Chapter 2 - (Reborn)

  As surreal as everything I felt was, there is nothing that compares to being pushed through the birth canal. Going from the warmth of the amniotic fluid to the warmth of my mother's arms was a feeling among the trillions I experienced that I would never forget. Even though I was relieved to have been freed from the prison of my mother's womb, the joy I felt knowing I was finally a living being again, even after having experienced infinity itself, I bawled like the newborn baby I was.

  My mother cooed and rocked to calm me. I could hear people talking around me but there wasn't much I could understand over my uncontrollable sobbing. The world seemed to ebb and flow before me. As I was rocked in my mother's arms, I could feel myself giving way to her comfort. As my sobs died down, I could feel myself connect with her. My breathing matched hers as I felt her heart reverberate through my chest. Although I spent so much time within her womb, this moment seemed leagues more intimate than anything I'd ever experienced.

  After a while, I heard a soft voice. I'm certain I'd fallen asleep and then woke back up but I couldn't really tell. So much still seemed to bleed together. "Hi there, Kaliah." It was my mother's voice, I still remembered it from the womb. Her tone was gentle and her voice sweet. Following her voice, I looked up and opened my eyes. Her face was beautiful. After all that I've seen, I knew beauty when I saw it. Her face was soft and shaped almost like an almond. Her eyes shone a soft purple like lavender. Her hair was short, curly, and dark brown in color. I could tell she was talking to me. My name was… Kaliah.

  "I don't think she likes her name, sweetie."

  I heard the voice of a man who seemed to pick me up from my mother's grasp. I knew the panic and stress I was feeling but I couldn't control what I showed. It wasn't the name that I was upset about. It wasn't until now that I started thinking about the situation I was truly in. I've just been reborn. I'm no longer who I once was. These are not my original parents. I don't even know where I am. I don't know wh…

  "Hey, it's okay. We've got you, sweetie," my father said. As I looked up, I saw his face for the first time. It was a strong face, his build as well was rather muscular. His eyes shone blue as opal amongst his almost amber-colored skin. His hair was even shorter than my mother's as it was shaven and faded down the sides. While a lighter brown color, it's just as curly as hers. Both of my parents seemed like they could be, no, would be models. Although I haven't seen myself yet, I can only imagine I'm quite the adorable newborn.

  My father laid down on the bed beside my mother while holding me. The two of them, understandably exhausted, lay quietly with me between them. It wasn't long before I fell asleep once more. Although, regardless of my situation, I felt as though I could really trust these two as my parents. They didn't seem much older than I was when I had my accident, but it's clear. They were born to become parents.

  About six months had passed. I'd come to realize that this world was not the world I came from; it's not even in the same century. Clothing, homes and furniture resembled that of the late 16th or early 17th century. The clothing, while similar to the clothing of that time, seemed to be of better quality, and generally more comfortable. Although in an older century, there were many advancements that I'm not sure existed during this time originally.

  My memories are a bit fuzzy, though, so it's hard to say for some things, and it's obvious for others. This is because of Arc. Usually in fantasy worlds like this, Arc is called magic. Although the scientists here found out Arc is actually a type of energy that is inherently found in most beings. It's the advancements that have come with Arc that have led to such interesting technological advancements. There were luxuries such as indoor lighting, plumbing, heating and air con that we had at home that shouldn't be possible for another hundred years or so.

  I've come to learn a lot more about my parents and myself. My father's name is Marcas Deligan and my mother's name is Ariana Deligan. Marcas is an appointed royal officer for the Osmiran Empire, and my mother was a noble lady from the Duchy of Abdullah in the Kingdom of Zeffa. Their marriage was arranged as a political offering to join the two nations closer together as allies. Although on a small scale, it seemed to hold a lot of water. Now, only a few months after my birth, it seems my mom has already started on round two.

  My father was originally born in Zeffa, and became a citizen after immigrating to Osmira seeking refuge from what I assumed to be the civil war. Pledging his allegiance to the Osmiran Empire, he enlisted as a soldier and fought through the ranks before becoming a knight.

