"..."
A young man with an average build, short black hair streaked with white, and striking emerald-green eyes lay asleep on a stiff wooden bed. His skin was normal in tone, his clothes plain, and his appearance noticeably more handsome than other boys his age. He looked around sixteen.
A breeze drifted in through the open window, carrying sunlight that spilled across his body. The boy slowly opened his eyes as the light pierced through the room.
"This place… uh… where exactly am I?"
He placed both hands on the wooden bed he had been lying on, attempting to push himself up. But because he had been asleep far longer than normal, his muscles and joints had weakened, and a numbness spread through him—so severe that he could barely feel anything he touched. Supporting himself became nearly impossible. His head throbbed, and pain swept through his body.
"Ugh…"
He let out a faint groan. It wasn't loud, but the pain was very real. He began searching for answers—why was he here? How did he end up in this place? He forced his mind to think, to recall everything he could, until the memories finally resurfaced.
"Denet…"
"Yes…"
"I remember now."
He had been just an ordinary boy living with his family in a small town, seventeen years old. He received only a basic education before dropping out due to his family's poor financial situation. He worked to support them, but eventually both his parents fell ill and passed away, leaving him to survive on his own.
"A typical tragic backstory, huh."
One day, Denet took a job outside his home country. He traveled by a transport vehicle carrying workers across the border. The work was heavy labor in a factory. He worked relentlessly until he could afford a small room—not very nice, but livable. And in that room, he eventually fell asleep.
"But…"
Denet thought to himself as he looked around.
"This isn't the room I remember. Even if it's old and worn-down, it's still different."
He scanned the interior. There were only a few stains, but what made the place seem ancient was the material itself—it was more deteriorated than normal, like a place abandoned for years. He sat on the extremely hard wooden bed, then tried once more to push himself up, reaching blindly for something to hold onto. His vision was still blurry. His hand touched a wooden table nearby.
The table was old but clean. Whoever lived here must have cared about cleanliness. Denet stood, struggling, the pain still lingering but bearable. He decided to explore the room to familiarize himself with it.
He gradually realized this place was not where he had lived. It felt different—like something out of the medieval era, with slower development and older craftsmanship. He stepped onto the wooden floor, which was orderly yet dirty and aged.
As his vision began to adjust naturally, he noticed gaps between the floorboards and saw another level beneath him. It seemed he wasn't on the first floor.
"Looks like this place has multiple floors. Exploring it might take a while."
Denet began walking around the room. His steps were unsteady, but he could manage. He walked until he reached a mirror beside a wooden wardrobe. Unlike the rest of the room, the mirror looked well-maintained—cleaned daily, perhaps. Its golden frame was intricately carved and stunning.
"Does the person who lived here… like looking at themselves that much?"
He examined it closely. The mirror didn't match the room's worn appearance. He slowly touched its surface—there was almost no dust.
"Interesting… Why would someone care about this mirror so much?"
Then Denet looked at his own reflection.
"…Huh?"
He was shocked internally, though he kept his expression completely neutral.
"This isn't me."
The thought shot through his mind. Confusion flooded him, but he maintained his composure. He feared someone might be watching.
"Did I… end up inside the owner of this body?"
He only dared to think it, not speak it aloud. His mind raced through countless possibilities. Was he dreaming? Being pranked? Or… was this exactly what it seemed?
A new person, in a new body, in a new world.
Denet pondered. He had read stories about possession or reincarnation into another world, but in those stories, people usually gained the memories of the body they inhabited. Yet here, he had none. Not a single memory.
Why?
Why was he inside this boy's body?
Was he manipulated by someone? Or simply…
Unlucky enough to end up in this world?
Or should he call this… luck?