I Refused To Be Reincarnated

"What do you mean you can't swim? You are half a ghost, too! Just float above water, lunge at a fish and float out!" Adam said, holding the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"Ah! That's true. But you'll have to teach me to swim later, too!" Nova's body turned ethereal as she responded eagerly. Then, she crossed the hundreds of meters separating her from the fresh exit and jumped in the water without hesitation.

In the meantime, Adam floated back to the kids, a sad expression veiling his face as their skinny frame entered his vision. Pondering about their state, a soft sigh of relief escaped his lips. Since they were in good health prior, he estimated they would recover in a few weeks. However, since they were young, he would have to monitor their health to avoid any complications.

Ten minutes later, Nova returned with a triumphal smile, a fish in her head. "I got one!" She said, her head held high.

"Ay. Good job. Can you get some water and wood to cook it?" Replied Adam, planning their dish's preparation carefully.

With a nod, Nova scrambled away again, crossed the river, and gathered branches before returning.

After setting the combustible material, a miniature explosion ignited a fire after Adam snapped his fingers. Then, he instructed, "Warm the water and remove the fish's scales. Next, cut it open to remove its organs."

Happy to learn something new, she busied herself with the task, absorbing the ghost's words like a sponge.

Five minutes later, she raised the empty fish proudly as Adam facepalmed. "Cut it into small pieces and throw them into the boiling water," he explained, pointing at the steaming metallic bowl before adding. "Mash it after until it almost becomes liquid."

Five minutes later, Nova mashed the cooked pieces into a whitish goo before pouring it back in the water. "Is it done?" She asked, wondering if the dish would taste good despite its hideous appearance.

"Yes. You only need to feed them gradually," answered Adam with a satisfied nod. Considering the kid's malnourished state, solid food was out of the question. Their stomach wouldn't digest it, causing further complications.

Under Adam's expectant eyes, Nova cradled Morgane's back. Scared to commit a mistake, she sought approbation before scooping the mashed fish with her clean hand and putting it inside the girl's mouth.

"Mhhh," Morgane groaned upon feeling something caress her tongue before tasting the bland mixture. Yet, in her condition, anything nutritious tasted heavenly. Unfortunately, she didn't have strength, or she would have lunged at the bowl to devour its content. Instead, she desperately sucked on Nova's finger, unwilling to let them out.

"Alright, little sister. Let my fingers go so I can give you more," chuckled Nova, optimistic after seeing her appetite.

During the next thirty minutes, she caringly fed the kids, hoping to see them recover. Alas, they both fell asleep instantly after filling their bellies.

"Let them rest for a week," Adam shared his analysis before adding. "In the meantime, let's build a raft." Since waiting was unavoidable, they could put their time to good use, planning the next stage of their escape.

***

Julius and Morgane gradually recovered strength after a week of fish-based dishes and wild fruits. Under Adam's careful observation, they spent most of their time resting against their will until he finally judged them out of the danger zone.

Excited to move freely, Julius ran around. Like a horse stomping on the rocks, dust rose in his trails.

Simultaneously, Moragne walked to Adam. "Thank you for saving me so many times," she said, her face beat red. She knew he could have abandoned her and escaped in the canyon. Yet, he endangered his life for her sake. 'Why?' she pondered, realising it wasn't because of a minor guilty feeling.

"Don't worry. I know you have it hard and will probably never accept what happened. That's why I won't ask for your forgiveness, only your understanding," responded Adam before switching subjects. "Julius! Come see the masterpiece we created while you were recovering."

Intrigued, the boy swiftly grabbed Morgane's hand and walked towards the tunnel's exit. With widened eyes, he gazed at the unstably floating construct attached by a makeshift rope.

'What is that?!' He thought, wondering who built this atrocity.

"What do you think about our masterpiece? Nova's construction skills are slightly rough, but it's not bad for a first try!" Adam said with a bright smile before his next words caused the boy to facepalm. "I know I can be the best boat builder if I want to!"

"Big bro... We'll drown if we use that," Julius said, his voice shaking hesitatingly.

"I think so, too," added Morgane, unwilling to step on the shaky abomination of a raft.

"Tsk. As expected, you don't trust me," Adam snorted before gesturing for everyone to traverse the river. Then, he added with a playful smile, "I've been waiting to see those reactions to show you how exceptional my craft truly is! "

Echoing his words, two mages' hands laced themselves from thin air before they grabbed the raft and dismantled it piece by piece. Then, under their widening eyes, they reassembled it, slotting each morsel together like a gigantic puzzle. Soon, a beautiful embarkation spacious enough to carry four people greetted their eyes.

"How did you build that?!" Julius asked in disbelief. His big brother's artistic talents earned a zero in his mind. So, how?

"I told you I crafted makeshift spears years ago. Just applied the same principle and added slots to fit everything together," explained Adam, his nose held high as he relished in this moment of boasting.

"But... Why was it so ugly a second ago? Did you just want to mislead us?" Morgane asked, frowning.

"Oh, that? Nova assembled it in the wrong order. Since I couldn't leave the tunnel, I couldn't fix it before," he answered, causing his project assistant to scratch her head with a wry smile.

"Alright! We have water, a stock of fruits, and smoked fish. Let's head to the ocean!" Adam declared, pointing his index to the horizon with his right leg resting on the embarkation. With this stylish pose, he awaited the kid's excited shouts. However, Julius' comment caused him to swallow the wrong way and almost choke.

"Big bro, you are pointing to the east," the boy said, shaking his head.

Morgane puffed in response, trying her best not to explode into laughter as Nova patted Adam's shoulder comfortingly.

"Don't worry, I don't know where the north is, too," she said, her cheerful smile making him feel worse.

"..."