ILIAS PAYNE

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My name was Decan Lancaster. Or that was what it used to be. But the reality of my situation had finally set in—I was reborn as a baby.

It didn’t take too long to realize that.

When the wrinkled man (who I figured out was the doctor) lifted me up and set me in a small bed, I was confused. Confused as to how a man his age and stature managed to carry me without straining. I knew I lost weight while I was in the dungeons, but I still wouldn’t be anywhere light enough to be carried by a man senile enough to enter his twilight years.

Next, I tried to look around, but my head was heavy and my neck weaker. The best I could do was move my eyeballs around, but even then, I couldn’t see that far. Only what was directly in front of me.

Then, I tried to move my body but was only able to weakly wiggle my fingers around. I could move my arms for a bit, but they didn’t have that much flexibility and it was like rocks were strapped to them. I tried to get up, but it was impossible as I couldn’t even feel my spine.

At that point, my situation was beginning to make sense.

I didn’t believe in reincarnation, but here I was.

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Even if it does exist, don’t you usually lose your previous life’s memories?

If so, why do I still have mine?

The first question that popped into my head was: what happened after I died?

The second question was: how far into the future did I get reincarnated to, or is this another world?

But taking a glance around, it seemed as if the world was very much still that of Armestis. I didn’t recognize what the doctor was wearing, though that must’ve just been because the uniform changed in between my death and rebirth.

The doctor, who was now putting clothes on me, stared in awe. “I’m glad. I don’t know how, but I’m so glad. I’m glad you’re okay, little Ilias.”

Again, the words that came out of my mouth were: “Aah! Wah!”

“You haven’t even made a sound since your first cry. Hopefully, you’re this calm as you grow up. Wait! Don’t tell me—” The doctor stared into my eyes. “Give me a sign.”

A sign?

What sign does he want me to give?

This?

I wrapped my hand around his finger and all tenseness disappeared from the doctor’s face.

“Thank the gods.”

The third question came a bit later than the others and was: why is this happening to me?