3 Chapter 2: Bonds that leave lasting impression

Leila's life as a child can be described as steady. There was no drama other than her feeling weak for the very first time of her existence. Especially when she had her very first cold and first tooth.

Now she is three years old. Time had been good to her, she had grown quite well. One time when she was taken to bath, she had seen her reflection. Blue eyes that she inherited from her mother is like a beautiful precious gem, and her hair was black like her father's, darker than the night.

In the past years she had a lot of first times in this new world. And these new things she encountered, she marveled how humans could have developed if gods didn't lend a hand and Mana was not abused. A never seen possibility that Reilas could never imagine.

Currently in the roadway, Leila was taken by her parents to her daycare center. It was the greatest event for her short life as a feeble human. She can meet other children.

Dressed in her best clothes and a small backpack with her, she eyed the center with anticipation. 

When they finally arrived, Leila looked in awe with the architecture of the place. The design was minimalist in nature but kid friendly. It looked warm and very pleasing to the eye with bright and neutral colors all around and decorated with some indoor plants that gave a sense of life in the structure.

A woman of early thirties greeted her parents and led them to an office. She was very warm, with her brown hair and green eyes that lights up whenever the light fell onto them. Leila liked the aura the woman gave off.

The woman—Gina Lynes, her name, was the caretaker of this daycare center. The owner was her grandfather, but was handed down to her. Until she reaches her thirty fifth, she will only be the caretaker and not the owner and president of the center. Leila learned that as she behaved at the side. A drawback being a child, adults often patronized kids no matter how precarious they are.

The adults were talking about things that Leila didn't bother to pay some attention with. Interesting were their words, but those matters will not be somethings she'll worry about for a long run. So she's getting bored.

Thankfully the Mana around were amusing to watch. She busied observing the Mana that is obviously much more than where she lived. They all looked fluffy like the ones back home, but obviously more willful than the former. They liked to touch her hair and play little pranks with her. They are bolder too, especially when they sense that she could see them.

Being in a chair that is just near the window of the office, she stood up and peered down to see the sight outside. The height of the window is enough that she won't fall off nor will she have any problems looking outside. She thinks it was deliberately designed like this for children when adults become too absorbed with their talks.

Her blue eyes were following the trail of Mana that were in an excited state, like they found the most favorite treats of theirs. Surprise painted her face as she saw the reason was. There  she found a young boy a year or maybe two years older than her if she guessed it right. 

He looked very cute with a pair of golden eyes and a head of red hair. He was wearing a sailor suit and a small bag behind him. But despite that pleasing to the eye look on him, he was wearing an expressionless face on him. He was standing there boredly as if waiting for someone or something.

Upon laying her eyes on the boy, Leila didn't take her eyes off him. Like the Mana around, she wore an expression of finding a precious thing that needs to be taken care of. She was in awe to find a Pure Soul in this place. Something so rare even in the realm of goddesses and gods. No wonder the Mana was stimulated just by having the boy in the vicinity.

Pure Souls are souls that had great destinies on them. Most of them are winners of life and uncontested darling of the world. Just being around them is beneficial to the surrounding, especially to the Mana that are being refined in their mere presence. They bring forward a new era if given a chance.

To a Divine like Leila, Pure Souls are the ideal missionary to spread their influence. As long as these individuals acknowledged them as their patron and god, their religion is guaranteed to be spread wherever these people will go in life. A good additional power for the gods to harvest on.

Despite all that excitement that swells inside of her, Leila threw a bucket of cold ice on herself. She reminded herself that she is no longer the goddess she was once. She is now a human, despite the few gifts of her previous life being with her.

Her gaze left the boy and returned to the sight of her parents, not knowing that the boy took a glance of her as she sat back on her chair. His lips formed a small arc and mouthed some words underneath that smile of his.

Since Leila didn't take notice of it, she had no idea what sorts of trouble the said boy would give her. When the time will finally arrive, she will be regretting many things that she could have done before all of those had happened. And that will be a story to be told in the future.

The adults had finished their discussion and were all smiles. They shook hands and turned to her direction. Her parents in an obvious good mood and the caretaker in a pleasant mood. Leila just didn't understand why though, which she just dismissed as a human thing.

"Now my little Leila we will take you to your class now." Gina said as she led them to a room a few walking distance away. "I hope you'll be making good memories in here."

Leila hopes so too. She liked the fact that she is no longer alone, and she sincerely wished that this daycare will furthermore not make her too isolated, like in her time as a goddess in Reilas. That this facility will make her more anchor to embrace the life she now has.

Her parents entrusted her to the teacher-in-charge who came and greeted them. They dropped a kiss on her temples and said that they will be picking her in the afternoon so she should behave in the center.  Aila nodded on that and promised not to trouble her teacher, which pleased her parents.

She was then taken to be introduced to the young children inside. Let's just say that her day afterwards is quite chaotic.

