Winter, age 2.

I'm watching my mother cook. Their stoves are weird, a word I've become all too accustomed to, and don't use fire.They don't seem to use electricity either, and there are no controls. Wonder how it works. Might even be some kind of magic, though I haven't seen any yet in this world.

She's cooking a personal favorite of hers. It's a seared fish that tastes like salmon, although it's the size of a tuna, with several sides of vegetables and dumplings. I always liked fish, so that's another plus of coming to this world, especially because she's a good cook.

Too bad it came at the cost of my life, my friends, everything I had ever collected and all of my dreams..

She always hums when she's cooking. It's soothing. I always find myself looking forward to dinner, because she takes me with her into the kitchen when she cooks, and I love listening to her hum away. It's one of the few things I enjoy in this world.

Though of course that doesn't say a whole lot, seeing as the rest of my day comprises of sitting around doing absolutely nothing.

That and playing with this weird ass toy they got me. It's like a rattle, but it doesn't make a sound. I can't really see why they gave it to me, and they keep pushing it on me when I leave it behind, so I'm just pulling it around on obligation.

At least it looks somewhat high end. It's a crystal, like the ones on the wall, embedded into what looks like a small rod of wood.

Actually, it looks like it somehow grew from the wood or something. Wait that can't be right, how did they get it in there? It's definitely a single piece of wood, and yet it's coiled around the crystal on four sides. There's literally no way it could have been embedded into the wood without cutting it up, but I can not find any lines where the wood is glued back together.

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This is really good craftsmanship, why would they make this for a baby?

I haven't really looked at this crystal either. It's black, like the ones on the wall, and there seems to be a tiny light within it. It's.. Almost mesmerizing.. Like I could reach out and grasp it..

What's this?

What just happened?

Time just slowed down.

The world lost it's colors. Everything looks dark and smeared.

Something is definitely going on.

I try to move, but my hands don't react.

No. They move, they're just slow.

And I'm still touching this damn crystal.

I pull my hand away, and the world snaps into focus.

Whoa

That was surreal.

What the hell kind of toy are you people giving your baby?!

...

Well it's more interesting than staring into space for hours on end.. Being reborn is by far the most tedious experience of, well, both my lives.

Let's see what this thing does..

Time really slow down when I touch it. My mother stopped moving when I touched the crystal.

Wow, moving your eye balls in slow-mo is really bizarre.

Now how does this thing work?

The crystal is still glowing within, but it doesn't look the same. The light looks like the light is orbiting the center.

It's not moving very fast though. Looking at it moving is almost hypnotic. I feel connected to the light somehow.

Maybe I can make it move faster?

If I really concentrate, I feel like I can speed it up.

Hmm..

Yeah, it looks like it's moving a bit faster..

Maybe I should make it go even faster than this.

Weird, the more I concentrate, the faster it goes.

Let's see how fast I can make it go.

Come on.

Faster

Faster

Faster...

Just a little bit more...

There you go, that's rather fast.

How long have I been in here?

Have I been breathing?

Maybe I should get out of here.

Come on hand, slowly let go..

Almost there..

Whoa!

Fuck that's bright, Jesus, I'm blind.

``What's tha- Nathan! Did you imbue the mana crystal? That's a good boy!''

Mana crystal?

Imbue?

What?