Days passed and I kept growing. My small stomach would fill and digest quickly, which meant I was constantly hungry. I decided it was better to follow my instincts without restraining myself during this short stage of my childhood, especially when it came to eating and sleeping.

As I grew, my parents seemed increasingly excited. I couldn't help wondering if all parents were like this or if there was something special about me. However, I decided not to overthink the matter and simply enjoy the love and attention I was receiving.

As days went by, I noticed my parents began to speak more openly about me in my presence. Perhaps they thought I couldn't understand them yet, but I absorbed every word, trying to comprehend more about my situation and this world.

—Atlas, have you noticed how he looks at us? It's like he truly understands everything we're saying.

—I know, sometimes I feel there's an adult mind behind those baby eyes.

Their words surprised me. Were they suspecting something? I decided to be even more careful in my actions, trying to maintain the facade of a normal baby.

However, my curiosity about the world around me continued to grow. Every time my parents took me out of the room, I observed everything attentively, trying to absorb every detail.

The hallway walls were decorated with paintings and tapestries unlike anything I had seen in my previous life. That morning, I woke up in my crib, feeling a ravenous hunger that made me start to squirm. It wasn't long before my mother, Adelaide, approached and looked at me tenderly.

—My little one, are you very hungry? —she asked sweetly while taking me in her arms.

I felt my mother settling to feed me. At eight months old, I already knew this routine well. I lay back on the soft white blanket and began to suck eagerly. The flavor was delicious and comforting, causing my tiny feet to stretch and curl in satisfaction.

My mother, who already knew my gestures well, smiled softly seeing that signal of my enjoyment. Gently, she tickled my feet, causing me to wave them in the air. I couldn't contain my reaction to the contact.

In the blink of an eye, my tiny stomach was full. I felt my baby body visibly relaxing. Adelaide hugged me affectionately and gave me soft pats on the back. I rested my cheek on her shoulder, feeling an incomparable warmth and security.

—My little one, aren't you eating too much? —my mother joked with a little laugh.

Her words seemed so funny to me that I couldn't help joining her laughter with an infantile chirp. While enjoying these moments of intimacy with my mother, I reflected on my situation. I had lived a previous life irreparably indistinct and blurry, I had died, and my consciousness had fallen into a kind of nebulous limbo from which I could not escape.

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When I awakened in this new world, I initially suspected it might be a divine punishment. But I quickly realized this was not a punishment at all. Although I didn't know exactly where I was, nor what was happening, nor why I was here or who had brought me, I felt profound gratitude.

I was certain this was an act of grace. An impressive and wonderful grace. By the kindness of some superior force, I had been returned what I had uselessly discarded in my previous life.

Without any tangible evidence, I firmly believed this was a warm and joyful gift. The name I had before dying had been swallowed by oblivion. Now, I had a new name, a new beginning. Far from my past, my mistakes, and my guilt...

This tiny body was mine now, and the name of this small body was Arceus.

The body and name that at first felt like they belonged to someone else suddenly seemed to fit perfectly, as if this was what I had always been destined to be.

—Ah... Ah... —I tried to speak, my voice broken by emotion. I didn't care that tears began to flow; I forced my immature vocal cords to make some sound, any sound that could express the intensity of my feelings.

I made a solemn promise to myself: this time, I was going to do it right. While my mother rocked me in her arms, I burned with determination. Nothing made sense to me yet, neither why I had been born here nor what my purpose was in this new world. But I knew I had enough time to understand all those things.

I had already had enough of being stuck, of yielding to adversity and hugging my own knees in defeat. I didn't care if I failed, I didn't care if I stumbled. I didn't care how many obstacles I would have to face.

This time... This time, I was going to live fully. I was going to seize every moment in this world!

I screamed my resolution with the sob that only a baby could make, a cry that mixed joy, determination, and a touch of fear of the unknown.

Adelaide, sensing the intensity of my emotions, hugged me tighter, murmuring words of comfort and love. She couldn't know the thoughts racing through my mind, but she intuited that something important was happening inside me. —It's okay, my love —she whispered, gently caressing my back—. Mommy is here. I'll always be here for you.

I clung to my mother, letting my tears flow freely. At that moment, I felt that all the fears and doubts I had accumulated since my rebirth dissolved in the warmth of her embrace. As I calmed down, I began to observe the room with new eyes. The colors seemed more vivid, the sounds clearer. Every detail of the world around me took on a new meaning.

The sunlight filtering through the window, creating dancing patterns on the floor. The soft tick-tock of the clock on the wall, marking the passage of time in this new life. The comforting scent of my mother, mixed with the clean smell of freshly washed sheets. All of this, I thought, was part of my new world. A world I was eager to explore, to understand, to experience in its fullness.

While Adelaide rocked me softly, humming a lullaby I was beginning to recognize as my favorite, I felt a wave of peace invade me. The exhaustion from my night practice and the emotional intensity of the moment were beginning to take their toll. My eyelids became heavy, and I struggled to keep my eyes open. I didn't want to miss a single second of this new reality unfolding before me. But sleep was relentless, and little by little, I was sinking into a sweet drowsiness.

Before falling completely asleep, I had one last conscious thought: «Thank you». I didn't know exactly to whom or what I was grateful. Perhaps to the universe, perhaps to some higher power, or perhaps simply to life itself for this second chance.

With a small smile on my lips, I surrendered to sleep, secure in my mother's arms and full of hope for the future awaiting me.