The months that followed my first outing changed a great deal in my life.
For starters, going outside wasn't as difficult as it used to be.
I hadn't suddenly forgotten my anxiety.
It was still there.
Sometimes, when I found myself somewhere unfamiliar, my heart would still start beating a little faster. I would occasionally feel that old tightness in my chest, that urge to immediately return to a familiar place.
But by then, I knew I could keep moving forward despite that fear.
And most importantly, I was no longer alone.
Lyria had accompanied me on my first outing.
Then on the second.
Then the third.
Gradually, those outings became something normal.
I discovered the area around the village, the paths connecting the farms, the small woods, and the wide plains stretching around our home.
I was finally starting to see this world as something more than a view through a window.
And on almost every outing, I ran into Alia.
At first, we simply played together.
We ran through the fields.
We chased each other.
We made up stupid games.
Sometimes, we argued for absolutely no reason.
But we always ended up laughing a few minutes later.
Alia had become my first real friend.
I'd never known anything like that in my past life.
Having someone my age to talk to.
Someone who waited for me to show up.
Someone whose expression changed when they saw me coming.
It felt strange.
But I liked it.
I also continued my sword training with Kael.
And unlike my outings, that wasn't getting any easier.
“Again.”
I struck.
Kael blocked.
“Again.”
I tried again.
He dodged.
“Too slow.”
I gritted my teeth.
I launched another attack.
This time, my movement was cleaner.
Kael parried.
“Better.”
I smiled.
“Finally, a compliment.”
“Don't let it go to your head.”
“I'll take what I can get.”
He looked at me for a few seconds before smiling.
“You're making progress.”
That pleased me especially much coming from him.
Kael remained demanding, but I understood why now.
He didn't want me to become someone who could merely cast powerful spells.
He wanted me to be able to fight properly.
And even after several months, one rule never changed.
No magic.
I wasn't allowed to use any form of magic during sword training.
Obviously...
Sometimes, I tried to cheat.
“I barely use any mana.”
“No.”
“But you can't know that.”
“I can.”
“How?”
“Because you smile like an idiot every time you try to cheat.”
I sighed.
“You know me too well.”
“It's my job.”
I resumed my stance.
Then I started again.
Meanwhile, my magic continued to improve as well.
Lyria no longer needed to make me review the basics every day.
By then, I knew exactly how to control my mana, how to use it efficiently, and how to avoid the mistakes I'd made at the beginning.
Even so, she continued pushing me.
Always farther.
Always with greater precision.
Over time, she'd even allowed me to teach Alia a few things.
At first, she wasn't sure it was a good idea.
But I insisted so much that she eventually agreed.
Of course, I only taught Alia things I had mastered completely.
Small flames.
Small amounts of water.
Simple movements of wind.
Minor alterations to the earth.
And a few basic healing techniques.
Alia learned quickly.
Very quickly, in fact.
But something else surprised me even more.
She could use magic without an incantation too.
The first time I noticed, I stood completely still.
Alia had just made a small sphere of water appear without saying a single word.
“Wait.”
She looked at me.
“What?”
“Do it again.”
She did it again.
Still without an incantation.
I stared at her in amazement.
“You really can do it.”
She smiled.
“So can you.”
“Yes, but...”
I looked at Lyria.
She seemed surprised too.
“It's pretty rare.”
Alia simply shrugged.
“I thought it was normal.”
I started laughing.
“We really are strange.”
Lyria looked at both of us.
“That, I can't deny.”
Six months passed.
And before I knew it, my fourth birthday was approaching.
Time had flown by.
When I thought back to the day of my rebirth, I sometimes felt as though it had happened only a few weeks ago.
And yet...
I'd already lived four years in this world.
I had a family.
A friend.
Magic.
A sword.
And memories I never would have imagined I could create.
But before my birthday, Lyria had something to do.
Her final test.
She'd warned me a few days earlier.
“Do you think you're ready?”
I'd nodded.
“Yes.”
“You say that with far too much confidence.”
“Because I've worked hard.”
“That's true.”
She smiled.
“Then show me.”
On the day of the test, we settled into a large open area of the garden.
Mira and Kael were there.
They both watched attentively.
I knew this wasn't just ordinary training.
Lyria wanted to know how far I'd come.
She started by checking my mana control.
I closed my eyes.
I slowed my breathing.
Then I gently let my mana circulate through my body.
Lyria held her hand near me.
Her expression changed almost immediately.
She remained silent.
“What's wrong?”
She didn't answer.
She continued her examination.
I felt her gaze grow more and more serious.
A few moments later, she withdrew her hand.
“Ewen...”
“Yes?”
“I have a question.”
“What is it?”
She hesitated.
“Have you ever felt like you were running out of mana?”
I thought about it.
“No.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
Lyria fell silent.
Then she placed a hand over her chest.
“I think I understand why.”
She seemed genuinely troubled.
“Your mana...”
She looked at me as if she were trying to confirm something impossible.
“It's immense.”
I said nothing.
“I've never seen that in someone your age.”
She closed her eyes for a few seconds.
“When I try to determine how much you have, I almost feel like I'm looking at a spring that never runs dry.”
I frowned.
“You mean I have a lot of mana?”
“A lot isn't the right word.”
She slowly shook her head.
“Your reserve feels like it could go on forever.”
I looked at my hands.
I'd never really thought about how much mana I possessed.
I'd simply noticed that I could cast an enormous number of spells without feeling significantly tired.
Lyria finally seemed to have an explanation.
“That explains a lot.”
“What?”
“Your progress.”
She smiled faintly.
“You had enough mana to experiment again and again without actually being limited by your magical stamina.”
She placed a hand on my head.
“You've been lucky.”
“Lucky?”
“Yes.”
