Chapter 1 - Rebirt
Jeddo lay within the confines of his room, its pristine cleanliness seeming oddly out of place against the thoughts swirling in his mind
"Am I losing my mind? AM I!?! Oh yes, I am, I AM INSANE! I AM INSANE! I am…." His words echoed in the stillness.
Drawing a shaky breath, he continued, "I just thought… it’d work out…. Attachments…. I’ve gotten rid of them! WHY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING OUT OF A COMFORT ZONE WHEN YOU CAN DESTROY IT!..... I’m talking to myself again…."
Pushing himself up from his bed, he went about preparing his breakfast.
"Well….."
His phone shattered the silence, a shrill interruption he couldn't ignore.
“Happy birthday, Jeddo! We miss you so much.. How’s life in the city?”
"It’s fine, ma, I’m glad."
“Come back home this weekend, we’ll hold your birthday in my house.”
"I will, ma."
“Then take care, keep up the good work too!”
Beep.
As the call ended, Zikito mechanically resumed his breakfast preparations, a chicken soup paired with hard-boiled egg. Finishing his morning routine, he headed off to school, uniform meticulously tucked in.
Thud, thud.
His steps echoed down the path, but suddenly his heart raced, each beat reverberating like drums in his chest.
“What the hell…”
Blech.
Vomiting blood, staining his uniform, Zikito struggled to keep his balance, gripping a nearby light pole.
“Fu#k! I need to call someone-.”
BLECH.
Falling to the ground, consciousness slipping away, he whispered, "No! I can’t even thin-."
Blackness enveloped him, the warm embrace of death welcoming him.
“I wasn’t even able to go home… I’m sorry, ma…”
Echoes of footsteps resounded.
A figure, luminous in pure white, materialized before him. Zikito gazed at the figure, resigned to his fate.
Sobs wracked his body as he whispered, “I didn’t even know that I’d die this early-... I can’t even complain…”
The figure looked down with a mix of gentleness and sternness, extending an arm.
“I’m sorry for you, but that’s life.”
More sobs escaped Zikito as he whispered, “God, what did I do wrong?”
“There’s no point in answering that, and it’s best for you to let go.”
“Right….. But can you at least tell me… that my family will do well-?”
“They sure will, now let’s get going.”
In a haze, they traversed through darkness until it erupted into blinding light, the figure slipping from view.
“Answer me, Zikito, are you following me because I’m the only light in the dark? Or am I the only light in the dark because you’re following me?”
Speechless, Zikito stood before the figure, grappling with the question.
The figure morphed, contrasting starkly against the luminous white.
“Mhm?”
Unsure, Zikito faltered.
“God… will this go on forever?”
“Do you want to keep following me?”
“What else could I even do?”
“Fair enough.”
And so, their aimless journey through the afterlife continued, time a meaningless concept in their ethereal realm.
“I’m surprised, you’re actually a quiet person.”
“I’ve lost more than half of my interest in life, there’s nothing else other than following you.”
Chuckles echoed.
“Now that’s dull. Not even a single second has passed in your world, right now, you’re warmly dead.”
“That interests me no more, you’ve told me all I need to know, and I’m glad that my family will do well.”
“What a witty kid.”
No one could discern the passage of time or the depth of their conversation. But change loomed on the horizon.
“I believe that you’re ready, kid.”
“Mhm?”
“You have walked for over a million years in this white space. Yet, not a second has passed in the world where you’ve perished.”
“What about it?”
“I’ll ask you again, are you following me because I’m the only light in the dark? Or am I the only light in the dark because you’re following me?”
“I thought you asked that just a few moments ago.”
“Poor child,” the figure mused.
“So? What’s your answer?”
“I’m following you because you’re the only light in the dark.”
“Excellent answer. You’re already better than half of the people I met. I’ll make you an offer, would you wish to continue following me forever? Or-”
A door materialized, its vibrant hues a stark contrast to their monochrome surroundings.
“Do you wish to enter that door?”
“And then what?”
“One of which you know, and the other you don't. I just know that some people would want to know something they don’t know, rather than something they already know.”
“Sounds about right.”
“Just open the door, don’t worry.”
Approaching the door, Zikito hesitated before opening it.
SWOOSH!
In an instant, he was pulled through, senses assaulted by a cacophony of noise and light.
“UWAAA!”
“ What is happening… what the hell-....”
A cold voice pierced the chaos, “Good, it’s a boy, you’ve done well woman.”
