I am going to be three years old in just a few days. If I am not mistaken, the calendar here is practically the same as the calendar on earth. I learned a lot of things from these past years. As of now, I am in my room, sitting and just staring at the wall. It’s a nice, plain-looking wall.

Now that I think of it, the people of this world celebrate birthdays around the age of three. It’s more like a tradition, I guess; it’s from the books I once read from the time when I was alone in what seems to be our personal library, but not really much of a library because books are scarce.

Well, in that book, it says that not much survives their infancies, for at that time, humanity was at war with demons.

It’s said that the demons constantly attacked human settlements everywhere, and also that humanity is not that well-versed in magic yet, which I suppose means humanity doesn’t have any healing magic or cure spells that can get rid of any illness or something like that. That’s probably why most didn’t survive until the age of three.

Why the age of three, you ask? It’s said that at the age of three, parents usually train their children on how to survive the war.

Well, that also means I will finally celebrate my first birthday!! Why am I excited for my first birthday, you may ask? Because of gifts, duh, you may wonder what’s the gift that I want; it’s a wand, of course, or anything that can help me with magic. After all, this is a world where magic exists, which is very different from my old, boring, plain world that doesn’t have magic but has way more advanced technology than this world... Why am I talking to myself...

Now the problem is, how will I ask my parents for a wand as a gift? Maybe I should just tell them-

A loud bang from my door opened it wide open, and then a loud voice followed suit. “HELLLOO GABRIEL!!!! ”Ah yes, there’s never a time my father greets me with a quieter voice.

Then I see my mother just right behind him. It always amazes me that whenever my father takes a beating from my mother, he never takes it to heart and is always lovey-dovey with mother.

There was a time when my mother beat my father at death’s door, and the next morning they were all flirting together like nothing ever happened. But you can see the injuries on his face, like huge swellings all over his face and bruises all over his body. Then again, my mother heals them by using magic.

I am getting off topic now that my parents are here. This is my chance to ask them to get me a wand or something, but perhaps I should just ask for a wooden wand so that they won’t spend a lot of money on something expensive.

Now that I think of it, my mind has been wandering for a while now. I usually greet him back just after my father greets me. I look at my father to see him crying over my mother’s shoulders and my mother comforting him.

“Honey, our dear Gabriel is ignoring me. Did I do something wrong? Is he mad at me, or is he having a phase where he ignores his father? ”My father said while my mother patted him on the back, comforting him.

“There there, he’s probably just hated your annoying, loud ass greeting every damn morning; that’s louder than ten wailing banshees,” my mother said with a gentle smile on her face.

Wow, she just burned/insulted father with a bloody smile on her face. Never mind that I should just apologize to my father so he will feel better.

“I am sorry, papa. I was absorbed in my thoughts.”

Father’s emotion immediately changes from being sad to happy, and now he is smiling at me. He crouches down to be on the same level as me and says, “Oh, I see. What was my dear Gabriel thinking? ”

“It’s nothing; why are Mama and Papa here? ”

“Oh, we just wanted to see you.”

My mother leans right next to my father’s ears and whispers something. Looking at my father's face, he seems to just remember, after my mother whispered to him, what they were really here for in the first place.

“Your mother and I were wondering if there’s anything our dearest Gabriel wants.”

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Are they perhaps asking me what I want for my birthday? THAT’S FUCKING GREAT!! Ehem, I have to contain myself. I should also answer them like I don’t know what’s going on. And give them an answer that is not specific. Saying a wooden stick would probably also mean a wooden wand.

I look at my father and give him a big smile. “A wooden stick.”

Father has a confused face and says, “A wooden stick? ”

“YES!!”

“So, you’re basically saying you want something that is wooden? ”

Hmm, is he perhaps asking if it’s really okay to buy something that is just made out of wood? Well, I actually want a finely made wand made out of the best material, but of course that is too much to ask for. But hey, a wooden wand is the first step for me to become great at magic. And so, I give a big smile once more and say, “YES!!!! ”

“Oh, I see this has been a nice talk, but me and your mother need to leave now to do something.”

