Sirens echoed through the hospital corridor as a stretcher rushed forward at full speed.
"Nothing will happen to you, Jim! Stay with me!" his brother shouted, running beside him, panic clear in his voice.
Jim's vision blurred. The ceiling lights passed one after another like fading stars. He weakly lifted his hand, staring at the red liquid covering it.
"…Is this my blood?" he whispered. "Am I… going to die?"
No one answered.
The scene shifted.
A steady beep… beep… beep… filled the ICU room. Doctors moved quickly, voices overlapping—
"Pulse is dropping!""Prepare—!"
Beeeeeeeeeeep—
A flat line.
Silence.
"…So… am I dead?"
Jim opened his eyes—or at least, it felt like he did. Everything was dark, empty.
"Hah… didn't like that world anyway."
But suddenly—
Light.
His eyes snapped open.
"What the—?!"
He stared at his tiny hands. Small. Soft. Weak.
"…What the baby hell?! Why am I a baby?!"
A pause.
Then his expression slowly changed.
"…Wait. Don't tell me… I got reincarnated?"
10 years later…
"ILOOOON! Ilon, come here!"
A loud voice echoed through the house.
"Yes, Dad! I'm coming!" Ilon ran in, excitement sparkling in his eyes.
"Today," his father said with a serious face, "we will check your magical aptitude."
"Really?!" Ilon's eyes lit up. "Finally!"
In the center of the room sat a crystal ball, glowing faintly.
"Place your hand on it," his father instructed.
Ilon nodded and did as he was told.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
The crystal ball erupted in light.
Symbols began appearing one after another—fire, water, wind, earth… light… darkness… every known element.
His father's jaw dropped.
"T-This… this is impossible…" he muttered. "Affinity… with all elements?!"
No one in history had ever possessed such power.
Ilon blinked. "Is that… good?"
His father snapped out of his shock. "Of course! Now, try using fire magic. Say: Come forth, fire."
Ilon nodded confidently.
"Come forth, fire."
Silence.
Nothing happened.
"…Huh?" Ilon frowned. "Maybe I said it wrong?"
"Try again."
"Come forth, fire!"
Still nothing.
The excitement on Ilon's face slowly faded. "…Why isn't it working?"
A strange heaviness filled his chest.
"…Even after all that… I still can't use magic?"
His eyes began to sting.
And then—
Whoosh—!
Flames burst out.
"…Huh?"
Fire poured from his eyes like burning tears.
"I-I'm—WHAT IS THIS?!" Ilon panicked as fiery tears streamed down his face.
His father stood frozen, completely speechless.
Magic… from his eyes…? he thought. How is this even possible…?
The next moment—
"FIRE! FIRE! SAVE THE HOUSE!"
The serious atmosphere shattered instantly as his father ran around with a fire extinguisher, spraying everywhere in panic.
"STOP CRYING, YOU STUPID FOOL!" he shouted. "YOU'LL BURN THE WHOLE HOUSE DOWN!"
"I-I'm not doing it on purpose!" Ilon yelled back. "Was I seriously crying FIRE?!"