Isaac woke up, feeling just as energetic as he had been the past couple of days. It had been three weeks since he appeared in this fantasy world, and during that time, he had gotten into a routine.
He yawned, stretched, and rubbed his eyes. Looking around his bedroom, which was lit up by the morning sun shining through his window, his eyes landed on a chair containing the clothing he had laid out the evening before. It was today's outfit.
Reaching his right hand towards it, the rags were too far for him to reach from his position in his bed. Although logic he knew from his old world told him to stand up and approach his clothes, in this world, Isaac could bring the clothing to him. The mark etched on his wrist started faintly glowing, and the garments on the chair began floating. Concentrating his will, Isaac made them move toward him, one by one. Smiling, satisfied, he grabbed the closest piece of clothing with his left hand and began dressing himself.
After getting dressed, he headed downstairs, where he was met by the gaze of the three he had been acquainted with in this world. He smiled at them, and they smiled back. Especially the small one seemed to be radiating joy from seeing him.
"Good morning!"
They exchanged greetings, and Isaac sat down next to them at the breakfast table. This was how the days usually started. As the sun rose the family would break their fast together. They would chat a little, and then they would all go their ways to do their work. Elyse and Emryn would go together and do various things that needed to be done around the farm, such as washing clothes, gathering water, and feeding Daelan, the family horse. Kit would go into the field with an empty cart, and start gathering lumitra. Isaac would join him later, but he was given two hours to train his power of gravity before getting to work. This time slot was allocated for him to minimize the chance of Emryn catching him training. Isaac still didn't understand why the parents didn't want her to find out, but he respected their wishes without a fuss.
Stepping out behind the house, Isaac made a line towards the stream where Emryn would gather water from. She and her mother were working elsewhere today, so Isaac took the opportunity to use the area. Today's workout would be a tricky one. Different days brought different exercises. Isaac would experiment with his power in various ways: Some days he would try moving one large object, and other days he would try lifting a lot of smaller objects simultaneously. He would practice his gravity manipulation on solids, liquids, and gasses alike. Solids were easier to control, and gasses were the hardest. Isaac had also noticed that as time went on and he was practicing his powers, they would become stronger and could be used for longer.
Before beginning his training, he gave one last look, making sure Emryn was nowhere around. Listening, he could hear her excited giggles somewhere in the far distance, growing fainter. The chance she would head to the stream and discover him, at least in the next hour, was very slim.
Isaac also decided before he began, to just take a moment to absorb the surroundings he was in. Though this countryside had been his only scenery for three weeks, he still hadn't gotten used to the feeling of being in this kind of climate. Taking a deep breath, he let his senses take in every part of the surrounding nature, from the sunlight warming his skin, to the calm wind rustling the grass at his feet. The rush of water from the nearby stream, the pleasant smells of nearby flowers, the birds singing in melodies he had never heard before. It was all, simply, amazing.
Once he had taken in enough, he opened his eyes once more, determined to start his training.
Reaching his hand out towards the stream, he mentally prepared himself for the goal he had set. While his eyes were pinned to the stream, he moved his hand back and lowered his stance. Looking almost like he was about to deliver a savage punch, he maintained his pose for a few seconds, breathing calmly. Then, with a long blink, his eyes sprung to an expression of determination. He shifted his weight, and forced his hand forward, using his entire body to create momentum. With an open palm, and feet planted to the ground, Isaac delivered the blow to the stream several meters away from him. The water had stopped moving and was building up as if Isaac had created an invisible dam. Essentially, he had created a gravitational field that moved against the upstream of the water, causing it to freeze in place.
He didn't let his excitement get the better of him, and stayed determined while his powers were exuding; his goal was not yet reached.
Isaac held the water at bay for several seconds, before taking his other hand and pointing a finger at the frozen water. Lifting the finger up, a bubble of water followed. It was sloshing around in the gravity bubble Isaac had created, fighting to get out of his control. To compensate, Isaac released his gravity on the stream and put all his concentration on the orb of water hovering above it. Using both hands, Isaac pushed the water together from all sides, compressing the liquid together into a smaller orb. He could feel his concentration slipping, but he just needed a little more before his exercise was complete. He could feel his hands growing numb, and his head woozy. He got to one knee and could feel the water waiting to burst out of his grasp.