As consciousness ebbed, Zikito found himself cradled in his mother’s arms, the world anew.
“Oh, there’s still another one!? A twin!? PUSH, WOMAN! PUSH!”
Maria gave birth to a girl, but Arkon wasn’t really happy about it.
“Woman, seriously… a GIRL? You’ve given me enough headaches for the day! F#ck it!”
Arkon grew furious, his eyes focused on the newborn girl.
“I don’t like to hear the girl crying, you better calm her down- tch.”
The woman, identified as Maria, clutched Zikito tightly, shielding him from the harshness of his father's disappointment. Zikito struggled to comprehend his new reality as he surrendered to the lullaby of his mother's embrace.
Months passed, marked by the relentless passage of time and the gradual unfolding of Zikito’s existence within his new family. Favoured by his father, yet burdened by the weight of expectations, he navigated the complexities of his role within the household.
“Hoho! THAT’S MY BOY! You better feed my boy more, Maria. Don’t waste them on that girl.”
His father’s words lingered in the air, a constant reminder of the disparities within their familial dynamic. Zikito, ever mindful of his siblings’ struggles, endeavoured to carve out his place in their shared reality.
Roughly 5 years have passed since then. Zikito now has two brothers. One day, Marcus wasn’t feeling really well..
“Brother… I’m tired… can I take a rest..?”
“Marcus… you know each of us have a part… we’re too busy with our areas…”
“I know… but brother…”
Marcus could be heard whining, being desperate for a break.
“Fine…. Just do half of yours and then go to mother…”
Marcus’ plea resonated within Zikito’s heart, a poignant reminder of their shared hardships. With compassion and determination, Zikito shouldered the burden, alleviating his brother’s weariness while temporarily filling in for Marcus.
“Zikito. Where. Is. MARCUS!?”
The thunderous voice of his father shattered the fragile peace, casting a pall of fear over the household. Zikito, torn between helping his sibling and the terror of his father’s wrath, grappled with the weight of his decision.Maria pleaded to Arkon to calm down, desperate to save Marcus from the wrath.
“Dear, Marcus is not feeling well, pleas-.”
Arkon shoves Maria off as he looks for Marcus.
“Remember YOUR DAMN PLACE, woman. I feed this entire family. I even know some ladies who do better at night than you damn pester! NOW WHERE’S MARCUS!?”
“DEAR, PLEASE! HE’S JUST FOUR! LET HIM-.”
Arkon punched Maria in the face, knocking her back to the floor.
“I’m saving the second punch if you don’t give me a son. NOW THERE YOU ARE, MARCUS?!”
Marcus yielded, he approached his father as he accepted his fate. He was not in a really great condition today..“Pa! Please don’t hurt mom… I will-”
“I’ll continue plowing the fields-.”
Arkon grabbed Marcus’ neck and dragged him to the field.
“Even your sister is managing her own PLOT! WHILE YOU’RE A BOY WHO CAN’T EVEN PLOW HALF A FIELD!”
Arkon beat Marcus up in front of the house, Maria and the children could only watch in pain.
Zikito thought to himself, “I can’t let this go on….”
He clenched his fist and visualized a stone at the palm of his hands. He manifested a simple stone, and threw it at his father. That attack was too weak, and his father is no ordinary man. Arkon caught the stone with his reaction speed and bare hands.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Is… the WHOLE… HOUSE REBELLING NOW?! ZIKITO?!”
Zikito’s fight or flight mechanism activated, and he chose to fight.
ZIKITO GRUNTED
“MGHMMMMMMMMMMMMM!”
Zikito manifested another stone, but now steaming hot and threw it at his father. His father caught it, but it burned his hand.
“OI OI! My son’s a magician? MY SON’S A MAGICIAN!? I’LL BE DAMNED.”
Arkon carried Zikito amidst the bitter celebration.
“MY SON’S A MAGICIAN! AND A STRONG ONE OF THAT!”
Zikito surrendered, he was no match for his father, almost three times larger than him, and with actual combat experience.
“You’re a witty boy, we’re having dinner tonight.”
The atmosphere bitterly changed in an instant upon discovering that Zikito could use magic. Mages in this world aren't rare, but a child younger than the age of 12 is.
Arkon put Zikito back down, now with a complete change in mood.
“Alas, I finally have a son that’s a mage, well done Maria.”
Zikito’s father went back to the town to buy them meals. The tension slowly decreased.
