That night, everyone involved stayed up late debating what had happened.

  The data was clear, but the information did not match; the results completely challenged what was known as reality. The more they analyzed it, the clearer the contradiction became. No matter how it was seen, something did not fit.

  The only logical path forward was one that no one truly wanted to take.

  Investigating Kael’s mind.

  Meanwhile, in Kael’s room, the silence weighed like a slab of stone.

  The boy lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts piling up without order. His breathing looked calm on the outside, but inside, pressure kept growing—slow and persistent—like something was pushing from deep within his chest.

  // -- we already have the dimensional cube ability… now the problem is that they are already doubting your capabilities… they clearly realized these are not abilities a three-year-old child could have… -- //

  Kael clenched his teeth.

  I know… but it was necessary if we wanted to move forward…

  It shouldn’t be necessary to tell the whole truth, only parts of it… so far, we can manage it…

  The worst-case scenario would be that they… kill me?

  The thought crossed his mind with a coldness that unsettled him more than he wanted to admit.

  // -- clearly, this is not a family capable of doing something like that… but there will definitely not be a good reaction when they learn that their son’s soul comes from another place… -- //

  Let’s hope for the best, Kael thought, swallowing hard.

  We’ll have to face reality with our heads held high. I think I can handle this… we’ve come a long way.

  But that confidence was fragile.

  It held itself together with effort, like a structure built in a rush.

  And so, with fear beating under his skin and a pressure he could not dispel, Kael fell asleep.

  …

  …

  …

  …

  …

  The next day, there was no training and no classes. As soon as breakfast ended, the meeting was called to resolve the issue.

  The atmosphere was heavy.

  Everyone involved from the previous day was in the room. Kael was there as well, sitting on a small chair that seemed even smaller under the gaze of the adults. His feet did not reach the floor. They swayed slightly, unconsciously, as he prepared for what he knew was coming.

  An interrogation.

  Their faces were serious. Worried. No one smiled.

  —Kael —Freya said in a measured voice—, we have gathered again to analyze the results of yesterday’s experiment.

  —Yes —he answered without hesitation.

  —Before reviewing those results —she continued—, I wanted to ask you about the methodology you used.

  Kael blinked.

  —The methodology?

  —Yes —Freya nodded—. Yesterday, for example, you said that to create water you used two hydrogen molecules and one oxygen molecule… and that for fire you only accumulated oxygen and agitated a particle to ignite it.

  —Yes —Kael replied—. With the magical waves, I was able to determine which molecule was which.

  Freya watched him carefully, sharpening her gaze.

  —And those names, did you invent them to differentiate them?

  —No, no —he quickly denied—. Those names were in the table… periodic…

  Freya tilted her head slightly.

  —And in which alchemy book did you find that table?

  Kael opened his mouth… and fell silent.

  Alright… this was what I expected.

  I just have to seem confused.

  As if the memories are coming on their own…

  —… —a few seconds passed—. From… a chemistry book…

  —I don’t remember that book —Freya said—. Do we have it here, in the library?

  Kael felt a sharp pain in his chest, but he ignored it.

  Stay calm… I can still handle this.

  —… —he looked away—. No… the chemistry book is from… not…

  The words began to break apart.

  Kael brought both hands to his head, pressing hard.

  The childish calm began to crack, not because of the question… but because of everything that answer dragged along with it.

  Kael swallowed.

  It’s fine… I can explain this, he thought.

  If I say it like something I only understand halfway… it shouldn’t be strange.

  —It’s just… —he murmured—. It’s like a way to organize things… the elements…

  He raised his gaze for a second, searching the adults’ expressions.

  No one interrupted him.

  That gave him a false sense of security.

  —The periodic table of elements is an arrangement of chemical elements in the form of a table —he suddenly recited—, ordered by their atomic number, by their electron configuration, and by their chemical properties.

  His breathing sped up.

  The air did not seem to enter his lungs fast enough.

  —Kael… —Caria intervened, alarmed—. What’s wrong? Do you feel unwell?

  But Kael did not seem to hear her.

