Second chance

A boy named Saato always had a weak heart. Because of this, he never had a chance to make friends or form good relationships with anyone. As long as he could remember, he had always been hospitalized. One sunny day, as he sat on his hospital bed, he looked out the window and said in a weak, depressed voice, "I wish I was dead."

As night fell, his condition grew worse. The doctor was by his side, along with the nurses and his parents. As he closed his eyes, he saw the tear-streaked faces of his mother and father. With a sad voice, he said, "My whole life, I've made people worry for me, cry for me. I couldn't even make my parents proud. I couldn't even be the son they deserved. Please, God, I want a second chance at life. Please, God, I want to live! I don't want to die! Please, God, please!"

As his voice faded, the light grew brighter. He opened his eyes and saw his new parents. His father was holding him, laughing happily, and then he saw his mother who had just given birth to him. His father had brown hair and brown eyes, and his mother's hair and eyes were silver-white. His father said in a happy voice, "Look at our son, Amanda."

She barely opened her eyes, as though she was tired, and saw her son. She smiled. Then his father said, "What should we name him?"

His mother said, "Mizayaki."

His father said, "Hmm, I like it." As he looked at the boy, he said, "Welcome to our family, Mizayaki, my boy." And that's how Mizayaki got his second chance at life.

The three of them lived alone on a green field filled with tall grass. They lived in a wooden house built by Mizayaki’s parents. They grew their own vegetables and fruits; his father was very talented and knowledgeable about farming.

Four years later, Mizayaki started remembering his past life, where he died from heart cancer. As he was sitting near the river on a rock, he said to himself, "So I was really given a second chance at life! But what is this world? Dragons? Magic? I thought that was only possible in video games, but it's real! Well, at least I have a healthy body now. I can walk, play around, and run."

His father then called him for dinner. "Mizayaki, come, let's eat!"

Mizayaki said, "Yes, Father, I'm coming!" He thought to himself, "I should keep this a secret that I'm from another world."

Now six years old, Mizayaki was taking lessons from his mother on how to use magic. "Okay, Mizayaki, this is how you use fire magic. First, feel your mana throughout your entire body, and then focus that mana on your hands and say 'Fireball'!"

The mother showed Mizayaki how it's done. The fireball went up into the sky, exploding. Mizayaki was shocked. "Wow, Mom, you're so strong!" he said.

His mother smirked proudly. "Of course I'm strong."

Then his father said, "She is strong, but this is not true strength. The true strength comes from you, not from some stupid mana." As he said that, he punched the rock he was sitting on, breaking it into little pieces.

Mizayaki was shocked even more. "Wow, Dad! How did you do that? Was it magic?"

His dad laughed and said, "No, boy, it's not magic. It's true strength without any mana or spell."

Then his mother said, "Well, of course you would say this, Mizayaki. The truth is your father can't use magic."

Then his father said, "Who needs magic when you have true strength?"

As he was saying this, his mother said, "Come, Mizayaki, let's eat before your father starts breaking other stuff."

"Hey! I'm also coming, and it's not true. I don't break stuff."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't!"

As he was closing the door, it broke. His mother said, "See, Mizayaki? Mama was right."

Then his father said, "Don't worry, I will fix it."

A few days later, Mizayaki was taking lessons from his father on hand-to-hand combat. His mother was sitting underneath a tree on a sunny day while his father taught him. His mother was talking to herself, saying, "Look at my boy, Mizayaki. He's grown so much. I wish I could see the man he's going to become. I wish I could stay with them. I don't have much time left. I don't want to go. I want to stay here with them."

As she was saying this, a tear fell. Mizayaki saw it and asked, "Mama, why are you crying?"

His mother said, "Oh, it's nothing. They're tears of happiness. I'm happy to see how much you've grown."

Then his father said, "Mizayaki, I think your mother is feeling lonely. Let's take a break, okay?"

"Yay! Thanks, Dad, I'm hungry!" Mizayaki said.

A few days later, Mizayaki was taking lessons from his mother on how to use water magic. As she was teaching him, she started coughing. She fell to her knees, covering her mouth, and coughed up blood.

Mizayaki was scared. In a worried voice, he yelled, "Father! Come quick! Mother's coughing blood! Father!"

His father came, picked up Mizayaki’s mother, and laid her on the bed. He then went quickly to the kitchen to get a potion. The potion was a shining blue liquid in a glass bottle the length of a finger.

He gave her the potion. Mizayaki was crying and said, "Fa-Father, what happened to Mama? Is she okay?"

His father said, "Yeah, she's okay. I just gave her a potion that boosts mana. When she's low on mana, she gets sick."

Then his mother said, "Come here, Mizayaki."

Mizayaki hugged his mother, crying louder. "Mom, you scared me! I thought you were going to die! Don't leave me, Mom!"

Mizayaki's mother also started crying.

A few days later, Mizayaki was sleeping. His parents were talking, and his mother was crying. "Jean," she said to Mizayaki's father, "I don't want to leave you two. I don't want to die. I want to stay here with you two."

"No, Amanda, don't say that. You will be fine. It's going to be all right. I'm going to find that Demon King and kill it for sure now."

Then Amanda said, "No, Jean, you can't leave Mizayaki alone. I guess you two will have to live without me."

Then Jean said, "No, Amanda, don't say stuff like this. Don't."

Jean held Amanda in his arms.

A few days later, Mizayaki woke up, and his parents weren't there. He called for them. "Mom? Dad? Where are you two?"

The house was small and had only three rooms: a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom.

Mizayaki went outside. It was raining hard, and he could hear the sound of lightning. He saw his father burying something. He went to his dad and asked, "Dad, where's Mom? I looked everywhere. Where is Mom?"

His father didn't say anything. He finished burying and just sat, looking at what he had buried. "Dad, where is Mom? And what are you doing in the rain?" Mizayaki asked.

His father looked at Mizayaki. His eyes were dead, with no light in them.

Then Mizayaki said, "No, no, no! Don't tell me... Nooo! Mom! Mom!" As he was saying this, he started digging the grave. His father stopped him and grabbed him, and Mizayaki was crying.

"That day, I cried. I really cried, but I didn't see one tear in my father's eyes. I think he was too broken to even shed a tear. We sat there near Mama's grave for hours. The rain stopped, but my tears didn't."