Everyone was shocked, not even able to speak another word, they all tended to each other's wound, especially on Marcus. However, later that night, all of them actually ate something warm and good.
After yesterday’s dinner, the next morning felt refreshing - everyone had a moment of solace. Zikito shares his room with his sister Rinnie, John, Marcus, and Feddy. Arkon was up early in the morning, knocking on Zikito’s door.
*Creak*
His father eagerly greeted, “Zikito, you’re coming with me from now on.”
“Wha- what?!”
Zikito fixed his hair and rubbed his eyes to confirm if this was true.
“Get your butt up and ready, me and your mother are both happy. Now, don’t ruin my perfectly good mood sonnie.”
Arkon left the room and headed towards the table.
Zikito thought to himself, “Miraculously, father has been oddly nicer since yesterday… I might just enjoy this rather than his angry bass.”
Zikito and his siblings went to the table to eat a nice breakfast. They all sat down together in solace. The meals prepared were fresh and had meat!
His father asked, “Zikito, do it again.”
“Do what-?”
“Show us your magic.”
*GRUNT*
Zikito tried to cast it again, clenching and trying everything he could to make it happen again.
His father *SLAMS* the table.
“Were you playing TRICKS ON ME?”
The atmosphere gets heavy again. Zikito thought to himself again,
“Crap, we’ll be in trouble if I can’t, WHY ISN’T THIS WORKING WHY?”
*GRUURANNTTTTT.*
A pebble slowly fell from Zikito’s hand.
“ATTABOY! THAT’S THE SON I KNOW!”
“Maria, give him more food, he needs it.”
Sadly, the rations were supposed to be enough for all of them, not ample. It’d take away his sibling’s fair share of food.
“D-dear, how about his siblings?”
*THUMP!*
The father slammed on the table.
“Are there any greedy children IN MY HOUSE?!”
None of them replied, so their rations were split by half.
“This is what family should be. Now eat, sonnie.”
Zikito looked at his siblings, they couldn’t even think of complaining. Arkon grabbed Maria by her shoulders.
“You’ve finally done something nice for me, and since I’m in a good mood, here’s some change to buy yourself something nice. Let’s go, sonnie!”
Zikito followed his father outside as they began their journey. They both stopped by for some shade in a tree.
“Sonnie, I’m sure you know that your father knows magic too.”
“Mhm”
“Just like you, I can manifest earth! You’re so much like me! Hahaha!”
Arkon opened his palm and manifested a rock.
“Let me teach you the simple basics of magic sonnie. You need to create something first, then change its form.”
*Crack, crumble.*
A spiked rock was formed from his father’s palm.
“Now son, do the same NOW.”
“I-.”
“Just DO IT!”
Zikito mimicked his father, but nothing was coming out of his hand. It was too late, Zikito did it incorrectly. A stone formed at the middle of his hand, his hand bled. He was trembling, beads of sweat were running down his head.
“WHAT THE HELL…. You idiot!”
Arkon immediately grabbed Zikito’s hand and used his magic to disintegrate the rock. He then slapped Zikito because of this mistake.
“THINK ABOUT THE ROCK IN FRONT OF YOUR HAND, NOT INSIDE YOU IDIOT!”
“I’m sorry father-!”
“Do it AGAIN.”
“Damn it… I haven’t even mastered nor know how magic works in this world…”
Zikito tried again, and he screamed in pain.
“IDIOT!”
SLAP!
“FOCUS. IT. OUTSIDE.”
His father removed the rock inside his hand with his magic. Zikito sobs as he continues to fail in successfully completing the most basic mana manifestation.
“I’M SORRY!”
Zikito tried again, but he was losing energy. Now, it was stuck on his skin, it’s gonna get a little bloody.
Zikito’s father gripped his hand.
“F#CKING IDIOT. DO IT OUTSIDE”
Arkon then plucked the stone out of his body. Zikito thought to himself…
“This is bad… I’m losing energy…”
“Brat, I’m waiting, how CAN YOU NOT DO SOMETHING THIS EASY?”
SLAP!
Zikito tried once more, and a small pebble successfully formed at the palm of his hand. His father’s expression changed, he smiled.
“Good, now drink.”
Arkon offered Zikito a water jar. Zikito accepted it.
“I expect great things from you, so don’t fall behind. We’re gonna continue walking, the town is still a bit far.”
