"You say that, but you 't turn me down. You have no say in this."

  My father had e in by breaking down the door. Aunty Ven had shifted my position, so I could observe everythier, allowio see the annoyed expression on Dad's face.

  "That I don't have a say? Ahis is my daughter we're talking about." Dad yells, with a voice full of suppressed anger.

  "It doesn't matter if she's your daughter or whatever. She's a Revant." Aunty Ven responded with plete fidence. She didn't seem affected in any way by Dad's pints.

  "And that gives you the right to do whatever you want!?"

  Aunty Ven frowned in annoyance. She then responded with a tone simir to that of a mother scolding her son. "No. It's MY duty under family w. Something even you 't ignore or ge."

  "..."

  Dad was silent, staring with very clear a my Aunty. She just kept calm letting out a snort, as if mog him, daring him to make a move. A straension was beginning to form in the pce, it seemed that at any moment a fight would break out.

  After a while of looking at each other in silence, Dad did not attempt to back down from his attitude. "It doesn't matter if it's family ws, I'm not going to let you take her away from me."

  "Take her away?" Aunty Ven raised an eyebrow at the question. My father didn't notice that and he just tialking.

  "Anven, I don't know what the hell you all do with Revant girls, bu-"

  "Exactly, you don't. So you stop ag like a spoiled brat and shut the hell up?" Aunty Ven responded, cutting off his words and mog him. Something that made Dad even angrier.

  "Anven!" Dad shouted; his voice furious. He took a step forward but stopped when he heard a voice behind him.

  "Sister Anven, please five him. I think he is doing this for me."

  "Iri!"

  Mom calmly walked into the room and stopped o Dad. She wore a sad and resigned expression. Whatever the reason for all this, it seemed like Mom had cluded that it was iable, no matter how much it hurt her.

  "Honey, no. This is..."

  “Leave it, Hal. There’s nothing you do about it.” Mom put her hands on Dad's face. She pced a kiss on his lips, hoping to calm him down a little, and then she walked away, moving closer to us.

  Aunty Ven sat back down on the couch, movio her p. She pced one of her hands around my stomach to support me, ahe other rest on the armrest of the couch. Mom came in front of her and sat between Maki and Sarka.

  “I was told that you were pretty bad after giving birth. I wao e earlier, but…” Aunty Ven spoke with a much softer tohan before, expressing true regret in that st sentence. Mom gave her a wry smile, before sighing and answering her.

  "It was... a difficult birth, yes. But everythi well thanks to the Goddess. Still, I appreciate the , Sister Ven."

  "I wasn't..." Ven replied in a tohat sounded like a typical tsundere, before stopping pletely and taking a long gulp of air, letting it out in a deep sigh. "No, I was worried. I tried to run back as soon as I found out, but... too many things happened."

  There was a strange silence. Everyone present stared at Aunty Ven as if they were seeing a strange animal.

  "What?" She asked, fused by everyone's attitude.

  "N-nothing. It's just, I didn't expect that level of... siy from you." My mother responded, not knowing what to say in the fay aunt's hoy.

  "Siy... maybe you're right. I didn't used to be like this. But... too much has happehese past 3 years." Said in a rather mencholy tone, which caused Mom and the rest to make worried expressions towards her. Something she quickly dismissed by waving her hand aurning to the previous topic. "Let's fet about that for now. You know why I came today, don't you?"

  "...Is it really necessary?"

  “Only if you don't wao develop mana problems iure.”

  Mana problems?

  I turo Ven, worried by her words. Something that, once again, made her raise an eyebrow in response, giving me a suspicious look at my a. It was the sed time it happened, and from her expression, she was beginning to suspect that I uood what they were talking about.

  "Anven, I won't let you take the girl. I'll find another solution."

  "Halfred, I already told you to stop ag like a spoiled child. Besides, when have I ever said anything about taking the girl?"

  At those words, Dad froze, realizing that, in fact, Aunty Ven never said anything about taking me anywhere. I had to stop myself from ughing at the silly face he was making at that moment. A much better ohan the ones he's tried to do when he pys with me.

  “I 't believe you'd actually think I was going to take a girl who hasn't even had her first birthday.”

  “…” Dad looked at the ground in silence, embarrassed.

