I had to give Ailva credit, he tried several times to avenge himself. Once a day for a week he tried. Each time was met with several punches from me. Part of me wanted to believe it was I was that strong; a good portion of me knew it was Ailva was quite weak. Was it Aut’s lessons? Unn only showed me the punches so far. Every day was alternating between the punching bag, drawing the talismans, and napping. At the moment, I was punching the bag. It was barely moving. Unn was slowly introducing me to the others. I suck at names.

The thought of the food improving was quickly crushed. Why does all the food suck? The instant I was allowed into the kitchen I was making something edible. How do I get into the kitchen? Unn kept watching me nonstop. Now that I think about it, do I need to sneak in? Unn was sitting right next to me at the moment.

“Can we go to the kitchen?” I asked.

“Are you hungry?” Unn checked.

“I want to try cooking.” I stated.

“Do you dislike the food, Ash?” Unn probed.

“Yes.” I confessed.

“We can go to the kitchen. You’ve practice long enough today.” Unn told me.

We walked to the kitchen which made me weep. Wow. This was the worst kitchen I had ever stepped in. No wonder the food is egregious. Before Unn grabbed me something, I began rummaging through the ingredients. The only food I could recognize was potatoes. For the rest, I was using my nose. From what I can tell, the shape and color is different, but the base flavors are the same. I needed to test though.

“Ash?” Unn asked.

“Testing.” I replied.

“What?” Unn probed.

I found a knife, which was dull. I rummaged around for a knife sharpener. It took me a few moments of looking to find what I was after. I began sharpening the knife which made Unn look at me perplexed. Oh. Yea. No kid would know this. I stopped in my tracks.

“What are you doing?” Unn checked.

“Cooking.” I answered.

“Has someone been sneaking into the kitchen?” Unn asked.

“Uh.” I stalled. Unn gave me a stern stare.

“Ash.” Unn pressed. I think lying here is the better answer.

“Yes.” I lied.

“Do you dislike the food that much?” Unn checked.

“Yes.” I replied immediately.

“And you think you could do better?” Unn challenged. I don’t think my toddler body is going to hinder me that much.

“I will.” I declared.

“Go ahead.” Unn told me.

I kept smelling each ingredient. If I’m right, this should be the ingredients to make chicken with lemon sauce. I needed a step stool to reach the counter. First prep the ingredients. Unn watched me very carefully as I wielded the knife, so I used to make sure no accidental knicks occurred. To my relief, my muscle memory somewhat remained. Once I had the fruits and vegetables prepped, I looked for spices, grabbing only salt and pepper. Now for a pan. Those thankfully were hanging over the stove.

There was a large vat of cooking oil, which I ladled some out onto the pan. By the smell, it was olive oil. That’s convenient. I put the vegetables in the pan to begin frying them. As that happened, I seasoned what from what I could tell was chicken. It’s probably close. I imagined there would be a bit of a learning curve for slight differences in the ingredients. I put the chicken in the pan, and the instant it hit I smelt the difference. Huh; I assumed this was chicken by feel. It smelt closer to pork. Might be a little awkward with the sides I chose, assuming I’m correct on what I grabbed.

After a bit, I flipped the pork. I grabbed another pan, putting some butter in it. I grabbed the lemons and other fruit I prepped to make the sauce. That shaped up in no time, making the kitchen smell delicious. My mouth was watering. Edible food. Oh, how I’ve missed this. It was nice being able to cook again. Several minutes later I took the pork meat out of the pan, setting it on a rack to rest. I grabbed a plate, setting the vegetables nicely on it. I took my rested meat, placed it on top, and drizzled the sauce on. Where’s the cutlery?

“Woona, come here!” I heard Unn call out. Oh yea. Unn. Fuck. I might have gone a little overboard. Unn looked completely gob smacked.

“I’m sorry.” I apologized.

