Chapter 2: Memories

When Ikamaru woke up, his mind was clear and focused in a way he hadn't felt in years. The world around him came into sharp focus as though the haze had finally been lifted. He blinked slowly, taking a look of his surroundings.

The room was small and clean, with white walls that reflected the light streaming through the window. A single bed lay against one wall, where he was currently laid up on pillows. Beeping sounds came from machines beside him, monitoring his vitals. He shifted, feeling the softness of his sheets and the tightness of bandages around his head.

A figure stood beside him—someone he hadn't noticed before. The nurse had been busy with her paperwork but now turned to face him. Her expression softened into a smile as their eyes met for the first time.

"Congratulations on surviving the disaster," she said in English. "Welcome back."

Ikamaru blinked, unsure what to say. He stared at the nurse, who looked unlike anyone he'd ever seen. Her hair was a shade of blonde he'd only seen in anime, falling down her back in silky waves. Her skin was a golden tan, contrasting with the pure white of her uniform. The heart-shaped face framed by her hair seemed like it belonged on the cover of some magazine.

Her eyes were blue—bright, sparkling blue that twinkled at him as she smiled. Taro couldn't help but stare into them, feeling his cheeks warm up under her gaze.

The nurse cleared her throat, and Ikamaru looked away, feeling the flush on his cheeks intensify. "Sorry," he muttered. "I'm just absentminded —"

"It's alright," she said gently. "You've been asleep for a few hours."

Ikamaru nodded slowly as though the words made sense. He tried to remember what had happened before he woke up but drew a blank.

"But where... where am I?" he asked, feeling like he'd lost all control over his voice.

"You're in St. Mark's hospital," she answered, scribbling on his chart. "You were found in a car accident yesterday night and were rushly brought here."

"Accident?" Ikamaru mind echoed those words.

She nodded. "It was bad—your car crashed into the side of a building. We had to bring you of the car wreckage ."

A memory flashed in his mind—the sound of sirens, the flash of red lights. The world spun as he tried to make sense of it all. He remembered falling, the sensation of nothingness before he landed in the car. And then—this place.

"Do you remember anything?" she asked. "About your family? We'd like to contact them for you."

Ikamaru's face fell. He didn't have an answer to her question. He had no idea what his name was or who his family might be. The only thing he knew was that this body wasn't his.

"I don't—" he started but stopped when he saw her expression change. Worry and concern flickered on her face, and he understood what she was thinking. She probably thought he had suffered a head injury from the accident—a concussion maybe—and the memories would all come back to him eventually.

The truth—that he'd been in another body before this one—seemed impossible, like something from a movie. If he told her, they would lock him up in a psychiatric ward for sure.

"No," Ikamaru said quietly. "I don't remember."

The nurse nodded and gave him a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry," she said. "We'll try to find your family for you, but in the meantime, please rest. I'm going to go call for the doctor so he can come check on you."

As she turned to leave, Ikamaru's eyes lingered on her. It wasn't just her appearance; something about her made him feel something inside him.

He watched as she left the room, the door closing behind her with a soft click. Then he tried to sit up, but his head spun with the movement.

"Damn," Ikamaru muttered to himself. "Guess I'm stuck here for a while."

Just then, the door opened again. His eyes widened as another person entered the room—a woman so breathtakingly beautiful that his breath caught in his throat. She had long silky red hair—burning red like the sunset on a summer evening. Her face was heart-shaped and delicate, her skin pale white like porcelain. A white lab coat draped over her shoulders, cinched at the waist. Beneath it was a white shirt and a black skirt stopped above her knees and with leggings that fully covered her legs.

Ikamaru couldn't tear his gaze away from her as she approached his bed. Her eyes flickered to his chart before settling on him, and a soft smile crossed her face. "Hey there," she said, her voice warm and rich. "How are you feeling?"

Ikamaru swallowed hard. He tried to say something—any word—but words just wouldn't form. The doctor's eyes crinkled at the edges as she smiled and placed a hand on his wrist.

"I'm Doctor Jannie," she said, "and I'll be taking care of you today."

As she touched him, Ikamaru felt something strange—a sudden tingle in his chest. It started to warm up, like a flame was igniting deep within him. The feeling spread throughout his body, flooding him with a sense of excitement, joy even. It felt so foreign to him that he gasped, his heart pounding in his chest.

She felt Ikamaru's heart beating faster then she asked in worry —

"Are you okay?" the doctor asked,

"Are you feeling any pain ?"