  “Now, my little brother, I o give this girl a little ma, which is one of the reasons I came here. So don’t interrupt me anymore.”

  Aunty Ven got up, carefully handed me to Mom, a over to what I assumed were her things on a bag at the side of the couch. She took out a gss bottle from inside, one of those cssic potion bottles.

  Aunty Ven approached me, uncorked the bottle; whose liquid was a deep blue, and after soaking two of her fingers she smeared it on my forehead while uttering some words I couldn't reize or uand.

  *Bzz*

  Something simir to a short circuit resounded in the room, causing Aunty Ven to pull her hand away immediately with her eyes wide open, surprised by the ued rea. She looked at me for a long moment with a very serious expression. I could feel her analyzing me, looking for some kind of a on my part. Theook me in her arms and with a firm voice said, "I o be aloh her, is there another room I use?"

  Everyone seemed surprised by what happened, and even more so with the strange request. Mom was the first to ask what happened, but Aunty Ven immediately told her that she o firm something, but that what she o do was somethi that only the Revants were allowed to know. It took her a while to vince my parents, but soon, we were on our way to a slightly secluded room.

  Before entering, Aunty Ven ordered that no one was allowed to approaatter what. She was not to be disturbed. Then we went inside and she locked the door.

  I was just a normal room, with a medium-sized bed, a desk with its chair, a closet, and a few other pieces of furniture and decorations. Aunty Ven id me down on the bed and, from her bag, took out a strange crystal ball. She pced it on the floor and, pressing her hand on it, a bluish glow began to e out, spreading across the room and c it pletely.

  "That should do it. Now..."

  Something wasn't right. That feeling I had before; the ay, the panic... I could feel those feelings welling up again. Everything was calm, without that suffog pressure, but again there was a fear of dying. Ven turo me, sword in hand. I had no idea where she pulled that from, but I could see her draw it and point it at me.

  "Who are you and what are you looking for in this family? Depending on your answer, I may give you a quick death." She asked with a cold tone. Once again, I found myself trapped by her gaze, which made me feel like a rat before a powerful snake.

  What, quick death... why!? What did I do!?

  I started to "speak" straining to ask her what was going on, but obviously, my mouth and tongue weren't able to pronouhe words properly, so only meaningless babble came out. I was just starting to practice how to speak a few days ago and had made nress at all, how did she expect me to tell her anything when I couldn't even do it calmly?

  "If you're not going to talk, then I'll go cutting you piece by pietil you do."

  Her voice had turned cold and sharp as the on she wielded against me, hiding the ahat could only be seen reflected in her reptilian eyes. I was pletely terrified.

  What had I doo suddenly have her treat me that way? I could feel my tears streaming down my cheeks, I was shaking like I had never do before. Why did she suddenly want to kill me?

  Anven approached me, clearly intending to use her swainst me. I could only gasp in terror and curl up into a ball as I cried in terror.

  "Stop pretending and start talk-"

  Aopped mid-sentence. I don't know what made her stop, but at least I would live a little longer because of it.

  She looked at my ohat was not hidden by my position for a long moment and, as if she had realized something, she closed her eyes took a deep breath, and the her sword at the side of her hip and stepped back.

  " you uand what I'm saying?"

  I nodded slowly, trembling in fear.

  " you speak?"

  I shook my head, elig a disappointed sigh from her.

  "I'm going to ask you some questions, nod or shake your head to answer, got it?"

  I nodded.

  "Okay. I won't try to hurt you anymore.” Then, she made her sword disappear and raised her arms to shoulder height. Trying to look less threatening. “But I o uand what's going on, you sit down?"

  I nodded again, slowly pulling myself back up. I didn't really trust her, but I was a baby and pletely at her mercy...it's not like I had any other options.

  "Alright. First question, are you really my niece Orinthya?"

  I nodded immediately. Why was she doubting that? Did she think I stole her niece's body or something?

  "Really?"

  I nodded more emphatically. She looked at me squinting suspiciously, but decided to accept my answer for now.

  "Were you born this way or did this happely?"

  I tilted my head to the side, unsure how to ahat question. Seeing that I didn't know how to answer, Ven decided to rephrase.

  "From what I remember, you were born in the middle of spring... We're in te fall... so that would be almost 7 months ago. Do you uand about days, months, and years?"