  Without realizing the role he was trying to play, without measuring the real weight of his emotions, he underestimated what it meant to have died and been reborn. The character he was pretending to be began to dig deep into the core of his being. The barriers he had built over the years began to give way.

  Kael pressed his head even harder, digging his nails into his scalp.

  —The periodic table is the foundation for understanding basic chemistry! —he shouted—. Matter is not created or destroyed, it is only transformed! Chemistry is one of the pillars for understanding the nature of the world!

  Several people tensed.

  —Dmitri Mendeleev published the first version of the periodic table in 1869 —he continued, his voice breaking—. It was widely recognized… he developed it to illustrate periodic trends in the properties of the elements known at the time…

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  —1869… —he murmured, as if that number pierced straight through him.

  Freya frowned.

  —That date does not match our calendar, Kael —she said cautiously—. That chemistry book you mention… does not exist here either.

  —1869 after Christ… —Kael replied, his eyes glassy—. Civilization advances… it expands…

  His voice suddenly dropped.

  —why I’m a child…?

  The silence became unbearable.

  The tension could no longer be hidden. This was getting out of control.

  Freya slowly approached, crouched down to his height, and looked straight at him.

  —Kael… —she said softly—. Do you remember anything from your past life?

  —I… I… —he stammered—. Chemistry… I…

  For the first time, Kael was forced to face something impossible to avoid. It was not an isolated truth, nor a simple revelation. It was the brutal awakening of a reality: the incongruence of two lives coexisting within a single body.

  The spiritual clash between Esteban and Kael began to tear him apart from the inside.

  His breathing became erratic. He dug his nails into his head with such force that blood began to run.

  When everyone was about to intervene, tears of pain and desperation burst from his eyes.

  His plan had completely spiraled out of control.

  Something he believed to be simple—showing only fragments of the truth—turned into an absolute collapse. A finished life, dragged without permission into a new one, without forgetting anything.

  Kael began to release magic in an uncontrolled way.

  The explosion of power threw Caria backward.

  The room fell into chaos.

  Everyone tried to get closer to calm him down, but it was impossible. The magical pressure repelled them.

  Freya watched, unable to believe the amount of magic pouring out of such a small child’s body.

  Caria, regardless of the damage she was taking, advanced toward Kael.

  Laret followed her.

  —Kael, please! —Caria shouted—. Come back to yourself, please!

  —Everything is fine, Kael! —Laret added with a firm voice—. You must stop or you’ll hurt yourself!

  —Freya! —Garbard roared—. What is happening?

  —Apparently —she replied, her face pale—, Kael suddenly recovered memories of his past life… and they are creating severe instability with the being he is now.

  —The macro adenoma consumed a large part of the gland! —Kael shouted—. The optic nerves are failing! Inevitable blindness! No chance of survival! Ninety percent probability of death! DO YOU WISH TO DONATE VITAL ORGANS!

  Magic cracked the walls. The furniture began to fly. The entire house plunged into chaos.

  The magic continued raging, striking the air like an invisible storm. Each pulse made the ground vibrate, the walls creaked, and the furniture slammed into the walls as if the house itself were trying to expel what it could not contain.

  Regardless of what happened to her, Caria advanced.

  Each step was a brutal effort. The magical pressure burned her skin and set her lungs on fire, but she did not stop. Her eyes saw only her son.

  Laret held her for a moment, then advanced with her.

  Both reached Kael and, between the two of them, managed to surround him, trying to contain the tide of power pouring out without control.

  —My child… —Caria whispered, pressing him against her chest—. Please, calm down… mom is here…

  —As long as your parents are here —Laret added with a firm, strained voice—, we will protect you.

  Kael was trembling.

  His entire body shook, his teeth chattered, and his breathing was irregular, broken.

  —Esteban! —he shouted with a voice that no longer sounded childish—. Why did you run away?! Why did you abandon everyone and go die alone?! Damn coward!

  // -- ugh… this is going to cost me a lot, but if I don’t do it, I’ll die… -- //

  Suddenly, a white light violently ignited on his forehead.

