Arthur had turned five by this period but during this time, everyone in the village had formed opinions about him.
He wasn't a troublemaker, exactly. He never caused troubles or teased other children during Sunday service.
But there was something strange about the way he acted.
Arthur knew what they gossiped about him when they thought he couldn't hear. "He's a strange one." "Very clever, but..."
He didn't care what they say about him. Their opinions didn't matter. But he had learned to act less strong when adults were looking, to smile and nod, and act like a harmless child.
It was easier than explaining that he had lived through twenty-four years of disappointment and wasn't really interested in wasting time on finger painting.
The afternoon when everything changed started like any other. Arthur sat on the stairs outside Hayes Books & Brew, carefully solving a puzzle that was supposedly designed for eight-year-olds.
Arthur pushed a puzzle piece into place with more force than needed, imagining it was a throttle he was turning fully some distant racetrack.
"Careful there. You'll break that piece if you keep handling it so roughly."
The voice came from above him. Arthur looked up to find a girl about his age, sitting on the window edge of the bookshop. She had an old paper book resting on her knees.
"It's just a puzzle," Arthur said. "And I'm not handling it roughly."
"Right." She marked her spot in the book and looked at him, showing a mix of challenge and fun. You certainly look like someone treating that with a lot of care."
Arthur felt a strange flutter inside him. Most kids either avoided him or tried too hard to impress him. This girl was doing neither. She was looking at him like she could see his true self under his act and found it interesting.
It was so annoying.
"I don't think I know you," he said.
"Eleanor Hayes. But everyone calls me Ellie." She pointed at the bookstore behind her. "My mum owns this place. We just moved here from London last month."
London. That explained the confidence. Village kids were raised to be nice and respectful. City kids learned to stand up for themselves or get pushed down.
"Arthur Finch." He left the puzzle and got up, brushing dust off his jeans. "And what were you reading up there? Seemed pretty interesting."
Ellie held up the book so he could see the cover. Something about dragons and adventures. "Mum says I read too much. She thinks I should go outside and make friends instead of living in stories."
" So you found a way to do both by reading outside?"
"Exactly." She smiled. "Technically, I'm following her advice."
Arthur found himself almost smiling back.
She came down from the window ledge. "What about you? You always sit out here looking like you're trying to take over the world, or is this a special occasion?"
That comment made Arthur feel more uncomfortable than he liked. "I don't plan to rule the world."
"No? So, just taking over a local area?"
This time he smiled a little. "I haven't made up my mind yet. Still checking out my choices."
"Well, when you make your decision, let me know," she said. "I might want to discuss terms before you start your campaign."
Arthur was trying to think of what to say when a sudden noise started from the village green. A group of older boys were playing a game with a lot of running and shouting. One of them, a chunky kid with sandy hair, was clearly the leader from the way he acted.
"That's Tommy Holland," Ellie said, following Arthur's eyes. "His dad owns the garage. He's been acting like the boss of that group since we got here."
"He looks like he takes himself pretty seriously," Arthur observed.
"Oh, he does. Yesterday he told the Miller twins that girls can't play football because we're not fast enough." Ellie's voice had a bit of strength in it. "I told him that speed isn't everything. Technique matters more."
"And what did he say to that?"
"He said I was welcome to prove it anytime I wanted. So, I showed him."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"Let's just say Tommy felt very bad about himself after that."
Before Arthur could respond, a football came spinning in the air toward them. He watched where it was going with the kind of automatic calculation that was now a habit, his enhanced senses tracking every rotation.
The ball was going to hit the bookstore window.
Arthur moved without thinking. He took three quick steps left, putting his hands up to stop the ball from hitting the glass. The force hurt his palms, but he absorbed the force and stopped the ball smoothly.
"Goodness!" Tommy Brewster came running over. "Sorry about that. Nice catch, though."
Arthur threw the ball back, adding just enough spin to make Tommy have to work a little to catch it well. "No problem."
