“Marco?”

  “Hey, Marco!”

  “Come on, what’s happening?”

  A worried voice filtered through as David came to. The woman cradled him in her arms, dabbing at his forehead with a damp cloth. Her face hovered above him, eyes tense but hopeful. When his eyelids fluttered open, she exhaled a long sigh of relief.

  “Don’t scare me like that! I knew you were being too lively after such a fever,” she scolded, though her voice was soft with lingering worry.

  And what could have possibly knocked him out? Oh, that’s easy. As he tilted his head upwards, the world tilted with him, following the memory that had overloaded his senses.

  There it was.

  In the middle of the vividly blue canvas above, a giant, colorful orb hung in the sky. The sight was staggering, more dreamlike than anything his imagination could have conjured.

  A planet. A massive, gaseous giant that looked like Jupiter, but far closer. Its swirling patterns of vibrant reds, purples, and blues seemed alive.

  It wasn’t just a moon nor a backdrop—it owned the sky.

  The sheer scale of it made his stomach turn and flip.

  If Earth’s moon was a coin against the heavens, this thing was a dinner plate. The planet dominated a fifth of his field of vision, stealing attention from everything else. Its slow, deliberate drift across the horizon felt pompous, as if the universe itself were showing off.

  Even seeing it again, David couldn’t look away long enough to notice the calming warmth around him. This is impossible. A hallucination, clearly. For a long moment, David couldn’t do anything but stare.

  His mind reeled, struggling to process the proportions, the impossible proximity. His rational side screamed at the absurdity. That close? Shouldn't gravity tear this place apart?

  David froze, still staring at the sky. The woman’s concern deepened.

  She shook his shoulder gently, her eyes scanning the horizon, trying to find the source of his shock yet seeing nothing of note.

  She pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, muttering under her breath, “the fever’s gone, I made sure of it… What in the world happened?” She knit her brows, concentrating for a short while, but ultimately gave up.

  “Are you okay? Do you need to go lay down again?” she said.

  David forced his gaze away, though the image of the alien planet stayed burned into his mind. Her tone shifted, adding a hint of exasperation. “I was hoping you’d finally be able to help us out a little…”

  Her soft sigh cut through the haze. Right. He was sprawled in her lap like a helpless toddler.

  That wouldn’t do.

  He was a grown man—capable, self-sufficient. The planet didn’t look like it was going anywhere, so it could wait; At least for now, he had a role to play.

  He scrambled to his feet, stumbling slightly as he patted the dust off his patchwork pants. He wobbled as his tiny legs betrayed him.

  He instinctively caught himself on her knee but pulled away as if burned. The helplessness stung his cheeks. Cursing his low dexterity, he took a while reaching a sufficient level of steadiness – and as if nothing happened - he declared with forced enthusiasm: “I’m fine! Let’s go!”

  “Such a big boy!” The woman gave him a curious smile, as if she hadn’t just observed the shameful display, clearly unconvinced but willing to humor him.

  He was slightly anxious about managing to speak in a way a child would, but his limited vocabulary in the new language had that mostly handled for him. But where are we going?

  He looked back at the woman, suddenly embarrassed. Here I go acting independent while being fully reliant on her.

  She laughed softly. “Alright, alright, no need to rush on those shaky legs of yours.” She stood up and brushed herself off in much the same way he did.

  “Will you walk? Or do you want upsies?” Her teasing words softened the tension, but David caught the lingering worry in her eyes. There was clearly a right answer to this question – one meant to address her worries - but he wasn’t about to pick it.

  “I can walk by myself!” He said, trying to make his indignation come off as real as possible. If his experience taught him anything, it was that with enough effort, one could mask anything – and right now? He had plenty to hide.

  The rebellious child act wasn’t just a role either—it was a shield. He desperately needed space – for now, keeping distance was the only idea he had to mask the truth. He crossed his arms, pouted and gave the woman a *look*.

  She glanced at him and laughed softly, but she relented and took his hand. As her warmth spread through his tiny fingers, unfamiliar, yet oddly grounding, she whispered softly “Just take it slow, alright?”

  His new body was much weaker, and he was about as agile as the average sickly child, which is to say, not very, but he still couldn’t understand her worries – he was able to keep up with her, after all, so how bad could it be?

  As they walked, David kept glancing between the woman and the humongous planet in the sky, but he couldn’t get used to either. His initial shock was slowly giving way, though. Enough so that he finally spared a glance for the rest of his surroundings.

  They were in front of a modest wooden hut - their home. Some strangers were going between utilitarian-looking buildings. A tannery, a dyers and others, which he couldn’t quite place.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  David scrunched up his nose, wishing for wind to dispel the acrid odors.

  His eyebrows went up at the bright splashes of color and the liveliness of craftsmen. The area was many things, but it wasn’t boring. It was a hive of labor and sweat, yet it lacked the orderly rhythm of industry he knew from his previous life.

  Then, beyond the clutter and the bustle of the workshops, he noticed the village’s wooden palisade rising in the short distance. Rough-hewn logs sharpened into jagged spikes looked impressive at first glance.

  The sight inspired many things in David, but certainly not confidence. You don’t build a wall unless you need it. With the dense smells choking him and the sight of their shaky hut in such a precarious location, he realized something. Safety wouldn’t have been a given here, even without the uniqueness of his situation.

  Amidst this harsh reality, the woman holding his hand stood out. She didn’t quite fit the picture of someone born to these conditions. Her posture, straight and confident, gave her an air of refinement as though she belonged somewhere better, or perhaps once did.

  Despite the poverty surrounding them, her grip was firm yet gentle - like she believed things would be okay, even if the world said otherwise.

  David wasn’t sure he could trust that promise. – It felt risky, like trusting a knives’ edge to hold you up – but he would get her measure… Eventually.