  I nodded.

  "Right. Do you remember your birth?"

  I shook my head. I'm not quite sure from what time I remember... I calcuted that I was born at about the beginning of summer, so I wasn't that far off the actual date.

  "Do you remember the fre?"

  Again, I tilted my head. I didn't know what the fre was.

  "Ah, the fre was when the weather was dangerously hot to go outside. I guess they kept you in a room for several days to protect you from the weather."

  Ah, that. Well, I guess she meant when I woke up in that room for the first time. I nodded while maintaining my expression of surprise at the sudden realization.

  “Any memories before that?”

  I shook my head. Nothing before that.

  "I see. If you remember from that time, then it was shortly after you were born. Damn, it gets difficult and ambiguous from here on how to get information."

  I could uand that. How do I make her uand that I don't represent a danger? I crossed my arms, trying to think of some solution. Strangely I calmed down at some point, perhaps thanks to the distra of “talking”. Although, I was still shaking a little... just a little.

  "It's hard not to be suspicious of you when you look like that."

  Ven snapped me out of my thoughts with those words, what was she referring to?

  "Yeah, just that. Those expressions that don't match ye, the way you move or respond. Are you an adult who turned into a baby or something?"

  I nodded immediately. Although somewhat involuntary. I knew she'd meant it as a joke, a fleeting thought that couldn't possibly be real… but it's funny that she was mostly right.

  "...Really?"

  I nodded again.

  Ven pihe bridge of her seemed that she was starting to get a headache. I uand that feeling.

  "How the fuck...? I need an expnation of how that would happen."

  I nodded agreeing with that. I wish there was a way for me to do it.

  Or… maybe there is one way. Although... it's going to be plicated

  I got her attention by waving my hands, hoping that my simple idea would somehow be effective.

  "What, did you e up with something?"

  I nodded somewhat enthusiastically.

  "Well, let's see what you've got."

  I started by gesturing to myself, I needed her to uand what I wao do before I started to...well, tell my story this way.

  "You? You what?"

  I hen I put both hands open in front of me, showing all my fingers. I closed them, and a sed ter I opehem again. I repeated that a until I pleted 34... The age at which I died.

  "34? What does that mean?"

  I poio myself again.

  "You again? Wait... that's ye?"

  I nodded in relief. She picked up on it.

  "I get it. Let's do it this way then. Okay, you're 34...too young, ironically. But how did you end up this way?"

  That question was tricky, how to expin to her that I died and reinated?

  I thought about how to ahat for a moment until I remembered the globally accepted sign to indicate that someone was dead. I put my thumb on one side of my ned moved it to the other side.

  "What does that mean, decapitation?"

  I shook my head hard. I thought about it for a sed and then hen I didn't know how to answer again.

  "Make up your mind, yes, or no?"

  Again, a tricky spot. I tried to make the sign once more, but this time I dropped on my ba the bed, hoping that something this simple would help. Ven looked fused for a moment until something seemed to cli her mind.

  "Dead?"

  I nodded vigorously after sitting back up. I mao make her uand that I had died, that was already majress.

  "You died? But you're alive, I'm not uanding you."

  I stopped, lost in thought. I didn't want to remember that. Especially now that I had been so scared, twice, feeling like I was going to be killed. At least, for now, Ven was much, much calmer and willing to listen, but who could assure me it would stay that way ter?

  Without much choice, I tried to take off my clothes. I could feel my diaper soaki, but... let's not focus on that. Ven looked fused for a moment until I mao expose my chest. Thus, I showed her my birthmark.

  "What the...? That looks strangely familiar."

  I imagine. If you carry a sword, you're used to seeing ssh and stab wounds. I took that as an opportunity to point to her sword, hoping that it would help her uand the resembnce.

  "What, my sword, you got stabbed with a sword?"

  I shook my head and immediately put my hands at some distance from each other to let her know that it was something shorter.

  "Shorter? A dagger?"

  Teically yes, so I nodded. Ve silent for a moment.

  "So that's why you had that look, how did it happen?"

  I see. That's what saved me before... maybe it was that she saw in my eyes that fear at the sight of her sword... maybe the way I hid from her, c my chest, made her uand something and that's why she stopped. How ironic that the cause of my death is what was keeping me alive now.

