That damn bastard had thrown him from the high cliff. The fall was long and terrifying, especially for Sael, who was already afflicted with a fear of heights.
He closed his eyes and curled himself up like a falling stone. But suddenly, his descent slowed to the graceful drift of a white feather. Or crimson, in his case.
The cold, flowing winds enveloped him like an invisible ribbon and set him gently upon the ground, as tenderly as a mother's kiss.
He looked both astonished and relieved as he examined his body, as though it had been freshly crafted only moments ago. There was not even a scratch on his fair skin.
Even though he was a child, he had been a slave. One who was hanged to death and abused before that. Even after his rebirth, he had wept upon many injuries he remembered tending to himself.
Yet his skin now possessed an unnatural beauty, like that of a beloved princess locked away in a tower of comfort, shielded from every thorn and jagged edge. The sun was forbidden to touch that skin, the stars never permitted to admire it. It was skin cultivated in nothing but softness and flawless everywhere.
"Wait—everywhere? I-I'm naked!!"
Only then did he notice he was entirely naked, save for a filthy rag hanging from his left leg. Strangely, it was the only part of him that didn't feel renewed.
As he was about to shield his private stick, at least it was a stick, from the shameless gaze of the sky and morning sun, a wagon abruptly stopped in front of him.
Two people emerged, a rotund man with a thick, beefy neck, and a woman whose once-beautiful features had been worn down by the weight of time.
'Huh? What are they doing?'
They hurried toward him. The woman swiftly removed the clean cloth from around her neck, which was a layer of protection against the cold and wrapped Sael in it, bundling him as if he were luggage for travel.
With the warmth now enveloping him, he realized it truly was frigid in the early morning air.
The fat man then scooped him up and carried him toward the wagon. Sael was surprised at how effortless it was to kidnap him. Yet, it didn't feel like kidnapping, their manner was far too kind, so he simply accept it.
They brought him into the wagon, which was draped in thick layers of fabric, like an igloo shielding against the icy winds. Then they wrapped him in more layers and handed him a bowl of hot food. Yes a real meal that actually looked like food, not the foul shity slop he'd been offered before.
He almost cried, but instead decided it was wiser to fill this dying body with something nourishing.
They also offered him a bag of water. It was fresh and sweet to the taste, unlike anything his artificially manufactured previous world had ever provided.
He devoured the food and gulped down all the water in a single swallow. Only then did he notice there were two more people in the wagon.
One was a boy about his new body's age, with long black hair for his size and a handsome face carrying an unusual allure. Not that he felt anything, of course. But the boy did gave off the cold, ruthless-protagonist vibe from dramas, the kind who inevitably turned out to be a soft-hearted fool.
The other was a sweet-looking girl, perhaps a year or two younger. With brown hair and a fair complexion, she seemed the daughter of the couple who had brought him here.
But Sael paid them no mind. He was far too focused on his meal. It was, after all, his first in this world.
After a long silence, the girl finally spoke with curiosity in that strange language Sael did not understand. He wanted to ask for more food but failed for the same reason.
"Hush now. Don't bother the boy," the woman at the front of the wagon scolded the little girl in that same language.
At the front was a small opening in the fabric, through which the fat man could be seen sitting beside the couchman or whatever this world called them. After braving the cold for a moment, he returned inside.
"Oh, brightness above heavens, winter is nearly upon us. How did such a sweet child end up on the road… and naked, no less?" he said, shivering and rubbing his hands for warmth.
"My dear, he's such a sweet boy. The mighty sun must have protected him." The woman offered a brief prayer before turning to Sael. "How did you end up there, sunshine?"
Sael paused. He was beginning to grasp their language, but the speed of her words still confused him. So he simply shook his head.
"So, dear. It seems he doesn't speak Oriha."
"So it seems."
"He doesn't look like he's from the eastern ports either. More like he's from the Crownless Lands. Dear, try Callanth."
"Ah… let's see."
The man tried speaking in a different language, but the result was the same.
"Mama, is he a foreigner then?" the little girl asked.
"He might be, sunshine."
"Really?" She smiled brightly. "Then does he have an Astra Domain? Wouldn't that be wonderful, brother? You'd have a friend to practice with."
The boy pinched her cheek lightly. "Don't be careless in front of strangers."
"Yes… sorry, brother," she mumbled.
The boy stood, sighing. "We don't know anything about him. He might be a slave or something…"
"Shin, don't say that. Look at him, he looks like a prince," the woman countered.
"Then that's even more of a problem. Father, Mother, we should drop him off at the orphanage."
The woman fell silent. The man took her hand and consoled her.
"Honey, Shin is right. The orphanage is a good place, and you visit often. It will be best for him until we know more. Maybe he's not speaking because of shock. He might eventually speak again. We should wait."
"Yes, dear. You're right."
The woman often visited the orphanage to distribute food to the poor souls. She loved children, and her family frequently donated to its upkeep. She was even friends with the head of the orphanage, so in the end, she agreed.
And just like that, Sael's future was decided by a family of strangers.
After Shin convinced his parents not to adopt a complete stranger immediately, he approached Sael.
He raised his hand toward him. Already unsettled by the earlier conversation he couldn't understand, Sael was on edge and the boy's gesture only heightened his unease.
Seeing the approaching hand, he smacked it with his empty plate. The dish shattered against Shin's hand.
"You little..."
Shin lifted his hand, and suddenly an unnatural gale burst forth, striking Sael and lifting him into the air.
'Magic?!'
Sael's eyes widened in shock, but before he could make sense of it, he was slammed against the wooden floor of the wagon.
The force sent the layers of fabric flying away, revealing his newly-formed sticker—one that children should be careful with.
The little girl giggled softly, staring at it.
"So tiny."
***
The young boy who could do magic was actually offering him another bowl of food.
"I was giving you more, you idiot." He frowned, extending a hand for Sael to stand. And he accepted.
After a moment of failed conversation and quiet observation, Sael now understood that the young man was Shin, the son of the couple. Even though he didn't look anything like them, Sael couldn't help but think that the sweet lady might have done some sins with someone mysterious and alluring. Like the common plot in romance dramas.
'Like they say, never judge a book by its cover.'
The wagon kept rolling, and the scene inside was now stable. Sael didn't feel annoyed, even though the parents didn't scolded the boy for hurting him. In the end, he was just a stranger, and the couple were already generous enough to be seriously worried about any injury.
So, he let it go. But Sael couldn't stop thinking about that trick the boy had used to summon a strong gust of wind. If he only knew the language, he would have asked already. But such was his cruel fate.
Still, his sharp gaze had never left the boy. Now, even the boy had started to feel uneasy.
Who knew what kind of fantasy was playing in his head?
As Sael kept staring, his eyes glowed with a faint golden light, and strange runes appeared once again.
Unlike the other times, they didn't convey any messages but rather formed symbols like stars above the head of every person his gaze fell upon.
Above the little girl, Sael could see one star. Above the couple's heads, there was a symbol like zero.
Then his gaze shifted toward the boy named Shin.
Above his head, three stars like shaped from starlight itself were adorned like a crown of stars.