Favored by God

Ms. Clementine's Perspective

Kai Foster has been staying with us for three years now, and he remains as much of a mystery as the day he arrived. He claims he still hasn't regained any of his memories, yet it doesn't seem to trouble him anymore. When he first came, there was always something heavy weighing on his chest, as if he carried a burden beyond what met the eye. But as time passed, that tension faded, and I've never seen him happier.

He gets along with all the children, even those who once disliked him—like Micah. With time, even Rowan has come out of his shell and seems to be enjoying life again, and I believe Kai plays a significant role in that transformation. Regardless of whether he ever recovers his memories, Kai is my child now and always will be. In my eyes, I'll love all these children unconditionally.

Kai's Perspective

"No, Micah… o-one more round, I almost had the best. Just—just one more, it's warm out… so warm… hot, it's hot… IT'S HOT!"

I burst awake from my dream in a panic, feeling like I was being roasted alive. To my surprise, a flame hovered above me. I immediately identified the culprits.

"Not funny, Maya," I muttered.

Suddenly, my door flew open, and Maya and Rowan tumbled through the doorway, laughing so hard I thought their chests might burst.

"Oh my gosh, Kai! You should have seen how much you freaked out. This never gets old!" Rowan said, wiping tears from his face.

"Actually, guys, it does get old. It got old about a year ago," I responded with an unamused expression.

Maya grinned. "Yeah, to you maybe. But to us, this is still the best way to start the day."

"Whatever. Can you get out so I can get ready? I'll meet you downstairs," I said, getting out of bed.

They looked at me for a moment before erupting into even harder laughter.

"What? What is it now?" I asked, irritated.

They pointed at me, still laughing. When I looked down, I realized the most embarrassing moment of my life had just occurred—I had wet the bed.

"This is because you held that flame over me while I slept, Maya," I said furiously.

"Whatever you say, Pee Pee Pants," Maya retorted as she and Rowan made their exit.

"Make sure to clean up before coming down, Pee Pee Pants," Rowan added, chuckling.

I slammed the door behind them before cleaning up and jumping into the bath. Rowan has grown so much in these past three years—not just physically. Though sometimes I think I preferred him before, I added with a scornful face.

These past three years have been the best of my life. I've never been this happy, and I barely think about my past anymore. Except for my mom and dad—I still think about them. I hope I'm living the life they wanted me to live.

I've grown incredibly close to Maya and Rowan. We're almost always together. Rowan has become much more outgoing, funny, and cheerful—even if that leads to stunts like this morning. I'm still happy for him. Maya remains mostly the same, except she's become much more powerful. It's scary, really. She's a generational talent, without a doubt.

I've maintained my sword training every day. My body hasn't just grown older but stronger and tougher. I discovered I'm something of a talent. I've already caught up to Micah in skill, and I've grown taller over the last three years, although I guess that's a given. Ms. Clementine keeps my hair short, saying it makes me look more dignified.

Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I can't believe this is the same frail, dirty, and weak body from three years ago.

After finishing my bath, I headed down for breakfast. As usual, I sat next to Rowan and Maya. Maya leaned towards me and whispered, "We're going out again today. You've got to come with us, Kai."

I sighed. "Again, really? Fine, I'll come."

This past year, Maya has been incredibly interested in practicing her magic practically. We've been sneaking out during free time and hunting low-class animals like wolves for practice. I mainly go along to keep them out of trouble.

After finishing breakfast, I went to my morning sword practice. These days, training is mostly a workout followed by sparring, as Micah doesn't have much left to teach me. Our sparring sessions are pretty evenly matched, which I know frustrates Micah. But he's much easier on me now and at least pretends to be happy for my progress.

While Maya and Rowan are my best friends, Micah is more like an older brother who always looks out for me.

I completed my training, attended main classes, and finally, it was time to head out.