Favored by God

The orphanage hallway stretched before me, a corridor lined with weathered wooden doors, each hiding its own untold story. My footsteps felt uncertain, carrying the weight of my recent rebirth into this strange new world.

As I descended the stairs, the lunch room came into view—a bustling space filled with children of various ages. The moment my foot touched the bottom step, silence fell. Fifteen pairs of eyes locked onto me, a collective stare that made my skin prickle.

Ms. Clementine's warm voice broke the tension. "Good, you seem to be feeling better?"

I hesitated, gathering my thoughts. "Yeah, thank you."

Her smile was kind, maternal. "Now, I think it's time for proper introductions. Could you tell us your name and age?"

Something strange happened. When I opened my mouth to speak, a name bubbled up that wasn't entirely my own. I thought that it must be the previous owner of this bodies name. I regathered my thoughts and introduced myself "Kai Foster," I heard myself say. "I'm 8 years old." I wasn't actually sure of this body's age but when I thought about it the number took over my mind like my brain was trying to tell me something so I went with it.

Ms. Clementine looked momentarily surprised, then relieved. "Good. It seems you're remembering bits and pieces."

Before I could process her words, a whirlwind of red hair and boundless energy erupted before me. "Hi! I'm Maya Fisher. I'm 9!" The girl practically vibrated with excitement.

She then pointed at another boy "that's Rowan Baker he's new here also, he just got here two days ago" he sat quietly at the edge of the table. Dark eyes, jet-black hair, he seemed more shadow than person. "Hello," he mumbled. "I'm also 9."

Maya, apparently unable to contain her energy, grabbed my hand. "We were the ones that found you! Want to play?"

Before I could respond, I was being dragged outside. The orphanage—an old church-like building—stood behind us. A vast grassy field stretched out, with a distant forest and the town road marking the horizon.

"Let's play tag!" Maya announced, her smile infectious.

I realized I'd never actually played tag in my previous life. Survival had left little room for childhood games. "I-I don't know how," I admitted.

Her shock was comical. "You don't?" But quickly, her sympathy took over. "Oh, right. Your memory..."

I learned the rules quickly and went along with their game, deciding it best if I tried to fit in. Rowan began counting, and suddenly we were running. The wind whipped my hair, sunlight warming my skin. I was breathless, laughing—emotions I'd forgotten existed.

When Rowan tagged me, something unexpected happened. A tear streamed down my cheek, but it was accompanied by a genuine smile. Am I having fun? The concept felt foreign, yet wonderfully real.

The day's innocence shattered when I heard shouting.

I found Rowan on the ground, surrounded by older boys. Their cruel laughter cut through the afternoon's peace as one boy kicked Rowan, mocking his pleas.

"Hey, stop!" The words erupted from me before I could think.

The boys turned, surprised by my interruption. One began walking towards me, something impossible happening before my eyes. A rock materialized above his palm—floating, defying everything I thought I knew about reality.

Magic, my mind whispered. This is actually magic.

The rock hurled towards me. I closed my eyes, preparing for impact.

But the impact never came.

Maya stood before me, her tiny frame radiating a power that made the older boys tremble. "What are you doing to Kai and Rowan?" she demanded.

The boys' bravado evaporated. "M-maya, it's nothing. We were just leaving," they stammered, backing away.

"Well, go then before I burn ya," she threatened.

They fled.

After helping a bruised Rowan to Ms. Clementine, we sat outside on a weathered bench. The afternoon sun cast long shadows, and for the first time in two lifetimes, I felt something remarkable.

I felt safe.

I felt like I might belong.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the orphanage grounds as I turned to Maya, curiosity burning in my eyes. "So who were those guys?"

Maya glanced back at me, a hint of amusement dancing in her expression. "Oh, those three? The big one that hurled that rock at you was Micah—he's 13. The other two were his friends, Luka and Zack. They all stay here too."

I searched for words, trying to understand the earlier confrontation. "Well, what was their problem?"

She giggled, the sound light and reassuring. "They're nice. They're just protective of the orphanage and don't like new people. You just need to get to know them."

My gaze drifted to the field stretching before us. Hesitantly, I asked, "And I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, but how did he do that thing with the rock? Was that magic?"

Maya looked at me, her expression a mixture of surprise and understanding. "You really don't remember anything, huh?"

I mumbled back, a trace of uncertainty in my voice, "N-no."

Patting my back, she continued, "Yeah, that was magic. I would tell you all about it, but I'm still learning. We have class every day in the morning at noon, so you can learn all about it there."

"Can you do magic, Maya?" I asked, my voice tinged with wonder.

She grinned, a proud smile spreading across her face. "Yeah, of course! Everyone can do magic, although most kids can't until they're around 10. But I'm what some would call a prodigy." With a subtle flourish, she spawned a flame in the palm of her hand.

Completely mesmerized, I stared at the dancing fire. "T-that's amazing, Maya."

"Yeah, I know," she replied with a playful wink.

We talked for a while longer, and I met a few of the other children at the orphanage. The day's excitement began to wind down as Ms. Clemintine's voice rang out, calling everyone to come inside and head to bed.

I said goodnight to everyone and made my way to the room they had prepared for me. Tucking myself into bed, I stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

For the first time in almost 10 years, I had fun today. I made a silent promise to myself: With this new life I was gifted, I wanted to have more fun, make more friends, and do all the things I wasn't able to do in my past life. I wanted to make this new existence truly worth it.

With those final, hopeful thoughts, I drifted off to sleep.