CH. 3

"Ughh… My head… Those days long benders will kill me one day if I'm not too careful."

It seems like I actually managed to make it to bed before passing out mid-sesh this time. That's a nice change for once.

"Yaaawwn."

Rubbing my eyes to clear the blurriness from them wasn't achieving much. Not only that, but the light coming through the window wasn't helping either. Since when did I open those blinds?

Whumpf.

"Ooft! Owowow, my knees… What's with the wooden floor?"

Since when was my bed this high? Usually, I can roll off straight to my feet. Except this time, I've fallen to my hands and knees to the cold floor beneath.

"Wait a second…"

Hard wooden floor? Where's the fluffy softness of my carpeted room? And why is my voice so high-pitched and childish?

Almost instantly the daze I'd been under vanished, replaced with a sharp clarity and eyes that locked onto tiny hands pressed against the floor.

"Those can't be mine, seriously."

Wriggle.

"Uh…"

Wriggle. Wriggle.

"HUUUHHHHH?!"

Mine! Definitely mine! Why so tiny? This is not a dream, you can't feel pain in a dream no matter how lucid it is!

"Get a grip on yourself idiot, this has to be a dream. You've been awake for days, finally collapsed form exhaustion and now look. Though as far as dreams go it's not half bad I guess…"

What's with this room? It takes minimal to the extreme. A simple bed, basic cupboards and none of the refinement to the structure seen in modern times. It looks like something out of medieval Europe.

"D-des Mona?"

Staring at me with quivering brown eyes as wide as dinner plates, through the only cracked open door to the room, grasped by trembling fingers, was a little girl about the age of four. The freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks were in stark contrast to the pale skin underneath. Long brown hair hung in a simple braid that disappeared behind the simple clothing she wore.

That wasn't what caught me off guard the most though. What did, were the words she spoke.

I can't understand that, that's not any language I know!

"Uh, me?"

Pointing at myself, the silence ticked by between us as we stared at each other. I'm the only one in the room, surely she's talking to me. I hope…

"AAHHWAAHHH!"

Slam!

The pitter-patter of her footsteps and screaming faded away as she ran from me.

"Was it something I said?"

Well, no point waiting around, I guess. The early bed gets the warm and all that, it's probably best if I strike out on the front foot and see where she went. Besides it's worth seeing where this dream is going to take me.

Come on imagination!

I struggled to get down a flight of stairs to the ground floor and found myself in what I envisioned was the main room of the house. Just as simple as the first room, there was a fireplace which glowed with activity and a dining table set up.

"S-S-Seth?"

A man and woman seated on the only couch in the room gained my attention. They too were looking at me as if I was a ghost. The remains of fresh tears evident on their pale cheeks and red, puffy eyes, as they clung to each other.

The man had black hair that was styled in a top knot and dark eyes. He wore a simple tunic and pants that were also absent of any extravagance but still contained a minute amount of class.

The woman's blonde hair hung straight and loose past her shoulders. Her pale blue eyes were the clear pale blue of a summer sky. Her simple dress was above the standard I imagined a peasant to wear, but below the standard I expected of a wealthy noble.

The young girl who had screamed and abandoned me just moments ago, was standing with them wearing a look of abject terror on her face, hiding behind the man.

"Seth? Gu' et vata?"

The man spoke again, more forceful this time and stood up.

The woman also stood, stumbling towards me and touching my face with trembling fingers. Her touch felt familiar and was gentle, like she was feeling something precious.

"Vata? Gu' et vata? Dem-"

Suddenly, I felt like I had been struck by lightning to my head. Pain raced through it, forcing me to my knees mid-sentence of the woman.

"-isn't a dream? You're alive? How? We thought you were dead… Oh my! Are you ok?!"

I can understand! Finally. I can understand what their saying. It's like someone flicked the light bulb switch on, it finally makes sense! But… dead?

"Uhh, I'm alive?"

Pretty simple response I know, but what else was I supposed to say in this situation? Hell, for a dream, what even is this situation?

Picking me up, she cradled me in her arms as her tears began to fall and splash across my face. She felt hot, and her whole body was shaking.

The man also approached and touched me, followed by the little girl from earlier who clung to the man's leg.

"I'm so glad Seth, so, so glad. It's a miracle, truly! We've been so blessed. We thought you had died from the sickness!"

Wait, Seth… they must mean me. Have to mean me. And they keep saying I died?

Flashes of the moments prior to waking up raced through my mind, showing me the moment I stepped onto the road and was nearly run over by a truck.

So I waved in apology… Stepped backwards towards the footpath and-

Wait.

Wait.

WAIT!

I remember now! I didn't step back towards the footpath, I stepped backwards onto the other side of the road and…

WAS HIT BY A TRUCK TRAVELING ON THE OPPOSING SIDE!

I've died and been reincarnated into another body.

I'VE BEEN ISEKAI'D!

And for what seemed to be the second time in such a short time, I blacked the hell back out.