After a few minutes of Freya’s introspective examination, everyone remained still, the air heavy with tension as they waited for the results.

  When the process ended, Kael lost consciousness. Freya held him carefully and gently before laying him down on the carpet, making sure he was comfortable, while she began to organize everything she had discovered in her mind.

  —Freya! What happened!? —Caria exclaimed, taking a step forward, her face pale with worry.

  —Calm down —Freya replied with a firm but calm voice—. Examining his mind and soul in depth caused extreme exhaustion to his spirit. For an infant like him, it must have been very stressful. That’s why he passed out.

  Laret frowned, crossing his arms as he looked at the child.

  —I understand your interest, but don’t you think that was going too far? He’s just a baby… From what you’re saying, it sounds like you tried to use the same magical technique we used to examine the memories of the demons we captured during the war.

  Freya looked away for a moment before answering.

  —I’ll be honest… yes, I tried to use that technique.

  —What!? —Caria and Laret exclaimed at the same time, completely shaken—. Why!?

  The concern in the room became almost tangible. Everyone present waited for an explanation, unable to understand why Freya would resort to such an invasive method.

  —I’m sorry —Freya said seriously—. It was necessary… Kael is not normal. His soul does not match his body.

  —What!? —Caria repeated, feeling her heart tighten.

  Freya took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully.

  —Let me explain… I feel that Kael, or rather his soul… already existed before he was born.

  Galen opened his eyes in shock.

  —Are you suggesting that he might be a reincarnated soul…?

  —Something like that… —Freya nodded—. But it doesn’t match what a “normal” soul should be like.

  —That already sounds strange, Freya —Galen muttered, clearly uneasy.

  —I mean that his soul comes from another place —she continued—. It’s different from the souls of living beings in our world. There may be countless species here, but the composition of their souls is the same… and Kael’s is not.

  Everyone looked at each other, their expressions filled with confusion and uncertainty, as if the ground beneath them had become unstable.

  Enta stepped forward and spoke respectfully.

  —If this is the case, Lady Freya… would the young master be a being who could be even older than us?

  —I can’t say —she replied—. I couldn’t examine his memories. I only saw what he experienced as a baby: how he spent his magic every night, when he was kidnapped… but nothing more.

  She paused briefly before continuing.

  —When a soul reincarnates in our world and follows the proper process, it must completely reset. That means losing everything it gained in its previous life and starting over. Even if you were a legendary mage, upon reincarnation you would simply become a new living being. You could be born a noble, a commoner, a dog, or even an insect. You start from zero. There are no advantages.

  Caria pressed her lips together, trying to process everything she was hearing.

  —I’m trying to understand… are you saying that my son is reincarnated?

  —Not a simple reincarnation —Freya clarified—. Any of us could have been reincarnated, lived a previous life, and started again without remembering it. Kael’s case is different… he is a reincarnated being who kept his essence and comes from another place.

  Ken, who had remained silent until now, couldn’t help but exclaim with excitement:

  —Wow! The young master could become a great hero… a legend among legends!

  —NO! —Caria shouted.

  Everyone flinched at her voice. Without thinking, Caria placed Lysandra into Freya’s arms and then picked up Kael, holding him tightly against her chest.

  —He will not be a legend… he will not be a hero —she said with a trembling voice—. He will simply be a cheerful and energetic boy who lives a peaceful and quiet life. He will not walk our path… a path filled with pain and death!

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  She hugged him desperately, with love and a tenderness that almost hurt, as if she feared the world itself wanted to take him away.

  Laret slowly nodded.

  —In truth, neither Lysandra nor Kael should carry that legacy… nor any child in the future.

  Freya watched the scene with a complex expression.

  —That will be difficult… Kael’s inner self is a complete world. I could feel it… feel his being. It was like a raging sea inside a glass of water… a colossal mountain sealed within a small stone. His potential is enormous.

  —It doesn’t matter if he’s a prodigy among prodigies —Caria replied, holding back tears—. I don’t want him to feel pressured or forced.

  —No one here will force him —Freya said firmly—. But there is someone who will… and if Kael doesn’t respond, it will kill him.

  The silence shattered instantly.

  —What do you mean!? —Caria and Laret exclaimed—. Who would do something like that!?

  Freya looked straight into their eyes.

  —His own body.

  The words hit like a blunt blow. No one spoke right away, unable to process what Freya had just said.

  —The analogy of the sea in the glass or the mountain in the stone was not just a compliment —Freya continued in a grave tone—. Listen carefully. Right now, Kael’s soul, which has not fully reset, is trying to adapt to a baby’s small body.

  She paused briefly, making sure everyone understood the seriousness of her words.

