I woke to sunlight and the smell of bread.
For half a second, I forgot where I was. Expected my phone alarm. My crappy apartment. Jenna's passive-aggressive texts.
Then I saw the stone ceiling. The candle flickering. The old woman humming by the fire.
Right. Dead. Reborn. Fantasy world. Old goddess priestess.
My head hurt.
"You're awake." Mira didn't turn around. "Eat."
She pushed a plate toward me. Bread. Cheese. An apple so red it looked fake.
I sat up. Took the bread. Ate.
It was good. Really good. Fresh. Warm. Nothing from my old life's gas station breakfast sandwiches came close.
Mira sat across from me. Watched me eat. Said nothing.
I finished the bread. Started on the cheese.
"So," I said, mouth half-full. "Morning conversation."
"Morning conversation." She smiled. "Questions?"
A thousand. Million. Where was I? What was this world? Who were the gods? What was my system? Could I go home? Was magic real? Was she safe? Was I safe? What came next? What—what—what—
I took a breath.
One question at a time. One step at a time.
"What do you recommend I do?"
Mira's eyebrows rose. "That's your first question?"
"You know things I don't. You've been alive... however long you've been alive. You helped me for no reason. Either you're setting a trap or you're genuinely kind. If it's a trap, I'm already caught. If you're kind, your advice is worth hearing." I shrugged. "So. What do you recommend?"
She stared at me for a long moment.
Then she laughed. Full. Real. Head back.
"I like you, Ren. I really do." She wiped her eye. "Okay. Honest answer? Most orphans in Valdris have three paths: steal until you're caught, beg until you starve, or work until you break. Labor jobs. Loading docks. Cleaning stables. Your body gives out by thirty, if you last that long."
I'd guessed that much.
"What's the fourth path?"
"Magic."
The word hung in the air.
"Magic," I repeated.
"You have a system. A gift from the gods. That means somewhere in you—whether you were born with it or not—there's a spark. Most mages spend their whole lives training that spark into a flame. You?" She leaned forward. "You might be able to shortcut. Learn faster. Push further. If you're brave enough to try."
[NEW INFORMATION UNLOCKED]
Magic Affinity: Unknown (undetected)
System Synergy: Potential High
Warning: First attempts may be dangerous.
Dangerous. Great.
"I don't know anything about magic," I said.
"No. You don't." Mira stood. Walked to a small chest in the corner. Pulled out something small. Came back. Opened her palm.
A stone. Grey. Dull. Unremarkable.
"This is a sparkstone. Used in temples to test children for magical potential. Usually, you'd touch it, and if you have affinity, it glows." She held it out. "Usually."
I looked at the stone. Looked at her.
"What's the 'usually' part?"
"Usually, the child has trained their whole life for this moment. Eaten well. Slept well. Been told they're special." Her eyes softened. "You're malnourished. Exhausted. Traumatized. Your body is seven years old and has never known a full meal until last night. The spark might be there but too weak to show."
"So I might fail this test even if I have potential?"
"You might."
"Then why take it?"
"Because even a failed test tells us something. And because—" She tilted her head. "—you don't strike me as someone who runs from hard things anymore."
She wasn't wrong.
I reached out. Touched the stone.
Nothing.
Cold. Smooth. Dead.
I waited. Three seconds. Five. Ten.
Nothing.
My chest tightened. Of course. Of course I don't have magic. Why would I? Useless in my first life, useless in my—
The stone flickered.
Barely. A whisper of light. So faint I almost missed it.
Then nothing again.
Mira sucked in a breath.
"Again," she said.
"I already—"
"Again. Harder. Not physically—want it. Focus on the stone like it's the only thing in the world. Like touching it matters more than breathing."
I closed my eyes.
Focus. Want it. Like it matters.
The stone was cold. The stone was grey. The stone was—
Warm.
I opened my eyes.
The stone glowed. Soft blue. Faint as candlelight. But real. Undeniable.
Then it stopped.
Mira stared at me. Her eyes flickered gold.
"You have it," she whispered. "Barely. A seed. A whisper. But it's there."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Magic Affinity Detected:
· Element: Unidentified (faint)
· Current Potential: G (Lowest)
· Note: Untrained. Unstable. Can grow.
New Skill Unlocked: [Spark Sense - Level 1]
Effect: You can faintly detect magic in others and objects. Range: 5 feet. Success rate: Low.
I stared at the screen.
Spark Sense. Level 1. G-Rank potential.
In my old life, I'd have seen that and given up. G-Rank? Lowest? Why bother?
But the stone had glowed. Even for a second.
That was more than I'd ever had before.
"What now?" I asked.
Mira smiled. "Now? We train. A little. Enough to give you a head start." She stood. Walked to the fire. Pulled something from the embers—a stick, one end glowing red. "Catch."
She tossed it.
I caught it. Barely. Burned my palm.
"What the—"
"Focus. The pain. The heat. Push it away. Push it out."
I looked at the stick. Glowing ember. Heat searing my skin.
Push it out? How?
The old me would have dropped it. Cursed. Asked for bandages.
I held on.
The heat kept burning. My palm screamed. But underneath the pain—something else. A tingle. A hum. The same feeling as when the stone warmed.
I pushed.
The ember flickered. Dimmed. Just a little.
Then died.
I dropped the stick. Stared at my hand. Red mark. Not blistered. Not bleeding. Just... warm.
Mira nodded. "Good. First lesson. Magic responds to intent. You wanted the heat gone, so your spark pushed back. Weak. Clumsy. But real."
[SKILL PROGRESS]
Spark Control: Level 0 → Level 1 (Novice)
Effect: You can slightly influence small heat sources. Unreliable. Drains energy.
I was exhausted. One tiny magic push and I felt like I'd run a mile.
"That's it for today." Mira took the stick. Tossed it back in the fire. "Rest. Eat more. Tonight, you sleep here again. Tomorrow, I introduce you to someone."
"Someone?"
"A merchant. Name's Garret. Runs goods between cities. Dangerous job. Good pay. He's always looking for people who can learn fast and don't panic easy." She looked at me. "You caught a burning stick without screaming. You pushed magic with zero training. You'll do."
[NEW QUEST: MEET GARRET THE MERCHANT]
· Objective: Accompany Mira to meet Garret tomorrow.
· Reward: 150 EXP + Job Opportunity.
· Penalty: None (but opportunities don't wait forever).
I looked at my hands. Small. Seven years old. Already burned.
In my old life, I'd have said no. Too dangerous. Too young. Too risky. What if I failed? What if I got hurt? What if—
I remembered the nothing. The emptiness. The voice saying I never existed.
"What time tomorrow?"
Mira grinned.