Although my life had been complacent since Cuswoth removed himself from the Sherwood boundaries— meaning my father no longer had to go out to kill the monsters, it felt a bit complacent for me.

  Every day went by in a flash, since everything followed the same routine. I spent all my time as I usually did, trying to build better relationships with Cidris, Millie, and my parents, while honing my control over

  Quickly, I had discovered that wasn’t an option for me, according to Cidris himself. And so, I gave up on trying. Instead, I immersed myself deeply in the surroundings, breathing in the

  For the last three years, I had wanted to reach feeling again.

  The pinnacle of nostalgia and ecstasy, when I had seen the grid of golden strings splayed out all across the land, was my peak.

  Hell, had I ever felt something like that before?

  In all of my two lives?

  No, I hadn't.

  Now, as I was nearing the age of five, there had been a lot of changes within me. For example, I stood at almost four feet tall— my mother said I was tall, while my dad said I was average height… I wasn’t sure exactly to believe.

  But since my mother makes my favorite foods every day, I’d go with her!

  Because the looming threat of Cuswoth had disappeared for the moment, I decided that I needed to learn to read and write in the language— and that I did, with help from my mother, I was able to read by the age of four and write clearly three months after that.

  Still, my father didn’t let me read any of the books in the library.

  Tch, how stupid. And why did he still call me by that nickname? I wasn’t a little toddler anymore! I could think for myself! But I guess I understood why my father would want to preserve who I was before…

  I shouldn’t think too deeply about that.

  Ah… and one more thing.

  My mother…

  Was

  Once again.

  And it looked like that today would be the day my younger sibling would be born into this world! That’s why it was really a shame, that I couldn’t be there at the exact moment my brother— or sister, would be born.

  Sara had advised against it, so there must be a reason why.

  Instead, I sat in a room with Cidris.

  Queen Remi, who had come to visit (she did so now freely), had volunteered to help with the conception. Her relationship with Sara had further healed, and now they were talking like old friends— still, I knew there was a past history between them… and it was probably

  That door.

  I didn’t feel like I was ready to look.

  “It must be very nervewracking, no? What do think, Amir? Brother or sister?” Cidris nodded while tapping his index finger on the sofa rapidly, unable to mask his own anticipation.

  He, like my father, had changed to become more warm, and much more approachable in the last years.

  Now, his hair was slicked back, and the suit he wore looked quite formal.

  What a great development!

  This was much better than having him breathe down my neck all the time.

  “Sister— It’ll be much better than having Millie trying to rip my head off my body all the time, dear uncle.” I chuckled, kicking my legs.

  I was seated across from Cidris, so it kind of felt like an interview.

  “Millie’s in there with your mother, right? Sara said it would be something like a whatever could she mean?” Cidris sighed as he creased his temples, lightly laughing. As he stood, the sofa squeaked.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Hmmphh…” I crossed my arms in annoyance at the thought.

  Millie was there at sibling’s birth?

  Really, what a thief!

  But she’d grown as well. It wasn’t an understatement to call her a functional member of “society”... not that there was really any society here. It would be a lot more fun, I guess, if there was a city or a village nearby.

  But proposing the idea of traveling to my father was like speaking to a brick wall.

  He didn’t give the thought the time of day!

  Tch.

  Just then, the wooden door leading to the room in which I was born (with the two beds) swung open, hitting the wall with great force.

  Remi peeked her head out, smiling elegantly, and waving towards me and Cidris, who was pacing.

  “She was born healthy!” She cried, ecstatic.

  My face lit up instantly as I didn’t give any regards to Cidris, jumping with joy and running forwards as the light of the sun gave me warmth. I skidded around the corridor, silently thanking Remi and jumping into the room where Millie, Sara, my father, and my mother were.

  On the bed I was born in, my mother sat.

  She was covered in white sheets.

  Millie sat next to her on a wooden stool, while my father stood, tears of joy falling from his eyes as he tried to remain stoic. Sara bubbled and bounced around the room happily as Remi ushered Cidris in, and then closed the door.

  But that didn’t matter.

  My vision immediately tunneled to my mother’s arms.

