On the 18th of Ellunys, during the warm month of Moindreclair, a cry echoed through the village of Solva?l, located in the little-known region of the Asven Belts.

  In a small, modest house in the village, a woman lay on a bed, her face soaked from the effort she had just endured.

  At her side stood a man, holding her hand to comfort her.

  At the foot of the bed, another woman was present.

  She withdrew her arms from beneath the covers that hid the body of the woman lying down, her hands holding firmly and gently a small being newly born.

  She lifted the baby for the man and the woman to see.

  “Congratulations, Zephyra, it’s a little girl,” she said with a smile.

  The baby began to squirm softly, letting out small whimpers, then the cries grew stronger until they became steady sobs.

  The woman holding the newborn placed her into a small wooden cradle and covered her with a blanket.

  She then took hold of a blade heated in the flame and a twisted cord of dried nettle, reinforced with an infusion of roots.

  She cut the cord a few centimeters from the child’s belly, carefully tied the thread around the stump, then applied a brownish balm that gave off a strong scent of sage.

  “Are you alright, Zephyra? You must be exhausted after all that,” the man asked.

  He released Zephyra’s hand and crouched beside her, passing a small cloth soaked in water over her forehead.

  “I’m fine, Eldran. Just glad the pain has finally eased!” she replied, short of breath.

  Eldran then stood up, moving closer to the cradle, his eyes holding back tears as he looked at his child.

  “May I take her, Melfynia?” he asked.

  But Melfynia gestured with her hand to say no, before moving to the table to set down the tools she had used.

  She returned to the child and placed her thumb on the baby’s forehead, tracing strange signs.

  A faint glow appeared, pinkish in color, forming an unfamiliar rune.

  These gestures soothed the child, who stopped crying as her eyes gently closed, before she fell into a deep sleep.

  “Now you may take her in your arms,” she finally said.

  Eldran slid one hand beneath the child’s neck, the other under the bend of her knees, then lifted her, adjusting the blanket.

  He then moved toward Zephyra, bending slightly to show her their daughter.

  “She’s beautiful, Eldran,” she said.

  “But are you sure you want to keep her after what I told you? I don’t want you to force this upon yourself, my love.”

  He placed the little one on his wife’s chest, and she wrapped her arms around her.

  “Zephyra, you know that I love you. No matter what happened, she is our daughter, alright? We will do everything to make her happy,” he said with a smile.

  Those words eased Zephyra, her gaze resting on her daughter.

  Melfynia stepped closer to them, a clear smile on her face at the sight of the scene.

  “Very well, but now you must give her a proper name. You’re not going to call her ‘baby’ her whole life, the poor thing,” she said with a laugh.

  Zephyra and Eldran looked at each other, as if caught off guard.

  Their eyes drifted into the distance as they thought for a moment.

  “Nerya!” Zephyra exclaimed in a gentle voice.

  “I really like that name. What do you think, my love?”

  Her husband looked at his wife, then quickly glanced between her and their daughter.

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  “I like it very much. And you’ve always been better than me at choosing names,” Eldran affirmed.

  “Welcome among us, my little Nerya.”

  Melfynia then wrote the name down on two sheets and handed one to Eldran.

  “Do not lose it under any circumstances. It proves that Nerya is your child in case of trouble. With that, I must take my leave,” she explained.

  She packed her things away and gathered the soiled cloths and the rest into a small metal bucket.

  She then held her right hand above it and, with a sharp snap of her fingers, set it all ablaze, leaving nothing but a small pile of ashes.

  Melfynia then headed for the exit, opened the door, but paused for a moment.

  “If you ever have the slightest problem, do not hesitate to contact me,” she said.

  “Though from what I can see, little Nerya is in perfect health.”

  She closed the door, leaving the small family to enjoy the evening.

  Under that gentle, warm night, a small star had just been born.

  Eldran took Nerya in his arms and placed her into her cradle, covering her with a thin blanket as her tiny hands fumbled in the air.

  He returned to Zephyra and lay down beside her.

  He kissed her, then stretched out and took her in his arms, their shining gazes resting on the cradle, before they fell peacefully asleep.

  The next day, the sun rose, bathing the small village in its soft light.

  The glow filtering through the window woke Nerya, who slowly opened her eyes.

  Ohhh.

  I forgot to close the shutters again last night, she thought.

  She then tried to turn to get up, but her body refused to obey.

  Blaming it on fatigue, she rolled onto her side to fall back asleep, wanting to place her hand beneath her cheek.

  But she felt nothing.

  She opened her eyes and froze, panic-stricken.

  Her hands were tiny, all chubby, and barely moved at all.

  She lowered her head slightly, but she could not find her usual body.

  Very small legs, far too frail to hold her upright, and a round little belly.

  Where am I?

  What the hell is this?

  And that strange dream with that old man… what was it?

  Did I… did I really change worlds? she wondered, panic taking hold of her.

  She then looked around as much as her small body allowed.

  Through the bars, she saw a simple interior where everything was made of wood.

  She could not understand, and her eyes began to blur under the pressure she felt.

  Then, unable to contain her emotions any longer, Nerya began to cry.

  I’m sorry… I didn’t want to die.

  Why am I being punished when I didn’t wish for it? she thought, tears beading on her cheeks.

