The morning light struck his eyes.
Tanaka blinked several times. His mind was foggy, his vision blurred. The ceiling above him was low, made of raw wood, roughly carved.
This isn't my room…
He slowly turned his head. Everything around him was hazy.
Through the soft haze, he saw a woman's face framed by long hair, leaning over him. There was a warmth in her gaze—gentle and maternal.
Who is she? A nurse?
Beside her stood a tall man, smiling kindly, eyes filled with calm affection.
And this guy? I don't know him either…
Tanaka tried to sit up.
His arms didn't respond.
His hands… were tiny. Fragile.
Wait… I'm a baby?
The thought hit him hard.
No, that couldn't be right. That was completely insane.
But the more he moved, the more undeniable it became—this wasn't his adult body anymore.
I died, didn't I?
A sharp pain shot through his head.
A memory. A flash.
Flames. A falling beam. Heat. Smoke.
The fire.
He had felt it. He had lived it.
He'd run in to save someone.
He had done it. But…
He had died.
So why… am I here now?
His breathing quickened. But then, the woman's soft voice rose, gentle like a lullaby:
— Welcome, Lucius.
He blinked.
Lucius? Who's that?
My name is Tanaka.
That name—"Lucius"—felt wrong in his head. Foreign.
But it echoed anyway. Again and again.
The man leaned in, his voice calm and warm.
— Welcome home, Lucius. We're so happy to have you with us.
Again, that name.
Lucius.
Lucius.
But it wasn't him.
Not yet.
The woman gently brushed his forehead.
— We'll help you grow, my son. You have a whole future ahead of you.
Her smile was full of tenderness.
Tanaka's heart tightened.
Is this… reincarnation?
To live again. In another body. Another world.
It was terrifying. And… strangely thrilling.
His memories spun inside his mind.
He had been a man.
Just an average office worker in Japan.
A loser, by his own words.
Always late, with no dream, no purpose.
Then the fire.
One decision.
He had tried to do the right thing.
And he had died.
I really died…
But now, he was here.
A newborn child in an unfamiliar world.
Maybe… this was his second chance.
— Lucius, sweetie, you look tired.
The woman's voice brought him back.
He looked up at her, his heart heavy.
But he wasn't Lucius.
He wasn't this innocent baby.
I'm Tanaka.
Not this… child…
His eyes slowly closed, his mind overwhelmed with memories, doubts, voices.
A storm of confusion.
But already, he could feel it…
Nothing would ever be the same again.