Unn straight up slapped herself. It was an incredibly crisp, clean slap. This may have been a mistake. Unn walked over, inspecting the dish. Her face was stunned. I wanted to begin eating. Woona walked in not understanding why she was needed.

“How does that dish look to you?” Unn requested, deeply rubbing her eyes.

“Why did you make such a fancy dish for Ash? I’ve never seen you make something that nice for the others.” Woona inquired.

“It’s real? It’s real right?” Unn verified. Woona put her hand near the dish to feel the heat, smelt it, and lifted it to turn it around a bit.

“Yes. I don’t understand why you’re asking.” Woona confirmed.

“How the forl did Ash make that?” Unn asked point blank, seeming to understand what I just did. Woona’s eyes shot between the two of us.

“Ash made this?” Woona probed. I definitely fucked up.

“Who did he watch in the kitchen? Who was on cooking duty?” Unn inquired.

“No one who can make this.” Woona snapped.

“Can I eat now?” I requested.

“Yes dear. You can eat.” Unn told me, pulling out a fork and knife for me.

“Thank you.” I replied as I sat at the table, eating my meal. This is the best lunch.

I took a bite, and nearly cried. Oh. I’ve missed this. It tasted like an odd pork-chicken hybrid. The fruits and vegetables were close to what I expected, but all tasted slightly different. The dish still tasted way better than anything I’d eaten in this life. It turned more into pork in a lime sauce after all was said and done. Woona and Unn both were looking at me, looking more surprised than before.

“What?” I asked as I wiped my mouth.

“I’m. I. Um. He’s three, right?” Woona checked.

“That’s correct. Ash is three.” Unn confirmed.

“Is he possessed?” Woona inquired.

“I checked; five times as he cooked. Ash is not possessed. I. I just.” Unn replied.

“Ash is just unique. I’m going to go back to the art lessons.” Woona retorted, walking out.

“Hold on a second Ash.” Unn told me as she grabbed a new fork and knife.

She walked over, taking a small piece of the other side; her face became a maelstrom of emotions. I was way too impulsive. I was just sick of eating food that tasted so bad. I should’ve snuck in here and done it. I shifted awkwardly as I resumed eating. Unn’s eyes kept looking between me and the dish.

“I’m sorry.” I apologized.

“It’s. It’s fine. Just finish eating.” Unn told me.

I ate the last few bites as Unn cleaned the pans and knife I used. I finished eating, got up, and brought my dishes to the sink. Her head tilted oddly to the side as she cleaned. Unn clearly made a decision as she cleaned. What? What’s that face? She escorted me to the front, where we both put on shoes. It was oddly cold by the front; I couldn’t stop shivering. She’s never taken me outside. These odd tingles were going down my spine. Where are we going?

“It’s okay Ash. We’re going to visit a friend.” Unn informed me.

“What?” I asked.

“You’re shaking like a leaf.” Unn pointed out.

“It’s cold.” I retorted.

“Try using .” Unn told me.

Why not a coat? I did what she said, and to my surprise I instantly felt warmer. What? How does that work? Unn chuckled at my reaction as we walked outside. I instantly looked up, seeing there was indeed a city floating above the one I was currently in. Huh. That’s weird. The buildings were made of stone, as well as quite cramped. The streets were crowded, with many beings of races I couldn’t begin to identify shuffled around each other in the street. The sky was kind of blue. I wish I could identify the time period. In retrospect, I wish I was a better student in general. What time period would this be? Medieval? Renaissance? Somewhere between there.

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Unn made sure to get a solid grip on my hand before escorting me through the streets. It was not a long walk, at most ten minutes. We reached a surprisingly elaborate building, with large stained-glass windows. Is this a church? It had ornate wood doors, with a carving depicting seven beings on it. Why bring me to a church? Inside was several rows of pews, a central altar, and seven stained glass windows. This all screams church.

“Hello?! Priest Lorfca?!” Unn called out.

“I’ll be there in a second!” Priest Lorfca yelled back.