  Not wanting to keep her waiting, I poio the swain, then put my hand as if holding a knife and... I hesitated for a sed to mimic that a. This was being a kind of mental torture for me.

  I didn't want to remember it, not when things were going so well for me in this world. I was getting used to my new family, they were treatih love and respect. I began to love them myself, to see them as my real family. But, remembering my past felt like taking oep forward and two steps back.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath for a moment, then with my imaginary knife, I stabbed the bed again and again and again. Without realizing it, I was increasing the force with which I was doing it until Ven stopped my hand.

  At some point tears fell down my face, my hand trembling inside Ven's hand. The look she gave me was one of pity and passion. I could see that she uood what I wao tell her.

  "Who did that to you?"

  A question I didn't want to answer. Not only because it would be difficult, but because maybe she would think it was Irna, my current mother.

  I hesitated for a moment but made up my mind. I hoped she could uand the one word I could say to her.

  "Mah..."

  "Mah?"

  I nodded. It took her a while, but when I saw her expression, she was mad... furious.

  "Your mother?" she asked. tained anger in her voice.

  I nodded.

  "Irna?"

  I immediately de.

  "So... the mother you had, before you became a baby again?"

  I nodded again. Relieved that she hadn't stuck believing it was my current mother.

  "Why, why would a mother kill her daughter? And worse, in that way so..." She asked into nothingness... her expression was bitter, grittieeth. I could tell that she really hated to imagihat someone could it su act.

  I shook my head, tellihat even I didn't uand it myself.

  Really, what kind of mother shes out, knife in hand, at her son? What kind of mother hates her son so much that she would murder him that way? Even though I did nothing more than be born.

  Or perhaps it recisely because I was born.

  The thought made me feel disgusted and... hurt. I was already aware that this witch did not love me in the least. Her gaze towards me was always one of gered. And now that I think about it, it was reasoo think that being alive was the reason. She hated me because I was born.

  As if that had beerigger, I began to cry. g with anger and pain. Louder and louder with each passing sed.

  If you hated me that much, why the fuck did you keep me with you!? why not give me up for adoption or just abort me!? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GIVE BIRTH TO ME AND MAKE ME GH ALL THAT SHIT!?

  …

  …

  I don't know how long I was like that, but at some point, Aunt Ven sat dowo me and started stroking my head.

  Just like before, she wiped the tears on my face very carefully, wiped my nose, and bed my tousled hair.

  "I don't know what kind of life you had, but that's over. They 't hurt you again. Not here."

  I looked at her, somewhat incredulous at her words. Does she believe me? But as if this time she had uood what I was thinking, she responded.

  "I still don't quite believe you. But... it takes a terrible person not to realize that what I saw was real. There's no way anyone could fake that kind of emotional pain."

  I hat was enough. It made me feel better that someone knew about what I lived through, even if it was just my final moments.

  "*sigh* anyway, how did you end up like that?"

  I shared the same sigh, then wondered how should I expin my deal with Sathalia. And after much thought, I simply pointed upwards.

  "The ceiling? What does that mean?"

  I shook my head, then tinued pointing upward.

  "Higher?"

  I nodded.

  "The sky?"

  I denied.

  "...higher?"

  I nodded.

  "You don't mean the Pilrs, do you?"

  I shook my head. The Pilrs are what they call the Higher Ones here. I saw how she was somewhat relieved by that, but, sorry Aunty Ven, it's... more plicated. I pointed upwards again.

  "Higher?!" Ven jumped to her feet, totally incredulous at what I was implying. "The Goddess!?"

  I nodded.

  "You talked to the Goddess Sathalia!!!?"

  I nodded again.

  She opened her eyes wide. pletely bewildered, shocked, stupefied. She covered her mouth with her hand. Her expression told me she was pletely lost. She started mumbling something as she paced the room bad forth. She seemed to have no idea what to do or think with that information.

  I got her attention by waving my arms. When she did, I poio the sky, then to me, and then csped my hands together, mimig a handshake. She didn't ua first, but when I offered her my hand, and theed the handshake she caught on immediately.

  "A deal? You made a deal with the goddess!?"

