Episode 1: Into the Rabbit Hole (Final Part/???)

"Ugh..."

Searing pain coursed throughout my whole body, forcing me to let out an anguished groan. My eyelids felt like they weighed a ton and I struggled to open them.

What greeted me was a brightly lit hospital room. I was strapped inside a medical pod filled with a clear nutrient solution. I lay inert as I try to make sense of my current situation.

I remember escaping the transport cruiser on a Training Frame with other recruits. Then, the other guys were shot down by something. Nobody was chasing us down so it could have been a shot made by the enemy ship's main cannon or some other beam weapon capable of long distance sniping. I was shot down the same way. How the heck did space pirates get a hold of major ordnance like that anyway?

...

No.

Wait.

Hold up.

What the...?

Hospital? Med pod? Space Cruiser? Training Frame? Space Pirates? Beam weapons?

"What the heck am I even talking abou... Aaaaaaaaaaargh!"

I haven't even finished muttering a single sentence when agonizing pain suddenly assaulted my head.

"Ugh... Gaaah!... Agh...!"

It feels like my head is going to explode. My thoughts are turning messy.

I heard faint banging noises in the middle of my convulsions. I struggled to turn towards the direction of the sound, and found myself looking at a beautiful, raven haired young lady. She was frantically hitting the cover of the med pod while in tears. She was shouting something.

Who are you?

Why do you look so desperate?

Who... am I?

I managed to make out what the young lady was shouting out.

"...yuu! Ryuu! What's wrong? What's happening?! Doctor! Somebody! My brother! Something's happening to my brother! Please help! Anybody!"

Ryuu.

A name.

Is that my name?

It's so painful. I can't think straight anymore. My eyelids slowly closed shut.

And darkness took hold of me once more.

***

Medical personnel rushed inside Room 305, where a priority patient's condition suddenly turned for the worse. He had already passed out, but his vitals were spiking to dangerous levels. The doctors urgently adjusted the settings on the med pod in order to stabilize the patient's condition.

In a corner of the room, a tragic looking young lady struggled to stifle her sobs as she looked on in worry at what was happening.

"Ryuu. Ryuu, you dummy! Don't you dare leave me behind too! You're the only one I have left! Don't you dare!..."

She kept muttering these words as she kept vigil over her only remaining family. Her hands clasped a worn looking hair tie, as if in prayer.

***

My eyelids fluttered open without as much difficulty as the first time I regained my consciousness. It was still the same hospital room. I was still inside the med pod.

My body wasn't wracked with pain anymore either. I could at least move my limbs now, I think. I was still feeling weak though. No surprise there, I guess.

"But man, it sure is cramped in here."

The moment I muttered that under my breath, the cover of the pod suddenly opened up.

"Huh? That sure was convenient." I mused.

I looked around the room and found a young lady sitting on a chair pulled up near the med pod. She apparently fell asleep while she sat. Her dainty hands demurely laid upon each other on top of her skirt.

Her raven black hair, which flowed down near her waist, was a little disheveled. Her pretty, angelic face was wan and pale. Her closed eyes looked puffy from all the crying she undoubtedly did while I was unconscious.

Looking at her miserable state caused my chest to tighten in sadness and worry. But, apart from that, there were some complicated emotions as well. I felt conflicted. Just how should I face her from now on?

Her eyes suddenly fluttered awake. Her gaze locked with mine for what seemed like an eternity.

She then flung herself towards me and hugged me. Tears spilled out from her eyes once more.

"Ryuu! Ryuu! You idiot! I thought... I thought you were going to leave me behind too! Why? Just why did you...?!"

She wailed and covered my hospital gown with tears and snot. Oh man. She was usually so prim and composed. She's acting worse than when our parents died. Seeing her act like this made me feel both sorry and a bit amused.

"There, there. C'mon Rin. I'm fine now. Don't cry so much. You'll ruin your good looks." I comforted.

"Bastard! Who do you think was responsible for all this huh?! What were you even thinking? First, you dropped out of school. Then, you suddenly enlist in the military. Next thing I knew, you're hospitalized and looked like you were nearly dead!" she cried out indignantly as she clung to me.

"Do you have any idea about what you put me through, huh?! We just lost mom and dad, and now it looks like you're rushing to an early grave too! What was I supposed to do if you died, huh?! You're always like this! Do you ever even think about how I feel?!" she continued.

I put more strength in hugging her back.

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I should've discussed things properly with you first Rin." I admitted in apology.

The young lady, "my" little sister, Rin Creed, snuggled closer to me and replied while holding back her sobs.

"I know all this has something to do with what happened on that day. But, are things really that serious? Didn't you have any other choice besides agreeing to enlist in the military?" she inquired.

"Yeah." I nodded gravely. "I suppose I owe you a thorough explanation. Let's start with that, okay? I need to sort out my thoughts too." I added. Rin nodded in agreement.

Well then. I suppose I should start making sense of this mess now. I need to sort out a lot of things after all.

About how I got into a series of life threatening situations that ultimately ended up landing me in a Confederation military hospital, despite believing myself to be just your average senior high student just a few days back.

And about how "I", erstwhile village guard Myst Evrard, seemingly ended up transmigrating into the body of my "current self", former senior high student and now fresh military recruit and pirate raid survivor, Ryuu Creed.

Oh boy. This is gonna take awhile.