Chapter 4: Ep 1 — Being a Silverfrost

My head and body felt heavy, as if a ton of stones pressed down on me.

I vaguely saw a man sitting beside the bed where I had rested. He was squeezing a piece of white towel and then placing it gently on my forehead, his actions showing care as if I might shatter like fragile glass. The cold sensation of the towel seeped into my skin, jolting me awake completely.

I opened my eyes to see surprise on the man's face as he began to greet, "You woke up quite early. It's best to rest; the dawn is not yet—"

"Who are you?" I interjected, not allowing him to finish. This man was different from the person who had helped me. The young man who assisted me had long, beautiful, silky hair as white as winter snow with a hint of ocean blue, an air of solemnity, and elegance in every movement. Moreover, he was even more handsome than the man before me.

However, this man was not to be outdone. His golden hair shone brilliantly under the dim light, almost unreal in its radiance, leaving me in awe. There was something about his beauty that reminded me of royalty.

Their appearances shared one common feature, though—the captivating dark shade of red in their eyes. But even in this similarity, there was a difference. His gaze held a lighter hue than the previous man's, glistening as if infused with the brilliance of amethyst.

"Was there no one normal in this world, or is this the standard for what is considered normal?" I wondered to myself.

The man's lips curled into a faint smile upon hearing my question. His blushing cheeks resembled the hue of a peach, vivid against his pale, porcelain-like skin. With a sweet and melodious voice, he replied, "I'm Leonard, the younger brother of the man who helped you. You can call me 'Leo.' And what about you, young one?"

Having observed people for 27 years, I had developed the skill to discern a person's nature with just a glance. This individual was kind to the core, selfless, yet exuded an aura of danger that warned against crossing them.

"I am Nazari, Mr. Leo." I offered my hand for a handshake, but he merely glanced at it with an adorable, puzzled expression.

"Sigh, please pardon the difference in culture, but this is how we seal the moment of becoming acquainted in my homeland," I explained, taking into consideration that it was on Earth after all.

"I see..." he responded, a look of realization crossing his features. He then extended his hand, shaking mine gently, and added, "Nazari, you appear to be more than just a simple child. You're quite unique."

I brushed aside his comment and immediately delved into the main point: "Then, Sir Leo, where is Zarani? How is she? Is she alright? I need to see her."

Attempting to sit up straight, I shifted on the bed, but a wave of dizziness overcame me, forcing me to recline again. 'How exhausted am I?'

"You're not fully healed yet, child. Your body is still recovering from the fever. I advise you to rest a bit more. The regeneration of cells in your body was necessary when my brother healed you."

Despite his advice, the concern for my twin was overwhelming. I couldn't find peace without knowing how she was faring.

"No! I want to see her!" I stubbornly demanded. If he wouldn't allow it, I was prepared to use my greatest weapon as a child, 'the power of cuteness'—though I hoped it wouldn't come to that. Nevertheless, I maintained a burning gaze, unwilling to back down.

Leonard sighed, his expression softening. "I was present when you pledged your service to my brother. You selflessly begged for your sister's life, even when your own was hanging by a thread. And now, upon waking up much sooner than the expected one-week recovery time under normal circumstances, your immediate concern is for your sister. It's important to take care of yourself, Nazari. But rest assured, that child is fine."

'Selfless? No, he's wrong. I've spent my life caring only about myself. Now that I have a family, what does he expect? Being selfless is the complete opposite of who I truly am in my world.'

"I want to see Zarani!"

Leonard sighed once again, a sign of defeat. He suddenly removed the blanket and hooked his hands under my armpits without warning.

"What are you doing?" I asked in panic.

"Your body is still weak. I'll carry you to your sister's chamber," Leonard explained calmly.

I had no reason to complain further, as he was right. But being in this position, it felt like I was a small child being carried by his handsome dad. Oh right, I almost forgot—I was in the body of a child.

As we walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but notice that the light in the lamps came from white stones placed in every corner of the area.

A crystal-clear stone emitted a gentle light that could be compared to a light bulb on Earth. It was then that I noticed my tattered clothes had been changed, and the wounds on my feet and body were gone without a trace.