  My mother had no hand in the war. However, the Duchy of Abdullah supported the rebellion. She watched as her father warred alongside the rebels against the Zeffan King of the time, and her mother garnered the support of the Osmiran emperor as an envoy. Through their efforts, my grandparents turned the tide of the war, allowing the rebels to overthrow the king. A new king was chosen and the marriage between my parents was upheld.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  As far as arranged, or political marriages go, it seemed my mother had the choice of who she wanted to marry, and my father was offered up because of his Zeffan heritage. From there it was love at first sight. At least that's how I've understood it.

  As an update on me, I'm a rather adorable baby. My skin is honey-colored similar to my mother's and my eyes are a slightly deeper violet color, seemingly a mix between my father's and my mother's eyes. My hair is a mix of dark browns and black and is quite curly as well. My body, while small, is rather nimble. It's easy to crawl around and to mess around with stuff I want.

  While I don't mean to, I always stress out people over how I get out of my crib. My caretaker is particularly worried. She's a young lady about 16 in age. Her skin is fair and her hair auburn. Her name is Melody. I don't mean to worry her; it's just, being able to leave my crib is too compelling when the alternative reminds me of my fear of small spaces.

  "Daada," I said, with my voice finally starting to feel refined enough to speak.

  "Ariana! Babe! Oh my God, Ari!" My dad yelled, his face cascading with joy and excitement. He had been playing with me in the study for about an hour now, trying to get me to say this much, and it seemed as good of a time as any to reveal my progress.

  "What, Marc, what?" Mom yelled, obliviously rushing down the hall. Dad picked me up and headed to the door of the study but the doors burst open before he was even able to get close to them. "Is she okay! What's happened, Marcas?"

  "No, no, no, she's fine, honey, Kaliah is fine. Just… watch!" My dad cradled me in his arms. I couldn't help but laugh at the intensity of the moment and his excitement. Looking up towards my dad, his face was brimming expectantly. "Go ahead, Liah, say DaDa!"

  I couldn't resist. The moment was too perfect. My father really couldn't blame anyone other than himself. Giggling like the innocent child I was, I pointed at Mom and said as loud as I could, "Mama!"

  A little before my first birthday, I was able to form full sentences. My progress wasn't so much needing to learn the language, but more so figuring out how to make my vocal cords work. While I have knowledge of my past and adult life, the body of a baby is very limited in its capabilities. Even so, I refrained from exposing the level of knowledge I retained and played along with my parents' attempts of teaching me the basics of the world. Reading was the most beneficial, seeing as how the language of this kingdom world definitely wasn't English.

  After another eight months, my mother gave birth to a baby boy. My father named him Tobias the Second, apparently after his father. My little brother has features just like I do, except his skin is a little darker, more like dads. Meeting my brother for the first time, I could tell he was special. It was as if I could feel energy roaring inside of him. It splashed about inside of his tiny body like waves of a storm.

  Watching my brother grow up was one of the greatest pleasures I was able to enjoy. Sure, I was a baby as well, but it really felt like I had a baby of my own in certain ways. When he would cry at night, I would pat his back and help coax him back to sleep. If he dropped his bottle or his pacifier, I would hand it back to him. It was small things like this that caught the attention of my parents. They deemed me the world's greatest sister. I can only imagine how much my deeds helped them in terms of their load.

  After another year trickling by, I learned even more about my parents, more so the kind of people they were. They would invite people over for gatherings and dinners very often. The estate we lived on was rather large and was good for hosting many guests. Military brass would come over and play poker with my father. They never seemed to be without this strange glowing green rod attached to their waist. Other times, he would go and perform his duties as an officer.

  My mother would take Tobias, Melody, and I into the Osmiran capital of Listrom when shopping for new outfits, followed by her ladies-in-waiting. The amount of interesting new vegetables made an impression on me. There were blues and greens, reds and oranges as leafy plants. There were glowing fruits and flowers that danced in the market stalls.

  Some of the strangest things I saw were the animals available. One stall had these jellyfish-like creatures floating behind a wall of glass. They flashed with different colors as they bounced around the container. The most interesting creature I saw were the prehistoric-like raptors that were being used alongside horses to pull along wagons.

  Our outings were always educational. It was unfortunate that my toddler body was incapable of maintaining the energy to follow along with everything. Although it was becoming easier as I continued to grow up.