Almost there... Just... a little... closer...
"NNNNGGGGGHHHHH!"
Finally, he put all his remaining determination into one movement and thrust his hands upwards as fast as he could. The compressed ball of water shot up into the sky like a bullet. It started dispersing in all directions, eventually raining back down to the ground in droplets so tiny they almost looked like mist. The sun shone through the water, reflecting its light in vibrant colors.
Only then did Isaac let out a breath of satisfaction, before collapsing backward, his back softly landing in the grass.
"That... pant... felt... pant... awesome..."
He had tried that exercise several times before, but this was the first time he managed to shoot the bubble of water into the sky properly.
It's slow progress, but progress nonetheless. If this is how far I am at three weeks, I wonder how good I can get within a year.
After a minute of resting, Isaac energetically jumped back up and continued his training, albeit scaling down the difficulty of his tasks.
After his two-hour workout, Isaac would join Kit in the fields and help him with gathering the lumitra. It had taken a few days, but he eventually managed to use his gravity to help with the harvest, by popping off the vegetables and floating them directly into the cart. If he used his powers too much, though, it would begin taking a temporary toll on him. Symptoms would include nausea, dizziness, and headaches. He didn't want to know what would happen if he pushed his powers to the limit, so as soon as he began feeling faint, he would stop for the day. Nevertheless, it sped up the harvesting significantly.
After roughly four hours of work, they would take a break, and Elyse and Emryn would show up with lunch. The family would sit together, talking and eating. Unlike breakfast, where they tried to eat as fast as they could in order to start work as soon as possible, lunchtime was much more relaxed. Elyse would lecture Emryn and Isaac about the gods, and Kit would tell tales about legendary battles and mythical beasts. As Kit was the only one to leave the farm regularly to visit the nearby town, he heard a lot of stories from places far away. Isaac knew better than to believe the stories to be fact, but Emryn seemed to be deeply captivated by her father's fables.
After an hour of lunchtime, the family would once again split to continue their work. For another four hours, Kit and Isaac harvested lumitra, before heading back home. Emryn and Isaac would usually be allowed some free time while the parents made dinner. The meals were very similar every day, albeit with some minor changes to not be too repetitive. Every seven days, the family would all come together and make a special meal for dinner. It was something everyone looked forward to because the meal would be different every time. This world, like his old one, also worked on a seven-day week, so Isaac figured the special meals were saved for the last day.
After dinner, the family spent a little more time together before bed. There wasn't a particular "bedtime", so the members of the family just took their leave when they became sleepy. Emryn was usually the first one to go. She would try her best to stay as long as she could, but often it would end with her dozing off and having to be carried to bed by Kit or Elyse. Most recently, though, she had worked up the courage and grabbed Isaac's hand, asking him to tuck her in. Their sibling-like bond had grown a lot in the short few weeks, mostly thanks to Emryn's efforts.
Most days repeated the same rough schedule, although some days were different.
On the first day of every other week, Kit would head to the nearest town with a wagon of lumitra to give to the burgomaster as a form of tax. For the rest of the lumitra, he had gotten a good deal with a merchant that would visit the farm once a month and take all the harvested vegetables and sell them to the guard of the nearby cities. This meant he didn't have to look for buyers, and he could leave the sweet-talking to those more capable. In exchange, he would get a cut of the profits, which he would use to buy food, drink, and other necessities the family would need. Kit would always spend the night in the town and come back the next day, making sure he always had a few new stories to tell.
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Today was the third day of the week, Wind's day. The family was sitting around the table, having just finished their dinner. Kit had just finished telling one of his stories, and now the table was quiet. Elyse was looking out the window. The sun had set, and the moon was starting to peek out over the horizon. Elyse turned to Kit and tapped him on the shoulder. Wordlessly, he nodded, and they both stood up and headed for the door. Kit opened it and stepped outside. Elyse started following her husband but stopped midway through the door. She turned to the kids with a half-genuine smile and spoke:
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
"We'll be back in a few hours. Feel free to go to bed if you get tired."
Emryn and Isaac nodded, and the mother exited, closing the door behind her.