This only served to affirm that I had entered a world of fantasy where the impossible could become possible and where magic truly existed. It was a reassurance that Zarani would also be fine.

Upon arriving in the room, I found Zarani resting peacefully, her complexion displaying more color than before. I asked Leonard to set me down, and without delay, I reached out and gently held Zarani's hand, feeling the warmth it radiated.

"She's alive... " I whispered in relief, observing her steady breaths. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. The weight of emotions inside me poured out, dissipating my previous anxiety and anguish like a bubble disappearing into thin air.

Never could I have imagined that I would experience such intense emotions for someone else, as I had never cared about anyone this deeply before.

Before, I existed simply by breathing, eating, and sleeping. I drifted through life without any ambitions, dreams, or even a hint of desire. I merely awaited the arrival of death. However, my perspective has shifted now; I fear death, especially since it seems to be accompanied by pain. Experiencing such agony once was more than enough for me.

Now, I find a reason to embrace this life: Zarani. I press a gentle kiss to her hand, silently making a vow, 'I won't lose you too. Mom, Dad, I promise to protect her.'

I turned my attention towards Leonard, who stood there quietly watching me. "How is she? When will she wake up?" I inquired.

"That will likely be after another six months or so," a voice chimed in, echoing in the room. Shortly after, a boy with white-silver hair and adorned in a stunning silver robe materialized next to us. He seemed to have appeared out of thin air. This boy stood just slightly taller than me and appeared to be around the same age.

Suddenly, Leonard burst into laughter as if there were no cares in the world. His body arched as he couldn't seem to control it. Despite his unusual outburst, his laughter was still a pleasant sound to the ears. He appeared to be a flawlessly crafted human, leaving me curious about what had triggered such mirth in him.

However, in the blink of an eye, his laughter ceased as if some invisible force had clamped his mouth shut. His complexion began to shift from jovial to a shade of purple; his struggle was evident.

"If you're curious, that's a silencing spell," the kid chimed in once again, taking a step closer to me.

He seemed to have an uncanny ability to read my thoughts. "I see," I replied briefly.

"Are you worried about him? Leonard won't easily die," the boy remarked.

"No, I'm not."

"Then are you afraid? Your eyes seem a bit unsettled."

"No, I'm not," I reiterated, then continued, "The thing is, what you did isn't something that normally happens where I come from."

He stared at me in silence, as if considering my words, before speaking again. "That's good."

When the boy flicked his fingers, the silence spell broke, and Leonard gasped for air, exclaiming, "Arwin, you're too much!"

"You're not allowed to laugh, Leonard. It's annoying."

'Why do I feel like this kid is superior to Sir Leonard? Nevertheless, they seem close. And this child looks exactly like the man who saved us. Is he his little brother?'

"But Arwin, why did you shrink?" Leonard asked as he reached out to lift him into the air, but his hand stopped in mid-air.

"I won't allow you to touch me. Stop that annoying smirk of yours before I grill you alive," the child warned, a ball of fire suddenly appearing atop his pointing finger.

"Aww, but this is such a rare sight to see," Leonard replied shamelessly while still trying to reach him. They were so engrossed in their exchange that it seemed they had forgotten my presence entirely.

"Err, excuse me, but what do you mean by Zarani will wake up after 6 months? Why so long?" I interjected, breaking their intense exchange. The two of them stopped abruptly and turned to me with serious expressions. The little boy named Arwin stared down at Zarani with knitted brows and began to speak.

"This girl's soul is not stable."

"Huh?" I looked at him, utterly puzzled.

Suddenly, a dust of bluish particles, glowing with a gentle light, surrounded us, forming different images that seemed to illustrate Arwin's words. It was like watching the fairest pixie dust dance in the wind—enchanting and captivating.

"The soul and our mana are intertwined. Mana is the source of all sorts of life and power in the world. Humans, chosen or loved by mana, have a tremendous amount of it attached to their soul. You can say the soul is the medium filled with such sacred power and a magnet to attract universal mana. However, if a body has no ounce of mana, they will die."

