The mountain road twisted dangerously through the cliffs, narrow enough that a single wrong turn would send any vehicle plunging into the abyss below.
A modest-looking car crept along that path. To others it might seem like a dream car, sleek and enviable, but for the driver it was nothing more than ordinary. His name was Alex Mid Michael, though most people simply called him Michael.
With an annoyed scowl, Michael muttered under his breath.
"Why the hell did this stupid car stop here of all places?"
He stepped out, his sturdy frame framed against the vast drop of the cliffside. Moving to the hood, he began checking the engine. Nothing seemed seriously wrong. Pulling out his phone, he frowned—no signal. The little bit of network he had on his backup SIM was useless for making calls.
Sighing, Michael leaned against the car, scanning his surroundings. The place was eerily silent. Few ever traveled this far up—the villages were at the base of the mountain, while the commercial zones were built higher above. Maybe, he thought, someone would pass by soon.
Curious, he wandered a little closer to the edge, peering into the chasm.
Just how deep is this thing…
That was when it happened.
A sudden presence behind him. Before he could even turn, something—or someone—shoved him hard. His body pitched forward, and he began plummeting down into the void.
The words of his elders echoed in his mind:
Never linger alone on the edge of high, deserted places. Evil spirits lurk there, waiting to push men to their doom.
Michael grimaced mid-fall.
"Damn it… they were right."
Yet, something was wrong. By his quick calculation, the gorge couldn't have been more than four hundred meters deep. A fall like that should have ended in seconds. But he kept falling… and falling…
His surroundings twisted. The cliffside vanished, replaced by endless blackness that swallowed him whole.
"What the—? There was supposed to be a gorge down there. Did I… miscalculate? No, I'm dead. I have to be. Why am I even thinking about this?"
Resigned, he closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable end.
But when he opened them again, only a few seconds later, he wasn't in the abyss anymore.
He was lying on a wooden bed in a strange room.
Blinking rapidly, he sat up. The walls were built of stone and timber, the architecture reminding him of something out of sixteenth-century Europe. No ceiling fan. No electric lights.
Michael let out a shaky laugh.
"Why am I, an Asian, comparing this to Europe of all places? Forget that—where the hell am I? Did I… die? Is this the afterlife?"
He rose, scanning the room. His eyes caught a mirror in the corner. He staggered toward it, only to collapse to his knees.
The face staring back at him was not his own.
His heart pounded. His reflection was someone else entirely.
A creak broke the silence—the door swung open. A young woman entered, dressed like a servant or a nurse from a bygone era. Her face paled the moment she saw him.
"G-ghost! A ghost!" she screamed.
Michael recoiled, stunned. Why is she calling me a ghost?
Footsteps thundered as more people rushed in. One of them—a middle-aged man—stared at him wide-eyed.
"Mr. Smith… how… how are you awake?"
Michael's brows furrowed.
Smith?
And then realization struck like lightning. This wasn't his body. This was Smith's.
Clearing his throat, Michael tried to play along.
"There… must be some mistake. I'm just… like this."
The man shook his head, his voice trembling.
"No, sir. You've been in a coma for three years. And now—you've finally awakened."
Michael froze.
He has no idea. What did they say?
-----
Michael couldn't understand—
Had he really been in a coma for so long?
Or was it something else entirely?
Everything around him felt strange, even his own body.
As if he had awakened inside a new vessel, a new existence.
And suddenly, he blurted out—
"What's your name?"
The room fell into stunned silence.
Everyone's eyes widened, as though he had committed some terrible mistake.
Michael felt uneasy inside.
"Wait… did I say something wrong?"
After a moment of pause, one man spoke up in a steady voice—
"Sir, I am Jack Ham. Everyone knows me as Ham."
Ham's gaze was sharp, almost questioning.
He slowly asked—
"Sir… can you not remember anything?"
Michael scratched his forehead nervously, forcing a faint smile.
"Well… it seems… I can't remember anything at all."
Ham grew serious.
"Perhaps we need to call for a kabiraz (healer)."
Michael nearly laughed in disbelief.
"Really? If I have some problem in my head, shouldn't you call a doctor instead of a village healer?"
Just then, the door burst open.
A young woman rushed inside, tears streaming down her face, and threw her arms around him.
"Father! Father, you've finally woken up!"
Michael froze.
His heart trembled with shock.
"Father? What did she just say? But… I never even got married in my previous life! And this man's daughter looks almost my age!"
Guilt and confusion churned within him.
Ham quickly intervened—
"Miss Elyasa, please… give Sir Alex some time. He cannot remember his past yet."
"Alex?"
Elyasa's eyes widened as if struck by lightning.
She stumbled two steps back, trembling.
Her father—the man she loved and trusted most—couldn't even recognize her.
Her lips quivered, but no words came out.
Only a tear slipped down her cheek before she turned and fled the room.
Silence swallowed the space.
No one else came forward.
Michael let out a deep sigh, leaning back.
"So… the name of this body is Alex. Not bad. In my previous life, I also had this name, but no one ever called me by it. In this world, they'll all know me as Alex."
A faint, ironic smile tugged at his lips.
---
That very night—
Footsteps echoed in the hall.
The door creaked open and several people entered his chamber.
Among them were Ham, Elyasa, another young woman, and a boy.
Ham spoke firmly—
"Mr. Alex, these are your children. Do you… remember them?"
Michael/Alex shook his head.
"No."
At that moment, an elderly man entered, muttering strange incantations.
He was a healer.
Suddenly, Alex's body began to burn with light.
From his throat to his forehead, a strange glowing pattern spread like fire.
The healer's eyes went wide with horror.
He recoiled, then shouted in rage—
"No! This man is not human! He has made a pact with demons!
He is a demon! A demon!"
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Everyone stared at Michael in terror.
Michael's mind spun out of control.
"What? What are you saying? I… I'm a demon?!"
The young boy stepped forward, eyes blazing red with fury.
He shackled Michael in heavy chains, voice trembling with rage.
"You! You've stolen my father's body, haven't you?
You're no human—you're a demon!
How dare you wear my father's face!"
Michael's heart ached.
Ham raised his voice sharply—
"Sir Elen! Do not harm him, do not kill him.
No matter what he is… remember, he is still your father."