Eyes That Remember

The hollowness began to fill.

Not with sound. Not with fire. With light.

It wasn’t that dark stage. Neither was it my subconscious. Nor the rooftop.

I opened my eyes to a ceiling.
Familiar... too familiar.
But not mine. Not my room.

I knew this place.
It was the ceiling of mother and father's chamber.

Then a face came into view. Wrinkled, kind—an old woman, a sheep-kin. I didn’t know her.
She was patting me gently, arms rocking back and forth.

No—she was cradling me.

…Wait.
Cradling?

"There, there," she cooed softly, "Congratulations, Ma'am, Sir. It’s a boy. Here..."

She handed me to someone.

Large hands wrapped around me, steady and warm. A huge figure loomed above.

Father.

But… younger? Taller? No—I was smaller. Much smaller.

The corner of his eyes glistened.

Tears?

He brought his face close and kissed my forehead. "My boy, Basalin, you’re so adorable. Thank you, Balin."

Wait... what?!

"I'm not a baby, Father! What are you—!"

But no sound came out. Just air. I was thinking. Only thinking.

Then he turned to someone.
"Basalin, go to Mama."

I was passed again.

Another face now.

Mother.

She looked radiant. Gentle.
She lay back, breath ragged, her disheveled mane slick with sweat—utterly exhausted, and yet utterly alive.

She smiled down at me, at me... and stroked my head.
"Welcome to the family, my dear Basalin."

I just stared. Wide-eyed. Silent.

Everything around me felt… real.
Too real to be a dream.
Too strange to be a memory.

It hit me slowly.

This isn’t a vision.
I was born again.

I tried to speak. To blink. To move.
But nothing obeyed. I couldn’t lift my body.
Couldn’t even flinch.

Only thoughts moved. And even they felt like they were drifting through fog.

Everything was bigger now.
Everyone was louder.
And I… was tiny.

What happened to me?
How did I get here?

My family's acknowledgement—the royal crest; my departure with brother to the Mc.Lain Academy...

All gone. Everything that I earned.

After all those efforts, when I finally managed to reach Vulcan, this happened. A restart...
But I never sought a restart...

It felt like a curtain call to my achievements. A black curtain.

But one thing for sure... I had my memory intact.

But to be sure...

I began concentrating with a soft exhale.

My physical body may have been reset, but as for my mental state... that should be untouched if all those previous twelve years weren't a lie, a dream.

Yes! Thank god!

I could feel Vulcan's energy flowing through my veins. The past wasn't a fable, my struggles were true, Vulcan was real.

But somehow the present was not. At least not for me...

"Congratulations, Balin and brother!"

Another familiar voice… Uncle. He stood by the entrance.

Father straightened and bowed. "Long live the king. It's a pleasure to see you here. I was just about to send the word—you didn’t need to come here in person."

The old woman bowed also and quietly left the room.

Uncle only smiled. "I'm here as my nephew’s uncle, not as your king."

His presence hadn’t changed, not outwardly. But I could feel it now, perhaps because of the pact with Vulcan. His spirit energy—Terris. It was regal, but also restrained. Leashed, maybe.

Father looked down at me and patted my head gently. "How fortunate you are, my child."

"So Basalin it is..." the King repeated softly.

"Please, come in brothe—I mean… Your Majesty." Father corrected himself awkwardly.

Uncle chuckled. "We have another guest waiting here."

And then she entered.

Lady Temina.
The Forest Guardian.
Also my trainer... for a time that never existed in this present.

Her presence washed into the room like a breeze slipping through a dense forest. Cold, distant and ancient. I felt it before I even saw her. The moment she stepped into view, something inside me stirred, like a string pulled tight in my chest.

Father bowed again, but his tone was bright with disbelief. "Today is the luckiest day of all. The sacred guardian is here. Basalin, you're really something. Just born, and already you've drawn both the king and our guardian!"

Father and uncle, the two of them stepped aside, voices dropping low as they discussed something in the corner.

And then she turned toward me.

She walked slowly, cautiously, and even. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she approached, though she masked it with a smile.

"Congratulations!" she said softly. "How’s the baby?"

"He's healthy and lively." Mother replied, her voice still hoarse from labor, yet proud. "Here, would you like to hold him?"

"It would be my pleasure. You should rest. Don't try to move too much."

And then her arms started reaching out for me.

But then it struck in me...

I have Vulcan inside me.
And if I remember correctly, that night Lady Temina felt Vulcan's presence once she touched me.
What would she think if a baby holds a spirit from his birth?

A sudden instinct flared in me. I wanted to pull away. Hide. Run.
But I was trapped in this tiny frame, and my limbs wouldn’t even obey me.

So I did the only thing I could.

I used the most powerful weapon of babies—I started crying.

Raw. Loud. Sudden.

The sound filled the room, sharp as a blade through silk. Mother's arms shifted, holding me closer, trying to soothe me.

And Temina stopped.

Her smile remained... but it froze in place, brittle. Her hands, once mid-step, hesitated. She didn’t even reach out.

Just... stared.
At me.

Her gaze flickered. Not in confusion, but in calculation. She didn’t look at me like I was a newborn. She looked at me like I was something… else.

Something she couldn’t quite name, but already...

Did she figure it out?!

She masked it well. "A-ah... seems he's sensitive," she said, her voice lighter than before. "Poor thing’s overwhelmed already."

She gave a soft chuckle.

She can't.
Yeah, she can't... right?!

Then, she turned away.
Just like that.

Maybe I am the one overthinking.

Father came back to me, and cradled to pause my wail.

"I’ll visit again." she added softly.

"And me as well. Rest well, Balin." Uncle added, his voice returning to its usual regal tone. "See you later brother. I am counting on you General Sakan Lenard."

And with that, they both left.

The room felt lighter after their departure.
But not safe.
The unease lingered, coiled like a thread of smoke that refused to vanish.
I felt a flicker of release… but no resolution.

I still didn’t know what had happened to me.
Or why.

And with this tiny, helpless body… I couldn’t find out.

Damn it… this stupid little body.

But then something worse came forth...