Chapter 1

1 .1 - The first step - The first step

Lucas blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting to the soft light that illuminated the place.

He was surrounded by people, when suddenly he was immersed in water.

The water pressure was overwhelming. Darkness enveloped him, and he could barely breathe. Was it the end? Then, like a flash of memory, he saw his life flash before his eyes...

It was another ordinary day in the life of Lucas, a 15-year-old boy who took laziness to a new level. 

He was not the type of student who stood out for his grades or sporting skills; in fact, he was known for being the sloppiest in his class.

From the moment he woke up until the moment he finally left the house, Lucas fought against the force of gravity that seemed to want to keep him tied to the bed.

The alarm clock rang at 7 am, but Lucas ignored it. It was easier to sink into the pillow and dream of a life where I didn't have to get up to go to school. 

When he finally dragged himself out of bed at 7:45, he realized he was late. With a yawn, he threw on the first piece of clothing he found on the floor—a rumpled t-shirt and a pair of pants that were probably from the day before.

As he trudged through the house, Lucas realized he didn't have time for breakfast. He walked out the door, his stomach growling and his mind numb with laziness.

On the way to school, he thought about how wonderful it would be if classes were canceled and he could go back to bed. The idea of having to listen to the math teacher explain was unbearable.

With every step, his mind wandered to scenarios where he was a hero in a fantasy world, where the only skill he needed was to relax and do nothing. The characters facing epic challenges seemed to have fun, but he knew he would never be one of them. With a resigned sigh, he looked up at the blue sky, wishing gravity would leave him alone.

When Lucas arrived at the corner of his street, he saw a bus passing at high speed. He stopped for a moment and, with a sideways smile, murmured:

— I almost ended up in an isekai now. — He let out a low laugh. — If it were that easy…

Without rushing, he continued his way to school, where, that day, there was a trip scheduled. While waiting for the group to gather, he spotted a classmate, Sara, who was being, as always, the "help" to a group of popular girls.

The girls laughed, throwing her backpacks and asking for things as if she were a maid. Lucas approached and, bluntly, asked:

— Hey, Sara, why do you keep following these girls? Don't you get tired of being treated like a doormat?

Sara looked at him with a smirk, visibly not offended.

— It amuses me. I'll gain something from this. — She replied, with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. — Maybe a consolation prize?

Lucas sighed, already used to her peculiar humor.

— That seems like masochism... or just a lack of common sense. — He joked, shaking his head.

— Maybe it's a little of both, you know. — Sara shrugged and winked at him, but before she could continue the conversation, one of the popular girls shouted:

— Sara! Come here, quickly!

She gave an exaggerated bow, looking at Lucas with a wry smile.

— Your wish is my command, my queen. — She laughed, turning to answer the "call".

Lucas watched her walk away, and although he knew she was capable of defending herself, he still didn't understand why she followed those girls. But this kind of questioning required more energy than he was willing to expend.

Some time later, the tour began, and the bus headed towards the destination. Lucas, as usual, fell asleep almost immediately.

The journey was peaceful, until an unexpected accident happened: The bus shook, left the road, and then... darkness. The last thing Lucas heard was the sound of glass breaking. When he opened his eyes, everything was different.

The first thought that came to his mind was that he was in a strange place, but the sight he saw made his heart race.

He was lying in a crib, surrounded by rough wooden walls and linen curtains. Everything was so... different. Lucas moved, but he didn't have full control over his body. His small, chubby hands were in front of his eyes, and as he looked closer, he realized that he was no longer a teenager. He was a newborn!

The shock of reality hit him like a punch. "What happened? I… reincarnated?” he thought, trying to process the situation. He tried to get up, but all he managed was to make a small awkward movement with his arms. Hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps, Lucas stopped struggling, feeling a mix of fear and curiosity.

The door opened and a woman with long, wavy hair walked in, an affectionate smile on her face. 

Lucas looked at her, but upon hearing her words, he became confused. The syllables that came out of his mouth sounded strange and incomprehensible. He didn't understand anything she was saying. The words seemed to float in the air, meaningless.

"###### ########!! #### ######### ######!" She picked him up and began rocking him gently, but for Lucas, all he could do was look at his new world with a mixture of fascination and trepidation.

The woman's words continued to echo around him, but he couldn't discern what they meant. "What is happening? Where am I?” he thought, feeling helpless and lost.

As she rocks him, Lucas finds himself reflecting on his former life. He never imagined he would end up like this, reincarnated as a baby in a fantasy world. What would that mean for him? He thought about how everything he knew and believed could be left behind, but the laziness that defined him his entire life was still there, rooted in his being.

I'm going to have to figure out how to deal with this new life. But honestly, I'm not excited about it at all, Lucas thought, sinking into the soft feeling of comfort in the woman's lap, as sleep slowly enveloped him again.

Time passed, and little by little the boy who was now a baby was getting used to his new condition.

 As he tried to lift his head and failed, a question arose: Was I once human? Everything seemed so far away now, as if I were learning to live from scratch.

As he tried once again to lift his head, Lucas felt something different. A slight tingling ran through his body, as if an invisible force was interfering. 

He couldn't tell if it was trying to help him or stop him, but it certainly wasn't normal. What was that? Was it just tiredness or was there something strange about that body?

He didn't know, but before he could think more about it, sleep quickly swallowed him.

That was an interesting question to ask since he was now learning how to be from the ground up.

What happened? I... reincarnated? I was on the bus going to the tour... and now I'm here, in this strange body?"

Where am I? Is this a dream...? Wait, I think I ended up falling asleep while sitting down during the trip…so was it really a dream?

I better try to get out of here to find out more about what's going on.

hmm…? I can't get up... am I too weak for that?

Wait, how old am I?

Observing little by little what could be seen of the house and the body and its limitations, he came to the conclusion that it must be something like a newborn and was in some type of very simple house.

He couldn't tell where he was, but he knew he wasn't at home or at the excursion site.

To know more about what was happening, he would need to see what was outside that house.