Her voice echoed almost unnaturally in the building. Why does Unn want me to meet a priest? It did not fill me with confidence. Unn pat my head, seeming to sense my unease. We stood there for a few moments before a woman emerged from the back section. What race is she? Wait, why is she a priest instead of a priestess? How could I possibly ask that question as a toddler? It was quite odd. She was wearing simple white robes, with a matching small wreath on her head. Lorfca was easily a foot taller than Unn, with a thin, wiry frame. Her skin looked like it was made of a light blue clay. Is she the same race Aut was? Her eyes were a bright ruby, which contrasted her solid obsidian hair.

“Who’s this?” Priest Lorfca asked.

“I’m Ash.” I answered.

“Why are you here today, Ash?” Priest Lorfca probed, squatting down to still be almost my height. She’s fucking tall.

“I don’t know. I’ve been getting in fights with Ailva, but he starts them.” I replied.

“Why are we here today then, Unn?” Priest Lorfca inquired, keeping her eyes on me. They had this odd glow to them.

“I know Ash is not possessed, but I’d like you to double check.” Unn answered. Priest Lorfca looked a bit surprised.

“Seriously?” Priest Lorfca verified.

“He’s oddly precocious.” Unn explained. Yea, I definitely fucked up.

“You must be an interesting child.” Priest Lorfca chimed.

“I guess.” I muttered.

“Have you eaten yet?” Unn asked Priest Lorfca.

“Not yet. Why?” Priest Lorfca checked, looking perplexed.

“Ash, can you cook another meal like earlier?” Unn requested.

“Am I in trouble?” I asked.

“Not at all.” Unn assured me.

“Why?” I probed.

“Because my friend hasn’t eaten yet. It’s okay Ash.” Unn replied.

I was escorted to the kitchen, which was quite a bit nicer than the orphanage kitchen. Do I make an actual dish? Do I intentionally make something shitty? My mind was racing a mile a minute as I looked around. What do I do?

“Relax Ash. Why is he so scared?” Priest Lorfca asked.

“You’re not in trouble Ash. I just want to make sure you’re safe.” Unn replied.

“Safe from what?” I probed.

“Sometimes can latch onto people, giving them odd abilities and eventually try to steal their body in extreme cases.” Unn answered. Am I a ? My memories are a ?

“Hold on a moment Unn. I can say right now, there is no attached to Ash beyond a shadow of doubt. What did he do that has you so concerned?” Priest Lorfca interjected.

“Ash has always been weirdly cognizant. He also has an unnatural ability to cook.” Unn answered.

“I see. Ash, come here. Put your hand to mine.” Priest Lorfca instructed.

I begrudgingly walked forward, putting my hand against hers. She gently sent her through my body. Priest Lorfca kept smiling at me, before her eyes went a bit wide. Oh; not good. I highly doubted I could make it out of here alive if they wanted to fight me. It took several minutes for her to finish whatever she was checking.

“What a peculiar child; he has a lot of for his age. Someone here just has a I can’t identify. It’s likely why he’s oddly able to pick up on what’s around him. I’m assuming you want me to keep quiet about his ?” Priest Lorfca explained while giving Unn an amused smirk; Unn turned a deep shade of red.

“Those exist and yes.” Unn squeaked. Her face was screaming she wanted to leave immediately.

“Did someone forget about ?” Priest Lorfca taunted.

“They’re rare.” Unn defended herself.

“I’m aware. I could do an on him, but I don’t think you’d like to pay for one.” Priest Lorfca retorted.

“I would not. I know his , his , and now he has a . I just. I realized which one it might be.” Unn replied, struggling to make eye contact.

“Oh? What narrowed it down so much?” Priest Lorfca inquired, looking a bit surprised.

“Nothing. Don’t press.” Unn snapped. Unn knows my parents, so something about my parents instantly told her the answer.

“Is someone embarrassed?” Priest Lorfca teased, giving Unn a hug from behind.