Zikito thought to himself,
“Damn it you old man…. How the hell do you expect me to use it at 5 years old…”
“Or why don’t we do some side hustle at the nearby town? Do you agree?”
“S-sure, father…..”
They both traveled by foot until they arrived at the nearby town.
“Ya hungry sonnie? We could drop by the adventurer’s guild.”
“Y-yeah.”
They both entered the town’s adventurer guild and ate lunch there. A colleague of Arkon approached them.
“Yo! It’s you, Arkon-san! Your guarding services are still hot?”
“Solid as earth boy.”
“I see you’ve brought your child here.”
“He’s my son! Hahaha! He can even cast magic at his age!”
“For real!?!”
“Show him sonnie.”
“But I’m tired-.”
“Nah, you can do it sonnie.”
Arkon and Vincent patiently waited while Zikito clenched his fist, and a small pebble popped up!
“See? He’s definitely a strong mage in the future! THAT’S MY BOY!!!!”
“Eh, ya sure he’s not hiding it?”
“Want to bet on it, Vince?”
“Heck yeah, ARKON!”
Arkon grabbed Zikito’s hand as they went to the reception desk to get Zikito registered as an adventurer.
“Yo missy, I’d like my son to register as an adventurer.”
“WAIT FATHER, WHAT!?!”
“Sir, but he’s just a five year old…”
“No rules ever said so.”
Arkon gave a smirk, eventually winning.
“Alright, follow me sir…”
“You’re really serious on the bet, Arkon?”
“Free rum should be good enough.”
They both walked outside to test Zikito’s power on an orb.
The girl spoke gently,
“Little boy, just place your hand on the crystal and try to make anything that you can.”
“O-okay…”
Mages are classified into seven ranks; Basic, Standard, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior, Distinguished, and Master. Anyone who can use magic is ranked as basic, those at standard can do so to a better degree, and those at intermediate actually have combat applications. Zikito placed his hand on the orb.
“Woah, so this child is a basic mage? How old is he?”, the woman asked.
“Five years old! Hahaha! My son is only 5 years old! Isn’t it amazing?”
“Tch, just one mug of rum….”
“Well then, we’d just have to fill out a few papers then your son is officially an adventurer…”
“Sonnie, I’m sure you know how to write and read.”
“I’m not su-.”
“Yes you can, now go follow the lady. We’ll be waiting, sonnie.”
Zikito followed the lady, unsure of what would happen.
“It’s not everyday we get a 5 year old mage, we’ve got some expectations on you sweetie. Show us some promise, alright?”
“What’s my rank-?”
The lady chuckled, surprised that Zikito is interested.
“You’re classified as a basic magician with affinity to earth, which is quite rare since people usually start manifesting mana around 10. As for your adventurer ranking, you’re a base eta.”
Author’s note: Adventurers are ranked in the following order: Omega, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Eta. There are sub-progression levels in each rank which are: True, Special, Semi, and Base. Base is the entry level while true is the highest sublevel in the rank. When you join the adventurer’s guild, you always start off at base, no matter which rank. You only progress through sublevels through promotion, and in order to progress to the next rank, you either have to become a true sublevel adventurer or apply again, although applying again might promote or demote you depending on your current performance. True denotes an accurate or model representation of a rank, some adventurers may even get stuck as base sublevel despite years of adventures.
“Could you… explain them to me-?”
“Omega is the end rank, the highest possible one, they’re very strong adventurers! Alpha means first rate, they’re the top of their fields. Betas are called when the mission is dangerous! As for gamma, they deal with standard threats. Delta deals with minor threats, while eta is some kind of a waiting list, but you can do some very easy tasks! Each rank has their own mini progression levels, true, special, semi, and base.”
“Woah…. That’s amazing…”
“You should know that your father is a semi-gamma adventurer and an intermediate mage.”
Zikito recalls his father’s action in their house, playing vivid memories in a painstaking way.
“I- I see…”
Zikito stuttered while trying to speak.
“I’ve filled your form myself, I hope to see you again kid.”
“Thanks miss…”
The lady handed Zikito an insignia of the Greek letter “Eta”. Zikito pondered, this was in his history class.
“If I remember… I studied about this back in the sixth grade… the ranks are based on the Greek alphabet then…”
“You should go back, it’s gonna be busy later, so I have to get going kiddo.”
“T-thanks.”
Zikito walked back to the building’s lobby where he met his father again.
“How did it go boy?”
“He’s a basic mage with affinity to earth ranked as a base eta, sir.”