Maybe he could have some clue or hint about what happened, and how he would solve this problem.

But the way he was there, he wouldn't even be able to leave the crib, let alone leave that house.

And for that he would need to grow and become strong.

For the first thing, there was no way, he had to wait for his body to grow a little, at least something close to 7 months to at least have the ability to crawl. 

This wouldn't guarantee that he could get out since he wouldn't be able to open the door on his own, so it might take a lot longer to actually see outside.

In the first 5 months, Lucas could only do one thing: eat and sleep. It was the only way for his body to grow.

At first it seemed a little strange, or even humiliating, to have someone breastfeed him, but after a while it seemed less upsetting to him.

You know, as he was a newborn, he thought it was better to wait at least 5 months before making any kind of effort because he could end up with some kind of injury.

As he didn't have any kind of watch, and didn't even know that it was real, the only way to know the passage of time was to observe the light that enters the house.

It may not be that precise to orient himself in relation to the time, but it was the only way he had to do so, even if it is somewhat limited since he couldn't move easily to make sure that the sun is no longer out. .

In any case, he used this method to count the passage of days until he reached the established period. And even if the number of hours/day in that place were different, it didn't matter since he would only need to observe when the light in the house disappeared completely, and then appeared again. Furthermore, to help count the days there was a neighbor's rooster that clucked every morning, so in the end, I didn't even need to keep an eye on the sunlight, I just needed to observe the morning noise.

After the first 5 months had passed, he began to draw up an action plan to guide him towards the goal of starting to crawl in the shortest possible time.

This action plan contained small tasks/small goals that needed to be accomplished until the bigger goal was to get out of that house.

The first stage of this process was toRaise your head and upper body.

 To do this, in a crib that was in a small room next to his parents' room, he tried to lift his head, but due to lack of muscles, and because he had thinner bones, he soon fell lying down in a position that was funny to see;

After several attempts over a period of time that may have lasted days, weeks, or months, he then moves on to the next step, the second, which was to keep the body lifted for a while.

This stage passed very quickly, a lot happened during it, but the most important ones were that he was now able to keep his upper body raised for a while, and that he gradually began to understand what his parents were saying.

After completing the second stage, in a time that was not noticed by him due to his focus, but which probably took as long as the previous stage, his body was already strong, so he thought it was time to move on.that thing every baby does what was crawlr, so he started thinking about how he would organize this stage.

Firstly, to strengthen his arms before actually starting to perform the action, he chose to lie face down and then stand up, getting close to a crawling position.

For the next steps, he pondered for a while while sitting.

He seemed very focused and thoughtful about the subject, while lying in the crib on his back, and ended up not realizing that anything was happening.

sniff

There was a strange smell that he didn't know what it was or where it came from, but it bothered him a lot.

He looked around looking for the source, but didn't find it.

He then realizes that the smell was very close.

At first he thought it might be sweat, but when he smelled his armpits he didn't notice anything...in fact he did. He realized that he wasn't in that area, but the odor was coming from him, from another place.

Then, he notices something. a strange sensation, and he curls his legs, while making a face of shame and thinking: How embarrassing. I'm over 15 years old and I still do this in my pants.

Desperately he tries to get up, but realizes that he really can't.

He then tries a different approach by placing his hands to steer in the diaper, but realizes that his arms are too short and weak to remove the diaper.

What do I do? 

It really stinks now. 

Should I just leave it there and be done with it?

How can babies handle having dirty diapers?

 Those could very well be the right words to describe that situation where the child was lying there, with his legs crossed, while, looking thoughtful and bothered by the smell, and then, with eyes that sparkled like stars in the sky, the boy seems to have had a good idea to resolve the situation, so:

Heh Heh Heh…..Heh

Loud cries could even be heard from another room away from the one where the baby's crib is located.

What was that?

Was that really the best decision for the situation?

It's not possible to know.

But with the few options he had at the moment to get rid of the smell, this was the most viable, even if humiliating, for someone who was quite independent in his past life.

That said, almost instantly, the mother arrives when she hears the crying.

Could it be that he had gained some mother summoning ability?

Or has he gained the ability to always find a way to stay clean?

At the beginning of the story it is not possible to know, however, what can be said is that after that he was taken to another room by his mother, and while he was there night arrived in the city.

The days passed, and it had been a while since the smell episode and now Lucas was a little bigger, and now he was able to crawl.

This process of acquiring this skill had some initial difficulties.

First, his body initially didn't have much strength, so it was very difficult to turn his body into the right position, and furthermore, he didn't have much mass, which made gravity help a lot in finishing the job.

Second, sometimes he had to take “certain” breaks. It wasn't anything serious, it was just something physiological. And after going to the “other room with mom,” he could go back to hard work.

But after a while and several attempts he started to get the hang of it, he started to be able to turn his body, and then, then...

I achieved! I finally managed to crawl from one side of the crib to the other.

That's a small one for humanity, but a big step for a baby!!!

At that moment, after completing another stage of his challenge, Lucas then imagines the challenges, shadows or bosses he would need to face.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.2 - The First word - The first word

Once you have acquired the ability to crawl, Lucas, then think about learning to read and write, as it would be very useful in trying to find more information.

As his father sometimes went to the place where his crib was and told him bedtime stories to sleep, he already understood a little about the writing and speech system.

So he already had a good starting point to start improving these skills, and then learn more things.

Thinking like this, he was quite excited because it seemed like a game with its “Quests” and skills, and the script that needed to be explored.

But then he asked: What is my role here?

He didn't understand if it was real or not, the only thing he knows is that he is in a new body and in a new family.

Was what he was experiencing at the moment a hallucination? A dream? No one would know how to answer him until that moment, and even if he were able to speak now, and asked the individuals who are now his parents, they probably would not understand the question. 

Speaking of his father, seeing his parents now, and the current situation, he begins to remember his parents, in the other world, and his old life.

It was a peaceful life, without much worry.