"In this girl's case, her soul is damaged, which means the flow of her mana is affected too. It leaks to the outside world and dissipates. In addition to that, the core of her power was partially sealed. That means, to live, she can only use two types of mana, either from the universal mana, which is hard to attract, or from people of the same type as her. The latter solution is easier to accomplish than the former."

After he explained, the pixie particles disappeared.

I was deep in thought: 'That's why Mom and Dad replenish her mana every month. No, they've been doing it since we were born.'

"Why is her soul unstable?" I asked.

"She has memories of her previous life... Her past life and the present didn't blend well. She was confused. Usually, when humans die, they forget their memories of their previous life if they are reincarnated. This helps stabilize the soul. However, in some cases, if the soul strongly wishes to remember its past life, certain conditions must be met. In her case, one of those conditions was sealing her power."

Arwin's statement hit me like a hot arrow. 'Then, what about me? Why do I have memories of my past life? Did I have some conditions too? But nothing like that happened to me.'

"Who are you? Why do you know this?" I asked, noting that he didn't speak like a typical child.

"It's better if you don't know me, for now. But this time, they called me by the name Arwin Friezz Silverfrost."

He extended his small, jade-colored hand as if offering a handshake. 'Huh? Did he hear us talking earlier?'

I took his hand and shook it lightly. "I'm Nazari... they only called me that way, and my twin is named Zarani."

In this world, only aristocrats have surnames; as a mere commoner, I was just known by my given name.

I'm still worried about Zarani's condition; what if she won't open her eyes? "Is there no other way to heal Zarani sooner?"

Arwin tapped the air, summoning purple-pinkish-colored insignia that appeared on Zarani's chest, adorned with mysterious characters that moved in mesmerizing circles.

"I've already used half of my mana to break her seal and stabilize her," Arwin explained. "Now, it's her turn to play her part after experiencing the rewind of her life. We can only wait for her to recover."

I held Zarani's hand tightly, reassured by Arwin's sincerity. If she was only physically injured, she'd awaken soon, just as I had.

"Zarani, I'll wait for you, even if it takes a year."

"You are truly unique, Nazari. Usually, children are driven by curiosity and whine when things don't go their way, but you didn't. You know when to ask and where the limits are," Leonard spoke up suddenly.

'Then don't treat me like a normal kid,' I thought. Nevertheless, I still kneeled and bowed before the two of them.

"This little one is immensely grateful for what you've done. Thank you so much for saving Zarani and me. I will never forget this, and I promise to repay you someday."

I can't express how grateful I am to them, especially to the handsome man whose name I don't know yet.

"Huh?" I asked as I was suddenly lifted into the air. Leonard held me aloft like S*mba in 'The L*on K*ng.'

"Never kneel down or bow to anyone. If you want to express your gratitude, just say it. Arwin and I won't allow a soon-to-be member of the family to bow his head in front of anyone."

"Huh?" I asked again, struggling to comprehend what he meant. "Sir Leo..."

"Just Leo," he corrected with a friendly smile.

"Then, Leo, I'd like to meet your brother who helped us." I wanted to ask where he was, but Leonard suddenly cackled. In the blink of an eye, I found myself defying gravity, hurtling towards Arwin. With a puff of smoke and a mysterious transformation, the child turned into the beautiful man I had been looking for.

'So, Arwin and he are the same person. That explains why they both carry the same aura.'

I promptly landed on his arm, and he carried me as if I were his own son.

"Nazari, don't let that scoundrel touch you. I won't allow it."

"Huh?!"

"Hey, brother, Nazari is just too cute; don't be so possessive," Leonard complained while attempting to reach me, but he couldn't due to the invisible shield Arwin had cast.

I was stunned by this sudden revelation. Had that elegant man vanished into thin air, or had he been a product of my despair-fueled imagination? These two were bickering like immature children. Worse yet, I found myself more comfortable in Arwin's arms than Leonard's. Their conversation was beyond my comprehension, given my limited human knowledge.

"Nazari..." he softly called.

"Hmm?"

"From today onward, I bestow upon you my blessed name, Silverfrost. You shall be known as Nazari Eames Silverfrost," Arwin declared, sealing it with a kiss on my forehead. Simultaneously, a gentle light enveloped us, casting a mystical warmth.

"Can someone please explain what is happening?"