  The glow was intense, almost blinding. The expelled magic began to be absorbed, channeled toward that point with brutal force. The air vibrated, the sound vanished, as if the world were holding its breath.

  The light intensified… and then, little by little, began to fade.

  Kael’s body lost strength.

  His muscles relaxed all at once, and he fell unconscious into his parents’ arms.

  The chaos slowly dissipated, leaving behind a heavy silence, filled with fear and guilt.

  …

  …

  …

  …

  …

  …

  …

  …

  Kael opened his eyes… or thought he did.

  Everything was darkness.

  He could not see anything. He could not feel his body. There was no ground, no ceiling, no direction. Only that familiar, unsettling sensation, the same as on the first day he arrived in that world.

  Where am I…?

  What happened…?

  Did I die…?

  // -- you are in a vegetative state… -- //

  What…?

  —System! —Kael thought, alarmed—. What happened?! I remember answering the teacher’s questions! But when I tried to play the role of a reincarnated baby, with only specific memories… I felt extremely bad… incredibly strong feelings began to surface… I couldn’t contain them… I just wanted to scream and cry…

  // -- well of course, idiot… everything related to your past life, we addressed it here… YOUR MIND… you never tried to simulate it or talk about it in real life… the repressed feelings of your old self exploded when they saw an opening in your heart… the result… here you are, in a vegetative state… -- //

  How much time has passed?

  // -- I don’t know… this state is new to me… before, when you slept, I could know what was happening… but now you suppressed yourself so strongly that I got trapped here with you… -- //

  I suppressed myself…?

  // -- that’s right… I had to use a system ability to calm your magical rage… luckily, the dimensional cube helped a lot by absorbing your magic… -- //

  Kael let out a bitter, soundless laugh.

  In summary… we caused a massive catastrophe…

  // -- we?! You did! You damn idiot! I don’t even want to imagine how things must be like outside… -- //

  Sorry…

  I ruined it…

  I turned everything into an absolute disaster…

  While he spoke with the system, a different presence began to manifest at a certain distance.

  It was faint. Barely a silhouette.

  It was her.

  The girl.

  The same one who cried before Kael was born.

  That’s the girl from when I was about to be born!

  Kael tried to move closer, but his body did not respond. He did not move forward or backward. He only observed.

  —Hey… —he thought urgently—. Girl! What is happening? Why is all of this happening? Did you bring me to this world?

  The girl slowly raised her head.

  Her face was covered in immeasurable sadness. There was no anger or fear. Only deep exhaustion, an absolute desire to disappear, to stop existing.

  —Please… —she said in a fragile voice—. You must wake up and prepare yourself… he is coming…

  After those words, Kael felt something pull him.

  The darkness grew denser. His consciousness began to fade, as if being dragged toward the bottom of a lightless well.

  …

  …

  …

  …

  When he woke up, Kael was in his bed.

  It was morning.

  Daylight softly entered through the window, but his head throbbed with intense pain. He felt bandages wrapped tightly around his forehead, tense and uncomfortable.

  Beside him, sitting down, someone was asleep.

  It was his mom.

  Caria had deep dark circles under her eyes and a tired face, but one hand rested firmly on the bed, as if she feared he would disappear if she let go.

  Kael tried to move… and a sharp pain made him groan.

  His repressed feelings began to bloom again.

  The spiritual conflict returned, heavy and suffocating.

  He grabbed his shoulders tightly and, unable to stop himself, began to cry. He clenched his teeth, trying to contain the sobs, but it was useless.

  Arms immediately wrapped around him.

  Caria woke up in shock and hugged him tightly, crying with him.

  —Kael, my child! —she sobbed—. Calm down… everything will be fine… there is nothing to worry about… mom is here to help you…

  —Sorry, mom… —Kael murmured through tears—. I didn’t survive… the doctor told me there was no chance… I ran away… and I died alone… I… I shouldn’t be here…

  —No! —Caria replied firmly, holding him tighter—. You are my son and you always will be… you belong here… no one will ever change that…

  Caria did not let go. It was the only thing she could do.

