It had been years since I slept peacefully, letting my body and mind truly rest. Ever since I learned how to walk, my father had thrown me into a hellish training regimen to prepare for the awakening ceremony. And in an attempt to escape more hours of that torture, I threw myself into studying under my mother’s tutelage. Though she had not taught me magic directly, since I had not awakened my mana, I built a solid foundation of knowledge, enough to rival a novice mage.
I was always occupied day and night, without time to sink into a deep sleep and rest. But right now, as though I was wrapped in the comforting arms of a loved one, I was resting. Dreaming. I forgot the trials as my mind drifted to peaceful memories, memories of my mother teaching me about this world.
She was sitting gracefully with a book in her hands as I sat on her lap. I don’t remember how old I was at that time, maybe one year old, it was a time where I clinged to her like hell in order to leave the hell training routine.
In my dream, I was sitting on her lap. She held a thick book in her hands, its cover black and worn with age, titled ‘The Song of Numen’. Her voice was calm and soothing, each word carefully spoken, as if she were the most patient person in the world.
"Numen is the beginning and the end of all things," she began, gently turning the pages with her delicate fingers. "He was the first being to ever walk these lands, a mystery even to the gods and dragons." She waved her hand, and suddenly, an image appeared before us, hovering in the air like a living memory. It was as though I was watching a movie, but everything felt more vivid, more alive.
An ethereal figure, Numen, wandered across a barren, lifeless gray desert. The image moved, perfectly syncing with her words.
"One day, Numen grew tired of the desolate expanse. The gray, empty world was ugly and cold to him. He needed company. So, he breathed life into the land." As she spoke, the ethereal figure before us breathed, and from the earth, a single tree sprouted, a solitary spot of green in the vast gray nothingness.
"And from Numen's breath, the World Tree was born," she continued, her voice giving rhythm to the story. "Numen was happy, so happy that he breathed more energy into the tree, nurturing it day and night, watching it grow. Each time a new leaf or branch appeared, his joy grew. Under his care, the World Tree grew so tall that its branches touched the heavens, creating a bridge between the earth and the skies."
As she spoke, the image of the World Tree expanded, growing and growing until it seemed to reach the ceiling of the library, its branches like an endless green canopy above us. The tree was magnificent, its leaves glowing with life. It seemed to be encompassing the whole gray lands.
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"After land and heaven were connected," my mother said, with a smile on her face "the World Tree bore its first fruit. When the fruit fell to the ground, new plants began to sprout all over the land, each different from the last."
The vision shifted again, showing an explosion of life, plants, trees, and flowers of every kind filling the barren landscape, banishing the gray nothingness away. "Seeing the beauty of the world now filled with life, Numen felt it would be a shame to enjoy it alone. So, he used his power to create the first dragon: Primum."
As she said this, a massive golden dragon appeared, its image flying all over the Royal Library while circling the World Tree, its wings spanning across the sky. It was majestic, its scales gleamed in a golden color, like the sun itself.
"Numen created Primum to be his companion, giving him wings to soar through the skies and rest upon the canopy of the World Tree." My mother waved her hand again, and the image showed Primum flying higher and higher, going against the fierce winds, until he finally landed atop the enormous tree, his massive form seemed small when compared to the vast World Tree.
"And…" my mother said, preparing to continue the story. At this moment, the entire library was filled by the world she had woven, created with Mana. The image of the World Tree, Numen, Primus, the trees, the flowers…everything seemed vivid as if I could just touch them.
But just as she was about to wave her hand and continue, the doors to the Royal Library burst open. A muscular man with wild red hair walked inside, his grin wide and full of enthusiasm. He seemed to be more like a barbarian than a king.
"Oh, son, it is time for night training!" he declared, his voice booming with excitement.
I glanced at him with pure frustration. He had interrupted everything, the story, the peaceful moment, and did not seem to care in the slightest. I glared at him, but he was already laughing, without a care for the world.
I turned to my mother, pleading with my eyes. I wanted to hear more. I needed to hear more about the origins of this world. Despite being a man of science in my previous life, this was a world of dragons and magic, the laws of my old world did not apply here. And besides, the story was fascinating, even more so to someone who loved reading.
My mother hesitated, her gaze shifting between my father’s grinning face and my imploring one. After a moment, she sighed softly, her fingers closing the book with a quiet thud. The hologram that had filled the library disappeared, as though it had never been there.
"We will continue the story another time," she said gently, though I could sense the reluctance in her voice. She wanted to keep going, but it seemed she thought training was the better option.
Before I could protest, my father scooped me up into his arms, making me unable to resist. Without waiting another second, he shot out of the room, racing through the corridors with his usual reckless speed. As we left, I caught one last glimpse of my mother standing there, her eyes filled with quiet concern, watching me as I disappeared.
Then… I woke up. The dream faded, and I found myself staring at the panoramic view in front of me, as if I were standing on top of the world.