Seated on something called a pillow, I marveled at the greatness of what was outside my container.

A wide array of colors was presented to me. I was outside with the man who helped me; he sat in front of me under the shade of a giant thingy.

Surrounding me were a number of unknown and foreign objects. To my right was someone whose body was as big as a mouse I saw in the past instead, but it had wings of forearms.

To my left were those big things that had green thingy covering the top, rustling as the wind passed.

I was introduced to a world of different surfaces. Soft, rough, cold, comforting, and so much more. Discoveries could be made with every turn, how marvelous the outside world was.

My eyes could see everything, and I think the light came from above. I could not precisely confirm; however, something very bright blinded me when I investigated.

The light source remained a mystery.

* "Little one, stop looking around and listen to me." * I turned to look at the man whose scent made my nose twitch.

The man stared at me.

He directed to me his golden orbs, and I stared back.

Weird.

I was drawn to those purple dots in the center of his eyes.

* "HEY, I told you to pay attention!" *

I suddenly sat upright without knowing why. It was not me who controlled my body. I could sense some form of tangible wind straightening my back… I wonder — what was that?

Mysterious, it was.

When he finally got my attention, the man decided to ask me, * "Can you understand what I am saying? This language specifically?" *

I already responded to you, earlier correct? I wanted to say that, but my tongue was incapable of such long-winded sentences, so I gave him a direct answer.

* "Yas." *

Imperfect articulation.

I need practice.

My voice sounded different than the man's; he was more impactful while I feeble. I need to learn from him.

The man hit his forehead. Why would he hurt himself?

Are there people who like that? Is he perhaps… someone without a functioning mind? I guess I shouldn't learn from him after all? Decisions is still up for deliberation.

* "Why are you looking at me like some pitiful man? Stop that! Ah, forget it, little one, do you have a name that Lethias gave you?" *

* "Wat is neim?" *

Once again, the man hit himself on the forehead. I was not wrong. He is indeed someone without a mind. I believe he's referred to as retarded.

Is it infectious? Do not learn from him; that's the smartest thing to do.

While wondering for my safety, the retarded man continued his words: * "Dear Lord… alright, I'll give you a name, mm, I think I should name you with the standard of humans in mind. Despite the language you use, your looks should pass as you as a half-breed between an elf and a human; let's see, Xiron, yeah, that's good. A name suited for a normal half-breed." *

I suppose he gave me a name, but I still did not know what it was.

The idea of not knowing gave me a weird feeling I did not like. It made me feel lacking and insecure, so I asked him, * "Wat is a neim? I waant tu know wat it mins." * my speech remained imperfect.

Frustrating.

* "Look at you, seeking knowledge so early in your years. Your creator did not say anything about this in her letter… Lethias…" *

The man went silent after saying the word Lethias, I am familiar with that word, but I did not care about it. I wanted to know what a neim was, * "Wat is a neim? I waant tu know wat it mins." *

"It is simply a word that other beings refer to something or someone. For example, the name I gave you, which is Xiron. I will refer to you as such.

* "Oh,"* I said before turning to look at the weird mouse that was bashing its pointed mouth on the ground, * "Dat, mouse, hab neim?" *

* "Mouse? You mean the bird?"*

*" Berd… if neim is berd, then m ai berd? Is Siron, berd, also?"* My impeccable words acted as the weapon leading the charge to fulfill my desires to learn, * "aR yu, berd, tu?"*

The man shook his head:

* "Okay, first of all, I think we need to work on the basics of talking later. Second, the term Bird is not a name but a sort of generalization to a species. Just like how a Titan who bears the name Resan is named "Titan", but by his name: your name — I rambled on without thinking."*

* "Y stap? Kontinyu."*

Why did he stop? It was interesting, birds, names, trees, what were they? I want to know, how is it different, how is it the same?

I wish to know all of it.

The man did not return to explaining and just ruffled my head. I growled, and he laughed, * "Your desire for knowledge is really similar to hers. But, that is enough for now; if you wish to learn more, you should at least learn your name first. I already told you what it was right — Xiron?"*

* "Xiron." * aligning my way of speaking with the man, I uttered my name correctly. I understood what a name was, and something deep within me resonated the instant I registered that my name would be as he claimed.

Does every being have this feeling of resonation? If so, then what was it? Like so many things, it was a mystery.

My chest burns. Another foreign sensation. It vanished momentarily, but it made an impression.

But with so many questions in mind, the lingering sensation drowned, * "If I hab a name, do you also hab a name as well?" *

I asked: he hesitated but eventually chose to answer, * "Many refer to me as the 【Illusion Beast】, but you can also call me Von. I got my name from the one who crea…gave you life, Lethias." *

Gave me life?

Well, it matters not, for I did not even have a connection to this being named Lethias.

Whoever this Lethias was, he or she and I were not close enough for me to feel anything.

If anything, she was fueling my urge to erase her existence, for she was but a hindrance to me.

Nuisance

Putting Lethias aside, I registered this man's name in my mind… no reaction appeared.

I asked Von many things to satiate my curiosity. From requesting the sensation of touch to what's the name of every object surrounding me.

I had so many questions that needed answering.

I learned about temperature, the provider of light, the sun, the trees, the shack where I slept, night and day, and many others. It was fascinating to learn them; I wonder why but this was more fulfilling than before.