He usually only had to worry about school and these teenage responsibilities… and while he tried hard to remember what he had already experienced in the other world, he remembered his last memories.

There I was going on a school trip.

Well, I didn't pay much attention, and I don't remember what it was about, and where we were going, but it was probably some museum.

As I was still a little drowsy, I decided to take a short nap to regain my strength, then, little by little, I relaxed my eyes, until I was in a relaxing darkness.

Suddenly, when I realized it, I heard a noise, and I was upside down.

I looked a little dizzy, and my body didn't feel very well.

I couldn't let go, and little by little I lost all my strength...until I couldn't keep my eyes open...

It was getting dark again, as if I had gone back to sleep, as if I had gone back to sleep.

It was relaxing and pleasant.

Yes, it was a very good feeling… And then, when I opened my eyes again, as if I were awake, I was inhabiting this body…

And again he feels it again, that sensation, that tingling that felt like some kind of invisible force squeezing him. 

What will this be? Is it some kind of power I gained when I switched bodies? He thought about the current situation and made a brief parallel with what happens to protagonists of isekai animes, and wondered if it was the same situation, what was the reason for being there.

If you compare it to his old world, where sometimes the neighbors play loud music to listen to, this world was actually calm, which pleases him. So what was the threat?

Is it one of those isekais, or common stories in games where the protagonist will only learn his fate much later, after finding a mentor or something like that?

That “Call to Adventure” thing?

If so, perhaps he will only be able to discover why he is summoned when he is older.

Lucas reflected for a while on his condition and the possibility of being the hero of that world. Questions tormented him, but he still had no clear answers.

Was I brought here just to be a hero? What if I prepare for this and end up being no one important? I would waste all my time. What if I really am a hero, but I'm not prepared when the time comes?

When he realized, it was another day, in the morning, and the sun's rays were already beginning to enter that room through a small gap near the ceiling.

Looking around in a somewhat desperate way, Lucas realizes that a lot of time has passed while reflecting and also notices something else, then a cry is heard.

Now in the other room, he was being cleaned by his mother, while making a disdainful face, and then he reflects on the current situation that even seems comical, where such a rational being who came from another world was now being cleaned by others.

Was I summoned just to be cleansed??

After cleaning, it is clear that some time had passed under the sunlight in the house, and it was already afternoon, perhaps late afternoon, that same day, and he was now excited to strive to be a hero.

He was excited and everything, but his vision gradually darkened at the same pace as his eyes closed without him noticing.

While he slept, night came, took over the entire city, which remained silent and left representing the end of that day.

For Lucas, one moment everything was black and silent, and the next, there he was looking at the ceiling of the house, with a small light hitting his face, while he heard the roosters clucking.

Without really understanding, and still confused, his thoughts began to get confused, and before he could finish a sentence, he blacked out, being swallowed up again by sleep without even realizing it.

This process of sometimes simply falling asleep and then waking up with a small light on your face was repeated several times.

It seemed normal for his current condition, which was being a baby.

Perhaps because he is very young, he cannot control or define a sleep routine, and therefore, sometimes, regardless of the time of day, he can simply black out, but generally, in fact, babies often end up staying awake at night.

Then, one night, he was still awake and sleepless, and since he had a lot of time on his hands at that moment, he decided to strive to be a hero while keeping a smile on his face.

So, from that moment on, every night, with great effort to stay awake, he crawled around the house and went to a kind of shelf, which had a few books, plus some other small objects that you would have in any house, and took the books. books to start trying to read.

The house wasn't very big, and it didn't have doors or clear partitions, just some cloths to divide the space, from the parents' room, the room where the baby is, the living room, another room, and a type of kitchen.

The bookshelf was in the living room, and because the house was small, there wasn't a long distance that Lucas needed to crawl to his goal.

So, after a while, maybe days, or months, reading and then going back to his crib had become part of his routine.

He was doing well, but even if he had a facilitator, which was understanding the concept of reading, the process of learning a new language or language was not that simple.

Reading new words was easy, but understanding the differences between them…that was a challenge.

Each new word was like finding a new piece of a puzzle.

And with each new piece of this puzzle it was necessary to know where to fit it, and how to fit it, you know?

And with each book, each new piece, a lesson with a mix of the familiar and the strange is learned.

For example, there was a similar story about the 3 little pigs.

But unlike the best-known story, in this world, in the place of the wolf there was a type of lizard with one eye.

The story was as follows:

The Three Little Pigs and the Gluttony Lizard

Once upon a time there were three little pigs who left home to build their own houses. The first little pig made his house out of straw, the second out of wood, and the third, more careful, made his house out of bricks.

Soon, a lizard named Gula appeared in the forest. He was always hungry, eating everything he came across. When he saw the first little pig's straw house, he rubbed his paws and thought: “This will be easy!”

He went to the house and said:

— “Little pig, little pig, let me in!”

The little pig, scared, replied:

- "No! I won’t let you in!”

The lizard laughed and, with a loud sigh, swallowed the entire straw house at once.

The first little pig ran to the second little pig's wooden house, and the two began to hide. But the lizard didn't give up. He went to the wooden house and shouted:

— “Little pigs, little pigs, let me in!”

— “We won’t let you in!”

But the lizard, already very hungry, began to swallow the wooden house with an insatiable hunger.

The two little pigs ran to the brick house of the third little pig, who had prepared himself better. When the lizard arrived, he exclaimed:

— “Little pigs, little pigs, let me in!”

— “Never! We won’t let you in!”

The lizard snorted, and began to eat the brick walls, but try as he might, he couldn't swallow it all. After all, he was so full of food from other houses that he could no longer eat properly.

The lizard stopped, feeling a pain in his stomach. He had never felt so bad before. He looked at the three little pigs and, in a weak voice, said:

— “I... ate too much. I think it’s best to learn to eat in moderation.”

And, head down, the lizard walked away.

The little pigs, relieved and wiser, looked at each other and smiled.

— "The lesson is clear," said the third little pig.