  I hen I proceeded, by trial and error, pointing to things in the room that would help me form a vague expnation of my deal with Sathalia. In short... Sky, me, deal, baby, broken, sky, , world, repair, sky.

  "Let me get this straight. You made a deal with the goddess that she would let you e back to life, correct?"

  I nodded. We're doing well for now.

  "Okay. Uh... The sky is somehow broken and you have to repair it by creating some kind of s. Is that so?"

  I nodded. Not the whole story, or very detailed really, but that's the gist of it.

  "May the Goddess have mer our souls. Do the Pilrs know about this?"

  I nodded. I remember her saying something about having to find an oracle, so I guess they should know about me if there's any way to tact them.

  "I'll have to sult an oracle to firm that. I guess she clear some things up for me."

  That, that's it! I poi her, hoping she could uand me.

  "What, the oracle?"

  I hen started making different signs for her.

  "You, sky? no? Ah, the Goddess? Ok, you, Goddess, talk? Me? No... ah, the oracle? I see. The Goddess told you about the oracles. Look? Watg? It's not that... simir? Hmm. Ah! Seek? The goddess told you that you should seek an oracle?"

  I nodded. At st, it looked like we could unicate.

  "That's going to be hard. You're a baby. Besides, you're not even able to talk. How do you expect to get any of that when you 't do anything? And before you even think about asking me for help. No, I won't."

  I lowered my head in disappoi. I guess the fact that she was "listening" to me was good enough.

  "Don't look so disappointed. It's not because I don't want to. It's simply because I 't. I'll just be arouoday. I have to go bay team before tomorrow. I just came to see you and bring a gift for your sister."

  I was sad that she couldn't help me more, but I assumed that, if she had to leave so soon, it was because it was something importaed to her work. I would also have liked to ask what she did for a living.

  "We'll leave it at that for now. I say that at least you don't seem to be a threat to the family. But I still need you to expin the whole story to me, just in case."

  I nodded. If I trust her, then I have no problem telling her everything. But... I clutched my chest and looked at her with as serious an expression as I could, hoping she would grasp what I wao tell her.

  "...*sigh* I uand. You trust me. But I have two ditions."

  I nodded so she could tinue.

  "First. I must help you uand what a Revant is and all that it entails, so, when it is time for me to teach you everything, you have to follow absolutely all my orders, without questioning me, without pining. Do you uand?"

  I nodded. It wasn't difficult, and it seemed like something that would be beneficial to me anyway, so I didn't see any problem with it.

  "Right. Sed; I may not be able to return to the capital for at least a couple of years, so the ime we see each other, it will be when you've grown up a lot. I don't know how long it will be, whether in 3, 5, or even 10 years, but, the ime I e back it will be to stay food. So, don't look for any oracle until I e back."

  I immediately denied and I was about to reply... with signs, since I couldn't do it any other way, but Ven signaled me to stop a her expin.

  "Rex, I have my reasons. First of all, it's because I already know an oracle. She's an old friend, and I know that, if I ask her for that favor, she'll help us without asking too many questions. Also, I o be present when you talk to her."

  I tilted my head in fusion. Did she o talk to a Pilr?

  "Don't overthink it. Like I said, I have my reasons. More importantly, will you agree to those two ditions?"

  I thought about it for a moment. The first dition, as I said, I didn't mind fulfilling. The problem was the sed dition. I could wait 3 or 4 years, but more than that, it was too long. I o get an oray side as soon as possible and have a base to start w with. If Sathalia sent me here, it meant that the first anchor had to be pearby. But if I had to wait up to 10 years for it... How plicated could things get if I deyed my first move too long?

  Oher hand, this could very well be a good thing. I could feel firsthand how powerful my Aunty Ven is. Having her as my backup could be invaluable, and if getting her on my side secured me an oracle as well, then it was definitely an offer I couldn't refuse.

  It took me a little more time to think about it until I finally decided to accept. I o Ven and offered her my hand. Aunty Ve out a ugh, amused by the strangeness of this moment, but she took my little hand and shook it carefully.

  “Well, with that settled, now I have to make up an excuse for all of this. What should I tell your mother?”

  Aunty Ven said that with a somewhat dramatie. She seemed to already know what she o say, but she also seemed like she just wao make fun of me.