"No," Ikamaru mustered words to say. "Just a shock knowing I suffered such a huge accident."

Jannie smiled again and leaned over him. Her hand came up to touch his forehead, tracing the bandages that wrapped around his head. He felt the warmth spread through him again, as though she were infusing him with some kind of energy. He closed his eyes, trying to breathe through the sensation.

"You're healing nicely," she said softly. "The surgery went well. You should be out of here within a few days."

Taro nodded, still his heart fluttering from the warmth inside him. It was strange—he'd never felt anything like it before.

But he was tired—so, so tired. His mind has been suffering a lot , and a weariness got his his mind making him feel tired . But then thinking about the bill payment of the surgery need to be done , he felt more headache as he doesn't know who is he , and how much he himself have . Then with drowsy eyes he closed his eyes.

Just as he closed his eyes, a flash of blue caught his attention. A panel appeared in front of him, floating in the air. The sight made his head snap up.

The words on it were written in Japanese—the only language he understood right now.

[Downloading User's previous memories.]

A small blue progress bar appeared at the bottom of the panel and began to move, growing wider by the second.

Seeing this he gets in joy as an anime fan he saw this in many anime , a system , "Did I ..... got blessed by a system " He thought with happiness in his mind .

Then a message flashed beneath the bar.

[Prepare for mental shock.]

Before he could understand what was happening or respond, Ikamaru felt a sudden electric jolt course through his body. It was like being struck by lightning—pain and fire exploding in his veins. His head snapped back into the pillow as every muscle in his body seized up.

A loud crackling sound filled the room as the shock tore through him, his vision whiting out with the force of it. The world around him went dark and silent as though he'd been thrown into a void, the only sensation the sizzling energy coursing through his body.

It seemed to last an eternity before the sensation faded, leaving Ikamaru feeling like a rag doll. His eyes were heavy, but he forced them open, staring at the blue panel in front of him. The progress bar had completed its cycle and was flashing .

[Memory download complete.]

The panel then vanished . Ikamaru slumped back into his bed, panting hard. He looked around the room—nothing seemed different from before—but something inside him felt like it had shifted.

Just then, he heard the clicking sound of heels running down the corridor. The door to his room burst open, and Doctor Jannie rushed in, a look of panic on her face. Behind her came several other beautiful ladies in white coat Ikamaru didn't recognize them but he could tell they were also nurse.

"Is he okay?" Jannie asked quickly, rushing to his side.

"He seems fine now," the blonde nurse replied. "He was just convulsing for a few seconds."

Taro watched the scene unfold before him, still trying to process what had happened. The doctor touched his wrist and then his forehead.

"He seems fine," she muttered. "But let's keep an eye on him anyway."

The other nurse filed out of the room, muttering something , but Ikamaru barely paid them any attention. His mind was still reeling from what had just happened. Had he imagined it all?

Then he felt it—a sudden flood of thoughts in his head.

Ikamaru's eyes widened as memories started to surface inside him. They weren't his, though—that much he knew—but they were definitely familiar. Images and sounds filled his mind—moments of happiness, of sadness, of joy. He saw a little boy, laughing and playing in the park. A father's voice calling out to him, Aron Hammer. He remember that the orginal owner of this body's name is Aron Hammer.

Maxwell "Max" Hammer.

Ikamaru blinked as the name echoed in his mind. That was his father's name.

Evelyn "Eva" Hammer.

His mother's name appeared in his thoughts next. Ikamaru frowned, staring at it. There was something strange about it.

And then it hit him: the title. Both his parents had the same last name—Hammer. Why was that strange? But then a memory of a rainy day where a child was sitting beside the road , then car stooped bedside the small boy ,a man and woman came out of the car . Then he remembered that he is a adopted child of Max and Eve as they didn't had a child for many years they decided to adopt him and named him Aron Hammer .

He tried to shake off the thought, focusing on the memories flooding his mind instead.

But the more he delved into them, the more confused he grew. Everything seemed so... wrong.

"Hello?" The nurse's voice cut through his thoughts, making him snap back to attention. She was holding out a glass of water for him. "Do you want some?"

she asked.

shook his head. "No, thanks," he said. "Can you bring me today's newspaper?"

The nurse raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Of course." She left the room with a smile and then returned with the newspaper. Taro took it from her quickly, scanning the headlines.

And then his eyes widened in shock.

His hands began to shake as he read through the front page. His mind felt like it was going to explode. The more he read.