This was also something of a regular occurrence. Isaac noticed that every Wind's day, the parents would leave after dinner, as the moon was rising. Certain thoughts on what they could've been up to had sprung up in his mind, but the glum look the both of them carried had washed those thoughts away. Of course, Isaac was curious about why they left in such a ritualistic fashion, but didn't want to be disrespectful by prying. Instead, he used that time to bond with Emryn. The parents were always leading the conversations, so this time alone with her was also nice.
Isaac turned his head from the door and looked at the little girl. She was currently staring at the table, deep in thought herself.
"So, Emryn."
Slightly startled, she looked up innocently at him.
"Yes? What is it big br-... I mean Isaac?"
Isaac smiled a little at Emryn's embarrassed face, who was mortified that she had almost referred to him as her brother. It wasn't the first time it had happened, but it had started happening more often. Isaac didn't mind, of course. He just felt bad that he couldn't find it in him to return the favor by calling her 'sister'.
"Tell me about what you did today. Did anything interesting happen?"
At Isaac's question, Emryn instantly forgot about her earlier embarrassment and got into thinking mode. Like the last few times Isaac had asked her questions, it seemed like she had to make sure her answer was correct.
"Hmm... Well, today me and mom took care of Daelan. He's very nice and likes it when I brush him. At least, I hope he does. I don't speak horse, hehe!"
Isaac smiled at Emryn's blushing face.
It seems she likes the days when she tends to the horse the best, which is probably why she was giggling so much when we left the house this morning.
"I'm sure he does, Emryn. You're taking good care of him and he appreciates it."
I read somewhere that horses from my own world are pretty smart, so it's probably the same in this world too. Come to think of it, maybe they're even smarter in this one.
"Oh! And after I brushed Daelan I saw a rainbow! It was so pretty!"
"A rainbow? Really? I didn't see one, so you must be lucky."
"I know! I wish you could have seen it. I saw it going up from behind the house. It was glittering and in many pretty colors! I wanted to go and see it, but mom wouldn't let me..."
Emryn looked disappointed that she wasn't allowed to discover the mystery behind the colorful mist, she didn't even seem to notice Isaac's startled expression of having realized he had almost revealed his powers to her.
Crap... No wonder Emryn didn't get to check out the rainbow, her mother probably knew it was because of me. Sorry, Elyse, I promise to be more careful in the future.
With his silent vow to the mother, the conversation on the table had taken an awkward turn. Hastily, Isaac tried to change the subject, but unexpectedly, Emryn jumped in before him:
"Dad always tells me about all these adventures people get to go on. It's very exciting to listen to, but..."
Her sentence came out quiet. It was mostly calm, but Isaac could feel a hint of sadness in her voice. He expected her to go on, but she just fell silent and looked down at the table. A few seconds passed, and Isaac tried to signal for her to continue:
"But what?"
The little girl looked back up at him. She wore a sad smile. There were no tears, but her eyes were glistening. It was the first time Isaac had seen her with such an expression, and it was a real punch to his gut.
"But I wish I could go on adventures too... See something amazing."
Isaac understood how she felt. She had never left the farm, so everything she experienced, she had been experiencing again and again ever since she was born. Similarly, in his old life, Isaac had never really had the opportunity to leave his hometown and was stuck experiencing the outside world through a computer screen.
It's been repetition almost every single day. If it weren't for my discovery of Gravity, I would've probably already started to get frustrated from all this monotony. If this has already started to get to me, who has only been here for a few weeks, how must it feel for Emryn, who has been through this routine her entire life? Of course, there have probably been some interesting days for her, like today, but only so much can happen on a quiet farm like this.
Wanting to cheer her up, Isaac put on the most genuine smile he could muster. He reached his hand forward and placed it gently on her head.
"You will. One day, you'll go on a big adventure, and when you come home, you'll be able to tell your mom and dad all about it. I promise."
With that, Isaac stroked her head. It was a little awkward, as he had never comforted anyone in this way before, but he gave it his all. Her eyebrows moved, and her eyes softened. Her smile widened, and every drop of sadness vanished from her face.
"Really? You really think I'll go on a adventure?"
Now, her eyes were sparkling. Isaac nodded to her, still stroking her head.
"Certainly. I'll even go with you if you want!"
