"Wuu wuu~~ Rai! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't want this either! It's all my fault! I'm really sorry…"
As Rai's consciousness had just awoken, the sound of a girl's tearful apologies kept echoing in his ears.
Rai's first reaction was to think his girlfriend had put a green hat on him.
But very quickly, he realised he didn't have a girlfriend.
So, what exactly was going on now?
Why was there a girl crying while lying on top of him?
Rai wanted to open his eyes to take a look, but a sudden, severe headache forced him to stop.
At that moment, a more mature female voice sounded beside his ear, cutting off the girl's crying.
"This isn't your fault, darling. If there's anyone to blame, it's me and your father." The girl's mother came over to comfort her.
The girl still reproached herself endlessly: "No! It's me who killed Rai! It's all my fault!"
Wait a second!
Killed Rai???
I'm not dead yet!
I can still be saved!
Ignoring the headache, Rai tried to shout out loud, only to find that no matter what he did, his mouth wouldn't open.
Forcing himself to endure the pain, he tried again to open his eyes, but no matter how much strength he used, it was useless.
It was as if his body wasn't his own.
Meanwhile, the mother and daughter, unaware of any abnormality with Rai, continued their conversation.
"No, Zoe, this isn't your fault. There are some truths I should have told you long ago."
"…Truth?"
"Yes, the truth! Your great-grandmother also suffered from this hereditary affliction. I once prayed you wouldn't inherit this bloodline, but clearly God didn't listen to my prayers. Zoe, I'm sorry, but from now on you'll have to walk another path."
"Mom, I don't understand what you mean."
"The witch's bloodline, Zoe. This isn't some fabricated legend; it's a real fact. The power of the Salem witches has always flowed through our family's blood. But it isn't inherited by every generation or every girl. Your great-grandmother gained this power and became a witch. And you, Zoe, I don't know whether to call it fortunate or unfortunate, you have now become one as well."
"A witch?" the girl said in disbelief.
A witch?
Listening all along, Rai was equally shocked.
For some reason, a sense of familiarity suddenly arose in him, as if he had seen this somewhere before.
Just as he was desperately trying to recall, Zoe's mother's voice continued:
"I'm sorry for Rai's death. This was an accident no one wanted to see. So Zoe, for the sake of preventing such accidents from happening again in the future, you must learn to control your witch's power. I've already called the Council, and next, they will take you to New Orleans. There is a boarding academy there that specialises in receiving girls like you. You'll be safe there."
"You're sending me away? But Rai…"
"Don't worry, I'll take care of Rai's funeral arrangements."
"No…"
No!!!
Rai screamed.
He had no intention of being cremated or lying in a coffin for the rest of his life.
I'm still alive!
In that instant, a strong will to survive burst forth with boundless strength.
The invisible force that bound all his movements was finally broken.
As a phantom image of a book flashed through his mind, without time to think further, Rai barely managed to open his eyes, struggling to raise his arm, and with his last bit of strength, greeted the mother and daughter beside him:
"Hey… I think… I can still be saved."
With that said, Rai's vision went black, and he fainted.
"Rai!!!"
The next second, the girl's cry of ecstatic joy and the mother's incredulous exclamation rang out.
…
When Rai awoke again, he found himself lying on a hospital bed.
A youthful blonde girl had fallen asleep by the bedside, her head resting wearily.
As Rai looked at her, a series of past memories suddenly flashed constantly in his mind.
Zoe Benson is his girlfriend at school. Because they wanted to taste the forbidden fruit, the two agreed to go to her home, with him guiding the way.
But unexpectedly, though it was fine at first when they began, within a few seconds, he had died…
No, wait!
Rai shook his head hard, and another set of memories surged into his mind.
In another world, he had been a carefree university student. One day, at a used bookstall, he picked up a very ancient-looking book, intending to study it back in his dorm. Unexpectedly, while crossing the street, he was hit head-on by a speeding car that ran a red light. And in that world, there was nothing after that.
