Ash And Dust

Kaelen was startled by a creaking sound that broke the silence in the room. The door slowly opened, and someone entered with small steps. The shadows falling across their face trembled in the dim light of the room.

"Are you awake?" said a soft voice. She was looking at him with surprise.

Kaelen, trying to adjust to his new and weakened body, lifted his head. In front of the door stood a short girl with light yellow hair falling to her shoulders. There was an indistinct sorrow in her green eyes. Her eyes were gleaming with excitement. The sorrow on her face disappeared in an instant. She was holding a water jug tightly in her hands, as if afraid to drop it.

"Lyra..." The name slipped from Kaelen's lips, and it even sounded unfamiliar to him. At that moment, he realized that he had no memory of this girl. However, his instincts made her feel familiar. She must have been someone the previous owner of this body knew.

Strange... the girl looked about 16, maybe 15 years old.

Lyra quickly approached the bedside and handed him the water. "Kaelen, you've been burning with fever for days! I was so scared... Even Director Edric was worried. He said you were starting to recover, but you were so weak. How do you feel? Do you feel anything?"

Caught off guard by the shower of questions, Kaelen reached for the cup, but he noticed his fingers were trembling. When Lyra noticed this, she immediately supported him, placing her hands under the jug to prevent it from spilling. After taking a sip, Kaelen took a deep breath.

"I'm... fine," he said slowly. His own voice sounded foreign to him.

"Just... my head is a bit confused. You called me Kaelen." Kaelen asked, bewildered.

"Yes, that's your name." Lyra placed her hand on her waist and tilted her head slightly.

"Is your memory not coming back? Director Edric said this could happen. Your fever was so high, you might have trouble remembering some things. But don't worry, I'm here! I'll remind you of everything."

Kaelen narrowed his eyes. Could it be this easy? All he had to do was lie about losing his memory. No one would know that the person in this new body was Kaelen. Even his old name was the same as this child's—what kind of luck was this?

"And... where exactly am I?" Kaelen asked, looking into the girl's green eyes.

Lyra froze for a moment, then laughed and waved her hand. "You're joking, right? This is an orphanage, of course! We've spent our whole lives here. We've been here since we were little, Kaelen."

Orphanage. The word echoed in Kaelen's mind. He had never been in such a place in his previous life. But now, the past of this body was telling him a story in his place.

Kaelen shook his head slightly.

"And... the war? What's the current situation with the war?" His voice had sharpened.

"Are the Mirakels on the frontlines? Which regions are the demons in?"

Lyra looked at Kaelen's face for a moment, then raised her eyebrows and chuckled. "War? Which war?"

Kaelen's expression changed. "The war with the demons. How are we doing against them? What's the status of our defenses?"

Lyra's face was completely filled with astonishment. "Kaelen... Did you have a nightmare? The demons were last seen a hundred years ago. There are only stories left about them. The last Mirakels who fought them are now just legends. No one believes the demons will return."

Kaelen's face was expressionless, but inside, a storm was raging. A hundred years... Had that much time really passed? Or was he in the middle of a lie, being played with?

"This is impossible..." he murmured. "I should have stopped them. I—"

Lyra quickly raised her hands. "Hey, hey! Shh! Wait a second! Kaelen, are you... going crazy? Demons? You must have had a bigger nightmare! How long have you been remembering things like this? You were mumbling while burning with fever, but I never heard anything like this."

Kaelen didn't know what to say. This was the truth, but explaining it was impossible. She wouldn't believe him. Who would?

Lyra furrowed her brows at his silence. "You're still a bit weak. Don't think too much, okay? Director Edric will want to see you too. He's really a good person, you know. He just looks a little... intimidating sometimes."

Kaelen gained a new name in his mind. "Edric?"

Lyra nodded. "Yes. Our director. He used to be a powerful Mirakel, but now he's retired. He lost his arm, you know." She lowered her voice. "Don't mention it to him, though. He still gets angry about it."

"He's always been good to us. Even when you were sick, he kept checking on you. He might be a bit strict, but believe me, he's the only one who really protects us here."

Kaelen nodded slightly, a stern expression on his face. He was in an orphanage. Trapped in a weak body. And the world was no longer the same as before. The demons were gone, the war had ended, and the Mirakels who had fought in it were now just legends.

But this was not the end of his path.

Kaelen turned to Lyra and looked at her face for the first time. This girl seemed to trust him. Even if she didn't believe him, at least she was someone standing by him. For now, he could use that.

"Okay," he said quietly. "Let's talk to Director Edric."