Lying in his rustic crib, Kvolt concentrated on the sounds around him, his brain working to decipher the secrets of this strange language.

His red eyes keenly observed the dust particles dancing in the light entering through the cracks of the window. At four months old, his body was still too small and fragile, a bitter reminder.

"Aurora, what can you tell me about the composition of this dust?" he asked mentally, his gaze following the erratic movements of the particles.

"The dust is mainly composed of shed human skin particles, cloth fibers, pollen, and other minute matter," responded Aurora's soft, feminine voice in his mind. "Based on the spectral analysis, I can infer that we are in an environment with inadequate hygiene and ventilation, confirming the thesis of a pre-industrial scenario."

Kvolt nodded in confirmation, absorbing the information. Every detail, no matter how small, was a piece of the puzzle he wanted to assemble.

He faced a severe problem. His parents had not yet taken him to the outside world, and this limited his knowledge and ability.

Perhaps he was in a remote village, but he wanted to know about the culture and how people lived. However, his mother was immensely protective of him.

His musings were interrupted by the arrival of Lisai, who picked him up with a warm smile.

"Good morning, my little prodigy," she cooed, her red-irised eyes shining with love. "Shall we go see daddy?"

As Lisai carried him through the house, Kvolt picked up fragments of conversations, his brain working tirelessly to decipher the foreign language.

"...harvest is coming...", "...price of bread has risen again...", "...heard about the attacks in the neighboring village?..."

Kvolt frowned, trying to contextualize the information. Everything confirmed that he was in an agrarian society, with unstable markets and threats of violence. He filed this data for later analysis.

"Hello, son!" Henry greeted, interrupting Kvolt's reflections. He extended a rough finger, which Kvolt gripped with a firm hold. "By the grip, he will be an excellent swordsman!"

"Ma-ma..." he tried to say, but all that came out was an incoherent babble. Frustrated, Kvolt clenched his tiny fists, cursing the prison of his infant body.

"He's trying to say something!" Lisai exclaimed. She leaned over him, her soft face filling Kvolt's vision.

However, before Kvolt could surrender to another bitter reverie, a soft thud at the cabin door interrupted the family scene. Lisai looked in the direction of the sound, and her face lit up with recognition. "Aneiti has arrived!"

She walked to the entrance and opened the creaking wooden door, revealing a figure wrapped in shades of gray and brown. Aneiti entered the house with a respectful nod.

Kvolt observed her with attentive eyes, studying every detail of her exotic appearance. Her face was composed of designs on her forehead, and a colorful necklace adorned her neck next to her black hair. Her eyes were piercing, emanating an ancient wisdom that Kvolt wished to devour.

"I come to see how little Kvolt is growing," Aneiti announced, her voice deep and melodious.

Her gaze immediately turned to the small Kvolt in Lisai's arms.

"Ah, hello little one!" she exclaimed, a warm smile illuminating her face. " you've grown since the last time I saw you!"

Lisai smiled, her maternal love evident in every line of her expression. "He's growing so fast," she agreed, rocking Kvolt gently. "Sometimes I can hardly believe it."

Aneiti approached, her eyes studying Kvolt. "And how has he been? Any unusual signs?"

Lisai hesitated, a flash of apprehension crossing her face. "No... nothing I've noticed," she replied, perhaps a bit too quickly. "He's a perfectly normal and healthy baby."

Aneiti raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced. "May I hold him for a bit?" she asked, extending her arms.

Lisai nodded, handing Kvolt to Aneiti with a small smile. "Sure. Maybe you can feel something I can't."

Aneiti held Kvolt carefully and stroked the boy's wavy hair, her eyes closing for a moment as she concentrated. Kvolt soon felt a strange energy emanating from her, a current of something he couldn't fully comprehend.

Aneiti's eyes opened, and she looked at Kvolt with renewed intensity. "There's something in him," she murmured, more to herself than to Lisai. "A spark, perhaps. It's hard to be sure at such a young age, but..."

She paused, seeming to choose her next words carefully. Lisai leaned forward, her heart racing. "But what?"