The water that taught me never went in-depth with what I questioned; this was more interesting. I like this kind of living.

I am satisfied. Oh, I need to celebrate—

YAY!

I said and raised my hands, but in doing so, I saw Von prompting an expression I had never seen before. He raised a brow, his eyes showed confusion and fear, and his mouth was slightly ajar.

*“Wat is dat ekspResion??”* I asked.

*" Ah—oh, it is nothing, this is me being impressed. Don't mind it, but I just wish to ask, are you thinking of doing something?"*

* "No? Y? I happi in learning."*

* "Happy? Learning? Oh, so that was a smile! I see, I see."*

* "Y? wat did I sim to yu? I am happi, that I even raysed my arms. Is dat nat how yu do it?"*

*No, no, your information is unique. But you don't have to do it all the time, on certain occasions. You can celebrate and smile without doing it."*

Confused

It would appear what I comprehended was incorrect or at least not enough. You do not simply smile and raise your hands to do everything good that happens. This was new to me.

"So, smiling is nat something yu du everitime?"*

*" You call that a smile?"*

*" Wat was dat?"* I couldn't quite catch his words. I was too engrossed in this new finding.

*" I said it is good that you managed to adapt quickly. You may not know of it, but you are quite the strange one for prioritizing knowledge more than anything else."*

*" I see…"*

Strange, is that not the word used to describe unusual and weird people? Am I weird?

…

*" How em I different?"*

*" Well, for instance, if others are placed in your situation, they would be screaming in terror. Last night, when I saw your burn injury, it had already damaged your bones and tendons. I can only imagine the pain you went through, but now, it is as if the pain was nothing to you. I can't say if you're optimistic or clueless. There is also the fact that according to Lethias, you are no more than a year old, but you could already speak and even comprehend many things; if anything, many would praise you, but even more, would also be scared of you."*

* "So, I em un-usuwal?"*

I stayed silent shortly after.

* "…Are you bothered by what I said?"

After thinking about it, I looked at Von's eyes.

* "Wil it hinder my learning?"*

* "No?"*

*" Den, Hu cayres abowt wat aders tink?"*

Why does it matter? Others did not own me, I am me, and they are they; why did they have to look at me?

* "I am who I want to be, not the being they think I am supposed to be."*

My desire triumphs over their rudeness.

I am not disturbed, nor am I troubled.

And yes, I spoke perfectly just then.

Looking straight into Von's eyes, I raised my arms.

* "Yay."* I say.

Von smiled.

* "Definitely unusual."*

Our conversation wandered off as I asked him more and more. I grew to know a lot of things and even corrected some of my pronunciation.

But then, the skies began to darken.

* "What's happening?" *

Curious, I asked about the strange occurrence. I can see that the sun hid behind the clouds thus creating this dimness, but the white clouds were now black.

* "Das, the black clowds mean something?" *

* "That's rain coming down." *

* "Rain?" *

* "It is liquid water in the form of droplets that something, something, vapor, I am not really sure. I am not exactly — wait, what are you doing?" *

* "Waiting for the liquid." * I answered while raising my hands, ready to embrace the liquid from above, * "I managed to learn from the liquid of my container. I shall wait for knowledge to pour from the heavens." *

Closing my eyes, I waited for "knowledge" to come my way so that it could enlighten me in the practices of this world.

But Von thinks otherwise — I heard a sigh coming his way. I turned to him and saw him hitting his face once more. It would appear despite his profound knowledge, he was prone to hitting himself.

I decided to overlook his actions. It might be an inherent problem of his... what a sorry lad. I chose to wait for knowledge to come down from the heavens.

* "Xiron, that rain is not the same as the【Dew of Coeus' Flowing Blood】. It is not something that falls from the air." *

* "Are yu seying dat it is an impossibility?" *

* "Well, it's not exactly an impossibility. The Guardian watching over it did claim that the water came from the heavens as a gift to the world." *

I looked at him, and he looked at me.

* "What is it?" * he asked.

* "Nothing…"* I chose not to pursue this matter, for we both knew who was correct — me.

I resumed my position.

Droplets of water showered my body. It touched my skin. It was cold and rather refreshing; I shivered at the touch but got used to it soon enough.

I embraced the water and then questioned, 'What is a Titan?"'

I waited for the buzz, but… nothing.

* "So, is it the Dew?" *

I turned to Von and saw him smiling in a manner I did not like.

Is that the variant of the smile?

The Smirk?

It was indeed as unsettling as he claimed it to be.

My heart was beating wildly, in a manner different from the anxiousness and fear.

I did not understand its presence.

I turned away from Von and tried walking away. I had just mastered the art of waddling, reaching my desired destination is not an impossibility.

But as I journey forth, pain in my stomach crept to stop my advances.

* "Ack!" *

Discomfort

I grabbed my stomach, feeling the uncomfortable sensation tearing me from the inside. I can feel it wringing, something roared from within, * "Ack!" *

* "W-what is happening? I knew I shouldn't have let you stay here for so long after al—"*

A sound came out.

Grumble!

* "Wat is dat? A bist? Is this da bist you spik of?" *

Is this the monster that roams the world? Who knew they are so fearsome that they could invade my innards without so much as showing signs?

My heart was beating wildly.

* "Is dis da bes?" *

* "No, you're just hungry." *

I looked at him and asked, * "What is hangry?" *