"You play?" Tommy asked, bouncing the ball to test it.
"Not really." Arthur could feel Ellie watching him with curious eyes. "I prefer things with engines."
Tommy laughed. "Bit young for cars, aren't you?"
"Who said anything about cars?"
"Right then," Tommy said slowly. "Well, if you change your mind about football, you know where to find us."
After Tommy ran back to his game, Ellie turned to Arthur with raised eyebrows. "Things with engines?"
"Motorcycles," Arthur said simply.
"You are just five."
"So?"
Ellie stared at him for a moment, then she shook her head. "You know what? I'm not even surprised. You've got this look about you, like you're already planning to escape from this place."
She wasn't wrong though. Arthur had spent most of his time thinking about tracks and bikes and the day when he'd finally be old enough to start his real work. But hearing it said by someone who barely knew him was strange and worrying.
"Maybe I am," he said.
"Well, before you disappear, you might want to work on your people skills." Ellie picked up her book from where she'd dropped it on the steps. "That catch was impressive, by the way. Most kids would have just dodge it."
Arthur shrugged. "Seemed like the practical thing to do."
"Practical." Ellie repeated the word slowly. "Is that how you approach everything?"
"Usually."
"How boring." But she was smiling when she said it. "I prefer a bit of chaos myself. Keeps things interesting."
Right after she spoke, A distant noise of a motorcycle engine broke the peaceful afternoon. Arthur's head instantly turned toward the noise, trying to see what kind of bike it was.
The bike came around the corner onto the main street. It was nothing special, just some regular bike for daily travel. But the sound of that engine, the way the rider smoothly shifted between gears, and the rider's natural skill while riding down the narrow street...
"Arthur?"
Ellie's voice sounded distant. Arthur blinked and realized he'd been watching the motorcycle even after it was gone.
"Sorry," he said, forcing himself to relax. "I just... I like the sound they make."
"Motorcycles?"
"Yeah."
Ellie looked at his face closely. "You really are planning your escape, aren't you?"
Arthur returned her stare calmly. "Would that bother you?"
"Probably." She moved a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly looking more like the five-year-old she actually was. "I just got here. It would be nice to have at least one person around who doesn't bore me to tears before I have to move again."
Arthur felt an uncomfortable feeling because of how easily she talked about leaving. Like it was inevitable. Like people always left, eventually.
"Your family moves around a lot?"
"Mum's work." Ellie shrugged, but Arthur noticed a moment of vulnerability in her expression. "We never stay anywhere longer than a year or two."
"That must be hard."
"You get used to it. Besides, most places aren't worth staying in anyway."
Arthur thought about the village around them, with its narrow streets and narrow minds. "No," he said quietly. "I guess they're not."
They stood in comfortable silence for a moment.
"So," Ellie said finally, leaning back on the stone steps with her book. "Motorcycles and world domination. Anything else I should know about Arthur Finch?"
Arthur considered the question seriously. There was plenty she didn't know. Plenty she couldn't know. But looking at her eyes and smile, he found himself wanting to tell her at least some version of the truth.
"I don't plan to stay here forever," he said.
"Neither do I." She opened her book to the marked page. "But maybe while we're both stuck in this place, we can keep each other from dying of boredom."
Arthur thought about the Simulation Suite waiting for him at home, the voice of the Apex Guide and the long road ahead toward everything he'd lost in his first life. Most of it would have to remain his secret. But having someone to talk to who didn't see him as a strange thing or a problem to be solved...
That could be a good thing, even with the problems it might cause.
"Deal," he said.
Ellie smiled at him from behind her book. "Excellent. Try not to plot any coups while I finish this chapter, would you? I really don't want to miss all the action."
Arthur made himself comfortable on the steps next to her. He sat close enough to see the text in her book, but he kept enough distance to pretend that he was simply enjoying the afternoon sun.
For the first time since his rebirth, the village didn't feel so much like a prison.