So… he had transmigrated?
Recalling the other strand of memories in his mind, Rai realised that his new body looked exactly like his own.
It's just… this way of dying was too bizarre.
But… why did this opening feel so familiar?
A bizarre death, witches, Zoe…
Rai suddenly jolted in shock, quickly turning his head toward his "new girlfriend," reaching out to brush away the messy hair from her face. A pure and sweet girl's countenance came into view.
Sure enough!
No wonder it felt so familiar!
Wasn't this one of the main heroines from American Horror Story: Coven?
That meant he had replaced that unlucky boyfriend who originally appeared only for a few seconds before dying, and had become Zoe's current boyfriend.
How could this be?
Rai couldn't make sense of it, no matter how he thought.
At that moment, Zoe stirred awake from the noise.
The instant she saw her boyfriend had regained consciousness, she instinctively threw herself into Rai's arms, overjoyed: "Thank God! Rai, it's so wonderful you're still alive! I was really terrified before! I'm so sorry! I never thought something like that would happen! It's all my fault…"
Zoe, flustered and incoherent, once again poured out her guilt and joy.
Feeling the youthful girl's body pressed against him, Rai finally came to his senses and began to speak: "I…"
Before he could finish, Rai suddenly felt his mouth enveloped by a patch of warmth.
This… this… this was far too sudden.
Experiencing the passion of a girl for the first time, Rai was somewhat at a loss.
Worse still, he had no experience at all.
In the end, Rai could only passively accept everything.
It wasn't until the monitor by the bed nearly sounded an alarm from his wildly beating heart that this welcome ceremony of transmigration finally came to an end.
Though still somewhat shocked, Rai persuaded himself to accept all of it.
After all, what was there to complain about when given a new lease on life?
Watching Zoe at his side, sometimes handing him water, sometimes peeling fruit for him, obedient in every way, her eyes full of him, the newly arrived Rai let out a satisfied breath.
To start off with, such a sweet girlfriend who wouldn't be happy?
Uh… although this girlfriend was a Black Widow.
Not the sexy one in black leather from Marvel, but the kind who truly devours her male partners without spitting out the bones.
Still…
It was better than those protagonists who went through an entire story without ever getting a girlfriend.
-
Inside the hospital ward.
Just as Rai was enjoying Zoe's meticulous care, a sudden exclamation arose:
"What pure love! It reminds me of my own youth."
Startled, Rai and Zoe looked toward the source of the voice. At some unknown time, a woman had appeared on a chair in the ward dressed like a noble lady, with an orange mane of hair, wearing a shawl dress and long lace gloves.
"Who are you?" Zoe stood up and politely asked the strange woman.
"Me? I'm the same kind as you, Zoe. You may call me Myrtle." The woman named Myrtle removed her sunglasses and introduced herself with a smile.
"The same kind?" Thinking of what her mother had said before, Zoe exclaimed in surprise, "You… you're a witch?"
"My dear, you should be asking, 'Are you also a witch?' Because now, you too are one of us."
Myrtle rose and walked over. While Zoe felt uncomfortable, Myrtle caressed her face as though admiring a piece of fine art, saying,
"After the Council received your mother's letter, I came immediately. Girls who awaken the Salem bloodline are becoming fewer and fewer. Each one we discover is a great joy for the Council."
"Zoe, are you ready? To go to New Orleans, to join the place where you truly belong."
Upon hearing this, Zoe first glanced at Rai, who had been silent ever since Myrtle appeared. Then she turned back to Myrtle and shook her head: "No! I don't want to go to New Orleans. I want to stay here!"
