Human mythologies were full of stories about other worlds, realities, or dimensions. For example, underworld realms where spirits of the dead or demons lived, heavenly realms for divine beings. The Vikings believed in many worlds connected by one huge tree. The Buddhist religion taught of six realms where the souls of the dead were reborn.
Tao did not know if this world was somehow connected to the religions and myths that existed on Earth. He could not tell whether he was in a parallel world, in another reality, or on another planet. More than the unusual situation, the lack of answers was harder to bear. The stress was so intense that Tao was unable to sleep for long, even after the whole family had gone to bed.
I don't think that's healthy, especially for an infant's brain, he chided himself.
To escape the negative emotions, Tao tried to snuggle closer to his mother. Although he could feel the warmth of the woman's body next to his, there was a space between them that needed to be bridged. To get closer to his mother, the infant inadvertently leaned his foot against something warm behind him - Safia's stomach.
The girl grunted something but stayed asleep. Then another hand reached over her and touched Tao's side. He flinched at first but then remembered the man with the black beard, the father of the family. The whole family was now in the big bed. The two children lay between their parents, safe on either side. It was nice to know that. Tao, however, after a moment, struggled to get closer to his mother, away, from the big, strong hand. Feeling the baby move, she hugged Tao, pressing him closer to her chest. The familiar heartbeat allowed him to relax.
His forehead touched something cool. It was a small black stone with strange patterns and a yellow crystal inside, which her mother wore around her neck. Tao wouldn't have paid much attention to it if not for one important fact: he had owned a stone just like it in a previous life.
Tao only started thinking about it after he realized that he had been reborn in another world. The stone around his mother's neck was the only object that existed in both worlds, so it must have had something to do with his being here.
In a previous life, he found it in his grandfather's house after a funeral and took it with him, hoping it was something valuable. However, the jewelers could neither identify the origin of the stone nor tell what the crystal was made of. He then started wearing it around his neck as a good luck charm.
Until the moment of his death.
Tao felt a certain fear of this stone. But also, a longing. What if it could send him back to his previous world? Preferably in a living, healthy body. True, he had no idea how to do that or whether it would be the best option.
Tao didn't know how easy life would be without the internet and other modern conveniences, but he was curious to learn more about this world, its unusual animals, and the supernatural abilities. The most important thing was to find out - could he learn these powers himself?
This might be better than a shitty life on Earth. Hopefully... Tao resolved to himself.
***
The biggest difficulty was the infant's limitations - he was physically weak, had poor coordination, and tired quickly. Perhaps very old people, whose last days were approaching, felt the same way. Tao saw the irony in the fact that the first and last years of human life are so similar. Unlike the elderly, his situation was gradually improving.
Moreover, Tao's determination to become physically stronger and to learn more about his surroundings was much stronger than before. He did not give up so quickly when he felt physically or mentally tired. However, not everything went as smoothly as he would have liked.
When Tao made every effort to keep his body on all fours, his mother noticed him and exclaimed something in surprise. Although she did not look angry, but rather happy, Tao judged that he did it faster than others of his age. Unfortunately, he did not have accurate knowledge of normal infant development, nor was he sure of his precise age.
When my mother told other women about Tao's achievements, they often seemed skeptical or even suspicious. Given that this was a different world, there was no guarantee that those around her would see Tao as gifted. What if people here believed in demonic possession or something? He decided to develop his body more cautiously from now on, away from prying eyes.
Learning the language was not so easy either. Tao quickly understood words meaning "mum", "dad", "yes", "no", "eat" and so on. He also understood that his mother's name was Sofra and his father's was Indres. However, people paid attention if Tao followed their conversations closely with his eyes and seemed surprised by it. He then tried to do it without looking, but it was harder to understand what they were talking about without seeing facial expressions and hand gestures. Tao also decided not to try to repeat the words out loud, at least not if anyone could hear.
Despite the setbacks, his improved body coordination and better language skills helped him move closer to his ultimate goal: to learn more about supernatural abilities.
His mother began to be in the kitchen more often to cook or do other things. She also usually took Tao with her, holding him on her lap or laying him in a cot hanging from the ceiling. Being so high off the ground, relying on the strength of the stricture, was not pleasant, but as usual, no one asked his opinion. Despite this, being in the kitchen was advantageous because Tao, using his improved body coordination, could observe more often and more carefully when his mother stoked the fire in the stove or froze water in a bowl. He noticed that Sofra would make a certain gesture with her fingers and say words that sounded different from the ones she usually spoke, probably in another language.
The supernatural effect happens immediately after the gesture and the strange words... it looks like spells, doesn't it? Tao decided that from now on he would call this ability magic.
If I tried to replicate it, would I succeed? He felt his heart start to beat faster with excitement.
There were many challenges to overcome to realize this wish. Firstly, Tao's finger coordination was not so good that he could easily repeat the gestures he saw. Secondly, his vocal cords were not yet able to repeat the unfamiliar words. Thirdly, if he tried to freeze water or light a flame, his mother and other adults would notice immediately.