“Not in front of Ash.” Unn retorted.

“You’ve been so busy recently. I need attention.” Priest Lorfca whined. They must be good friends. Wait a second. OH. OH.

“You two are dating?” I probed.

“Somewhat.” Priest Lorfca answered. Somewhat?

“What?” I checked.

“We’re both busy people and neither of us really have time for dating.” Unn stated. Huh.

“Cool. What’s this building called?” I asked.

“This is a . It’s where we pray to the Lords. Do you know the seven Lords?” Priest Lorfca told me.

“No. Who are they?” I probed.

“Dha, Andel, Sul, Uhm, Nyx, Kron, and Utol. They are the Lords of Life, Light, Dark, Nature, Magic, Fate, and Death respectively. You’d likely want to pray to Utol.” Priest Lorfca explained.

“Why?” I checked.

“You have . You should pray to the one you take after.” Priest Lorfca informed me.

“Is that true Unn?” I probed. With what happened after Aut’s demise, and the fact I’m alive in a world full of , I’m willing to give higher powers a chance this time around.

“Yes. I did plan on showing you how to become an exorcist, which Utol is the best Lord for.” Unn confirmed. I have many questions, but a toddler wouldn’t know to ask the deluge I’m thinking of.

“Let’s try a little .” Priest Lorfca suggested.

“What’s a ? Are they different from ?” I checked.

“It’s a symbol powered by a prayer to a Lord. What symbols have you seen?” Priest Lorfca answered.

“Freeze and .” I told her.

“Okay. Draw freeze on the ground.” Priest Lorfca instructed, giving me what looked like a chalk stick. I carefully drew the symbol.

“You’ve improved! Way to go Ash!” Unn praised.

“Now, give a quick prayer to Utol.” Priest Lorfca stated.

“What do I pray?” I inquired.

“Something simple like, ‘please power my symbol, Lord Utol’ will work.” Priest Lorfca explained, showing me how to put my hands together.

“Okay.” I replied.

Please power my symbol, Lord Utol. I put my hands together, giving the quick prayer. I felt a fluctuation around me, as something other than me powered the symbol. What? The entire felt fifty degrees colder. What the hell? There is no way I powered that. Then I realized, the temperature was still dropping. Why is it getting so cold? From what I know about , that’s impossible. Now, the was full of chilled mist, as ice lightly formed on the stones.

“Wow.” Unn and Priest Lorfca said in unison.

“What happened?” I asked, not understanding what just happened.

“You properly used a . That was quite good!” Priest Lorfca praised.

Is it faith if I’m extremely confident that Lords exist? I sensed no move from Unn or Priest Lorfca when I activated the symbol. Why would a Lord activate a symbol of a toddler? It was mind boggling. How? How does this world work? This is so different.

“Why would a Lord power my symbol?” I checked. Unn and Priest Lorfca chuckled.

“She didn’t. Or more accurately, Lord Utol didn’t power it personally. The Lords can turn your faith in them into reality. The stronger you want the to be, the more you need to pray. If you pray over a over several days, it becomes much stronger than one you make a quick prayer to.” Priest Lorfca explained.

“How strong can they get? I just did what you said.” I inquired.

“That one was a bit abnormal, but you are in a following the instructions of a priest. Try again.” Unn told me.

“Give me a quick moment.” Priest Lorfca stated

She drew a similar symbol, but it was a box with convex edges. Priest Lorfca activated it, and the room returned to its original temperature. I redrew the symbol for freeze, reciting the same prayer. The area only dropped a few degrees this time. Okay. That’s interesting.

“The more you ask from the Lords, the weaker it is. You should properly build and pray to one for your to actually have effect. Acts in their names that they approve of also increases their effectiveness; things they dislike will decrease their effectiveness.” Priest Lorfca instructed.

“Like what?” I probed.

“Despite being the Lord of Death, Utol does not like murder for example.” Priest Lorfca explained.