— “We shouldn’t overeat or rush things. Moderation is always the best path.”

And so, the three little pigs lived happily ever after, knowing that balance was the key to a healthy life.

—-

The moral lesson was different from the best-known version, but it still had some kind of teaching. Also, why did they choose a lizard as the villain? Is this really a children's story?

It's not possible to know if it was childish or if there is still a distinction between the stages of childhood and adulthood, as there is in the world where Lucas came from, but at least the books have a more simplified content, which helps the boy learn faster at this stage of your life.

Anyway, it doesn't matter to Lucas, as long as he can read and write as quickly as possible, there's no problem whether it's something for children or not, because...

It took longer than expected, but I finally did it! I Wrote My First Word!

And to think that I would be so happy to be able to write something, on a piece of wood with charcoal.

The handwriting is still a little ugly, but I think if I practice a little more I'll end up getting decent handwriting.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

I also need to improve my reading. There are still words that I don't understand, and that I can't write correctly.

Anyway….

Slam!

Before the boy finishes thinking, the boy's parents arrive home, quite agitated and exchange strange looks, while trying to hide something that was in their hands.

The two looked a lot weirder than normal, they seemed in a hurry, and they seemed to be organizing something.

They whispered and agreed something with blinks that seemed very suspicious.

Thinking now, Lucas realized that unlike other days, on this day in particular, his parents seemed to have been away longer than usual.

Normally the father went out to work and the mother stayed at home, but in this case, the two went out together.

And they came back with something in their hands that Lucas didn't know what it was.

Then, as he continued to play in the room, with the wooden block and the piece of coal, Lucas felt a chill coming from behind as if it were a murderous beast chasing him.

And with a mysterious smile, something goes towards the boy, silently without being noticed.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 . 3 - The Outside - The outside

It was like a shadow that hides in the night, with a mysterious tone. And that little by little it crawls wherever there is light until it reaches its destination. Like an apparition or something supernatural, it suddenly appeared.

And with a mysterious and frightening smile, he whispers while touching his shoulders:

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"HEY-N?"

Lucas, who was distracted writing on his pad, felt as if someone had just touched his heart... It was as if someone was squeezing it tightly, making it beat faster.

Paralyzed, he tries to understand what is happening, but that voice continues to echo, slow and suffocating:

"WHERE?"

Could it be some kind of monster that managed to get into the house? thought the boy while he was paralyzed and helpless, and with the feeling that it was now his heart that was rising and passing through his throat.

And suddenly, as if a hurricane had passed, and you went outside your shelter to check if everything was calm, the boy then takes courage, and begins to slowly turn his head and then...

* Hi love, what are you doing?

* Did you miss mom and dad? - he asked, with a smile - Of course yes, right?

* We're going to leave soon, but this time we're not going alone. Let's go with you, a -m - o - e

Huh? How scary.

She almost scared me to death. Is this something to do with a child?

Drug! I soiled my diaper.

After being cleaned by Lucas's mother, he was changed and now wore a strange, white outfit.

He had never seen or worn that outfit before, which made him think his parents had brought it and hidden it.

But why did he win that now?

Will it be some kind of gift?

Could it be that it was his birthday and he didn't know?

Still reflecting on the gift he had received, Lucas doesn't notice the father who was inside returning to the room with a diaper, a blanket in hand, and approaching his wife and child and then saying: - Everything is ready!

Is everything ready? Lucas asked in his own thoughts and then tried to create several theories to answer that question, but they were all wrong.

Outside the house, the boy sees the world for the first time.

It was a wonderful place with lots of greenery, light and small houses made of wood.

The air was clean and wonderful to breathe, and the scenery was reminiscent of small villages you see in RPG games, he thought.

It didn't look like the industrialized cities he came from.

The boy then wonders why they were outside the house, and what they had to do that they needed to leave the house with a 1-year-old child.

As they walked down a street, Lucas observed everything.

The people, houses and everything that helped him learn more about that world.

You know, since he still can't walk and there weren't that many books, it was difficult to know what the world was like. 

And since his parents hadn't taken him out of the house until then, this was a perfect opportunity...it was the first time he'd left home...even though he didn't know where he was going.

But what he saw was not so different from what he knew of the other world.

It looked like any street in any city, only greener, so is he still in the world he came from?

Even though he saw some animals, some even strange, halfway into the unknown, he couldn't be sure whether he was still in his home world or not.

He doesn't know that much about the other world to be sure whether or not these things existed there.

Furthermore, there were some beggars and some men flirting with girls, but that is not proof that they are in the other world.

There is this everywhere, so everything seemed “normal”.

Even that strange smell he smelled seemed “normal”, or rather, the smell of garbage reminded him of the cities he came from.

Seeing this, he then thought: Am I really in another world?

Without much time to think, he is then interrupted by a group of people who began to approach as if they were calling the crowd to gather further ahead, making noise.

Noticing that the baby was looking towards the crowd, the parents, with a smile, seemed to have noticed their son's curiosity, and went in an inviting direction.

Arriving there, in what seemed to be a square, a group of people with strange clothes, glued together, and makeup, started to introduce themselves and do some tricks.

The square seemed small and simple, it had a type of fountain in the center where water came out, and there were several streets that intersect there.

Maybe it was a meeting place, since there were a few people around.

Or Maybe a place for public performances as there was a group of street artists who were performing there to earn a few bucks.

Nothing very different from the world Lucas knew.

There were many people who were watching a particular performance, including a man with a sword, and everyone seemed quite excited about what was being observed.

The group's performance consisted of acrobatics, songs sung by a woman who danced, and juggling.

At a given moment in the performance, a man with makeup with a drop that resembled a tear on one side of his cheek, below his eyes, and a star in the opposite position, does a somersault over the other members of the group, and then falls into a pose and then change to some hand movements, and then recited something creating a fire.

Initially Lucas, who was now a baby, thought it was just a normal magic trick/illusionism that could be found in paid performances by 'magicians' in his world, but something seemed strange.