Tao did not give up. Learning magic was more interesting than lying quietly staring at the ceiling and sucking his thumb. He had plenty of free time to make a plan.
In the following nights, Tao started to make noise and did not calm down even when his mother forced him to. He got Sofra to her feet and made the light appear above her palm. Tao listened carefully to her words and watched the movements of her fingers until he was sure he had memorized them.
Although Tao felt a little guilty disturbing his mother's sleep, he was less of a problem than most babies, so he allowed himself to indulge himself in this little prank.
Of course, he couldn't practice the spell words openly, so Tao slipped one hand under a sheet or other piece of clothing nearby and tried to repeat the memorized finger movements. It was more difficult than one might think. Tao reasoned that babies were so helpless not only because of muscle weakness or lack of memory. The nerves and neurons in the brain also had not made the necessary connections for coordinated movements. In a sense, Tao was in a similar situation to patients after a serious accident who needed rehabilitation to learn to walk again.
Also, Tao could not say the spell words out loud, only in a whisper when her mother was in another room or talking loudly to someone else and not paying attention to the baby. Every time the adults were silent for a moment, Tao did the same, hoping that no one heard anything strange coming from his side.
It probably took him a month of trying to create a ball of light in the palm of his hand but without success. Tao began to think that more was needed to use magic than knowing words and hand movements. Maybe he had to undergo special training. Or the ability was innate. It would be a great disappointment to be born into a world where magic existed and not be able to use it. In his previous life, Tao would have given up after so long without getting any results. The only reason he kept trying was boredom.
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It wasn't as if Tao had been left to sleep on his own all day. In fact, he received more attention than could have been expected. His mother spent the most time with Tao. Sofra not only fed and looked after the baby, but also talked and played with him when she was not busy with her work. Safia often did the same. When her mother was busy or out of the house, Tao was also looked after by the neighborhood’s aunts. He saw his father not very often, usually only in the mornings and evenings, and he did not return home every night. Even when Indres was at home, he did not like to talk to Tao and only took him on his lap if his wife insisted.
Although Tao did not think that his father had a negative attitude towards him, Indres probably did not think it was worth talking to an infant who did not understand anything, or that it was a woman's duty to babysit.
Naive! Even if a child cannot answer, talking to him helps development, and close contact helps to create an emotional bond, Tao repeated to himself the knowledge from his past life.
He did not, however, dwell too much on his father's aloofness. If Indres wanted to kiss him or hug him like a mother... that would be strange.
Sometimes in the evenings, a larger group of guests would show up for a meal or the family would go to visit the neighbors. Tao could then see other children, mostly older than himself. No one seemed to harbor any intelligence that would suggest knowledge from a previous life.
A few times, in the large square between the houses, there were festive events where people set tables with food and drink, played music, danced, and otherwise had fun. Tao, however, did not see the extraordinary light show like the first time.
But most of the day everyone was busy with other things, even Safia often helped her mother in the kitchen with small chores. There were no televisions in this world, but the toys they gave him were... in keeping with the normal intelligence of an infant.
Moreover, Tao's desire for sleep continued to decline. In the beginning, he had fallen asleep, or half asleep, for most of the day, now he was usually able to stay awake until lunchtime, and his afternoon naps were shorter. On the one hand, this meant that his brain was better able to process information, but on the other hand, he had more free time.
Boring...
I want to watch TV...
All the manga I read... how many new issues have come out?
Maybe start crying for someone to come?
I guess I can try magic again...
Tao started to feel less like a handicapped person and more like a prisoner. He continued his fruitless attempts to summon magic.
Like most teenagers, Tao had dreamed of having supernatural powers in his previous life. Now that it was possible, it seemed wrong to give up just because it wasn't easy.
***
One evening, a change happened. The cradle was moved from the kitchen into the bedroom, to serve as Tao's sleeping place at night. Safia no longer slept with her parents in the big bed but in another room. She did not look happy, but her father insisted. Tao knew that it was normal for children to become more independent with time, but he also suspected that this was not the only reason for the change.
Unfortunately, his suspicions were confirmed at night when he was woken up by strange noises. Although his parents tried to be quiet, Tao clearly understood what was happening.
On the one hand, it was natural - they were married and still young. Apparently, Indres and Sofra had counted on the baby being sound asleep and not understanding what was happening. In that sense, they did nothing wrong.
Although the noises were not loud, Tao's ears somehow seemed more sensitive than usual. He considered the idea of trying to get up to see something but decided against it. Maybe it was stupid, but Tao felt jealous as if his mother had betrayed him. It was traumatic enough to hear these sounds, so it was better to do without the visuals.
Damn, it feels like a NTR* scene... Tao remembered some adult video clips from his past life.
He tried to cover his ears with his little hands, but it wasn't easy, his hands got tired quickly. Tao considered crying to stop his parents but decided against it. It would be awkward to look them in the eye now. Besides, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't start again after some time.
