I regained my consciousness surrounded by warmth. The scent of plants filled my nose and excited murmurings of people nearby pierced my ears. Slowly, I opened my eyes to be greeted by a strange sight. Clear skies peeked through a thick canopy overhead, casting dappled sunlight across unfamiliar faces. Upon seeing their faces my eyes widened with fear.

The mouse had sworn this would not happen! I was supposed to be safe.

One of the people staring at me smiled excitedly and whistled. "Never thought I'd see the day I became a father."

What was he talking about? Like all the others, he had white hair and pale skin. His hair was long and messy but he still managed to look handsome. Upon looking at him more closely I noticed something strange about his ears. They were pointy.

A women, also with pointy ears, put her hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.

"It took quite a bit to tie down a wild animal like you." She said chuckling. Then, turning to stare at me her smile grew wider. "But it was worth it."

I tried to open my mouth to speak but found myself too weak to. Was I drugged? And who were these people? Were they even human? What was wrong with their ears?

Trying to make sense of the situation, I thought back to my conversation with the mouse. Heeding it's words, I decided to close my eyes for 20 seconds.

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INFORMATION

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Name: Unassigned

Age: <1

Occupation: Archer (Unawakened)

Affinity: Wind (Unawakened)

Achievements: None

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Was this... my information? Why was my age less than one? I shivered at the idea of being a baby once again.

"There there," the women cooed, "you must be frightened with all these people. Don't worry my princess, this is your home."

Home? I had a home? Me? The concept felt foreign to me. I slowly opened my eyes.

"Look at those eyes!" The man exclaimed happily. "She's got the eyes of a hunter just like her mother!"

"No!" A new voice yelled. "My little sister is going to be a mage like me!"

A boy around the age of five approached me with a cute frown on his face.

"Don't let mother turn you into an archer!" He pleaded. "Mages are cooler."

The man tousled the boy's hair, grinning mischievously. "Right you are. Your father is quite the reputable mage himself."

"Really?" The women—my mother said, her tone dangerous.

The boy pouted, tugging on his mother's skirt as she laughed. "I'm serious, Mother! Magic is better than arrows!" His plea was met with a deadpan stare from his mother. Magic? Was the boy obsessed with fairy tales or something?

She grabbed my supposed brother's ear. "It seems like you need some 'lessons' young man."

Although they appeared to be bickering, I felt warmth behind it. This warmth.. could I be part of it too? A mixture of anticipation, worry and fear churned within me.

"Now hush!" The women said, putting an end to the boy's protests. "You might scare your sister."

Looking at the women, I noticed even more irregularities. Her white hair, pale skin, and pointy ears which everyone had weren't something I could ignore. They brought to mind a legend I heard as a child. Elves. Fictional tales of creatures living in forests far away from humans emerged from my memories. Were these people elves?

The mouse had not lied. I had not returned to humans. Here, I felt I could heal.