Even if there were magic tricks that involved fire, or pulling, or making something appear, there was no way a trick like that performed in an improvised location, like a square, could allow the fire to be manipulated at such a distance from the body as was being done there. in the presentation.

Suddenly, far away, something seemed to move quickly in that direction.

A strange noise, as if heavy horses were riding, began to be heard, and little by little it got closer.

crash!

It was very quick, but a very agitated creature suddenly appeared as if some kind of fence had been broken nearby and fled to that location.

The agitated creature began to struggle and attack whoever was there, which frightened people, and they gradually fled from that place while screaming,

And it was then that the creature advanced towards Lucas' parents as if it were disoriented and aimless.

Lucas's father tries to get the creature's attention, while making noise and swinging a piece of wood he picked up there, but ends up being unsuccessful, being ignored by the creature as it heads towards his wife and son.

It was so quick that Lucas didn't have to think about the situation, but even if he could, with that body he wouldn't have much to do.

Other people who were there tried to get the animal's attention by making noise or throwing things nearby to keep it away from the woman with the child, but they were also unsuccessful.

And then he appeared…

The man with the sword who was previously observing the performance now stands in front of the creature.

Very calmly, and wielding the sword in his hands, he tries to scare it away by thrusting forward while trying to block the creature's path so that it wouldn't attack another person.

Seeing that after a moment the creature seemed not to have been so scared by the spears, he begins to swing his sword to try to scare it away.

At a given moment, the frightened creature lunges towards some people who were trying to escape, and at that moment, seeing no other alternative, he moves his sword quickly and strikes the creature in such a way that shortly afterwards it falls to the ground.

After the creature fell to the ground, you could see that it appeared to be wearing some type of light, black armor.

Maybe it was a warrior or something, but a gun would be more efficient and better than a sword. Lucas thought

The creature was still on the ground without moving, but you could tell that it was still alive and was making some moans.

The man then looks at the creature, approaches it and very gently bends down as if he was stroking its head, while appearing to worry about the animal's condition.

Placing your hand close to the injured area, which was on the back, a green light began to appear, and little by little, the wound, which was not that serious, began to close and also little by little stopped making noises of pain.

Now with the wound healed and calmer, the creature begins to accept the man's caresses and reciprocate with affection using its head, however, this moment of relaxation was interrupted by the appearance of another who was coming towards the animal with a type of chain or collar, or something like that used for horses.

The man with the collar appeared to be the owner, and showed concern, thoroughly checking and petting the animal's condition.

After checking that the animal was okay, he put on the collar and thanked the man with the sword for helping him recover the animal, and little by little he walked away until he left.

After the situation has calmed down, the street artists, now calmer since the situation had been resolved, return to the performance, but Lucas' parents don't stay for long after that and leave towards their initial objective.

On the way, he was still thinking about what he had seen, whether it was magic, or something like that, when he noticed that the streets became wider, and the sidewalks began to appear better cared for.

Looking around, Lucas notices other parents with children in their arms…Were they going to my place than him? Lucas thought

Then, he arrives at what looked like a church. It seemed quite large for one built in a poor city.

It was so abnormally large compared to other buildings that it contrasted greatly and made it easier to find. It also had a well-built stone sidewalk. Unlike the rest of the sidewalks or streets in that location, the small sidewalk, in fact, the church building, was generally well maintained.

It's a pretty big church for such a small town.

Perhaps this city was quite religious and that is why they were more careful with the state of this place.

 Or perhaps the priest/pastor of this church is good at talking to get a legal grant for the maintenance of the church.

But what did we come here to do?

Besides, what kind of gloomy mood is this?

And what are these weird torches at the entrance?

They're not lit but they're still weird.

* Don't worry, we're going home - says the mother, with a frightening smile at the child as they then decide to enter the church.

I'm getting scared

1 . 4 - The Name - O Nome

Inside that place, Lucas feels a strange and heavy atmosphere.

It was dark, but there were some torches and a chandelier to illuminate the place, which left accentuated shadows, making the place seem quite mysterious and haunted depending on the location.

There was a large place with benches to sit, and further ahead there was a kind of platform, perhaps for speeches and presentations.

The rest of the place was very generic to churches.

There was a confessional, and other rooms, and bedrooms, for the people who lived there, such as the priest.

Unlike what one might imagine, and despite the dark and heavy atmosphere one might feel when entering there for the first time, there was nothing so strange about the place.

Maybe just the type of location, and a little coincidence of tastes end up causing this weird feeling.

It was as if he was being watched from all sides there.

Was this a normal atmosphere or feeling when entering a church? Lucas didn't know how to answer since he had never actually been in one.

His parents quickly sat down on the seats that were there, and shortly afterwards the religious man's preaching began.

The priest was a tall man, with dark hair and distant eyes, whose serious expression conveyed confidence and unshakable faith.

 In a way, visually he didn't look anything like the stereotypical religious leader one normally expects, except for the costumes that resembled RPG priests, he just looked like an ordinary man.

He didn't look too weak, nor too fat.

He looked fit, even. Perhaps someone in full physical and mental condition.

His ease during the sermon was sensational.

His gestures were impeccable. He managed to convey the right feeling to cheer up, or make the weight of mistakes felt.

His demonstration of “Faith” and knowledge about the word of “God” was so great that the believers sitting there gradually became agitated, waving their arms as a sign of pulling out blessings and throwing them at others.

That emotion was fantastic, the feeling contained in that place was welcoming and serene, as if they were really in heaven.

As if the individual was in a whirlwind of emotions that swirled, while the lighting of the candles there shone in a chaotic way.

In a rhythm that light and darkness mixed, creating a turbulent demonstration of self-contrast for the preaching that took place there.

It was disturbing, at the same time gratifying, the construction of that scene where everyone was happy, and tumultuous.

Why are you so excited? Why this feeling of welcome? Are all religious preachings like this?

Wait, what is this feeling in my chest that makes me agitated?  Lucas thought before actually realizing he was smiling and waving his little arms.