Aneiti leaned in, her eyes meeting Kvolt's. With a subtle movement of her fingers, a small flame appeared in her palm, dancing and crackling.

Kvolt's eyes widened, the red of his irises glowing with the reflection of the fire. His small body tensed in Aneiti's arms, every muscle tingling. The flame was real, tangible, a vivid manifestation of something he had always believed existed only in the pages of fantasy books and on the screens of his games.

Memories of his past life flooded his mind, nights spent exploring the dungeons of Skyrim, conjuring fireballs in Diablo, watching powerful mages in movies like The Lord of the Rings. But this... this was different. This wasn't pixels on a screen or special effects. This was real magic, mere inches from his face.

"Interesting..." said the AI. "The flame seems to be sustaining itself without any external source of fuel. This defies the fundamental principles of thermodynamics. I also felt a frequency that resonates with your high-frequency bioenergetic system..."

Her voice took on an analytical, almost didactic tone, as if she were giving a lecture.

"A possible explanation is that the energy is being extracted from an unknown particle, or a dimension... a separate and unknown plane of existence, perhaps through an exotic form of matter or dark energy that permeates the fabric of space-time. This would require the existence of forces and fundamental particles beyond what is currently postulated by the Standard Model of particle physics."

Kvolt barely registered Aurora's elucubrations. He was completely captivated by the hypnotic dance of the flames, by the heat he could feel emanating from Aneiti's hand. Something inside him recognized the fire for what it was: a manifestation of a primordial power, a force that permeated the very structure of this world.

Without thinking, he stretched forward, his small but furious arms reaching out for the captivating light. Aneiti let out an exclamation of surprise when Kvolt almost threw himself out of her grip, his fingers writhing in an effort to touch the light.

For a brief moment, the tip of his finger made contact with the edge of the flame.

And then, as quickly as it had appeared, the flame was gone, closed in Aneiti's palm. Kvolt let out a sound of protest, half cry, half laugh, his arms still outstretched pleading. He wanted more, needed to feel that energy again.

Aneiti looked at him, a small smile playing on her lips.

"So eager, little one," she chuckled softly. "So hungry for a taste of what's to come."

She turned to Lisai, her face assuming a more serious expression.

"He's not an inept," she declared, her voice in certainty. "I can feel the spark of magic in him, pulsing beneath his skin."

Lisai paled, a shiver of fear running through her bones. She knew all too well what happened to the gifted - they were taken away from their families, locked up in boarding schools where they were indoctrinated in the arcane arts. It was a fate she did not wish for her son, not after everything she had suffered.

Aneiti continued to study Kvolt intently, her eyes scrutinizing the child with an intention that made Lisai squirm uncomfortably. After a few moments of tense silence, the midwife finally spoke.

"It's hard to be absolutely sure," she began, her voice filled with caution. "But based on what I can feel, it's likely that Kvolt is an inept, like you."

Lisai let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"But..." Aneiti continued, and Lisai's heart tightened, "if I'm wrong, and he is indeed gifted, it would be extremely dangerous to keep him here. Especially for you, Lisai."

She stared at the frightened mother. "But since gifted ones are rare among the inepts, it's likely that he isn't."

The young mother paled, perfectly understanding the implications of Aneiti's words. If the mages discovered that she was hiding a gifted one, the consequences would be severe.

"What... what do you suggest we do? You're a mage, can't you do anything?" Lisai asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Aneiti sighed, the weight of her years suddenly very apparent on her face. "For now, do nothing. Raise him as you would any other child. But be alert for any signs of magical abilities. If they manifest, you will have to make a difficult decision, in which unfortunately I cannot help, or I would be punished."

Lisai nodded, unshed tears burning her eyes. She looked at Kvolt, her little miracle, and silently swore that she would do anything to protect him, no matter the cost.

Kvolt struggled to follow the conversation. Words floated in and out of focus. But some stood out, echoing in his mind with a disturbing clarity.

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"Inept... gifted... dangerous..." he thought.

"Aurora," he called silently, "did you catch that? What are they saying about me?"