  Aura strode into the side compartment, which turned out to be a smithy, with David in tow, carefully matching her speed to his short stature.

  The heat of the furnace hit him immediately; thick, and oppressive, carrying the sharp tang of molten metal - one that David’s mind was intimately familiar with.

  At the center of the room stood a brown-haired burly man, his broad shoulders glistening with sweat as he gripped a pair of tongs, holding a glowing lump of iron. Is that who I think it is?

  The man glanced up, his stern features softening as Aura approached. She leaned in and kissed his cheek while pulling David into the man’s reach.

  “Back so soon? Didn’t expect you to bring help… He’s healthy enough to help, right?” The blacksmith said with a chuckle, his voice warm but laced with weariness.

  Aura arched a brow. “He certainly acts like it. Maybe he’ll learn something useful today.”

  David’s ears perked up. Touché.

  He was about to protest the badmouthing when the man bent down to his level, a kind smile belying his rough appearance.

  “You’ll be making your own tools before you know it, Marco. But first, let’s see if you can lift one.” He rustled his hair and gestured to a small hammer resting on the workbench, clearly designed for minute work and finishing touches.

  David obediently walked up to the workbench, climbed onto his toes and tried dragging the heavy tool off the table. Preventing a possible concussion, Aura leaned on the hammer, preventing it from moving.

  She gestured toward the furnace. “You always push him to follow in your footsteps, Bert.” She smirked, her tone carrying a trace of defiance. “What if he wanted to be an alchemist, like his mommy?”

  David froze. Alchemy? His chest tightened as the word echoed in his mind. Fake medieval chemistry, or…?

  He glanced at the man, who sighed, shaking his head as he returned his focus to the glowing iron. “Here we go again…”

  Completely ignoring the man’s woes, David blurted “What’s an alchemist?” his voice trembling with excitement. He couldn’t help it. The idea of witnessing a whole new dimension of science was simply too enticing.

  Aura blinked at him, caught off guard by his enthusiasm. Then, it was her turn to crouch down, her smile softening into something more genuine. “Alchemy is about purification and transformation. Taking something flawed to make it the best version of itself. But…” she added, as if justifying herself, “its true value shines when paired with enchanting or other crafts.”

  David’s eyes went wide, his mind racing, a look of fascination on his face. Aura shot her husband a victorious look, then seeing David’s reaction, leaned closer to him, her voice lowering as if sharing a secret. “You see, enchanting is where the magic happens—literally. But it needs materials free of imperfections. Otherwise…” She trailed off, mimicking an explosion with her arms. “And that’s why alchemy is important!”

  David’s imagination took it all in and was already running wild. Purity? Enchantment? Magic!? His mind buzzed with endless possibilities and questions, each more urgent than the last. But try as he may, he had no base for his deductions.

  He steeled himself, mustered the most endearing voice he could imagine and pleaded with Aura “Can you show me? Please?!” he cutely clutched her dress, just for good measure.

  Aura chuckled, her pride unmistakable. “Soon, Marco. But for now, it might be a tad too demanding for you.” She reached out, ruffling his hair yet again.

  This time David didn’t have the attention span to question it, though. “You’ve had a lot of fevers lately, and even the basics can be dangerous. You’ll have to settle for watching your papa swing his hammer for now.”

  Her husband scoffed at the notion, though Aura didn’t seem to notice.

  David nodded; his heart still raced.

  Dangerous or not, alchemy wasn’t just interesting—it was an exhilarating concept – new science for his new life, and he wanted to know everything about it. And don’t even get me started on magic.

  The man, now shaping the iron with steady clangs of his hammer, glanced at Aura with a faint smirk. “Here’s hoping you show him the safe side of your trade, not the part that eats through my workbenches or puts you out of commission.”

  Aura huffed defensively, standing tall. “Those were accidents. And I cleaned it up.”

  “After it melted half the floor.” he muttered under his breath. “You’re too good to be so careless.”

  Aura shot him a look, then turned back to David, her tone softening again, yet carrying an unspoken emotion. “Always remember, Marco— Just because others don’t see the value in something, doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile.”

  David’s chest swelled as he nodded earnestly. “I’ll remember…” he said, carefully avoiding the word his body suggested, which felt much too intimate, inappropriate.

  And for the first time here a hopeful realization slipped through his mind. Maybe this might not be so bad of a position… Maybe it could even be alright.

  Aura smiled, squeezing his shoulder before returning to the vicinity of the furnace.

  David turned his gaze to the glowing flames and smoldering coals, his mind buzzing with ideas. Alchemy and mana… In Aura’s speech, they weren’t senseless buzzwords—they were tangible opportunities.

  Opportunities to explore, to build, and to grow. A flicker of excitement kept him alight, and he was aching to get started.

  But as the forge’s heat pressed against his skin, time passed and the thrill began to settle, tempered by the implication of her latter words.

  Half the floor? Something in Aura’s earlier tone felt… off. Conviction, yes, but also something he couldn’t quite place—an edge that didn’t match the pride she carried as an alchemist. It probably wasn’t all rainbows.

  David’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, catching the smallest pauses in her movements as she reached for a tool to help her husband out.

  The warmth of excitement began to cool as unease crept in, impossible to ignore. He understood that it was dangerous… but was it THAT dangerous?

  He shook his head, trying to dispel the useless thought. Perhaps he was overthinking it.

  Aura and her husband had some instantly visible quirks, but their warmth toward him seemed genuine, and he couldn’t imagine the caring woman pushing him towards something truly lethal.

  Maybe this was simply part of life here—a life he had so much to learn about.

  Still, as he left the smithy that evening, the weight of unanswered questions followed him like a shadow.