She smiled.
“With that much mana, you could also have seriously hurt yourself if you'd continued learning on your own.”
I swallowed.
I immediately thought of the fireball that had shot through the window.
“Ah...”
Lyria smiled.
“Exactly.”
After that evaluation, she moved on to the real test.
“Ewen.”
I straightened up.
“Yes?”
“I want you to use a water spell at the level of a Royal Mage.”
I fell silent.
Mira and Kael exchanged a look.
I took a deep breath.
A spell at that level required far more control than anything I'd used so far.
But I knew I was ready.
I closed my eyes.
I sensed my mana.
It was immense.
As always.
But this time, I didn't try to use all of it.
I selected only the amount I needed.
I guided the energy.
I built the spell step by step.
Then I spoke the incantation.
The water around me began to tremble.
An immense amount of water gradually rose from the ground.
It spiraled through the air before taking on a perfectly controlled shape.
The pressure increased.
Then everything stopped.
The spell was complete.
I maintained it for a few seconds before letting it disappear.
Lyria said nothing.
Then her face lit up.
“Success.”
I immediately relaxed my shoulders.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
She approached me.
“You did it.”
Her smile was different.
It was the smile of a teacher proud of her student.
But also that of a friend.
She placed a hand on my head.
“I'm proud of you.”
I smiled.
I was proud of myself too.
But Lyria wasn't finished.
“However, there's something you need to understand.”
“What?”
She crossed her arms.
“Your amount of mana is exceptional.”
She paused.
“But your raw power isn't yet.”
I looked at her.
“Because of my age?”
“Exactly.”
She gestured toward my body.
“You're almost four years old, Ewen. Your body is still a child's.”
She smiled.
“No matter how much mana you possess, you can't harness all of its power yet.”
I understood.
My reserve was immense.
But my body couldn't yet turn all that mana into power.
“So I need to get physically stronger.”
“Among other things.”
She raised one finger.
“But above all, you need to keep improving your control.”
I listened carefully.
“An amount of mana that huge can become extremely dangerous if it isn't perfectly controlled.”
She looked at the ground around us.
“For you and everyone else.”
I nodded.
“I understand.”
“Good.”
She smiled.
“Keep training with your father.”
Then she added:
“And keep working with me while I'm here.”
I looked at her.
That last sentence immediately made me realize something.
“While you're here?”
Lyria remained silent for a few seconds.
Then she smiled.
“My work here is finished.”
I didn't answer.
I knew this day would eventually come.
But I wasn't ready.
Not at all.
The days that followed felt strange.
Lyria was still there.
She continued talking with us.
She ate with the family.
She still gave me advice.
She laughed with Mira.
She playfully argued with Kael.
And yet...
I knew she was going to leave.
Every time I looked at her, the thought tightened my chest.
I'd never had many friends.
In this new life, Lyria had been the first adult I'd formed a true friendship with.
She had taught me magic.
But more than anything, she'd been there when I started facing the fear that still kept me from going outside.
She'd accompanied me.
She'd never forced me.
And she'd always believed I was capable of it.
So knowing she was leaving made me sad.
Lyria seemed different too.
She still joked around.
But her smiles were sometimes quieter.
Then my fourth birthday arrived.
The house was full of people.
Mira.
Kael.
Elma.
Lyria.
Alia.
And me.
The meal was much more elaborate than usual.
Kael had even prepared something that vaguely resembled a cake.
“I cooked this myself.”
Mira looked at the cake.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Elma looked at it too.
“You bought this, didn't you?”
“No!”
I started laughing.
Kael looked at me.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because you're a terrible liar.”
Lyria burst out laughing.
“He's right.”
“Traitors.”
The mood was perfect.
Simple.
Warm.
I looked at the people around the table.
My family.
My friend.
And Alia.
I wasn't thinking about anything else.
I wasn't afraid.
I wasn't thinking about the past.
I wasn't thinking about my past life.
I wasn't thinking about my death.
I was simply happy.
It was probably the best day of my new life.
Then the moment I'd been dreading arrived.
After the meal, Lyria took me aside.
“Ewen.”
I already knew.
“Are you leaving?”
She smiled gently.
“Yes.”
I lowered my head.
“When?”
“Soon.”
She crouched down in front of me.
“I have to go to the royal capital of the Western Kingdom.”
“Why?”
“I'll have to teach magic to the royal heir.”
I fell silent.
Of course.
Someone like Lyria couldn't stay in a small village forever.
She still had so much to do.
But I didn't like the idea.
“Will you come back?”
She smiled.
“Of course.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
I clenched my fists.
I felt my eyes burning.
“I'll miss you.”
Lyria gently pulled me into her arms.
“I'll miss you too.”
I stayed against her for a few seconds.
Then she pulled back.
“But this isn't goodbye.”
I looked up at her.
“Then what is it?”
She smiled.
“See you later.”
I smiled despite my tears.
“Okay.”
She placed a hand on my head.
“Keep working hard.”
“Yes.”
“Keep listening to your mother.”
“Yes.”
“And most importantly, listen to your father when he tells you not to use magic during sword training.”
I looked at her.
“Was that really necessary?”
She burst out laughing.
“Absolutely.”
I laughed too.
Then we returned to the others.
I knew she'd eventually leave the next day or in the days that followed.
I knew the house would probably feel emptier after she left.
But I also knew something else.
She wasn't disappearing from my life.
She was simply moving on to another stage of hers.
And me...
I had only just begun mine.
Lyria had taught me magic.
She had taught me to control my mana.
She'd accompanied me on my first outing.
But most importantly...
she had taught me that being afraid didn't mean I was incapable of moving forward.
I would never forget that.
This wasn't our final goodbye.
Only the beginning of a new distance between two friends.