What was that? Did I get excited out of nowhere?

Why do these words he speaks resonate so much with me?

This way of capturing the attention and hearts of others reminds me of the motivational coaches in my world.

At the end of the preacher's words, the congregation burst into applause and murmurs of thanks. Some nodded in agreement, while others looked at each other, as if they shared the same inspiration that had filled the room.

As the applause died down and people began to stand up, he noticed that the atmosphere that had previously been charged with emotion was beginning to dissolve into an almost eerie calm.

His parents also stood up, exchanging a few brief words with the people nearby as they prepared for something.

A woman, visibly agitated, suddenly stood up, her eyes full of despair. She then approached the altar with hurried steps and, getting there, knelt down as if she were asking the priest there for a miracle.

A lady who was there, previously sitting and who had now stood up, promptly went to the front of the stage, kneeling down as if she had been asking the priest there for a miracle.

* Please, Father Wilson, perform a miracle - the woman shouts in a very loud tone that could be heard throughout the place as she expresses despair;

* Please, Father, my son, he is not the same anymore. He sees things, says things. I don't know what else to do.

The priest, who previously had a serious expression, suddenly adopts a radiant smile as if he were in a play. He raises his hands in a dramatic gesture and comments in a sweet tone:

* Ah, how much devotion!

* I can feel the great faith this woman carries.

* It takes unshakable faith to face something like this, even when….well, others might just give up.

* You, my dear, are a person of great faith.

* Come on guys, give a round of applause for this woman's demonstration of faith - The priest says this in a loud tone, as he turns to the faithful holding and raising the hands of the woman present there.

The priest, who was previously serious, then changes his smile to a happier tone, showing admiration and comments on the believer's faith in doing that.

Touched by the faith presented by the woman, the man then asks her to explain the situation, so he can then think about how to proceed.

Distressed, and also happy to have been listened to, the woman cries and breaks down emotionally and is then held in her arms by the priest, so that later, when she has calmed down a little, she can explain the situation.

Madam: 

*  Two years ago, my son was a hard-working, happy boy;

* But over time, he started to become addicted to games.

* Betting and losing a lot.

* He even lost his job because of it.

* Then, after a while, he starts saying strange things... seeing strange things...

* Start drinking nonstop.

* Father, please save him from the madness of the devil that makes him see things and have these vices.

The priest, moved by the woman's faith in sharing her feelings and burdens, then cries, showing admiration for that action while also demonstrating a scandalous pose to reinforce the idea that it was something admirable.

He asserted that everyone should be like that woman by believing that their God would save them and help them bear any burden.

Gradually calming down, the priest then asks the woman to bring her son who is said to have the madness of the devil, who is promptly attended to.

The boy the woman said seemed to be a man, around 30 years old, and he didn't seem to have anything special.

He had some old clothes, a little torn, but he didn't seem to have as serious a problem as his mother said.

Looking face to face, the priest looks at him as if he were seeing something that the others there were not.

Maybe something scary, or strange, but his change in tone made the others who were watching worry and thus caused tension in the place.

Very abruptly, the priest then shakes a hand towards the man, as if he were aiming and throwing something, orders: - manifest yourself as being evil and filthy;

Almost immediately, the man puts a hand over his eyes as if something had fallen, and then, after hearing the priest again ordering him to speak out, he begins to act in an abnormal way to what he was acting like.

With confusing words coming out of his mouth, as well as restless gestures, it seemed like the man's personality had changed. It seemed like something else.

Much crazier than he was, he starts to shake himself and attack others, while being stopped by some type of power that the priest used when he pointed his hand at him.

* Stop, evil spirit! Get out of that boy's body! - The priest shouts fiercely as he faces the being that was before him.

The crowd there observed the scene, and some showed apprehension about what was happening, others seemed calm as if everything was under control, and others hugged each other due to their faith in what they saw.

It was frightening to see that individual acting chaotically. Were they safe there?

This thought about safety began to haunt some who were there, which made them agitated.

The priest then still restrained the individual, and then reassured the faithful and said out loud that as long as they had faith, there would be nothing to worry about.

Those words resonate throughout the place, gradually causing the doubts in hearts and bodies to dissipate, at the same time that stress and tension disappear.

With a soft gesture with his hands, as if shaking them towards the man as if he were gently throwing something.

shhh! Holy Splash!!!

Immediately, the affected individual begins to moan in front of the sacred salt.

The priest then asks a few more questions in an attempt to provoke the creature.

One of those things was about the being leaving the man so he could go to work, and live a peaceful and decent life.

Hearing those things, the possessed individual starts to try to escape, but is then stopped by the priest who makes a gesture with his hand to restrain him.

After being restrained, gently, and little by little, the priest silently approached the man who also gradually lost his voice, so that the priest then touched him on the head, and then ordered: - Get out of this man!!

Those words touched the man that made him groan as if he was in some kind of pain, and stagger.

Little by little, each time the priest ordered the being to leave the man, the man descended a little, as if his legs were losing the strength to support him.

At the moment of the "expulsion of the demon", the priest begins to wave a large crucifix in the air, with sweat running down his face, while shouting fervently.

He moves almost uncontrollably, tripping over his own words as he shouts things like: 

* In the name of the supreme divinity that reigns over us... Leave, evil spirit! 

* Get out of this poor soul! My brothers, do you see?

*  Only through me, the divine channel, is liberation possible!

Suddenly, he stops, and looks at the people around him with an intense look, as if he had just received a revelation.

* Oh yes! The light guides me. 

* She whispers secrets to me. But it's not for everyone to hear... 

* No, no... Only I can hear the heavenly voice!

He pauses dramatically, wiping sweat from his brow and raising his hands to the sky as the crowd watches, mesmerized.

* Now, brothers and sisters, watch the miracle happen!

Then, abruptly, with one hand - Pow!!! - Get out of this man now, you filthy being.