Myrtle's smile faded slightly, and with a small sigh, she said: "My dear, this isn't about what you want. The Council has the responsibility to protect the safety of every witch. It may not be the Middle Ages anymore, but persecution of witches by the outside world still exists. Just a few days ago, a girl who awakened witch powers, just like you, was taken by a group of ignorant people as a devil and was burned alive. Zoe, you don't want to end up like that, do you? Besides…"
At this point, Myrtle suddenly looked at Rai on the bed, her face showing some surprise: "Not everyone can be as lucky as your little boyfriend, crawling back from the underworld. Zoe, you need to learn to control your powers. Am I right, boy named Rai?"
"Y-yes." Facing the gaze of a genuine witch, Rai, who had until now willingly acted as background, forced a smile.
The first moment he saw Myrtle, he had recognised her.
After all, her myrtle colored attire was far too striking.
Precisely because he had recognised who she was, Rai had chosen to stay quiet and act like a handsome backdrop.
With his thin arms and legs, he had no desire to get entangled in the struggles of witches with screws loose in their heads.
Although Zoe's refusal to leave for the witches' academy because of him moved him somewhat, he would rather not have this kind of touching sentiment exist.
Especially now, with Myrtle's gaze upon him, as if dissecting a corpse out of sheer curiosity.
"I know the Benson family's witch abilities very well. In history, there has never been a case of someone surviving after being harmed. I must say, Rai, you've given me quite the surprise." Myrtle said with a smile.
Rai's face twitched unnaturally: "Should I be saying I'm honoured?"
"Of course. To come back from a situation of certain death, Rai, your body is truly commendable. If I hadn't found any trace of witch blood in you, I would have thought you were an unawakened warlock. But in the end, you are not the same as ordinary people."
Myrtle gave Rai a meaningful look, then turned back to Zoe: "My dear, I know you can't bear to part with your little boyfriend. How about this, the butler of the boarding school, Spalding, has grown old and needs a successor. Since your little boyfriend already knows of the witches' existence and is somewhat special himself, let him accompany you to New Orleans."
Zoe's face lit up with joy. As long as she wasn't separated from her boyfriend, this result was quite good.
Heart moved, she immediately looked at Rai.
Rai only felt his scalp go numb.
Live together with a group of witches? And even be a servant for them?
NO!!!
Rai shook his head, "I'm not going!"
He looked at Zoe's disappointed face and said, with an expression of "deep affection", "Zoe, Miss Myrtle is right. As a witch, you need to go find your companions. This is not only for your safety but also so you can better bear the identity of a witch. After you graduate from the school, it won't be too late to come back. Don't worry! I will always be waiting for you!"
Though there was a high chance Zoe would find a new love at that time, Rai was still willing to let go for the sake of his own little life.
Q: How to stay away from danger in a world where you know the plot?
A: Of course, by staying far away from the protagonist, if you are a normal person or have a powerful bloodline or a cheat.
Rai had already made up his mind to have a normal life.
With his skills, he could definitely find a decent job here.
"Rai!!"
At the same time, upon hearing Rai's words, the disappointment on Zoe's face instantly transformed into deep emotion.
Just as she was about to throw herself on him again to express her love, Myrtle interrupted from the side: "Mr. Rai, I wasn't asking your opinion. For the Council, in order to protect the safety of witches, outsiders are not permitted to know of our existence."
Rai's heart tightened, and he forced a smile: "Witches should be able to brew potions, right? Is there one that makes people forget things? I'm willing to drink a cup."
"Of course there is. But it comes with the side effect of turning the drinker's brain into mush."
"Forget it then."
Not wanting to spend the rest of his life babbling nonsense, Rai immediately shook his head.
"Truly, no room for negotiation?"
"There is. One, Rai, you come with us of your own accord. Second…"
Myrtle clapped her hands, and the next moment, two burly men in black suits and sunglasses walked in.
"Let them take you away."
Myrtle's words had sealed off all of Rai's escape routes.
Looking at the men whose arms were thicker than his thighs, Rai sighed, rationally recognising reality, and no longer resisted:
"I'll go voluntarily then."
"My dear, I thought about it carefully again, and I still can't rest assured with you going to a strange city alone. Let me stay by your side in the days ahead."