Emryn gasped happily, then lifted her hands and put them on top of the hand currently messing with her hair. She closed her eyes and giggled. Isaac couldn't help himself and chuckled at the adorable sight before him.
After a few seconds, both of them quieted down, and Emryn released her grip from his hand. Her joyful expression was still present, but now she also looked curious.
"Hmm? What is it, Emryn?"
"Uhm... Have you ever been on a adventure before, Isaac?"
Isaac remembered back to his old life and decided to tell Emryn the truth.
"As a matter of fact, I have!"
At his answer, her eyes lit up once again. Her mouth was agape in astonishment, and she leaned forward in anticipation. It was a bit overly dramatic, but Isaac only found it cute.
"Really?! Will you tell me about it?"
Isaac obliged and began telling her about the first time he had gone to see the northern lights. Naturally, he withheld the fact that it was in another world, and he also didn't mention that he was there with his late mother and father.
"Around here, it's very warm, but where I come from it's cold. Winter lasts almost half of a year, and snow can stack so high it can completely cover your window."
"No way, the whole window?!"
Isaac nodded. He was exaggerating a little about the length of winter, but he had woken up one day and not been able to see out his window due to the snow. This had only happened once, but it was a memory that cemented in his mind how tired he was of the cold, and how much he longed for something warmer. Of course, to Emryn, he played it off like it was a positive memory.
"Then, one day, I went on an adventure as far north as I could go! It took me a long time, and by the time I was there, it had already gotten dark. And that's when I saw it!"
Emryn gasped.
"Saw what?!"
"Lights. Colorful lights in the sky, flowing like waves. And then..."
The memory had always brought sadness to Isaac before, but when he told it to Emryn, it reminded him of the feeling he had felt in the moment; his first moment of bliss, and what woke the adventurer's spirit inside him.
Emryn had the same look of amazement she always had when Kit told his stories, though this time her astonishment seemed to radiate tenfold. Isaac tried to tell the story as dramatically as he could, and every time he spoke of a particularly interesting thing, Emryn would quietly react with a "woah", or a "so cool". Her genuine enjoyment of Isaac's story made his growing enthusiasm harder and harder to mask.
I'm guessing this is how it feels for Kit to tell his stories to the little girl. No wonder he enjoys it so much.
Isaac continued telling his story, and Emryn continued listening to it intently. It was a strange feeling to him. Memories of his old life, memories which he had loathed, being used to bring joy to someone else. At that moment, Isaac found himself regretting that he hadn't appreciated his life as much back then as he was now.
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After his story, Isaac continued to talk with Emryn for over an hour. Emryn had mostly talked about how amazing Isaac's story was, and came up with all sorts of ideas on what she wanted to see when she went on her adventure. She just couldn't seem to choose between them, so Isaac suggested she go on multiple adventures. That had blown Emryn's mind, as for some reason she thought she would only be able to go on one.
After having made an unorganized list of all the adventures she wanted to go on, Emryn had slowly become sleepy and dozed off. Isaac had carried her to bed and tucked her in, and was currently sitting alone at the dinner table, looking out the window. The farmland in the distance was lit up by the pale moonlight, and Isaac was thinking about all the adventures he wanted to go on once he had the opportunity.
Something caught his attention, and all the adventures in his head disappeared. Two silhouettes were approaching the farmhouse; A man and a woman. They were walking slowly, supporting each other as they walked on the dirt road. As they came closer, Isaac noticed that they were walking quietly, not saying a single word. It was the first time he had stayed up long enough to see them return and found the situation a little unnerving.
The entrance door creaked open, and Elyse was the first one to enter. Isaac turned his head to the open kitchen door and saw movement in the hallway. Not long after, Elyse poked her head through. Her eyes landed on him.
"Oh, Isaac. You're still awake."
The tone of her voice was flat as if she was only making an observation. It was strange hearing her this way, as she was usually so expressive in every word she said. To be honest, it made Isaac uncomfortable. He could hear Kit wordlessly moving past her, opening a door.
Looking up at Elyse, Isaac felt the second punch to the gut he had gotten that evening. Her posture looked weak, as if she was struggling to stand up. One hand was clutching to the door frame for support. She looked exhausted. On her face, there was no smile, only an empty expression. Her eyes were puffy, and marks from dried tears were streaming down her face.