“He’s three Lorfca.” Unn snapped.

“Priest Lorfca while we’re in the and fair point. He just seems to grasp what’s happening so well. I’m curious what you believe this is, but I know you won’t say.” Priest Lorfca retorted.

“I’m sorry, Priest Lorfca.” Unn apologized, giving her a stare that I didn’t fully understand. But I have a good guess.

“Cutting down a tree in the name of Lord Uhm would greatly offend him. Planting one in his name would delight him.” Priest Lorfca clarified.

“What does Lord Utol like?” I probed.

“Acts of mercy. Acts of heroism. Acts of kindness. She likes when people do the right thing, regardless of how badly it ends for them.” Priest Lorfca told me. Fascinating. Let’s see.

“Is defending yourself right or wrong?” I checked.

“Stopping the attacker is usually right. Depending on how much danger they pose to you or others effects how much is right or wrong. It’s a hard question to answer.” Priest Lorfca answered. Did not beating Ailva senseless actually matter? It seems to have.

“I see.” I quipped.

“We will be back on Kronsday for . Someone needs to get back to practicing.” Unn stated.

“You already started training him? He’s three.” Priest Lorfca checked.

“Yes. You should see how good he is.” Unn retorted.

“Oh yea. I bet.” Priest Lorfca chuckled.

“Ash, try punching Priest Lorfca here.” Unn told me.

“Why?” I grumbled.

“Wow. I taunt you about forgetting and I have to fight your toddler of terror?” Priest Lorfca gasped.

“I think little Ash here could get a little fighting experience from someone as distinguished as yourself.” Unn retorted.

“Sure. Let’s see what your little toddler can do.” Priest Lorfca replied.

We walked deeper into the until we reached a courtyard in the back. I’m three. I barely reached Priest Lorfca’s knees. As we arrived. Priest Lorfca went to one end, sitting on the ground in some sort of meditation pose. A few moments later, a spectral form of Priest Lorfca manifested in the courtyard. It was my height, translucent, and looked identical but shrunk to my size.

“What’s that?” I probed. That’s cool.

“.” Priest Lorfca answered.

“Is it solid?” I checked, reaching my hand out. Priest Lorfca gave me a high five.

“Quite. I also will feel some of the damage you deal.” Priest Lorfca informed me.

“Isn’t it going to hurt when you hit me?” I verified.

“Yes.” The two replied in unison.

“You need to learn to fight Ash. It’s important.” Unn added.

“Alright.” I grumbled.

I took the stance Unn showed me with a few deep breaths. I covered my body with . Priest Lorfca took a similar stance across from me. This is going to hurt; no need for me to rush her. I stood still, just waiting for her. We both looked at each other waiting for the other to move first. It took roughly twenty seconds before Priest Lorfca accepted that I wasn’t budging.

She immediately took the initiative. Unn only showed me jabs and straights. As soon as Priest Lorfca got close, I jabbed at her with my right hand. She easily slipped my punch. Priest Lorfca stepped in, instantly launching a hook into my side. Thud. The force pushed me to the side, but protected me from the pain. I could feel the hit, but most of it was stopped. Thank you Aut. Priest Lorfca gave an amused look to Unn who just shrugged.

I made sure to get back into my stance, attempting to jab her again. Again, Prist Lorfca slid around my punch to step in. She’s going to hit much harder this time. Not wanting to get punched, I tried kicking her away. It was awkward and my body screamed from the sudden pivot. Why does this hurt? My toddler body spun much faster than it should’ve as my kick connected. My leg felt like I tried kicking a wall. It spun my entire body around as Priest Lorfca easily kept moving. I repositioned, barely keeping my balance. I’m amazed I didn’t fall there.

Priest Lorfca gave me little time to breathe. She instantly pivoted, launching herself at me. Come on. I tried another jab; it went about as well as the rest. She’s slipping them so easily. What can I do? My kicking was too awkward. She was stepping in to try and do hooks. Mimic her I guess? We both stepped in. I attempted to punch her with a hook, but Priest Lorfca immediately back stepped out of my range.

