Favored by God

The gentle knocking at my door was accompanied by Ms. Clemintine's familiar voice. "Wake up, Kai. Get dressed and come down for breakfast."

I rubbed my tired eyes, mumbling a response, "Yes, ma'am."

My gaze drifted to the ceiling, then around the room. A wave of gratitude washed over me—this was real. I wasn't trapped in that cinderblock cell anymore. This was my new life, my second chance.

The bathroom mirror offered me a moment of self-reflection. I studied my new body carefully, taking in details I hadn't fully observed before. Malnourished and thin, with black hair falling just to my neck, and gray eyes that seemed to hold stories far beyond my apparent age. An 8-year-old's body, but with the awareness of someone much older. Gosh, I need a haircut, I thought to myself.

Dressed and ready, I entered the dining area, momentarily uncertain where to sit. Suddenly, a familiar voice shattered my hesitation.

"KAI! COME SIT WITH US! WE GOT YOU A PLATE!"

Maya's enthusiastic scream drew me to a table filled with children. Rowan and several other kids from the orphanage welcomed me with bright smiles and open spaces at the table.

The meal was unlike anything I'd experienced in my previous life. Every previous meal had been a solitary affair in that cold, dark cell. Here, surrounded by laughter, jokes, and the warm chatter of children, I found myself truly enjoying food for the first time. Despite technically being 15 in my memories, I felt completely at ease with these 7-to-10-year-olds. After all, my last genuine human connections had been when I was around this age.

After breakfast, we were granted some free time before lessons. But before I could join the other children in play, Ms. Clemintine called me aside. "Kai, I'd like to provide you with additional lessons to help you catch up," she explained. I agreed, sensing an opportunity to learn more about this mysterious new world.

In the classroom, she began my education with geography. We were in Rublesville, a small town within the Kingdom of Irdath. She detailed the four major continents:

Irdath: The most populated, strongest, and richest kingdomSelveria: A neighboring kingdom, relatively well-off with a mediocre militaryElderia: A lawless kingdom separated by sea, known for crime and povertyCrystal Reach: The richest kingdom, separated by sea, peaceful but militarily weak

Our impromptu lesson was cut short by the arrival of the main class. I understood little, which was expected given my circumstances.

Daily chores followed, and I was assigned to wiping down tables. Afterward, we went outside to play. The other children taught me new games, and for hours, I experienced the pure, unbridled joy of childhood that had been stolen from me in my previous life.

Dinner, more play, and then bedtime completed another perfect day. As I lay down, gratitude filled my heart for this second chance and the people of the orphanage.

But peace was short-lived.

The dream struck like lightning—a horrific memory that was not entirely my own:

"MOM! DAD! PLEASE, NO!" A child's scream echoed through darkness. A strong kick. Unconsciousness.

When the child awoke, he was met with a sight of unimaginable horror: his parents, covered in blood, dead on the floor, holding each other in their final embrace.

I jolted awake, covered in cold sweat, gasping for breath. Was that a memory of this body? Whose parents were they? How did I see this? Why?

Questions swirled in my mind like a tempest. Sleep became impossible. I tossed and turned until the first light of dawn, when once again, Ms. Clemintine's knock signaled the start of a new day.

"Kai, wake up and get ready to come down and eat."