  My dear Aunty Ven, please take pity on this little niece of yours... today I already suffered much more than I ever thought I could in this new life.

  Aunty Ven just o herself, rearranged my clothes… checked my diaper… and then lifted me out of bed, carrying me in her arms.

  “For now, I'll just say there was a rebound because you're half Atenosia. After all, you would be the first of that tribe to be born as a Revant into our family. That, and the process I had to use was too annoying and cumbersome to expin. So, they shouldn't ask too many questions.”

  I hope so. Although, it's not like they ask me anything. I just hope they don't get mad at her.

  Aunty Veivated the artifact she left on the floor, threw it int and we immediately left the room. Mom was outside with Maki and Dad, waiting for us.

  For some reason, Maki was looking really upset, she was somewhat far from both of them. My parents seemed a little unfortable when we saw them on the way out.

  Aunty Ven didn’t care and expihe story she had made up about there being a rebound because I was half Atenosia. Mom seemed to buy the excuse, adding that perhaps it happened because my Vah had just started growing and the weak circution of mana in my body may have interfered with whatever it did before.

  I could see some sweat f on Aunty Ven's forehead. I wao ugh out loud at that moment, but I had to e. I didn't think she was like that. After seeing her act so scary before, this felt pretty adorable. A good gap moe.

  Leaving that aside, Aunty Ven tried to divert the topid ask about Zenya, since she wao give her birthday present before leaving to e back... in who knows how many years.

  I kind of wished she could stay a little longer. If not, at least have her e bay first birthday or 5th if she 't e back too soon.

  I figured that a stressful situation like this, and the fact that she was the first person to know the real me, made me feel closer to her. A bit of Sto syndrome with a pinch of the suspensie effeot at the level of falling in love, but at least respeg and appreciating her.

  Aunty Ven, with me still in her arms, said goodbye to everyone, preparing to be guided by a maid to the pce where Zenya and Lady Grawfalls were. She would deliver her gift and leave immediately since she still had a lot of things to do today.

  “So, kid.”

  She lifted me into her arms, bringing me down to her eye level. We looked at each other for a long sed, before I, without really uanding what made me do it, opened my arms demanding a hug. Aunty Ven seemed surprised by my ued a, but she pulled me closer to her and I was able to hug her neck. The others just stood there silently watg us, or at least that's what I imagined. I was too focused to vey my gratitude to her. Once again, she had terrified me with her as, but I also felt like she helped me a lot.

  “Okay, okay, leave it at that. I still have to go see your sister.”

  With a somewhat unfortable tone, Aunty Ven led me away, handio Maki who had moved to retrieve me. Ven immediately turned away from us and said goodbye almost in a whisper. For a brief moment, as she turned, I could see a small fsh of her face turning red.

  I guess even she feel embarrassed. You should never uimate the ess of babies... even if that baby is teically a guy over 30 years old.

  Thank you, Aunty Ven. I hope to see you again soon.

  The RevantsAsherian with short stature, between 120 and 140 cm the tallest. Their appearance was simir to humans, with several differences. Like the Friasan, they had bck sclera, with a wide range of eye colors, the only ones not having the bck sclera are the gray eyes.

  Their pupil used to be of the slit type. The hair was almost exclusively red or bck. Ears pointed, but shorter, being barely noticeable. Their night vision was especially good, as was their sense of smell, taste, and wild instincts. They did not have tails, horns, or wings, but they did have quite sharp cws on their hands a, and more powerful teeth, with 12 fangs and 4 mors. Still being basic ivores, but capable of eating a few types of fruit and other foods.

  Although they were quite small pared to most other races, they were incredibly agile and strong. Capable of having even bats with oppos twice their size. Their muscles and bones were much denser and their body better adapted.

  They were hunters and warriors by nature, being especially good at the front lines. Mostly fighters with melee ons.

  Currently sidered ainct tribe. Their pilr, ********, grahem ************** and **** that the Revants could not withstand these ges, dying younger and youhey could only be saved by crossing with another race, little by little eliminating ************, until today, only o is born per geion. Who has to gh various rituals and training so that their own body does not reaegatively.

  They used to live between 90 to 100 years. At the end of "the great dee", their life expecy plummeted to 50 to 60 years. The new geions live up to 180 years.

  FivesZeta