  Nerya’s cries jolted Eldran and Zephyra awake, startled by their first awakening so early.

  Zephyra got up, approached the cradle, and leaned over Nerya.

  “What’s wrong, my little one?

  Did you have a bad dream?

  Are you hungry, perhaps?” she asked.

  She took Nerya in her arms, gently placing her against her chest, and went to sit on a chair.

  She loosened her top and slid the fabric from her right shoulder.

  Slowly, she brought her daughter closer to her breast, guiding her so she could feed.

  Nerya’s belly began to rumble, and she started to suckle in a natural way.

  As if the gesture were already familiar to her.

  What am I doing right now?

  And yet… it’s calming… and what I’m drinking feels strangely good, she thought, unsettled.

  As she lingered in that sensation, her gaze met Zephyra’s… and she suddenly realized.

  Wait… who is this woman?

  And I’m suckling at her chest without even knowing her? she wondered.

  She wanted to stop, but the motion was almost mechanical, and she continued until she was full.

  She then pulled away from Zephyra’s breast, letting her dress herself again.

  Zephyra took a piece of cloth from the table and wiped Nerya’s mouth.

  “You drank just like your father, Nerya… A real little glutton. You got it everywhere, just look at you,” she said with a smile.

  Eldran, who had also gotten up, approached them laughing.

  He kissed Zephyra, then turned his gaze to Nerya.

  “Don’t tell our daughter things like that. What kind of image is she going to have of me afterward? I’ll end up looking like a drunkard of a father,” he replied.

  He leaned over Nerya and placed a kiss on her forehead.

  Yuck!

  Yuck!

  Yuck!

  I don’t want that, not me! Nerya thought, disgusted.

  He straightened up and looked Zephyra in the eyes.

  His nose wrinkled at an unpleasant smell.

  “I think your daughter needs changing,” he said as he stepped away.

  Nerya sniffed lightly before feeling nauseous as well, the smell filling her nostrils.

  Embarrassed, she began to cry again, unable to really control it.

  “Excuse me?

  My daughter?” Zephyra asked.

  “You really think you’re only going to call her ‘your daughter’ when it suits you?”

  She laid Nerya on the table and pulled a small bag from beside it with her foot.

  “My dear wife, you are the adventurer, aren’t you?

  I shall therefore leave the battlefields to you.

  As for me, I’ll go fetch some water,” Eldran replied, moving away.

  He closed the door, his laughter still echoing through the room.

  “Your father is brave, my daughter.

  But apparently it takes more courage to take care of you than to face a monster, from the looks of it,” she breathed with a smile.

  She took care of cleaning Nerya, humming a soothing song as a light breeze passed through the room.

  She put her little bottoms back on, Nerya carefully watching each of her movements.

  As Zephyra cleaned around her daughter, Nerya was met with a surprise that left her in awe.

  Her mother placed the diaper into a small metal bucket, then raised her hand above it.

  At first, Nerya wondered what she was doing, then, all of a sudden, smoke and flames burst from the bucket.

  Astonished, Nerya looked at her mother, clapping her hands.

  “Ohh!

  So the young lady likes magic?

  You’re still young, my dear, you’ll have to wait a little before you can use it,” she explained.

  Hearing those words, Nerya felt a slight disappointment.

  But why?

  I want to use it now… it’s so beautiful, she thought.

  Yet despite those clear thoughts in Nerya’s mind, all Zephyra heard was a string of “ba-ba-blelee-niii,” which made her smile.

  Nerya looked at her mother, a gentle, smiling woman.

  Her long brown hair and slender face matched well with her hazel eyes.

  Zephyra took Nerya back into her arms and headed toward the door, opening it while carefully supporting her daughter’s head.

  For the first time, Nerya saw the outside of this world.

  In front of the door stood a small wooden porch, followed by a gravel path leading to a small gate.

  On each side, squares of greenery: on one side a flower garden, on the other a vegetable patch filled with varied colors.

  Zephyra sat down on a chair in the shade of a tree.

  Nerya was dazzled by what she saw.

  But the light, spreading a gentle warmth along with a soft breeze, made her eyelids heavy.

  And without realizing it, she sank into a deep sleep.

  “Well then, looks like the young lady is already taking a nap.

  Just as lazy as her mother, huh!” Eldran exclaimed.

  He opened the small gate, bringing back two buckets filled with water.

  He poured them into the small basin beside the vegetable patch, before coming to sit down next to his wife.

  “Lazy, huh?

  How about you go sleep with the horses in the stable tonight?

  You’d surely appreciate their enthusiasm,” she shot back in a mocking tone.

  “I think I’ll add nothing… I know you’re capable of it,” he stammered.

  “Our life is going to change from now on. I hope I’ll be up to it.”

  Zephyra placed her hand on his shoulder, and Eldran turned his head, meeting her smile.

  “You manage an entire garrison of soldiers.

  You should manage just fine with a little girl, shouldn’t you?

  Just be yourself, and she will love you.

  I’m sure of it,” she replied, her voice serious yet gentle.

  They then rested their heads against one another, Zephyra fastening the little one with her scarf so she would not fall.

  Then they fell asleep together, each heartbeat setting in motion the new life that awaited them.