all done, I'll leave this food here for you. Eat lots okay?" With those last words they walked out leaving me alone again. 

I laid down and thought about what had happened so far. I had been teleported to a forest near the Schrift family and someone saved me bringing me under their watch. My eyes had also changed colors which might be a problem in the future, but for now it was a bonus for me as no one would know I was part of the Cruix family.

I was uncertain about the extent of the Cruix family's influence, and beyond them, I hadn't even heard of other influential families like the Schrifts. Despite my limited knowledge, I understood that the Schrifts wielded considerable power. I hoped they hadn't faced repercussions for helping me. While my education about societal structures was barely there, I knew that Archmages and Masters held significant sway, rivaling even the Royal families. Only the Imperial family surpassed them, maintaining a firm grip on society. Though my information might be outdated as the books I were reading were quite old.

My stomach growled repeatedly as I was thinking but I hadn't noticed as I was used to the feeling. I looked towards the food the nurse left me. It seemed to be a chicken porridge with some fruits on the side and a cup of water. I picked up the warm bowl of porridge and tilted it slightly swallowing what slid down. It was tasty, nothing like what I had ate in the cell, it was warm unlike the cold stale bread, and it was filling. 

Before I had realized it, I had devoured more than half the bowl and started choking. I quickly reached for the cup of water and drank it pushing down the food smoothly but I was still left with a slight cough.

"That's not how you eat." An unknown voice was heard behind one of the other beds in the room. 

"Don't you know how to use a spoon?" She came out from behind the bed as if she was hiding and sat on the edge of my bed. She seemed to be older in age compared to me but due to the age regression I probably looked even younger than I normally would.

"Spoon?" 

She made a confused expression as I asked causing her silver eyes to widen.

"You don't know what that is?"

She pointed towards an object on the table. 

"This is a spoon."

I again tilted my head in confusion. It's not that I didn't know what they were but rather I had never used them as I was imprisoned when I was five.

"You really don't know? Hmmm... alright I'll teach you!" She looked at me with a bright smile and pointed her thumb towards herself.

"First you have to hold it like this and scoop some food up." She held the spoon and brought it towards my food but I silently shifted the bowl so she couldn't reach. She tried a few more times only to result in failure.

"I'm not going to steal it, don't worry." She sighed and looked into my eyes. Only then did I lament as I felt kind of bad.

She was successful in scooping up the food this time and brought it up to my lips.

"Open your mouth." Following her words I opened my mouth and she gently laid the lip of the spoon on my own lips.

"Now try eating." I placed my lips around the spoon and tried eating the porridge.

After a few fails I was able to smoothly eat from the spoon and the girl looked up at me in pride with a bright smile.

"You did it!" She gave me a strong thumbs up.

After that the space fell into silence as we didn't really know what to say or talk about, feeling that it was getting slightly awkward I opened my mouth.

"Thank you, for teaching me." I told her in a soft voice. 

She looked at me with a surprised face for a few seconds before finally answering.

"Ah... you're welcome!" 

She was a really bright person, it was like I was looking into the sun and it was currently blinding me. 

"How are you so bright?"

She seemed surprised by my sudden question and then seemed to dive into her own thoughts for a second.

"To keep up the prestige of the Schrift family I must be the embodiment of the blazing sun." She again pointed to herself in a smug manner and then after a moment of silence her face flushed up in embarrassment.

"At least that's what my father told me."

"I see." 

Her family seemed quite warm and brought her up right unlike mine. I was slightly envious as I bit the inside of my lips and looked down. 

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Sorry, nothing." I brushed away the tears welling up in my eyes and tried smiling at her but she seemed to not believe me as she came closer to me and wiped away another tear and looked me in the eyes again.

"It's not nothing."

She wrapped her arms around me as I tried to softly resist but eventually gave up.

"It's going to be ok, I promise on the Schrift name." She gently hugged me as I tried to hold back my tears and just laid in her embrace for a long moment in time.

I couldn't tell how long it had been but she seemed to be letting me go now as the warmth on my back was gone and she seemed to look towards the door of the nursing area.

"I know you're there, come out now."

A stumble resounded from behind the door before it finally opened revealing a woman and two men. They all had the same silver hair and eyes as the girl that was hugging me.

"Mother? Father? Brother? What were you all doing behind that door??"

"Capturing a moment in time with my eyes." The oldest looking man straightened his tie and answered first.

"Checking if my sister was becoming crazy." The younger man just brushed hair back and stretched.

"Referencing a scene for my artwork!" The sole woman had a canvas in her hands as she seemed to be drawing something with the pencil in her hands.

The girl then seemed to be in shock and heavily embarrassed as she took my blanket away and covered herself in it. 

I could only assume these people were her family. I could understand why she was so bright, especially when she was surrounded by people like them. I could only give a faint smile in their direction as if I was watching a show. The envy in my heart grew deeper but I buried in deep within me.

Then suddenly, the girl wrapped in the blanket grabbed my hand and dragged me in front of her family she still seemed to be flushed with embarrassment but happy as she smiled. 

"I'll introduce you to my family."

She first pointed to the oldest man.

"That's my father William he likes collecting swords."

She then moved her finger to the younger man.

"That bug is my brother, Wilhelm. He just stays in his study all day experimenting with magic.

She pointed at who I assumed was her mother.

"This is my mother Azia, she's just like my brother just stays in her room all day except she paints."

And finally she pointed at herself.

"And I'm Serena Schrift."

I smiled bitterly as I looked at them all.

"What's your name young man?"

Serena's mother came up to me with a warm gentle smile and tried to grab my shoulder softly but I moved back slightly avoiding her touch.

"Oh sorry, I should have asked first."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry I didn't mean to."

She laid her hand by her side seemed to be pitying me a little, I felt a little stung by the pity she exuded through her eyes.

"So what is your name?" This time her brother asked sitting down on the edge of the bed where Serena used to be.

I looked up at him and unlike the other gazes I could feel no pity from him, only curiosity and interest. After a short moment of deliberation I looked into his eyes and answered him.

"My name is Nathen, just Nathen."

This was probably the start of my new life.