"According to my analysis, they are discussing the possibility of you possessing magical abilities," the AI responded. "The midwife, Aneiti, believes that you are probably an inept, someone with a latent magical spark, but unable to actively use magic."

Kvolt frowned, trying to make sense of this information. Magic, inepts, gifted, were strange concepts to his rational mind.

"And if she's wrong?" he asked. "What happens if I'm this so-called gifted?"

"It seems like it would be a dangerous situation," Aurora replied. "Your mother seems to be afraid of the consequences if the magical authorities find out about you."

Kvolt felt a shiver run down his spine. Even in his infant form, he could sense the tension and fear that permeated the adults' conversation. Whatever this world had in store for him, it was clear that it would not be easy.

But there was also a spark of excitement. If magic was real, if he had the potential to control it... The possibilities were too tempting to ignore.

"Keep monitoring the situation," he instructed Aurora. "And see if you can find more information about these magical abilities. Something tells me we're going to need all the knowledge we can get."

It was then that his mother put him in his crib, crafted for him by his father. Lying in his crib, his eyes fixed on the thatched roof above him. But he could still hear the muffled voices of his parents talking with Aneiti in the next room, the words floating in the air like leaves in the wind.

"I have to go to Mrirti in a few weeks," Henry was saying. "The guard shifts have been increased due to the recent Glohrakith attacks. I'll probably be away for a long period."

Lisai sighed, and Kvolt could imagine the worry etched on her face.

"I understand. Just... be careful, okay? Nessa and Kvolt need you. I need you."

There was a moment of silence, and then Aneiti spoke, her voice soft and comforting. "Don't worry, Lisai. I'll be around to help with whatever is needed. You're not alone in this."

Kvolt frowned, trying to make sense of the words. His father was going away? For weeks? The idea made him uncomfortable, though he didn't know exactly why. After all, he barely knew the man.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. A moment later, Nessa's face appeared above him, her single brown eye staring at him with curiosity.

Kvolt swallowed, still not fully accustomed to his older sister's appearance. Where her left eye should have been, there was only an empty socket, the skin around it wrinkled and deformed. And her left arm ended abruptly at the elbow, a rough and scarred stump.

But when Nessa smiled, her face lit up, seeming to transcend her physical deficiencies. She reached out her right hand and stroked Kvolt's cheek, her touch gentle.

"Hi, Kvolt," she said, her voice loud and cheerful in the stillness of the room. "You're so cute! I'm your big sister, did you know that? I'm going to take care of you and teach you all the cool things I know!"

Kvolt blinked, surprised by the sudden display of affection. A part of him, the part that was still struggling to reconcile with his new reality, shrank from the contact.

He turned away, trying to escape Nessa's advances. It was then that he saw it: a brief flash of light, coming from the room where his parents were talking with Aneiti. It was a soft, ethereal glow, unlike anything he had ever seen before.

His heart raced, and he instinctively stretched towards the light. Could it be...?

"Aurora," he called silently, hardly daring to hope. "Did you see that? Could it be magic?"

The AI was quick to respond. "According to my sensors, there was indeed an oscillation of energy consistent with the magical patterns we observed earlier. It's possible that Aneiti is demonstrating more of her abilities."

Kvolt was excited. Magic. It was real, and it was right there, just a few meters away. Every fiber of his being yearned for more, to engage with this mysterious power and mold it to his will.

What possibilities? He could become a mage like no other. And, with Aurora's help, read ancient tomes and decipher inexplicable things.

He barely noticed when Nessa left, called by her mother to help with some task. His mind was too busy spinning with possibilities, imagining what he could achieve if he could master magic.

A few moments later, Lisai entered the room, Aneiti following closely behind. The young mother leaned over the crib, her eyes searching Kvolt's with an intensity that surprised him.

"He has such a serious, focused look," she murmured, half to herself. "Sometimes, when I look into his eyes, I get the feeling that there's an ancient soul staring back at me. It's... unsettling. And also, he never cries."