  Because of the noise in the room, several people began to arrive to see what was happening.

  Laret approached slowly, his face exhausted. He extended his hand and gently touched his son, as if he needed to confirm that he was real.

  Shortly after, Garbard entered the room and, with authority, made the servants and guards who had arrived in alarm leave. Only those involved in the meeting remained.

  Freya approached the bed and leaned forward completely.

  Her voice trembled.

  —Kael… little one… please forgive me… I was completely irrational and ignorant… I touched on a subject I did not understand and caused you great harm… I revived memories and emotions you were not prepared to face…

  Kael looked at her with reddened eyes.

  —I… I don’t belong here… —he whispered—. Please, forgive me… I… I am an aberration of nature…

  Suddenly, an imposing presence stepped forward.

  Lord Garbard stood tall before everyone.

  His voice was firm. Intimidating. Absolute.

  —Kael! —he thundered—. Never say that again! You are and always will be a Sungley. You are our most beloved member, and nothing will ever change that.

  He took a step forward.

  —Fate gave you a different path. It may take you to places we will never see… but it does not change your origin. You are their son. You are my grandson. And that is not decided by the world… it is decided by us.

  The silence was total.

  —I don’t know what happened in your past life —he continued—, but whatever pain you carry, you can share it with us. We love you. We want to help you.

  Kael trembled.

  —I… I… —he stammered—. I remembered some things… I don’t come from here… I came from a very distant place… I had an illness… it was slowly killing me…

  He took a deep breath, trying to organize himself.

  —Trying to eradicate it was dangerous and costly… I left my family behind to carry the burden alone… I traveled far away to have surgery… and I died…

  His sobs calmed a little.

  —I don’t remember much… only specific things… studies… chemistry… physics… unconsciously, I brought that knowledge here… to better understand this world…

  No one interrupted.

  Kael lowered his gaze.

  —I’m very sorry for worrying you… I didn’t want to cause harm… I couldn’t control what I felt…

  Caria spoke then, her voice warm, broken by tears.

  —As your papa said… no matter what happens, we will never judge you. We will always be here to help you… I will never regret having you or loving you. You are the most important thing to me.

  Laret nodded silently and stepped aside a little, letting Caria cradle Kael in her arms.

  —There is nothing more to say —he finally said—. They expressed what we all feel.

  Kael looked at each of those present.

  Tired faces. Worried. Relieved.

  For the first time since he woke up, he did not feel alone.

  —Thank you… —he whispered.

  He gave his mom a weak kiss on the cheek and lay back down, closing his eyes, allowing himself to sleep a little longer.

  I wanted to leave a short message at the end of this chapter to let you know how the story is progressing.

  Chapter 44, which is where the main novel currently stands in Spanish and where the second part of Arc 1 truly begins. This is the point where Kael finally starts to get to know the city where he was born. There will be conflicts, but not on a large scale. As I’ve mentioned before, I like to cook the story slowly, taking my time, and trying not to fall into excessive filler. For that, I also need your help: if something bothers you or feels off, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

  Chapter 31 was one of the hardest chapters to write. In order to create a real mental shift in the protagonist, I felt I had to confront his mind with reality in a harsh way, and that made me feel bad for both him and his family. Still, it was a necessary blow to reach the outcome I left there.

  Chapter 100 of this story, thus closing Part 3 of Arc 1 and opening the way to the final segment of this arc. At this point, we can already say that we are approaching the end of the first arc, or Volume 1. To be honest, at first I expected to finish Arc 1 around Chapter 70, but once I organized the story properly, I realized it would easily go beyond 100 (haha). I estimate there are still at least around 20 more chapters to go. I want everything to be fully cooked before raising the curtain on Arc 2.

  regular release schedule will begin: chapters will be published on Wednesdays and Saturdays, meaning two chapters per week. Even though there are currently 56 chapters waiting in the queue, I can’t publish more per week because I like to fine-tune them as much as possible, ensuring consistency and avoiding mistakes.

  3*)>.

  Take care, and I hope you continue enjoying this work. ??