  I gasped, though the breath was cut short as I silently opened my mouth, unable to comprehend the feelings rushing through my quivering body. The room was quiet as I took a few weak steps forward, stumbling over myself until I was at the foot of the bed.

  Paying me no attention,

  But as I exhaled slowly, breathing into my hands, I did as well.

  “M-mom… c-can I… hold her?” I whimpered, losing all my confidence as well as my rationality as my mother smiled, nodding. The others watched the moment unfold as my mother gently put my sister in my arms.

  Careful… careful… Yes, I could do this.

  Her warmth was like no other.

  I felt an unconditional love for my sister that crossed any boundary that could be erected between us. No matter whether I had been reincarnated or not, there was no mistaking that this girl right here was my sister.

  Millie walked over to me, patting me on the back, smiling large.

  “Is that little sis?” She asked.

  I nodded without responding.

  My sister looked at me while wailing.

  Her face was very round, and she already had almost a full head of hair, which I thought was unique. It was the same as my mother's, a lighter brunette color that seemed to glow as light danced over it. Freckles dotted her nose, and her cheeks were fluffy, like pancakes.

  The second she caught sight of me, her crying stopped.

  Instead, she began to babble happily.

  This may be the greatest thing I’ve ever witnessed.

  “Amir, I’m going to ask you to take on a responsibility now— and even if you decline, I will understand as your father.” My father’s low voice sounded as the Venbudd-Alpin family went to the corner of the room so we could have our time together.

  He seemed serious.

  Wait…

  What?

  Name her? Name my newborn sister? I understood now what my father was talking about— the responsibility of naming a child, especially… a sibling, was almost too great of a task for me.

  But nothing was impossible.

  “I.. do.” I responded as honestly as I could, my head lowered.

  My father placed his hand on my chin, lifting his eyes to stare into his.

  “Where I was born, there was an unspoken rule. If you named a child, the rule was that you have to stay with them and protect them with your life, for the rest of theirs. It is your as the one who named them to guarantee your eternal love, kindness, and strength for them. So let me ask again, Amir. My father wasn’t joking. His eyes, although not filled with any sort of malice, looked cold, serious, and unforgiving.

  If I stepped out of line here, there wouldn’t be any going back.

  I remembered something.

  My father named me, didn’t he?

  “Yes father. I still do.”

  Sighing, my father nodded.

  “Then go ahead.” He gestured at my sister, who was still tucked into my arms. My mother watched me, observing me with a smile on her face while Sara seemed to erupt with anticipation. The world held its breath, as far as I knew, for me to pick. To pick a name.

  I looked at my sister. And then, I decided on a name.

  “Her name… I’ve decided.” I spoke, but then realized I was addressing the wrong people. I looked into my sister’s eyes, running my fingers across her soft cheek as she giggled, melting my shackled heart.

  “Your name…

  For a heartbeat, nobody moved.

  And then, my sister clapped. She babbled happily, trying to strain her neck to look at herself to no avail— she couldn’t move, after all. As she cooed, I didn’t know whether I was delusional or not, but I thought I heard her pronounce an “S”.

  “So-phie! So-phie! So-phie! So-phie!” They chanted as my father picked me up, carrying me around the room like a rider on a horse, eventually placing me in my mother’s arms, where it was nice and warm. As she kissed my forehead and then Sophie’s forehead, I felt like everything was complete— like I could live my life out to the end of my days just like this.

  Queen Remi walked over to me, tousling my hair.

  “Congratulations, Amir. May Khyra’s blessings be with you!”

  Khyra… who’s that?

  “I appreciate the sentiment, but ” I asked her, confused.

  In response, she only gave me a strange look.

  She said like it was incredibly obvious.

  “Isn’t that… I pushed further.

  “She repeated the name softly, like she was tasting a new food. “No… I’ve never heard of that name. Is she your acquaintance?”

  The room seemed to tilt slightly.

  Without warning, something pressed against my mind, like a giant hand trying to pry open my skull. A voice, one that did not belong to any god, any human, elf, or anything I had ever known, repeated straight into the marrow of my bones.

  Yet everyone in the room smiled, completely unaware.