"So you feel ready for your new school, starting in two months?"
His mother, Catherine Stones, began. She looked beautiful, with golden hair and skin as white as milk. With a natural blush, she smiled gently at William, who devoured the pancakes with gusto, still maintaining his table manners.
"That school Victoria went to...?" he asked, somewhat confused. He had vague memories from a few months ago, and the old William wasn't particularly excited about it.
"That's where your mother and I met. I know you're not entirely keen on going to boarding school..."
"That sounds good to me, Dad, but won't that interrupt my rune studies?"
Before his father, Uriel Stone, could finish speaking, Will agreed. He considered it an unofficial family tradition for both generations to attend the same school.
"Your rune studies are almost complete. You simply need to memorize more runes and practice carving them—expand your repertoire, so to speak."
"As for the Greater Runes, to create more powerful objects you need my supervision; that can wait a few more years until I clear my schedule."
Uriel continued, crossing his arms and speaking in a relaxed but serious tone.
"Your father's schedule is full for the next few years. He'll cancel the less important ones, but it will still take time. The Greater Runes are still too dangerous for you," Catherine explained after gently wiping her lips.
"I suppose I can't appeal the decision," William said, trying to convince his parents by tilting his head to one side, attempting to look adorable for them.
"No," "No," they both answered at the same time, making it clear that it wasn't up for discussion and the decision was final.
"Oh, by the way, what did you say this new school was called? I never heard Victoria mention it." In his memory, the name was never mentioned.
"Didn't your father tell you? It's called Nevermore Academy in Jericho."
After giving her husband a slightly reproachful look, she stopped short, startled by the sudden clatter of silverware against the dishes.
William dropped his silverware, surprised to hear such a familiar name. A wide smile spread across his face, and his breath quickened. It was one of his favorite series, and happiness washed over him at the realization of where he had been reincarnated.
"Nevermore, the boarding school for the Outcasts!!!" he exclaimed, longing for confirmation from his parents.
"That's right, Will, there's only one, as far as I know." (Uriel)
"That means I'm an Outcast too."
"It's no secret. I don't talk to your sister about these things with you. That young lady will hear about it when she gets back. I asked her specifically to speak to me." (Catherine)
"Don't worry, honey. It was also our responsibility to talk to him about these things." (Uriel)
The family of three settled comfortably into the spacious living room, an elegant yet inviting space furnished with three large leather armchairs, a low coffee table, and decorated with a variety of colorful plants and flowers.
"What skills do you have, Dad?" Will asked.
"I'm a skinchanger, and your mother is a dryad," Uriel replied.
"Can you control animals?" Will asked hesitantly, the idea coming from the famous TV series "Game of Thrones," a show he absolutely loved.
"It's a good skill, but it has many drawbacks. Having to carry an animal around all the time would be a hassle, and my body would be vulnerable, among other things." William was already mentally considering the limitations of this ability, having inherited it from his father.
"No, no, we're an older and more powerful variant of the common shapeshifters. You'll meet many in Nevermore." (Uriel)
According to Dad's detailed explanation, a regular shapeshifter could freely change their body mass, facial features, voice, and sex. A skinshifter, on the other hand, could freely change their species, from powerful bears to small animals like cats and rabbits. The most talented were even capable of mixing different species and increasing their size to become enormous.
Unlike their brethren, the skinchangers were incapable of changing their sex or human appearance, and they risked becoming lost in the savage minds of some particularly aggressive species, never to change again.
There wasn't much to say about the Dryads; they were able to manipulate plants, flowers, and trees as if they were part of themselves.
"Are they tied to a tree like in ancient Greek myths?" (William)
"No, darling, we're free, but only women can inherit it from their mothers, just like Vic inherited it from me." (Catherine)
That means I'm just like Dad. That explains some of the hazy memories in her mind. She remembered playing with rabbits, dogs, and cats of different sizes with her sister, even though the family didn't have any pets..
"I've never changed?"
"Once, when you were very little, you transformed into a small dog and bit a couple of children. Nothing serious, just a few scars." (Nothing a few dollars couldn't fix.) Uriel kept the last part to himself.
(It was the previous incident. I have nothing to do with it. I'm innocent.) William washed his hands of the matter and left it in the past.
"Look at the time! I have to tend to my rose bushes; those flowers can be quite temperamental. We'll continue after dinner, darling." Catherine hurried off toward the spacious garden, but not before giving her youngest son a kiss on the forehead.
"I guess it's just you and me, Dad," William said.
"Good heavens, he should have started this month's orders an hour ago. I'm sorry, son."
"The new materials you ordered are already in your studio. You can practice. We'll see you tonight." Without finishing his sentence, Uriel ran to his personal workshop located at the back of the house.
Family Library Three days later.
"Whoa, a Skinchanger. Interesting. If I practice diligently, I could become like Beorn from Lord of the Rings, able to transform into a huge, short-faced bear three meters tall and weighing at least 900 kilos."
Will now lay on a soft cushion sprawled on the floor, reading encyclopedias as thick as his thighs. The whole place felt tidy and clean, with the soft sunlight streaming through the windows and the sound of the trees swaying.
The book was called "The Biggest Bears in the World," and it contained photos and information on every known bear species.
"I thought that seeing the animal, its skeletal structure, muscle distribution, etc., would help me transform... but it's harder than I thought. If I had only transformed once, I would try to recreate the feeling."
(Bored groans) "Aaaahhhhh~"
His pass had warned him to start by studying small animals—dogs, cats, and rabbits—and not to dare try to change them into birds or fish; they were too complicated for him. Eventually, his attention was drawn to large canines and felines: bears, wolves, tigers, as evidenced by the vast array of books scattered around him.
"Lunch is ready, sweetheart, and don't forget to clean up and put all this away before you leave." Suddenly, his mother peeked her face from the half-open door, offering a mild warning about the mess.
"I'll go, after I clean all this up," Will replied, offering a slight, awkward smile. He still remembered his mother's previous punishment; he'd forgotten to clean up his mess at the library the day before.
(She nearly ripped my cheeks off that day. It's best not to make her angry.) Will thought to himself, just as his hands touched a black book titled "The Wolves of the World." A bright blue screen flickered in front of him, floating silently to the left of his vision.
(It was about time; I even thought I had one, a "System," though it looks quite simple. I wonder if this old book triggered it... hmmm.)
The screen displayed three simple lines: Mission Available, Content: Successfully create your first Rune Item, Reward: Medium-sized Animal Form.
(So it's time to go into my studio - he took a deep breath - Good) He thought with a smile, accepting the challenge of using those techniques and memories of his former self, William. He was nervous, and if he couldn't manage it and his parents realized he wasn't himself anymore, he now had an incentive, and he couldn't avoid it forever.
"Honey, the food's getting cold, hurry up," Catherine's voice came from downstairs.
"Right away." (After lunch, of course!!) He didn't know what his mother would do if he didn't show up. Even his always-busy father attended every meal without fail.