To distract himself from what was happening, Tao began trying to summon magic again.
“Ilata tara orea... ilata tara orea... ilata tara orea...” he silently repeated the unintelligible words, making the special gesture each time with his fingers under the blanket.
Tao thought that his parents were getting louder, so he let his voice get louder too. Even if his parents heard it, it might prompt them to stop making noise, so Tao took the risk.
- Ilata tara orea! - he repeated the words, focusing all his attention on the desire to summon the light in his palm.
For the first time, something happened.
A dim light began to shine under the blanket as if a tiny LED lamp was in Tao's hand. The light gave off no heat and it was impossible to understand its source. Tao also felt something strange inside him, in his head, but couldn't quite figure out what it was.
Magic really exists! And I can use it! He felt extremely happy.
Soon after, the light went out. Tao repeated the process until he suddenly lost his strength and fell asleep. This wasn't too bad, as it allowed him to ignore his parents' night-time activities.
The next day, Tao would gladly devote all his waking time to better understanding and learning magic, but this would certainly be suspicious in the eyes of the adults. He tried to whisper the spell words quietly as he slept in his cradle while his mother was busy talking to a guest, but the fear of being too loud prevented him from concentrating. He was, however, able to devise a plan that would solve the problem.
The next night Tao did not go to sleep, but waited, listening intently. He trusted that his parents would be willing to repeat the previous night's activities. This was not something he wanted to happen, but he decided to use it to his advantage.
Not too long after his parents settled into bed, the noises started. After waiting a minute, Tao opened his mouth and cried.
Although he did not cry often, todlers body allowed him to do it naturally.
As might be expected, the mother stopped adult activities to comfort her baby. Although Tao could not see Indres' face, he could imagine the man's frustration, so he chuckled in his mind. Tao didn't feel too guilty though - Indres had made him undergo NTR the night before.
Tao pretended to calm down and allowed himself to be put back in the cradle. The parents returned to bed and after a while, the activities started again. Naturally, Tao again used his voice to stop it. This time Indre also got out of bed, his voice clearly showing his frustration. Sofra was again trying to calm her husband down while she was nursing Tao in her arms.
He was again placed in the cradle, but there was no sound of suspicion from his parents. It looked like they gave up and just went to sleep. Tao decided not to make any more noise and also went to sleep. Although the desired result was not achieved, at least he did not have to hear his parents' nocturnal activities, so he considered the result to be positive.
The next night, Tao repeated his behavior when he heard suspicious noises from his parents' bed. Indres sounded angry while his wife tried to calm him down.
That's right, if I'm in the same room, you won't get to enjoy the bedroom fun... Tao thought slyly.
The next morning, his father moved Tao's cradle to another, smaller room where Safia usually slept. His mother did not seem very happy with the idea, so Tao tried to show that he was happy with the change when he was put to sleep in this new place. However, he will still have to spend most of the day with his mother or other adults. Tao decided that he would use this time to continue to learn the language little by little and also try to get more sleep than usual.
When the mother put the two children to bed in the evening, Tao pretended to fall asleep quickly. He didn't want Sofra to worry and decide to move the baby to the big bedroom again.
Mission accomplished! Tao thought contentedly when the mother finally left, leaving the children alone.
He was not worried about Safia's presence. Even if his older sister noticed something, the girl was too young to understand the strange behavior of an infant, nor would she be able to explain it properly to her parents. Tao didn't mean to disturb her sister's sleep, though, so he pulled the blanket over his head before chanting spells.
“Ilata tara orea!”
At first, nothing happened. Tao had to repeat the phrase several times and concentrate hard until a light appeared in the palm of his hand. He had the impression that the light in his palm was not on his skin, as if it were coming out of the body. Tao touched the inside of his palm with the index finger of his other hand but did not feel any warmth or anything else strange. It was something inexplicable, magical.
After a while the light went out by itself, so Tao summoned it again. He began to test and experiment to better study this phenomenon. As far as he could tell, the inside of his palm smelled and tasted as usual when the light was emitted. If Tao wanted, he could make the light disappear faster, which was fine if someone suddenly came into the room. It was also possible to prolong the magical effect by concentrating more and making the light brighter.
After a while, Tao felt suddenly tired and kind of dizzy. The light in his palm went out against his will. Although after a while he felt better, Tao tried to call the light again, but nothing happened and his feeling got worse.
What is it? Maybe there are limits to how much magic can be done in one day? He guessed.
Tao remembered that something similar had happened before - he had fallen asleep saying the spell words.
It is possible that the magic could run out, just like in the games, Tao thought.
Despite his weakness, he tried to summon magic one more time. It worked and the light reappeared for a moment but quickly went out.
Not just on the hand, but completely.
Tao only woke up in the morning and realized he had lost consciousness again. The bad feeling had disappeared and he was able to summon light again. It was good, but it also made clear that magic was not so easy to use.