Chapter 1: The Fall and the Rebirth
The crowd buzzed around him, a human river carrying each individual in a whirlwind of daily activity. Armand Lefort, a 44-year-old man, stood on the metro platform, his arms laden with files. His thoughts drifted between the missed meeting that morning and the mountain of work awaiting him at the office.
"A banal life, suffocated by routine," he sighed inwardly.
He adjusted his scarf, distracted by the rhythmic mechanism of the approaching metro. Suddenly, an unexpected shove pulled him out of his thoughts. An unknown shoulder collided forcefully with his. Before he could react, he lost his balance. Armand slipped forward, his feet failing to find solid ground.
A blinding light, a screeching mechanical noise... and total darkness.
When he reopened his eyes, he was struck by the soft sunlight filtering through a thatched roof. The scent of damp wood and hay hinted at an unfamiliar environment.
"Where am I?" he thought, attempting to move. But his body didn't respond as he expected. He raised a tiny, trembling hand in front of his eyes. His fingers were short, pudgy, and uncoordinated.
"I'm a... baby?"
Panic briefly overtook him, but a gentle voice brought him back to calm. A woman, her face framed by tied-back brown hair, leaned over him. Her eyes glowed with sincere warmth.
"Look, Kalan, he's opened his eyes. That must be a sign of good health."
A robust man appeared beside her, smiling with pride.
"Welcome to this world, little one. You'll be an honest worker like us, Alaric."
Armand – now Alaric – quickly realized he had been reincarnated. Memories of his past life were still clear, but this world was entirely unfamiliar environment.
"Where am I?" he thought, attempting to move. But his body didn't respond as he expected. He raised a tiny, trembling hand in front of his eyes. His fingers were short, pudgy, and uncoordinated.
"I'm a... baby?"
Panic briefly overtook him, but a gentle voice brought him back to calm. A woman, her face framed by tied-back brown hair, leaned over him. Her eyes glowed with sincere warmth.
"Look, Kalan, he's opened his eyes. That must be a sign of good health."
A robust man appeared beside her, smiling with pride.
"Welcome to this world, little one. You'll be an honest worker like us, Alaric."
Armand – now Alaric – quickly realized he had been reincarnated. Memories of his past life were still clear, but this world was entirely unfamiliar. Everything pointed to his arrival in a fantastical medieval universe. A world where swords and magic dominated daily life, and where every individual could master a single elemental talent.
Monts passed, and Alaric learned to embrace his new existence. His parents were modest peasants, living in a picturesque village surrounded by rolling green hills and deep forests. His mother, a gentle but resilient woman, was a mage of water. His father, with his sturdy physique, excelled in manipulating earth. Although their life was simple, their magical abilities allowed them to cultivate the land with remarkable efficiency.
One day, as he watched his mother boil water for laundry, he felt a strange energy awaken within him. The flames beneath the pot danced to his rhythm, burning brighter than they should. A heartbeat later, the water boiled furiously.
"That came from me," he realized. His memories of his past life gave him an unexpected advantage: an adult and analytical mind capable of discovering and mastering this nascent power.
Over the years, he uncovered his ability to manipulate six elements: water, fire, earth, wind, light, and darkness. This gift set him apart from the villagers, most of whom were simple mortals limited to a single element.
At the age of five, as he ventured into the nearby woods, he encountered someone who would change the course of his life. A girl his age, dressed in rags but glowing with a strange aura, stood in a clearing.
"Who are you?" she asked, her gaze piercing, almost adult-like.
Alaric sensed that, like him, she was no ordinary person.
This marked the beginning of an adventure that would take him far beyond the boundaries of his peaceful village and his parents' cultivated fields. The destiny of Armand Lefort, a former office worker turned prodigious mage, was now in motion.