Could she show a little mercy? No. The answer was no. She stepped behind my hook attempt, punching me hard enough to send me to the ground. again kept me from feeling pain. She’s thankfully not punching hard enough for this to hurt. I scrambled to my feet, getting back into position. I tried again but was met with a few sharp hooks that put me to the ground. I got back up, not wanting to lose this badly.

What have I been doing good at? Getting punched. That’s a great skill. What could I do? Priest Lorfca was currently kicking my ass. She did not relent, giving me no time to think. I tried punching back but that was met with getting put back into the ground. My body was shaking as I stood back up. might have blocked the damage, but it ate my from the constant hits.

“I was expecting a bit more Unn.” Priest Lorfca taunted.

“He’s three and practicing actual fighting for a week. The fact he keeps standing back up is already good enough.” Unn shot back.

“I can keep going.” I snapped.

I’m not going to lose this badly. What was I good at? I doubt I could draw a or fast enough. What could I do? There has to be something. . and were keeping me in the game so far. What can I do? Wait. . Priest Lorfca doesn’t know I can do that. I tried making fiber armor before. What if I try spiked armor? I tried punching her again. Priest Lorfca slipped around me again, and I instantly formed spikes where her punch was. Her face contorted as her knuckles slammed into the spikes.

“He can do ?!” Priest Lorfca howled, her projection shaking its hand.

“Barely.” I gasped. Now I can collapse. The smallest victory, but I’ll take it.

Priest Lorfca renewed her assault. She dashed in, throwing in a feint. Getting beat senseless in my last life did teach me something. I knew which punches were really aiming for me; each one I made sure to put spikes in their path to block them. Granted, my current plan is getting punched and just taking it with spikes. Not the biggest win, but I at least had something to point at as a win. Better than nothing.

“Okay, what is with this forling kid?” Priest Lorfca growled.

“No swearing!” Unn snapped with a smirk.

“I accept your defeat.” I taunted.

Unn was chuckling. Priest Lorfca was apparently not amused with getting sassed. She dashed in, and I tried hitting her with a punch again. It was fruitless. Her hand was fully reinforced this time, lifting me by my side as I put spikes to block the hit. Pain radiated from my side, as she rapidly pivoted into another punch, almost knocking me out. I was curled up on the ground, with my ears ringing. I turned to my side as I caught my breath.

“Prest Lorfca! He’s three!” Unn snarled.

“I’ll heal him.” Priest Lorfca stated.

I slowly got to my feet, getting back into a fighting stance. Come on; I’m not giving up yet. I took a few deep breaths. They both looked stunned I was standing. My blood was absolutely pumping. Come on! Some part of me wanted to keep going. What is this? Priest Lorfca looked, seeing if I was seriously going to keep going. I dashed towards her, trying to land at least one hit. Priest Lorfca made an open palm, hitting me with a massive pulse of as I got close. I was winded, collapsing instantly. My body was in agony, but that wasn’t from her last hit.

“Now I heal him.” Priest Lorfca laughed as I was curled up.

She walked over, and then it hurt so much worse. I howled, convulsing from whatever she was doing. It felt like every nerve was being struck by lightning. Priest Lorfca instantly stopped as I whimpered on the ground. What was that? Why did that hurt so much?

“What?! Just how pure is his ?!” Priest Lorfca exclaimed.

“One of the purest you’ll ever see. He needs to be healed with .” Unn informed her.

“Alright.” Priest Lorfca stated.

Priest Lorfca switched whatever she was using, and it felt better. Exhaustion washed over me. Am I immune to healing ? What is normal healing ? The pain subsided as my eyes felt as heavy as the world. I yawned as Unn picked me up. I can’t heal normally? I’ll need to ask Unn about it. I tried asking a question, but I fell asleep.