With a sudden movement, the priest moves his arm. The sound echoed throughout the hall, and in an instant, the chaos seemed to dissipate. The crowd, to my surprise, began to smile, as if they had just witnessed an act of divine redemption.

What was that now? He just punched the man who was possessed, and the crowd is smiling?

How can they smile at this?

And what macabre smile is that?

What's going on with this church?

After the priest's last order, the man fell to his knees, breathing heavily.

The people watching this then felt as if a weight on their bodies was being lifted little by little as the man's breathing adjusted.

When the man's breathing became smooth, the environment, which moments before was full of tension, began to calm down.

The priest, with a serene smile, helped the man to get up, and the woman ran to hug her son with tears of joy and gratitude filling her eyes, as they left the front, relieved, as if a great weight had been lifted. taken off your shoulders.

The possession scene ends, and the priest apparently "resolves" the situation. The tense atmosphere dissolves, and everyone is silent, still processing what just happened.

He places himself in the center of attention, walking around the room with firm steps and a triumphant expression. The audience is either amazed or relieved, and he begins to speak.

Priest (raising his voice confidently, looking at those present with an expression of pride):

-Do you see what is happening here today?

 -This is not just a miracle, this is a called! A call for you to open your eyes and follow the right path.

- And who will guide you on this path?

(He pauses dramatically, as if waiting for the crowd to respond. When no one speaks, he points to himself and continues fervently):

* On eu. 

* I am the divine instrument, the chosen one to lead you to victory over darkness!

* Don't get me wrong, I I'm not just anyone... I went chosen because I have the courage and vision that many don't have!

(He approaches a child and places his hand on his head, speaking as if he were channeling a higher power):

* This child... She is also being proven, just like you.

* - We all go through trials, but only those strong rise above them. Just who believe you can truly see beyond the difficulties.

(He turns back to the crowd, puffing out his chest, visibly satisfied with his performance):

* What you saw here today was not just a battle against evil. It was a testimony of my commitment to guide you.

* If you are lost, if you are discouraged, remember... I am here.

* I am the bridge between you and victory, between doubt and unshakable faith.

* So, come to me, trust me, and together... we will win every battle!

Little by little, after that, the atmosphere inside the church returned to an almost solemn calm. 

The priest then raised his hands to the sky, declaring: 

* Now that we have witnessed divine power, we can continue with the most sacred moment of the night: the baptism.

After seeing this change of atmosphere, from something lively and turbulent to an atmosphere as if nothing had happened, Lucas then thinks that there was really something wrong with that place.

One person, including one close to his parents, was even crying with emotion at that scene while murmuring religious words.

It was so strange that the greatest absurdity could happen there and those “people of faith”, of that religion, would simply find everything normal, and would get emotional, like the people Lucas observed were doing.

Everything seemed strange from the beginning, and now this “baptism” thing?….what could this be? Considering what just happened, I'm not surprised it's something totally different from what it should be.

What will happen now...,thought Lucas as, little by little, his parents picked him up and walked to the front of the church.

Not only Lucas's parents, but also everyone with children, little by little they went forward carrying their children.

Seeing the reaction of people after hearing the word baptism, and the fact that only people with children went towards the front row, Lucas deduced that it was the baptism of newborns.

Thinking about this, he became even more scared, as it was likely that he would be targeted by something.

Little by little, parents with children began to sit in a row right at the front that was unoccupied, and until then, Lucas hadn't even noticed/thought about why.

Seeing that all the seats were occupied, the priest gave a signal with his hands and 2 of his assistants entered one of the rooms as if they had gone to get something important.

After they return, they bring with them a type of basin, and a type of jug with some type of liquid.

Looking at that, Lucas feels relieved for a moment, because he thought it would be something as normal as possible, he relaxes his body, which was restless as if he wanted to escape from there, but his parents wouldn't let the act be completed.

Little by little, people were getting things ready for what looked like a common baptism.

The priest's assistants take the basin, fill it with water, and then drip something into it. Maybe it could be a type of holy oil, or something like that, Lucas thought as he observed the scene, paying close attention to the details.

After preparing the basin, the priest approaches and begins to pray for God to bless, as if he were asking for a miracle from heaven given the way he leaned his body back and looked up.

The candle lights and shadows there surround the man as if they were dancing around him making that scene, seen through the eyes of others, seem divine.

What's that glow? Is it the priest's divine aura? asked a man as he was speechless upon seeing that scene

The faithful, once again amazed by yet another gesture of faith from the priest, are moved.

Some cry while others just smile as they look at the scene in wonder.

The shadows that give contrast to the priest gradually dissipate as the priest adjusts his posture to a more correct one for what was going to happen next, a soft and upright posture worthy of someone who would bless others.

With the silence of the crowd that came with the change in posture, the priest then took the opportunity to officially announce the start of the baptism ceremony.

After it started, little by little the parents with the children went to the front near the basin, after their names were called, and little by little they were baptized.

Then it was Lucas's turn who went with his parents to the location as soon as they were called.

There, Lucas was lifted high by the priest, as if he were being offered to the heavens, or as if he were showing God.

Gently he descended until he reached the water level in the basin.

At that moment, the boy thought the process was over as he had touched the water. However, soon after, he was forcefully plunged into the water.

Suddenly, Lucas felt something strange. The softness of the water that had touched his forehead during the baptism turned into an icy weight that enveloped him completely. 

He barely had time to process what was happening when suddenly water began to invade his throat. What had once seemed like a peaceful ceremony had turned into a nightmare, and her body was fighting the sensation of being submerged.

He tried to breathe, but water filled his lungs, making his chest tighten in despair. His eyes opened, but his vision was blurred, mixed with reflections from the altar that distorted as he sank.

 The sound of the crowd, once distant, now seemed muffled and deaf, as if trapped inside a shell of silence.

Why? Lucas thought, his hands struggling frantically, trying to find something to hold on to, but the water continued to pull him down, as if he were being swallowed by an invisible abyss.