After some days went by, my FIRST BIRTHDAY HAS ARRIVED!!! How do I know when my birthday is? Well, I did ask my parents when my birthday is, duh. Goddamn, am I really that lonely to keep talking to myself?

Anyway, now that it’s my first birthday, my parents are probably preparing a birthday party for me.

I went to the room where my parents usually are whenever they wouldn’t go to my room. I prepare to be surprised by my parents. But nothing happened. I saw my father polishing his sword in the corner, and I didn’t see my mother. Did she go out? I looked around, and I didn’t see her basket that she usually uses when she’s going to town to buy some things.

Then my father might have seen me in the corner of his eye because he finally noticed me. He approaches me and crouchs down to my height to talk to me.

“It seems like sleepyhead Gabriel finally woke up. Come now, let’s have lunch that was prepared by your mother; she’s not here at the moment because she went to town to buy some essentials.”

Huh, so my mother didn’t go out to buy things for my birthday but just went out to buy some essential items. Did I perhaps mishear when exactly my birthday is, or have my parents forgotten about it? And also, for your information, I didn’t even have a wink of sleep because I was so excited last night about my birthday, and when the sun rose, I didn’t even go towards this room in order to not disturb the preparation for my birthday party, but for me to be met by nothing. My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined.

“What’s wrong, Gabriel? Why do you look like you’re not having a good day? Did you perhaps wake up on the wrong side of the bed? ”

I don’t even have enough energy to talk to my father. It’s so annoying that I let my hope up for nothing.

“Why are you not answering your papa? Come on, talk to me; tell me if there’s something bothering you; I am always here for you.”

"Tsk.” I am so annoyed that I unconsciously let it out.

“Do you hate your papa, Gabriel? ”

I just look at him because I am too annoyed to answer.

Huh, why does he have teary eyes? Eh? He immediately turns to the opposite side and starts running, leaving a small space between him and the wall. Without stopping, he goes through the wall, leaving a human shape on the wall. I see him run off into the sunset.

-Riel’s perspective-

I was polishing my trusty sword, and then I saw Gabriel. I approach him with a cheery smile.

I crouch down to be at the same face level as Gabriel and say to him, “It seems like sleepyhead Gabriel finally woke up. Come now, let’s have lunch that was prepared by your mother; she’s not here at the moment because she went to town to buy some essentials.”

Gabriel didn’t say anything, so I asked him some questions. “What’s wrong, Gabriel? Why do you look like you’re not having a good day? Did you perhaps wake up on the wrong side of the bed? ”

He didn’t answer any of them, so I tried my best for him to talk to me. “Why are you not answering your papa? Come on, talk to me; tell me if there’s something bothering you; I am always here for you.”

“Tsk”

Urgh!! It feels like some sword stabbed me right through the heart after hearing Gabriel let out a tsk.

Don’t tell me he hates me. No-no, that’s probably not the case; he's just having a bad mood. My baby boy won’t hate his father; he loves me, that I know for sure. But perhaps he really hates me. Haha, that won’t be the case, but that could also be the case! Ahh, this is hurting me mentally. I should just ask him if he hates me, but of course he will say no. Still, I need to ask him, just in case, “Do you hate your papa, Gabriel? ”

…

Ah! It-it can’t be he-he really hates me; not only does he not answer my question, he also angrily stares at me. It hurts so bad to be hated by my own son that it feels like my heart is getting constantly stabbed by a sharp blade. Every time I look at him, my heart aches more. My tears are about to burst; I can’t take it anymore. I immediately face the opposite side where Gabriel is, for it hurts just seeing him. I close my eyes; it feels like a dam that is about to burst, and without a care in the world, I started running as fast as I could, not letting anything stop me.