"Truth will always be truth, regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance."

Clement Stone

Process complete. Complete memories played during the REM phase of sleep. Are there other instructions, Nathair?

Thirty days already passed?

Nathair sat on a tree stump, watching his little brother play with other children from the village. His sister stood beside him, braiding his hair.

His body was weak for some time after he regained his memories. It was a week before he was able to get up. Another week after that, to help out his parents with the chores around the house.

The moment he was allowed to, he met up with the children from the village. He got as much information from them as possible. This information provided was useful and pointless at the same time.

The older children knew more, and they provided him with more background than he knew before. Having acknowledged that, they didn’t know much.

Most of the boys dreamed of being mages, though admitted that this was unlikely. The lucky ones would be able to become knights. Those without the talent to become knights would try their luck at being mercenaries. The vast majority of them would stay right here and continue to farm.

In his opinion, Cur should not have attracted the population that it had. Villager here fell into two categories. The ones that planned to live out their lives here or wanted to move to a city.

The more time he spent around his parents. The more he got a feeling that something was not right with their living situation.

He watched as many memories as he could. Breaking his principles, he even went through the ones from when he was an infant.

The only things he learned were that he was a very accepting 7-year old who questioned nothing and that this world had a plethora of animals that looked similar to what he knew but were radically different.

The changes were due to how animals evolved when affected by magic.

He did not find the reason his parents did not allow their belonging to lie around the house. He knew that their family was not originally from here. He had been born while they were traveling to their current destination.

Nathair had been an ordinary baby at that time. He didn’t take note of anything, spending most of his time eating, sleeping, and pooping.

From what he could piece together, it took them a year to travel here. That did not factor in the time his parents were moving before he was born.

It was likely that his parents were running away from something.

He could not confront his parents. They had taken his rapidly maturing attitude in stride. His father even looked at him with something akin to pride. The only problem was the worry he often saw hidden in the depths of their eyes.

Looking at the sky, he took a rough guess at the time. The snow was getting lighter, but it still got dark very early. It would be best if they headed home now.

“Oran,” he called. His younger brother sent him a reluctant look but came immediately. Taking hold of his sibling’s hands, they made their way home.

When he heard the door open, he came out of his room to see his father taking off his boots. Nathair couldn’t help but wonder if Argus was a quiet person like his other father. They hadn’t spent that much time together in the last month.

He slowly walked over. When he stood side to side, it always struck him how tall his father was. He always had the same reaction. His mouth would gape open as he realized how tiny children were.

It would take him a little effort to get it together. There was a constant fear he would give himself away.

Argus pinned him with an assessing glance before rubbing his head as he walked by.

Nathair had the distinct impression that he was missing something.

He trailed after his father.

“Are you feeling better?” His father asked.

The question confused Nathair. It had been a while since he was feeling better. “Yes,” His voice came out as a squeak.

Argus looked back at him. “Do you need a few more days to rest?”

He shook his head, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. Argus’s look made him feel like a specimen under the microscope. “No, I’m good.”

This situation was new. Nathair’s previous interactions with Argus were light. His father was the first to be gone in the morning and the last to get back. When interacting with Nathair, it was usually to explain something.

Nathair had spent most of his time with his siblings and his mother.

The older man stared at him for a beat before going down the corridor to his room.

Nathair’s eyes followed him.

What was he missing?

What was he supposed to do now?

There was some information he was missing. The memories were the only active source of information he had, and he had already established that they did not contain much.

He watched his siblings playing on the floor. Occasionally, they glanced in his direction. It was cute.

Smiling, he ruffled his brother’s head. “What are you looking at me for?”

“Big brot’er! Play wit’ us!.” It was Aneira who spoke.

He laughed, ruffling his brother’s hair again.

Oran patted his hair back into place. There was a chipmunk-like aggrieved look on his face.

Sophia moved about in the kitchen behind them.

He could not ignore the nagging feeling in his gut.

Looking back at his mother, he saw her smile at him. Her eye’s just like Argus’s had an edge to it that he could not understand.

He looked into her eyes and watched the conflict within. He sent her a small smile. Rubbing Oran and Aneira’s heads one more time, he got up. “Later.” He promised. Not sure if he would get to keep that promise.

He walked down the corridor, coming to a stop in front of his parent’s bedroom. He hesitated. Whatever happened next was likely to change his life again. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand and knocked.

"Come." Argus was sitting in a chair by the window. A pipe dangled from his fingers. He’d never seen this kind of behavior from his father before.

Nathair was sure the older man was waiting for him. He sat opposite his father and wondered if he would lose his parents again. Did they find out he was an imposter?

Neither of them spoke.

Time dragged on before Argus relinquished. "Before you were born, there was a prophecy made. That one who with immense power would be born into our line."

Nathair blinked. A prophecy? He did not anticipate that. He kept quiet and continued to watch Argus.

“Even in the womb, you were exceptional. You would influence your mother’s magic. It was clear to us early on you were the one the prophecy was about.” He took a pull from the pipe. His voice took on a wistful tone.

A bomb exploded in Nathair's mind.

They sat in silence. Argus quietly smoked his pipe, seemingly lost in thought.

This time it was Nathair that gave in and spoke first. “What are you talking about?” His voice came out as a whisper.