Zikito was slightly reluctant, not really proud of his feat.
“That’s my boy! You missy, any jobs out there for me and my boy?”
Vincent followed pursuit.
“Do you mind if I join in, Arkon?”
“Sure Vincent, you can even teach my boy a thing or two.”
“Well-, if the little boy is with you, doing some escort missions wouldn’t be a bad idea…”
“We’ll take what you have missy.”
The lady handed them a piece of paper with the necessary information.
“He should be over there at the corner, waiting.”
“Zikito, you’ll learn a lot with your pops this way, so don’t ball out.”
“But father-... I’m only five…”
Arkon slapped Zikito’s butt in a teaseful way.
“Shut up and get your ass moving! We’re meeting the man, you should get used to this.”
“Ow….”
Zikito rubbed the pain away as they walked towards the man. They were greeted by a rather cold voice.
“I already know why you’re here, but the child? We don’t babysit, Arkon.”
“Elijah, he’s my damn son, so you're taking us for the job?”
“We’ll be heading to the next town, it won’t be too far. Let’s get going.”
Vincent went ahead with a confident grin.
“Right, now don’t get lost, kid. There might even be a chance to see your father in action.”
“Y-yeah.”
The four of them went on a carriage and began their walk to the next town. The lively ambience brought by the peace of the trail made the job seem easy. However, it’s about time they encountered the wild beasts who prey on those unfortunate enough to get lost. They stopped quickly as they saw four wolves ahead.
“These are just wolves, Vincent, I think I can handle them on my own.”
“Don’t get hurt, old man.”
“Like fuck I will!”
Arkon unsheathed his sword, it seems he’s both a mage and a swordsman. Let’s just see how good he actually is. The wolves sprinted towards them, they seemed to be traveling at really high speeds.
Cling! Arkon parried the wolf’s claw at half-second the moment the wolf tried to pounce.
“Sit back and enjoy the show, Zikito.”
‘W-woah… I mean yeah… dad’s strong…“
The wolves were cautious too, they positioned themselves at a distance where it seemed enough. As another wolf tried to pounce, Arkon manifested magic underneath its paws, manipulating the earth beneath to spike them from under- this aggravated the wolves. The wolves started attacking more viciously. Arkon’s movements weren’t graceful, but they weren’t too wasteful- he knew what he was doing. The wolves retreated back into the wilderness as soon the second wolf got its paws cut off.
“What do ya think, son?”
“You’re really showing off small bugs to your son, Arkon?”
“I bet you’d actually drop some sweat if you were there!”
“Enough, we’re going to continue the carriage.”
Zikito opened his eyes, seeing a new side of his father. His father being nice isn’t something any of the family members could see.
“Elijah, do you think my son has potential?”
“As a mage that young? Your kid has the balls.”
“Just as I thought so! Hahaha!”
Vincent sat beside Zikito and asked him a question with calm eyes, yet eager to know something.
“Yo kiddo, can you show me your magic?”
“S-sure, I might…”
Zikito grasped his hand, trying his best to manifest a rock on his hand. This time, he was successful at making a small pebble.
“Yo! Your son really has the potential, he even has the same affinity as you Arkon!”
“Hmph, he’s just like me!”
The moment Arkon said those words, Zikito remembered flashbacks of the irony those words brought.
“I’m nothing like you, I won’t ever dare forget what you’ve made the family feel….”
Vincent noticed Zikito’s change of expression, so he poked Zikito to ask something.
“Yo, ya alright kid?”
Zikito snapped back and regained his normal face.
“Y-yeah! I just feel sleepy…”
Zikito stared blankly at the sky to think about his thoughts. It was a nice moment to do so.
“It’s been five years since I’ve been reborn into this world… learning the language was a tough nut to crack at just four years old, but I bursted earlier than usual. Father’s an asshole, but none of us could afford to lose him, our only source of food, shelter, clothing, and practically our survival. Damn, I still wonder how my sister Sophie is doing… ma… gouzman… and Marcus better be plowing the fields again… haha…”
Zikito grasped his hand again to manifest a rock.
“Is this progress even enough? I’m nowhere near in comparison to my mother’s strength… let alone father.. Sigh… this is too much for a five year old…”
Zikito fell asleep as he conversed with himself. The moment Zikito fell asleep, Vincent turned serious and looked at Arkon.
“Arkon, how’s Maria?”
TO BE CONTINUED.