  —If his body is not trained and prepared —she went on—, it will not withstand the amount of power it contains and will collapse.

  The air grew heavy. Each word seemed to sink slowly into the listeners’ chests.

  —Every part of Kael’s soul is constantly stimulating his small body —she explained—. Why do you think he has so much magic, so much energy, and such an advanced mental capacity? Right now, Kael is struggling to remain stable, forcing his own body to adapt.

  Freya paused again before continuing.

  —Despite being a baby, he advanced through many stages of development due to the stimulation of his overwhelming soul. He didn’t avoid his traps just to avoid being confined… he felt the need to release magic. His body demanded it. That’s why he escaped, to let it out.

  With anticipation and disbelief, everyone tried to absorb the results of the analysis. None of them had imagined such a conclusion.

  Caria lowered her gaze, feeling a knot in her throat. Her arms wrapped tightly around Kael, as if she feared that even the air could harm him. After a few seconds, she lifted her head and looked at Freya helplessly.

  —Freya… —she murmured—. What should I do to help my son?

  Freya softened her expression.

  —Didn’t I already tell you? —she replied—. There’s a reason I came with Lysandra and that idiot Galen… well, he’ll be leaving soon, but… I came for your son.

  She paused briefly, measuring her words.

  —I need to retract part of what I expected —she admitted—. I’m no longer here just to polish a great uncut gem… I’m here to prepare Kael enough so that he can survive.

  The words struck Caria deeply. Tears began to run down her cheeks uncontrollably.

  —Thank you, Freya… —she said with a broken voice—. Please, help my child…

  .

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  .

  .

  .

  Later that same night, while everyone was asleep, Kael woke up.

  Kael’s thoughts: damn it… what happened? When that woman pressed her forehead against mine, I felt like something was piercing my body and my very being.

  // -- calm down, she didn’t manage to discover anything about your past, but she did detect that you have great potential and, above all, realized that your soul is not from this world. That woman knows quite a lot, my king -- //

  Kael’s thoughts: great… so I’m already screwed. I guess they must feel disgusted knowing that the child who should have been normal is actually a damn failure…

  // -- don’t be an idiot… they don’t know who you are, and even if they did, I don’t think they would treat you the way you imagine. Your parents and the servants were very worried about you and your future… -- //

  Kael’s thoughts: that makes me feel bad… they’re a family that’s far too loving and caring… everyone is like that. No one has treated me badly or with indifference. They may be strict and disciplined, but they never stop smiling at me or treating me well, even though I’ve pulled several pranks…

  Well, I guess I’ll find out tomorrow…

  …

  …

  …

  Hey, by the way, can I ask you something?

  // -- what the hell do you want? -- //

  Kael’s thoughts: what the hell is this ugly, drooling little runt doing in my crib?

  // -- well, you’re quite the charmer. You completely enchanted her with your looks… to the point that, since it got late and the guests stayed the night, little Lysandra didn’t want to be separated from you. You’re practically her personal plush toy —it laughed mockingly— -- //

  .

  .

  .

  .

  The next day, for the first time, the morning began before Kael woke up. In front of him were two mothers who had grown quite fond of the situation, watching the scene with clear smiles on their faces.

  Caria leaned forward slightly, looking at the children with sparkling eyes.

  —Oh, they look so cute together… —she said tenderly—. If you want to leave, you can go and leave this chubby little girl with me. ?!

  Freya snorted in disdain and crossed her arms.

  —You wish, you wicked baby-torturing harpy… —she replied—. I saw it in poor Kael’s memories, how you tortured him.

  The accusation fell like a bucket of cold water. Caria stiffened immediately, reacting with agitation and poorly hidden guilt.

  —Nnn… no… t-that’s not true —she stammered—. My little sweet doesn’t mind if I squeeze his cheeks and cover him in kisses! It’s my right! I carried him for nine months, I have lifetime rights. It’s my duty, my obligation!

  —Stop justifying yourself, you shameless old woman… —Freya muttered, without the slightest hint of mercy.

  —Hey! —Caria protested, completely indignant.

  Amid all the arguing, Kael finally woke up. He slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was two adult women arguing in front of him.

  Kael’s thoughts: damn it… I missed my chance. I won’t be able to escape now…

  Freya was the first to notice that the child was awake. She stared at him with a smile that promised nothing good.

  —Very well, little Kael —she said in a solemn tone—. You no longer need to escape. Prepare yourself, because for the next two years, I will be in charge of making you the most powerful mage in history.

  Kael’s thoughts: mage!? Two years!?

  And just like that, without ceremony or any chance to object, the training process to adapt Kael’s body had begun.