Being with little children is hard. Children are creatures of curiosity, they asked her about many things that are just too much for her to handle. Not to mention they are willful and very opinionated, the room was in a mess moments later when the teacher-in-charge left the room for a while.  Somehow being around with them made her miss her sisters, they were much more easier to be around even in their energetic juvenile selves.

After that small episode, Leila just wished her mortal body would grow fast. She doesn't want her days to be just as lively, she's not cut out for such things. Even if her soul is unaging, she just felt too old being around the children.

Her parents had noticed her sullen mood when they came home. They comforted her the best they can. Coaxing her to tell them what had happened that made their baby so upset. Leila was never the child to worry about, so they wanted to know the story why their well behaved daughter suddenly changed channels.

Leila noticed that she was going overboard with her reactions by that time. She then fixed herself and assured her parents that she's okay.

But days gone by, she learnt to appreciate the simplicity of a child's life. Although her first day was a disaster, the children took her in as one of their own. Keeping her in their minds and never letting her feel cold and alone. She was especially close to a timid little girl named Diana Reign, a lovely child with the brightest eyes and kindest heart.

She spent most time with the girl more than the rest of her classmates. They share food together, play together and even went to the restroom together. She is the closest child to the former goddess. 

There was also that boy she saw in the window of the caretaker's office. His name was Brian Numen. Two years older than them and was a frequent visitor to their room. Apparently, he always finished his activities early and was too free. The teacher of the older class asked the teacher of their class to look after him until the rest of his students are done.

There is nothing bad with him staying in his class as he waits for the rest of the class to finish thei activies. The only problem according to his teacher was that he is a very distracting child. If he stays the rest of the children will not be able to finish their works on time. With no other option he had to be temporarily placed on somewhere else until then.

When he first shown up in their class, Leila quickly befriended the boy. Given the favourable first impression of the former goddess with the boy, she held no qualms doing so. There is nothing bad being near to a Pure Soul, being around them is relaxing after all. Leila just took the boy's company as it is. Not just a friend, but also a walking comforter.

The days afterwards were filled with warm and colors. They always together and share their treats with one another. They had been each other's back as days passed by in the kindergarten. 

Brian was a frequent visitor, despite being older. The class took him as a leader with him being older than them. His presence was a relief to the teacher-in-charge that he is even more welcomed as time passed by.

The boy took a liking to Leilan at first sight. He often paid special attention to her crowd. Like he indulged them more than most, but made sure of everyone's happiness with his decisions. With skillful words and charming smiles, he won the favor of his younger school mates easily.

This just shows how charming he is in the class as well as how formidable a person he will be in the future. So young yet showcasing much control over people. Leila should have seen this tell tale sign of her future troubles. That no matter how harmless most things are now, it can still cause more trouble than not.

Time went on leisurely. She felt happy and warm, if not thriving on the simple things they do on the days. It was freeing, not caring for anything just being a child everyone sees them as. No responsibility or duties of sorts, just exploring and learning.

Leila was left wishing that time will stop and remain like this forever. But life is not as simple, Diana had to move a way. And for the first time Leila cried in the arms of the young child.

In a private area of the playground, Leila held the other tightly. Her tears were overflowing, as if it was a flowing dam. Diana comforted her and promises a reunion some time in the future.

Diana is also saddened with the sudden turn of events. So after she informed her best friend of her departure soon, she also tried her best to keep her tears for herself.

To make up for the time they will lose, they kept each other company. They spent the rest of the time cherishing the fleeting moments, that Leila thoroughly ignored most of the people in favor of Diana. 

And by the end of the afternoon, she bid a final farewell to her first friend. Pretending to get something from her bag, the former goddess made a small accessory for the girl. It was a small token, but it contains more than it lets on. In the future if it is still in the possession of the girl, Leila will be able to recognize the other nomatter her changes will be. The gift also symbolized a promise that she will always be held dear by its sender. 

That parting made her realize that she had indeed grown as the human she is now. As a goddess she always had her guards up, even with her closest people she never truly relaxed in their presence. Innately she knew they were bound to reject and erase her, so matter how fond she is a distance was kept.

Here, such a thing is not as apparent. Most people show no ill will towards her, if there were some exceptions, they don't really cause lasting harm to her. So she treats them more sincernity than her former people.

It might have been because she had left the most of "her" in Reilas that human emotions have affected her more than it should. Because even if she had changed shell, had her divinity damaged, she still had the soul of the eldest goddess. Things called emotions should not affect her much.

That experience made her enlightened and relieved that she will not have too much pain in integrating to human society. Since she's growing, the human side of her will also grow, so by the time she will be an adult she will have the perfect mask.

That's what she thought and planned accordingly. Patiently awaiting the next meeting of her friend and catering to measurement of what is called normal in human standards.

But Life had some other plans for her.

Editing progress: 3/42 chapters

Edited: 12/30/20 20:23