Chapter 4: A New World
Hentz, or rather the child he had become, lived a life that was both familiar and utterly alien. His days were spent in the embrace of his new family, nestled within the sleek, pristine confines of a world so advanced that it made his old life seem like a relic of a distant, primitive past.
The home he now called his own was a marvel. The walls were seamless, their metallic surfaces imbued with faint patterns that shimmered when the ambient lighting shifted. Small devices hovered silently, performing tasks with precision and efficiency. There were no servants, no knights, no bustling castle staff—only these silent, mechanical beings.
His parents, as he came to understand them, were kind and nurturing. His mother, the woman with long black hair and a voice like a gentle lullaby, was his anchor. She cared for him with a warmth that reminded him of what he had lost, though her world was one he could barely comprehend. His father, a tall, composed man with piercing eyes and an air of authority, often visited him, his presence calm and reassuring.
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At first, Hentz struggled to reconcile his new reality. His infant body, while healthy and vibrant, was frustratingly weak. His once-proud strength, honed through years of rigorous training, was gone. And the matter of sustenance—of needing to drink his mother’s milk—was a blow to his pride he could hardly bear.
"How far I’ve fallen," he thought one day as he nursed reluctantly, his tiny fists balling in frustration. "From a Sword Master feared across the Empire to… this."
Yet, even as he sulked in his private thoughts, he couldn’t deny the comfort he felt in her arms. Her touch was gentle, her voice soothing, and in those moments, he felt a connection he hadn’t experienced in years—not since he was betrayed.
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As the months passed, Hentz began to observe his surroundings more closely. He learned to crawl, his tiny body adapting quickly, and he often explored the limits of the room he was kept in. The world beyond, visible through the massive windows, was mesmerizing.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
He would gaze for hours at the stars scattered across the cosmos and the massive planet slowly spinning below them. His mind raced with questions.
"This world…" he thought one day, watching as a sleek vessel, larger than anything he had ever imagined, glided past the window. "They’ve conquered the skies. They’ve left their home and now wander the stars."
The sheer scale of their achievement astounded him. These people—humans, though different from the ones he once knew—had done what no magic in his old world could. They had mastered the void between worlds, built cities that floated in the heavens, and created machines that defied all understanding.
"And they did it without magic," he mused, a mix of awe and disbelief. "No enchantments, no rituals. Only their ingenuity, their hands… and their minds."
It was humbling. The magic of his old world, revered and feared, seemed primitive compared to the wonders he witnessed daily.
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As his thoughts grew sharper, so did his understanding of his new life. His parents often spoke to him in their melodic, alien tongue, and though he couldn’t yet respond, he absorbed their words like a sponge. Over time, he pieced together meanings, associating their sounds with actions, emotions, and objects.
They called him Kael.
The name felt strange at first, foreign and unfamiliar. But as the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, it became a part of him. He was no longer Hentz Liebert, the betrayed knight, the Sword Master of the Empire. He was Kael, a child of the stars.
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His new life wasn’t without its challenges. Being confined to the limits of his infant body was an exercise in patience, a trait he hadn’t always excelled at in his previous life. He often grew frustrated, his thoughts far ahead of his physical abilities.
One day, while attempting to pull himself up on a low table, he slipped, landing awkwardly on the soft, cushioned floor. His small form trembled with frustration, and for a moment, tears welled in his eyes.
"I was a warrior," he thought bitterly, clenching his tiny fists. "I faced armies, monsters, and the Demon King himself. And now, I can’t even stand."
But as his mother hurried to his side, her gentle hands lifting him and her soothing voice calming his cries, he felt a warmth he hadn’t known in years. Her presence was unwavering, her love unconditional.
"Perhaps…" he thought, his pride momentarily set aside, "there’s strength in this too."
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Kael’s days were filled with quiet observation and small victories. Each new sound he mimicked, each object he grasped, each step he took brought pride to his parents and a sense of accomplishment to himself.
He marveled at the technology around him. Small orbs floated silently, projecting images of far-off worlds. Machines hummed with life, performing tasks with a precision that no artisan in his old world could match.
One day, as he lay in his crib, staring at the ceiling adorned with faint, shifting constellations, he thought to himself, "A Demon King… would be nothing to these people. Their power makes magic seem like a child’s trick."
The realization humbled him further. His old world, once the center of his universe, now seemed small and insignificant compared to the vastness of this new reality.
And yet, Kael felt a spark of determination.
"If they can achieve this without magic," he thought, his tiny hands reaching toward the stars, "then so can I. I will grow stronger, smarter. I will make my place in this world."
For the first time since his rebirth, Kael felt something he hadn’t known in years: hope.