Aneiti approached, studying Kvolt with renewed interest. "Some believe that the souls of those with great magical potential carry the wisdom of many past lives," she said softly. "Perhaps that's what you're seeing, Lisai. A glimpse of the destiny that awaits your son."

Lisai shuddered and backed away, as if Aneiti's words had the force of a physical blow. "I don't... I don't want to think about that. About any destiny that would take him away from me."

"With Nessa, it was so different. She cried about everything, always letting me know exactly what she needed. But Kvolt... it's like he's keeping his thoughts and emotions to himself."

The midwife placed a comforting hand on Lisai's shoulder. "The future is always uncertain, my dear. The best thing we can do is love and nurture our children, and trust that they will find their way in due time."

---

Kvolt's eyes roamed the room, absorbing every detail. At eight months, he already sat up easily, his posture upright and alert like a miniature adult.

He was sitting on the hard-packed dirt floor, the rough, irregular grains pressing against his delicate skin. In front of him, a faded patchwork quilt served as an improvised boundary between him, the door, and the outside world.

Kvolt reached out, his chubby fingers tracing the rough seams of the quilt. The patches were of various fabrics - rough wool, faded linen, even worn leather. Nothing in this life seemed to be wasted.

His attention was drawn to a wooden bowl abandoned a few steps away. He crawled towards it, his movements still clumsy.

The bowl was rustic and hand-carved with rudimentary tools. Its surface was uneven, with rough wood splinters in some parts and deep grooves from prolonged use in others.

Kvolt picked it up, his fingers exploring the texture of the wood. It was so different from the smooth, manufactured utensils of his previous life.

"Careful, Kvolt!" a shrill voice sounded. It was Nessa, his three-year-old sister, limping towards him. "That's not a toy!"

Kvolt watched as she approached.

A wave of conflicting thoughts swept over Kvolt. Pity for the difficult life his sister was having. Admiration for her resilience. And a pang of guilt for his own reluctance to accept this family as his own.

Nessa sat down beside him, her right hand reaching for the bowl. "Mommy uses this to feed us," she explained, her small fingers tracing the marks of use. "It's special."

Kvolt nodded, a gesture of understanding that surprised Nessa. She tilted her head, studying him with an intensity that mirrored his own.

"Little brother is very smart," she replied, smiling. "I'm going to help mommy in the kitchen, I'll be right back, little brother."

With that, she spun on her heels and left the room, her good leg swinging as she limped to the kitchen.

When silence finally fell over the room, Kvolt immediately turned to the most pressing matters on his mind - the tantalizing call of magic.

And as soon as Nessa was out of sight, he centered himself, his small back straightening into a perfect meditation posture. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and allowed his consciousness to wander, exploring the currents of power that flowed through his being.

At first, there was nothing but darkness and the sound of his own breathing. But then, a sensation began to emerge - a subtle tingling along his skin, an almost imperceptible vibration in his bones.

Kvolt focused on that sensation, allowing it to grow until it seemed to fill his entire being. It was like a current of energy, flowing through him, intertwining with every fiber of his body.

He could feel the energy accumulating at specific points, in his forehead, his chest, his navel, pulsing in sync with the beats of his heart. It was a sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced before, a comforting warmth, a gentle electricity.

Curiously, Kvolt tried to reach for this energy with his mind. But the moment his consciousness made contact, he felt a resistance, as if he were pressing against an invisible barrier.

He pushed against the barrier, but after a brief moment of yielding, he was pushed back into his physical body.

Kvolt opened his eyes, panting, his heart pounding in his chest. His entire body tingled with the memory of the energy.

"Wow..." he transmitted to Aurora. "That was... fucking cool!"

"Very intriguing," Aurora responded. "Your high-frequency bioenergetic readings during meditation showed slight undulations, perhaps this is the way to manipulate it."

Kvolt nodded, curious about what he had experienced. He knew he had only touched the surface of what was possible. This power within him was something to be explored, understood.

"But..." Aurora continued. "There were still no undulations or expressive movements in the low-frequency bioenergy. I advise continuing the tests and training to check if it's really possible to manipulate it."

And he was willing to do so.

