A Wandering Story

Chapter 4 sprouts in the wind

Ambrose on top with Rae>^^

Ambrose was growing quickly after the first month. His sleep patterns were improving, much to Rae's relief. Even more remarkable, he seemed to be trying to talk to her — soft coos and intent gazes, as if he was already trying to bridge the gap between his mind and this tiny new body.

Hangyeol, meanwhile, had thrown himself into a new project: designing updated surgical mechanics adapted for this strange world.

"Hey, Brosey, whatcha doing there?" Hangyeol asked one afternoon, watching the little boy pout and flail. Rae had left earlier that morning to investigate an attempted murder in Hanera County — a local lord had poisoned the town's only water supply, and the Masked Healers were urgently called in. Rae had hesitated to leave Ambrose, but Yungwoo had insisted. No one understood poisons better than her — and besides, he was going along too, both to assist... and to deal with the lord in ways few others could.

Back at home, Ambrose lay quietly on a blanket, lost in thoughts no infant should have.

He wasn't just a newborn. His soul carried scars and wisdom from lives long past.

I need a plan, he thought. This is my second rebirth — and now my third life. Who am I meant to be this time?

He remembered his first life, as clearly as if it were yesterday.

Atilas.
Son of the late Duke of Elwood.

He had been raised in pain. After the death of his parents, a cruel maid had taken control, doling out beatings and constant humiliation. His uncle had tried to intervene but could not fully protect him.

Then came the prince. The one bright thread in a bleak existence.

For a while, the prince had treated Atilas as a friend. They studied together, laughed together. But everything changed at the Academy testing. Atilas had simply demonstrated his dark magic — and in an instant, the so-called saint turned the entire court against him. Lies spread like wildfire. She sought to trap him into an unforgivable act — and when he rejected her in front of witnesses, her fury knew no bounds.

In the end, her harem of loyal men killed him. Her cruelty had broken the prince's heart, though she hadn't foreseen that outcome.

The prince, grief-stricken, had turned to the Serene Goddess, Serenity, in desperation. In secret, Serenity revealed that Atilas was her chosen son — a fact marked by the moon-shaped birthmark on his shoulder. At her temple, the prince recovered Atilas's body. What happened after, Atilas could not recall.

Because by then, I was being born again.

In a new, modern world.

There, he had lived as the beloved son of first responders. His mother, a famed paramedic. His father, a captain of the heavy rescue team. They had given him the unconditional love he had never known in his first life.

His fondest memory was of a trip to Jeju Island in Korea. The sea had shimmered like a living jewel. His mother taught him to swim there, patient and steady. His father's strong hand had always been there to guide him. The rescue team members had laughed and carried him through the surf, groaning under his mother's playful but rigorous training regime. Those were the happiest days of his second life.

And now... here. Again.

Another world. Another new body. But this time, something felt different.

Rae.
She reminded him so much of his mother — not in appearance, but in the quiet strength she carried. The way her arms wrapped around him. The fierce way she protected him. The warmth in her voice.