Life Beyond End

Two and a half years. That's how long it took me to evolve from the world's fastest crawler to an absolute walking machine. Every day was leg day, and I wasn't stopping anytime soon.

But more importantly? I could talk. And by "talk," I mean I could finally express my genius thoughts—and maybe throw out a "damn" or "hell" when the babysitter wasn't looking. Not that anyone would understand the sheer brilliance of my vocabulary. They thought I was just a babbling toddler. Suckers.

Oh, and guess what? I had full access to the second floor of the house now. That's right. Flynn 2.0 was here, ready to conquer new territory.

---

The second floor was... decent. My room was cozy, with a tiny bed and a balcony overlooking the village. The view wasn't bad—blue skies, rolling hills, all that postcard stuff. It was peaceful.

But what really caught my attention wasn't the balcony. It was the storage room.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "Flynn, it's a storage room. Who cares?" But this wasn't just any storage room. This place was suspiciously neat. Shelves lined with books, jars, scrolls—everything organized like someone had OCD but made it their entire personality.

Naturally, I had to investigate.

Babysitter-chan—sorry, Andrea (yeah, I finally learned her name)—was downstairs, probably wondering where I was. Perfect.

I made a beeline for the shelves and scanned the titles. Most of them looked boring—stuff about crop rotation and basic healing remedies. But then I saw it.

"Magic for Geeks—I Mean, Beginners."

Okay, that wasn't the actual title, but close enough. The cover had this cheesy drawing of a wizard holding a glowing orb, and it was practically begging me to open it.

So, of course, I did.

---

"Mana, the most basic system in life. It can be found in almost every living organism," the first page read.

Wow. Groundbreaking stuff. What's next? Water is wet?

Still, I kept reading.

"Controlling mana will result in a mana disturbance, which will make your imagination come true, if you have the affinity."

Alright, now we're getting somewhere.

I flipped to the next section, skimming the text like I was cramming for a test I forgot about.

"Controlling mana has four methods:

1. Incantations: The fancier your words, the stronger the magic.

2. Short Words: Basically, abridged incantations for lazy people.

3. Magic Circles: Used in devices and rituals, requires at least two years of experience.

4. Imagination (aka Incantationless Magic): The most advanced method. Requires precise mental control and visualization skills."

Okay, now that last one sounded cool. Forget fancy incantations. I wanted to be the guy throwing fireballs with nothing but a thought.

I flipped past the beginner spells. Who had time for Kindle the Ember, Bring Forth the Flame? I wanted the good stuff.

---

"Level 4 Fire Magic, incantation: By the spark of creation, ignite and consume—Inferno Surge!"

I took a deep breath and whispered the words under my breath.

Nothing. Not even a flicker.

"Alright, maybe I'm skipping too far ahead," I muttered to myself.

I sat there for a moment, expecting... I don't know, something. A spark, a tingle, maybe an explosion? But nope.

Okay, Flynn, reel it back in. Maybe start small.

I flipped back to the beginner section and found a spell called Flare Spark.

"Kindle the ember, bring forth the flame—Flare Spark!"

Again, nothing.

Panic set in. What if I didn't have magic? What if this whole reincarnation thing was just a cruel cosmic joke? I frantically flipped back to the first page, scanning for answers.

---

And then I saw it.

"By the threads of essence unseen, reveal the path within—Aura Unveil!"

I read the words aloud, not even caring if Adrea or anyone else heard me.

The book suddenly lit up with a bright red glow, and for a second, I thought I'd broken it. The light poured out of the pages, swirling around me like some kind of ominous special effect.

Okay, this was not in the beginner's guide.

The red light condensed into letters, and those letters formed words.

**"You have two affinities:

1. Eternal Subversion: Nexus

2. Quantum Precision."**

I stared at the glowing words, my mind racing.

What the actual hell?

---

Nexus? Quantum Precision? Those didn't sound like regular magic affinities. Fire, water, earth, wind—those were normal. This? This was something else entirely.

And "Eternal Subversion"? What did that even mean? Was I supposed to overthrow governments or something?

I leaned back, my head spinning. This was... a lot.

I glanced at the book again, half expecting it to explode or start chanting in Latin. But it just sat there, glowing faintly like it was waiting for me to do something.

Alright, Flynn. Deep breath. Let's not freak out.

I reached out and touched the glowing letters, half-expecting them to burn my hand. Instead, they felt warm—almost comforting. The words dissolved into the air, leaving behind a faint hum that resonated in my chest.

---

The room felt different now, like it was alive. I could feel something buzzing around me, like static electricity before a storm.

So, what now? Do I just... try it?

I closed my eyes and focused, trying to tap into whatever this "Nexus" thing was. I didn't know what I was doing, but hey, neither did anyone else their first time.

At first, nothing happened. Just me standing there, feeling like an idiot.

But then, I felt it—a pull, like a thread tugging at the edge of my consciousness. I grabbed onto it, and the air around me shifted.

A faint ripple appeared in front of me, like a crack in reality. It wasn't big—just a tiny shimmer—but it was there.

Holy crap.

---

I didn't even notice Adrea until she was standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock.

"What... what are you doing?" she stammered.

I froze, my heart racing. "Uh... experimenting?"

Adrea stared at the shimmering ripple, her face a mix of awe and terror. "That's not normal magic," she whispered. "Flynn, what did you do?"

I didn't know how to answer. What had I done?

The ripple faded, leaving behind a strange silence. Adrea stepped closer, her hands trembling. "Flynn, you need to be careful. Whatever that was... it's dangerous."

Dangerous? Probably. But you chose the wrong words. Cool as hell? Definitely.

---

That night, as I lay in bed, I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened.

Two affinities. Not just one, but two. And they weren't just regular affinities—they sounded... powerful. Unique.

Eternal Subversion. Quantum Precision.

What did it all mean?

I didn't have the answers yet, but one thing was clear: this wasn't going to be a normal life.

This was just the beginning.