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Magic?
Hearing that, Rinn choked and spat some of the milk out immediately.
— Uhhg!!!
— Oh my god, Jaisele! Are you alright?
Layne ran over to her, but couldn't ignore the pure rage that flashed across the woman's face in a fraction of a second.
If it could be put into words, Jaisele might have strangled that baby right then and there, without hesitation. The feeling of that sticky liquid running down her face was a humiliation she would never swallow.
How the hell do I put up with this crap every single day? If it weren't for the ridiculous pay, I'd have gotten the hell out of this miserable hole. As soon as I save enough money, I'm out of this insane asylum where my life is at risk every second.
But patience was a necessary virtue. Even if, sometimes, her rationality was overtaken by more visceral feelings. She took a deep breath, checked if Rinn had soiled his clothes, and with the same meticulous calm as always, placed him back in the crib. She accepted the handkerchief Layne handed her and began to clean her face, moving with soft, controlled motions.
She tossed her hair back and let out a heavy sigh before commenting:
— I'm fine. This isn't the first time this has happened, so don't treat me like I'm dying. Now...
She threw a quick glance at Rinn before finishing coldly:
— We're done here. Let's move on to the other rooms.
— Right... today's going to be tough. We need to hurry things up, don't we?
Layne laughed, flashing a goofy smile as she watched Jaisele tie her long hair back. She even took out a small mirror and applied makeup, touching up any imperfections with almost mechanical precision.
— Today won't be as easy as yesterday. We still have at least sixty rooms to visit. A lot of recruits in the end.
Jaisele finished fixing her appearance and left the room without even looking back.
Layne stood still for a moment, throwing one last glance at Rinn. She placed her index finger on her lips, as if sharing a silent secret with him, and murmured in a sadistic tone:
— I hope you manage to survive. It would be a shame if you met the same fate as the others.
Her lips reddened slightly with the excitement of her own words. However, as soon as Jaisele called her, her expression returned to normal, and she hurried out without further delay.
When the two finally left the room, Rinn was still with his face completely red, excited and dazed by the realization that this world was definitely not Earth.
For starters, Layne's skin color was completely different from any human he knew, and her eyes had an exotic, hypnotic glow. Additionally, the technology around him was absurd — robots, advanced suits, instant communications, and analyses.
In the end, everything reinforced the idea that he was in a much more advanced place than Earth.
However, what surprised him most...
Magic.
The mere mention of the word made his mind spin.
If it was really the concept of magic he knew, and if he had to put into words what he was feeling, it should be something like:
Where is it? Where's the magic? I need to see it with my own eyes!
It was just entertainment and fantasy.
Magic was only that in Web Novels and Animes.
Something he consumed for fun, laughing at stories of characters casting fireballs or moving mountains with their hands.
Calm down.
Breathe.
Forcing himself to think, Rinn began piecing things together. If this world mixed advanced technology and magic, maybe his reincarnation hadn't been so bad...
And then, a thought came to him.
That thread.
That invisible thread he felt in his mind.
He needed to understand what it was.
Maybe it was magic.
He closed his eyes, relaxed his body, and focused on it.
Minutes passed as he concentrated all his attention on that mysterious connection. Slowly, his breathing quickened, his senses sharpened, and then —
Flashes.
An image that wasn't his.
A different body.
A different environment.
But the strangest thing: it was a baby.
Her eyes snapped open abruptly, her heartbeat racing as she struggled to breathe, realizing what had happened.
The flow of the connection of that thread; there was another being inside her. Or rather, another part of him.
— What... is... I am?
Rinn wasn't exactly sure what all of that meant, but the confusing feeling was still familiar.
He knew that through that thread, he hadn't just been reincarnated.
He had been reborn into two bodies.
His soul was divided into two parts.
—❖ —❖ —❖
— Isn't she beautiful? Look at her. Isn't she smiling? How cute.
The old man's voice echoed softly in the room, slow and measured. With a slight smile on his face, showing the worn teeth of age.
His wrinkled, cold hand rested on the newborn's forehead — not exaggerated, but enough to gently caress her skin for a few seconds.
His appearance matched his advanced age. Besides his slow, dragging speech, the small staff in his hand, his long, well-kept robes gave him an air of nobility and wisdom.
When the baby's eyes opened, after being closed since she had left her mother's womb, there was a silence in the room.
Everyone around held their breath as they gazed into her intense, bluish eyes — they were so deep and vivid, as if the ocean itself was being reflected in the sunlight.
The baby's mother, who was holding her in her arms, was also smiling gracefully, it was the first time she had seen her daughter so clearly, and her beauty was enchanting.
Wyn, on the other hand, was completely confused.
He felt the pain of breathing for the first time, the discomfort of being in such a fragile body, the difficulty of getting used to the environment, all of it was really bothersome.
However, it wasn't unbearable to the point where he couldn't concentrate on what he was seeing ahead, even with his blurred vision.
He could see the large face of the woman in front of him holding him. Long hair, held by a butterfly-shaped clip. A welcoming smile, white teeth glowing under the light.
The expression on Wyn's face at that moment seemed to say something like: Did I reincarnate?
— Congratulations, Senators Theron and Octavia. Your daughter is truly beautiful. I can only imagine how she'll look when she grows up… a true lady.
The old mage commented in admiration as he stroked his graying beard, watching the child nestled in her mother's arms.
Around them, medical robots hummed quietly in activity, while professionals wearing white suits and masks monitored vital signs, analyzing data from both the baby and the exhausted mother.
— Lord Luinter, thank you so much for your help. If it weren't for the ritual, both would not have survived. As for what I owe you...
Before the senator could continue, the mage raised his hand, interrupting him with a firm tone:
— You don't owe me anything. We've been friends for years. Don't worry about insignificant values when it comes to the lives of people I admire, that's nothing.
He settled into a chair next to him after saying those words, his exhaustion evident even in the movements he made. And though his tone was calm, his expression carried traces of weariness and fatigue from his advanced age.
— However, even though the ritual was necessary, it is forbidden. If this leaks, I fear my license will be officially revoked.
Luinter rested his staff on the table after the proclamation, his eyes scanning the faces of the senators and the doctors present.
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