The priest, once an authoritative figure who spoke sacred words, now seemed like a distant shadow. His image distorted as Lucas sank deeper and deeper. The priest's face became a blur, and his eyes no longer looked human; they were empty, lifeless, as if he were just there to serve a sentence.

Lucas felt a deep pain in his chest, a pressure that seemed to crush his bones. The panic grew, the voices of the people around him became distant murmurs, and he couldn't remember what was happening. What was real? What was part of your nightmare? He tried to scream, but his voice was swallowed by the water.

As he sank deeper, a desperate thought crossed his mind: Is this the end?

The moment stretched on, but at the same time it seemed to be passing in the blink of an eye. He no longer knew if what he was seeing and feeling was real or if everything was falling apart around him. The feeling of drowning mixed with the anguish he had been carrying in his chest since the beginning of that ceremony.

He could no longer distinguish between the past and the present, between what was happening and what he imagined. All he knew was that he was dying there, in a place that should be sacred, and the feeling of helplessness overcame him.

The water rose to his face, and he fought with all his strength, but his body no longer responded as before. His eyes closed, and the last thing he heard before everything went dark was the sound of baptism, now distant, like an echo of something that never happened.

In the water, now while being held, he seemed helpless. More powerless than he was when he was just a baby.

In addition to not being able to even walk, he now couldn't even stay alive.

What drug is this? Are you trying to kill me?

I can't do it.

What is this feeling?

My body is getting soft….Am I really going to die?

Panic gripped the baby immersed in water as he struggled to try to free himself.

It was as if darkness was beginning to swallow him and was holding him very tightly so he wouldn't move.

At that moment the brightness in his eyes disappeared, as he was forced to remain there in that darkness.

Suddenly, Lucas was in a place that both looked and felt familiar. He saw his old body, older and tired. It was like looking at a distorted reflection of himself but not fully recognizing who he was.

He was dying, and his life was flashing before his eyes? Well, that's what he thought when he had his body, when he felt his body moving.

At least that was the only answer for him to be able to see his old body again there, in that strange place.

Looking around, there was nothing.

He tried to get up, but he didn't have the strength to stand.

He then realizes that he could move his arms, but not the lower part of his body, which was somewhat erased, as if it were a drawing made in ink that was smudged before drying.

Curious to know what location that was, but unable to walk, Lucas then decides to crawl, which in turn works, but no matter how much he tried to move away from that point where he was, he couldn't.

And then, when he gives up trying to escape, a silhouette begins to project itself in front of him.

It was like a reflection of something distant and unknown, Lucas thought.

It appeared out of nowhere and was silent.

Is it a ghost or a hallucination? The boy didn't know how to answer.

In fact, he didn't even know what that place he was living in as a baby was until recently, imagine that now.

Gently “it” approached without giving Lucas a chance to escape.

It was desperate.

And then, with a gentle touch, he interrupted this moment, bringing an unusual feeling of calm and relief.

It was as if all the weight he had felt up to that point was lifting as he was pulled from the water, still dazed and disturbed by the experience.

Lucas couldn't stop thinking about what he had seen, trying to understand the meaning of the vision.

 When the religious leader asked his name, the sound escaped his lips without his wanting it. 'Luc.' The silence that followed was crushing.

Everyone's eyes turned to him, and even the priest seemed frozen for a second before smiling enigmatically.

 Surprised, everyone in the church thought that name was significant, and, even though the parents had previously chosen another name, they decided to accept it as the boy's new name.

Little by little the feeling of fear that Lucas felt about that baptism was passing, and when he least expected it, the priest in front of him then took a sheet of paper and placed it on a table and then dripped a liquid that looked like a type of black paint on it.

After that, very gently the priest approached the child with a type of pin that appears to have been sterilized right there using fire, and without understanding he despairs of being held by his parents.

In the end, his finger was pierced, which caused a drop of blood to slowly fall onto the leaf, in the area where there was that black liquid.

Immediately, right after the blood falls, there is a small glow, and then that liquid changes color and then spreads across the paper forming letters.

Impressed by what had happened, Lucas becomes thoughtful about what had happened.

The paper with ink had turned into something similar to an RPG card that was taken in his hand by the priest who again asked the parents for the child's name, who confirmed it as Luke.

Once your form is filled out, it is delivered to the child's parents who are happy to look at the statuses there.

The priest there then shows a neutral look towards the child's file, and congratulates the parents who then ask what that name there means.

The priest then promptly responds that it was the child's vocation. And that he had received a very normal one.

After that, the child thinks about his vocation and record, and doesn't realize that little by little the people there were dispersing as the baptism ceremony ended.

To him, it looked like those role-playing character sheets, which made him want to see his vocation more.

When he got home, his file was there as if it were a portrait on the wall of the room where his crib was, stuck with a nail and exposed for everyone to see.

I think disclosing my personal information would be a problem, but that's okay. he thought

Looking at his sheet, he realized that it was a bit different from the role-playing sheets he knew.

In fact, it looked like a mix of a role-playing card and a birth certificate, as it had the parents' names on it.

The funny thing about this situation is that it was only there that he learned what his current parents were called.

So far he has only referred to them as “father” and “mother” in his thoughts, and since they never introduced themselves, he had no way of knowing this information.

But more important than that, for him, there was the vocation that the priest spoke about.

Pawn

Seeing this name, he then remembers that in his world, in games, there was something like that, a class like that.

Will my combat style be hand-to-hand? Or does that mean something else?He thought, and then changed from a thoughtful posture, to a more neutral one shortly afterwards without showing much interest at the moment, and then sat down and started writing on the wooden pad with a piece of charcoal, and then

CLash!

It broke?...he thought, when he saw the piece of coal broken when he put a little strength into writing.

….

..

Far away, now at night, it was possible to see 2 people walking quickly through alleys while talking.

A man's voice:

* Damn, that idiot hurt me!

* And salt still got into my eyes.

* That wasn't what was agreed.

A woman's voice:

* Shut up!

* With the payment we receive, we can pay a healer and still have a lot of money left over.