Haze and Daze

"Damn truck!" Jay cursed the vehicle running away from the scene. He got hit by a drunk driver who didn't stop at the red light. Although it's dark in this city's area due to busted light bulbs, it's easy to see that his driving is wobbling left and right. 

He knows he can avoid being hit if he looks more carefully, but fatigue and lack of sleep for a month got the best of him. As he touched his head, the blood oozes out much stronger than he anticipated.

He looks around to seek help but there is no one in the vicinity. He sighed at his luck. 

He attributed this accident to his company which ran its employees to their bones. He went to work at 7 in the morning and finished at 1 a.m. day after day. Talk about modern-day slavery.

A coworker of his dropped dead in the office, the poor man had a heart attack. That man may be looking like he is pushing forty, but the truth is he just turned 25 last month.

"I thought I would also die just like him, but this might be a better way to go."

He felt tired of life. He felt like he did everything he could.

As he feels that his consciousness starts to slip away, he remembers all the bad luck he had since his parents died a few years ago. That is where his shit luck started.

His relatives stole the money from the insurance they got from the accident using them for their own only. When he asked where is the money, they kept saying that they put it in the bank. They let him provide for his self saying they were doing it for his future. 

Only a blind mole would not realize it's a lie. They got into a crippling debt because his Uncle got a gambling addiction, using all that money and selling the house of his parents. Ultimately they left him all on his own.

He also injured his back playing basketball in a Divisional Tournament back in his last year in high school. He was a top recruit meant to play for a powerhouse school. He can still play but that injury lingered every time he played, resulting in bad performances. Those schools who showed interest, one by one pulled away.

He missed his chance to get a scholarship but he didn't give up. He had brains to work with. He studied hard to become top of his class. He poured all his effort and time in studying and preparing to get into the best college in the country, while working 3 part time job to feed himself. He even abandoned some of his friends.

But when the exam day arrived, he got the worst fever of his life due to non-stop work. He refuses to be hospitalized for half a month, resulting in complications further degrading his health.

Other known colleges have already done their entrance exam. As a result, he went to a third-rated college which was among the few that still open in rural that no one knew about. He enrolled in a course he didn't want but that was his only option since he didn't have enough money.

After a few years of back-bending effort, he graduated. His diploma was basically useless, being a graduate from a back alley it made job hunting hell, especially on this day, when competition among the new graduates are at an all-time high. 

No company accepted him, a bum from a rural, only his saving grace was his current company famous for being non-humane, and for the past six months, bad things only escalated. Until this very day.

It's been only a few moments yet he already felt the coldness of the concrete. Jay tried to budge his legs to stand up, but he couldn't. He knew it was his time already.

As his eyelids grew heavy, a nostalgic feeling came to him, the time he spent with his parents was his best days. The stillness of night made him relaxed. Devoid of any will to live, he soon accepted his fate. Soon, darkness engulfed his vision. 

He felt his heart stop. That time, a sense of relief washed over him. 

"Ah, how great it is if life is this gentle," he thought, ready to grasp whatever feelings death gave him. "I wish that I could enjoy this feeling a bit more." 

He died longing for a thing he experienced for the first time, a rest.

---

After what seemed like a long time, he opened his eyes. Still groggy from his sleep, he stretched his body stiffness clad him.

The sunlight coming from the window woke him up. Soaking the rays of light, he felt rejuvenated from the fatigue that accumulated for what seemed an eternity. 

As he greeted the new upcoming day he fully saw his environment. A realization suddenly hit him in the head. He saw a piece of intricate wooden furniture, a single bed with clean sheets, adorned on his body, and a lampshade beside the table. Although the room might seem small for him, it pretty much would suffice for a single person like him.

"This isn't my room?! Where the hell am I?" He said. He didn't panic yet as look more around the room to look for more information. He saw a something that looks like a leather bag on the floor, contents seemed all but gone.

Jay frowned but didn't pick it up but instead went to the window and opened it. 

What he saw was not in his wildest dreams. He saw a plaza where some people below were trying to sell their products ranging from fruits and foods to textiles and wear. People are dressed in a manner that looks like they are cosplaying. Although it resembles a modern style of outfit, some aspects of clothing would indicate that some inspiration was taken from foreign lands. 

Also, he saw a couple of women in dresses engraved in expensive-looking pieces of jewelry, although the design was pretty weird it served it's purpose on highlighting the beauty of the wearer.

Some people were engaged in their conversation, teenagers laughing and making fun of one of their friends who got tripped and found himself in the fountain. Some are haggling with the vendors. A group of children are happily playing tag running away from their friend.

The plaza is full of life. The people below show that they are happy and well-contented on the life they have. Unlike him.

"It looks like it came out of fantasy settings." He thought as he continued to survey the plaza. 

He already experienced lucid dreaming, but in this instance, it felt too real.

"Did I sneak up in a movie shooting?" He said jokingly as he scratched his head.

Still, looking at them he felt fulfilled. A break from reality for an hour or two is much deserved, still fully believing that he is currently dreaming.

He always dreams like this when tiredness catches up from working overtime from his work.

After watching the "taping" for a few more minutes he remembered that he should go to work already. As he closed the window, he saw a sword inside a scabbard hung on the back of the door. The sword felt magical as he saw the thing hanging slightly glimmered. If felt like a flash came upon his mind.

His vision started to spin as some memories began surfacing. After a few seconds, the headache subsided, he opened the door of his room and ran to the end of the 4th floor where the bathroom for this floor can be found. 

He looked at the mirror above the faucet and saw not his face but a young man, age of 16 years old, his brown hair was a mess but it didn't diminish his dark hazel eyes that were full of youthfulness. Both aspects complement each other.

Although he will not consider the person in the mirror an ikemen, but still he is above average compared to his past self.

Jay felt the need to sit as he digested the new memories he acquired.

"I transmigrated," Jay said exhaustingly. He can't believe what happened. It is just like those novels back in my world!