Kvolt crawled towards his next destination, his mind already racing with possibilities.

His small body crawling from one room to another, his strength impressive for an eight-month-old baby.

Despite his mother's tireless efforts to keep him safe and protected, Kvolt was determined to unravel the secrets of this new world, no matter the risk.

His gaze was drawn to the sword resting against the wall, its polished blade gleaming with a tempting shine. With a grunt of effort, Kvolt dragged himself to it, his chubby fingers reaching out to touch the cold metal.

The moment his skin met the blade, he smiled. Who would have thought? Trapped in a fantasy world where anything was possible. Not even virtual reality could be as rewarding as being here.

Happy with his discovery, Kvolt moved away from the sword and headed for the kitchen, where the tempting aromas of strange and wonderful food filled the air.

On the nearby table, a variety of strange foods caught Kvolt's attention. There was a flat, dense bread, its dark crust sprinkled with seeds he didn't recognize. Next to it, a piece of hard, purple cheese exuded a strong aroma. Kvolt had heard his mother refer to it as Ghorva - a strange name to his unaccustomed palate.

On the stool, he saw a bowl of exotic fruits, their strange colors and shapes captivating his imagination. Without hesitation, he reached out and grabbed a handful of Lhossberries, shoving them into his mouth in a wild manner.

His sister and mother didn't seem to have noticed his theft, and then the berries exploded on his tongue, flooding his senses with rich, complex flavors he had never experienced before. It was as if each bite contained the very essence of magic, sending waves of pleasure through his small body.

Intoxicated with his boldness, Kvolt turned to the front door, which was ajar, inviting him to the world beyond. With a furtive glance over his shoulder to make sure his mother wasn't watching him, he crawled out, emerging into the light for the first time.

The outside world stared at him with bursts of sensations, the heat of two stars in the sky on his skin, the soft grass under his hands and knees, the sounds and smells of life reaching him in a dizzying symphony.

Some animals trapped in an enclosure. Kvolt looked closely and it seemed that even chickens existed in this land.

"How long since I've felt this," he thought, satisfied.

But his adventure was short-lived. Moments later, he heard his mother's alarmed voice calling his name, her hurried footsteps echoing behind him.

"Kvolt! What are you doing out here?"

Lisai ran towards Kvolt, her heart pounding with relieved panic. She scooped him up in her arms, holding him tightly against her chest, as if she feared he might dissolve into smoke at any moment.

"Kvolt, what were you thinking?" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion. "You scared me so much! Never do that again, do you understand?"

Kvolt looked at his mother, his red eyes shining with a nuance of defiance and frustration. He didn't want to be treated like a helpless child, not when there was so much to explore and discover in this new world.

He pouted, his lips twisting into a rebellious pout. Lisai blinked, surprised by the intensity of her son's reaction.

"Sometimes I swear you understand every word I say," she murmured, speaking to herself. "As if there's an adult mind watching from behind those eyes."

She shook her head, dismissing the strange thought. Surely it was just her imagination, a projection of her own hopes and fears onto her small, vulnerable son.

But when she looked at Kvolt again, she saw something in his expression that made her rethink.

"You do understand, don't you?" she whispered, her tone amazed and a little frightened. "Somehow, you know exactly what I'm saying."

Kvolt met his mother's gaze, his eyes burning with an intention that stole her breath. Slowly, he nodded, confirming her suspicions.

Lisai felt a shiver. She had always known that her son was special, but this... this was beyond anything she could have imagined.

"What are you, Kvolt?" she whispered, her arms tightening around him even more. "Was it my fault that you are like this... so smart? What does fate have in store for you? I'm afraid."

But Kvolt had no answers to give. He just looked at his mother, his young face silent, revealing purposes not yet realized and paths not yet traveled.

Lisai sighed, pulling Kvolt closer and burying her face in his soft hair. Whatever the future held for her son, she knew she would have to be strong for him.

"Let's keep it a secret for now," she murmured, her lips brushing Kvolt's forehead. "The world isn't ready for you, my son. But one day... one day you will shake it to its core."