Chapter 2 – Realization

Going past the denial stage was difficult. He knew this wasn't a dream anymore; he tested it and was quite devastated by the result.

Could it be some sort of illusion set by the enemy? He reconsidered the theory. He initially dismissed it as impossible but hadn't considered the slim chance that the enemy had that sort of technology. After all, in war, new inventions are made to gain the upper hand.

They wouldn't know if that technology existed if the enemy covered it up completely. He theorized that he was captured and put in a cell where everything appeared as a simulation to lower his guard and extract information.

But when he thought it through, he dismissed it. There was one factor that destroyed that guess.

Why would the enemy spend so many resources on him if they had that technology? It didn't make sense. It would make sense if he were a general or a commander. He didn't know any important information that could threaten the republic.

That was the last theory he tried to make sense of. All that was left were unexplained questions he couldn't answer.

'This is making my head hurt.'

And then there was these new memories dilemma. They felt real, even though he knew they weren't. He didn't know the people in the memories and he was sure he hadn't experienced what they showed. He couldn't explain why they were in his head. Not only were the memories confusing, but it also felt like there were needles in his brain. Each time he tried to come into contact with them, there was a slight aching pain in his head.

If this was some mental torture, it was surely working.

He fell back onto his bed, comfort overtaking his body, and the stress he had a moment ago slowly began to disappear. What replaced it was a sense of calmness, a calmness that took years to train.

He was a soldier. He had experienced everything: killing, torturing, sacrificing. This situation he found himself in now was nothing compared to the horrors he witnessed before.

When the doctor mentioned his supposed parents, it left him very confused.

His parents were dead, and he was there when they died.

Looking back, he was never close to his parents. They were always working and barely spent time together as a family. When they died in the bombing, he was emotionless. There was some lingering sadness, but it was only a little. He felt guilt that he wasn't able to express much emotion at their death. Most children would be depressed for days, unable to move on. But he was fine like their death didn't affect him.

He guessed that was why a lieutenant took an interest in him. An emotionless soldier with no emotional attachment would be beneficial on the battlefield.

Turning over to the right side of the bed, he looked at the robot, which was asleep with an intrigued look. He hadn't seen a functional robot before that behaved almost like a sentient being.

He reached out his hand, trying to see if it had motion sensors that would turn it on if it detected movement.

His guess was correct.

The robot's eyes lit up and began to look at him curiously. It was weird to see an almost sentient robot.

"Hello, Mr. Jason. What can I do for you?" the robot said, not in a monotone voice, but almost like a woman's voice.

"Say, my memory's a bit foggy. Can you tell me where I am?" he questioned the robot, hoping his question would not raise suspicions.

The robot took a moment to answer, and he felt a lump in his throat as he awaited its response.

"It would be a pleasure to answer you, Mr. Jason." At that, he breathed a tiny sigh of relief.

"You are at Union General Hospital on Shearwater Lea Street in Xelas City right now," the robot answered straightforwardly.

In response, he looked at the robot, blinking twice, thrice, more times than he could count.

WHAT THE FUCK?

He exclaimed inwardly, though he didn't say it out loud or show any outside emotion. Now he was even more confused. The city's name, the hospital's name, and the street didn't ring any bells. He hadn't heard of such a city in his entire life. Despite not being well-versed in geography, he knew there was no such city with XELAS in its name.

'God, I wish this was all a dream,' he groaned, placing his hand on his face. 

"Are you okay, Mr. Jason? Does your head hurt? There is medicine right on—"

"No, I'm fine. Just tired, that's all," he interrupted the robot, who now fell silent.

The robot appeared unconvinced but showed no persistence. "If you say so, Mr. Jason. Feel free to speak if you have any concerns."

"Thank you… uh…"

"You may call me Android 16b, or just 16b, Mr. Jason," the robot, 16b, replied evenly.

He stared at it, surprised that it had a name. "Alright, thank you, 16b."

"It would be my pleasure, Mr. Jason." The robot began to power down, but Jason had one more question.

"Wait, 16b, sorry, but can I ask you another question?"

The robot's eyes lit up again. "What is it, Mr. Jason?"

"What year is it?" 

"It's precisely 1564, June 16th, Wednesday, Mr. Jason."

Jason's mind turned blank. huh? Was he in the past or something? It sure didn't look like it. This place didn't resemble medieval times at all.

"I see. Well, thank you again, 16b."

16b gave another farewell speech before shutting itself off, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

He looked at the time, which was almost past noon, with a blank look on his face. There was one theory he avoided because it felt impossible and somehow involved supernatural elements, which sounded absurd. Despite that, given the new information he gained, it was the only answer to his long-awaited question, no matter how he tried to deny it.

"Oh fuck, I'm in another world."