Chương 6: Dreaming about the Beginning of a Prophecy

As my family and I had dinner, a sense of calm and warmth filled the room. I appreciated the meal my parents prepared for us, which was creamy mushroom soup accompanied by soft, fluffy flatbread.

The warmth of the soup soothed my belly, and the bread was delicate and sweet—a perfect match for the evening's tranquility.

When I dipped my flatbread into the creamy soup, savoring the mixture of flavors, my father spoke up softly, breaking the silence.

"It's nice to have these moments together, isn't it?"

Mother nodded, showing a tender smile. "Yes, it is. Especially after what happened today."

"Indeed," Grandfather grunted, glancing up from his soup. "And our little one here had quite the adventure exploring the village. Isn't that right, Frieren?"

I looked up, meeting his gaze, and nodded in response. My heart swelled with pleasure as I recalled all of the places I had visited along with the people I met today.

Father, watching my reaction, chuckled lightly. "Come to think of it, Frieren was always been quite clever. She could understand us so well, even when she was just a year old."

"She's always been attentive, hasn't she?" Mother added, her gaze falling on me. "Observing everything around her is such a remarkable character."

"Hmm, it could be a sign our little one will become a prodigy one day," Grandfather remarked, showing a hint of pride in his voice.

As I continued to eat, the conversation went on smoothly around me. Although I couldn't talk just yet, I listened intently, immersing myself in their words. There was something remarkable about hearing them talk about me, recognizing these little things—It made me feel adored.

Once dinner was over, my parents exchanged satisfied glances and turned to me.

"It's time for bed now, Frieren," Mother declared softly.

I nodded, feeling the weight of the day's adventures settle in as my father helped me down from the high chair before he gently ruffled my hair and went to clear the dishes.

My mother then took my hand and guided me to my room, cradling the book in my arms. The gentle glow from the evening lantern bathed the house in warmth, creating a cozy ambiance as we made our way down the hallway.

As we entered my bedroom, Mother lifted me and settled me into bed. Noticing the book still in my possession, she smiled softly.

"Do you want me to read you to sleep?"

I nodded, handing the book to her.

Mother settled down beside me, opening the cover once more. She started scanning through the pages, finding the part where we had last left off.

"After Aurelius, one of our ancestors, developed magic, he passed it to his children, who later formed the Lumenari clan. Known for their white hair, the clan continued his legacy, and that is how we came to be here today."

Upon hearing that part, I realized something—I was likely a direct descendant of the person who created magic. This shocking revelation changed my view of elves entirely.

"The Lumenari clan learned to use magic to protect their people, becoming skilled in the arts of elemental spells. They were known as..."

My mother continued reading, her voice alleviating like a lullaby. However, my vision became more weary, and my hearing grew faint.

Before long, I drifted off to sleep, feeling the soft tuck of the blanket around me and hearing her gentle footsteps leave the room.

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In the depths of my sleep, I found myself standing in a vast, starry field. The night sky above shimmered with numerous lights, each one flickering like tiny sparks. A gentle breeze rustled through the grass, carrying voices that I couldn't quite understand.

Looking down, I was shocked to find my toddler body had changed into that of when I was a teenager in my previous life.

"What the heck is happening?" I asked, addressing no one in particular.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps echoing behind me. Turning around, I noticed a figure appeared before me—a male elf with white hair, glowing softly in the moonlight.

"Um... who are you, Sir? And why am I here?" I asked cautiously, taking a step back.

The elf moved closer, his expression calm as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "My name is Aurelius. I summoned you here, to the ancestral plane, because I have something important to share with you."

I was taken aback upon hearing his response. Aurelius? The same ancestor my mother had just been reading about?

Swallowing nervously, I asked, "What would that be, Sir?"

"There is a great evil approaching in the distant future," he answered vaguely, "And it is up to you to defeat it when the time comes."

The significance of his response hung heavily over me, leaving me momentarily speechless. I gazed at him, eyes wide, struggling to wrap my head around it all.

"Me? Defeat a great evil?" I complained, deeming those words as foreign because they didn't feel deserving to me. "But I'm just a child—I don't even know how to defend myself."

Aurelius nodded as if expecting my reaction. "It may not seem possible now, but in time, you will grow in power if you manage to discover magic."

I stared at him, still unsure. Magic? I barely understood what that meant beyond what little I'd heard from stories, let alone being able to read them.

"But how?" I asked, my voice getting quieter. "I don't even know where to begin."

"I'm certain you do," he said confidently. "I mean, you've been there before, haven't you? The last place you visited."

I was perplexed as to what he was referring to when I realized about the library. It was rather clear but discovering magic in such a huge place would be difficult.

Frowning, I glance at the elf before me. "Do you think I could do it?"

"Absolutely," Aurelius confirmed, smiling at me as he stepped back, his form starting to fade into the stellar backdrop. "Believe in yourself, Frieren. The path is already paved before you."

Before I could ask him anything else, the starry field around me dissolved into darkness.

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Gasp!

I woke up with a start, my chest heaving as I struggled to catch my breath. Blinking against the soft morning light, the warmth of my blanket was a comforting contrast to the lingering chill from the dream.

Immediately sitting up, I scanned my surroundings, only to find that nothing unusually wrong in my room. Afterward, I looked down at my hands and saw that I reverted to my toddler self.

Everything seems to have returned to normal now, but that dream... it was unlike any I've had before. It was so vivid, feeling more real than just an ordinary dream.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the odd feeling lingering inside me. Could it actually be Aurelius? The same one from the story my mother read to me? It felt too real to dismiss as a simple figment of my imagination.

He had mentioned about a great evil approaching in the distant future, and that it was up to me to defeat it by discovering magic in the library. It all sounded impossible, but maybe there was something I could do about it.

Carefully, I slid off the bed, my feet touching against the wooden floor as I left my room. The morning light spilled into the hallway, and the familiar scent of breakfast greeted me.

However, my thoughts remained elsewhere—on the dream, Aurelius, and the library.

When I reached the dining room, I noticed that my grandfather was sitting at the table on his own. He eventually sensed my presence and turned to me, smiling softly.

"Morning, little one. Did you sleep well?"

I nodded, acting as if nothing had happened, but mentally, I began scanning the room for any sign of my parents. Yet, they were nowhere to be found.

"If you're looking for your mother and father, they went outside for a little while," Grandfather informed me, clearly noticing my searching gaze.

After saying that, he returned his attention to his breakfast, calmly sipping his tea. As for me, I decided to visit the library, leaving the dining room and towards the front door.

But as I was about to step outside, I heard Grandfather speak again.

"Don't you want to have breakfast with me?"

His question made me hesitate for a bit, torn between discovering magic as soon as possible and having some quality bonding time with a family member. Time appeared to press on me, the weight of Aurelius's warning heavy, yet so did the warmth of family.

I stood still at the entrance, my foot hovering above the frame. It felt like I was racing against the clock, scared to miss out, but I also didn't want to waste time either.

While contemplating, Grandfather glanced at me, his expression unwinding. He slowly placed down his cup, as though sensing my inner turmoil.

"You can always explore later," he asserted kindly with a gentle voice. "For now, let's fill our stomachs to gain strength, little one."

His words wrapped around me like a comforting blanket. Reluctantly, I took a step back and turned back toward the dining table, deciding to have breakfast first.

I went up to my grandfather to lift me and placed me on the chair, serving a delicate piece of flatbread on my plate. The sweet aroma wafted up to my nose, momentarily pulling me away from the thoughts that swirled in my mind.

Perhaps, discovering magic could wait for a little longer.