Sitting on a bench by the road the young man held his head tightly. His fingers pressed against his temples. He felt confused.
"Where exactly am I?" he exclaimed. Frustration was clear in his voice.
He took a breath. He tried to calm down. Panicking wouldn't help him understand where he was. Slowly he recalled the thing he remembered before waking up in this strange place.
The night he was in his room. It was a run-down space. He remembered feeling hungry and tired. He lay down hoping sleep would ease his hunger.
His memories stopped there. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't remember anything
"What is this…?" he muttered. His confusion grew. He opened his eyes. Looked around. At first everything seemed normal. People walked on the streets talking and moving. They lived like nothing was unusual.
The longer he watched the more he noticed something was wrong.
A man floated past him by inches above the ground. Gravity didn't seem to apply to him. A woman raised her hand. Conjured a small flame. She let it flicker. Then extinguished it like it was nothing unusual. Another person moved past him at a speed. Their figure almost blurred as they crossed the street.
The young man stared in silence. He tried to process what he was seeing.
"…Not again…" he said quietly. He let out a sigh.
"I thought I was just dreaming earlier…. Now more people are doing the same thing?" There was no panic in his voice this time. Only disbelief as he tried to make sense of it. He looked at his hands examining them carefully. He expected something to change.. They looked normal.
"…Can I do that too?" he murmured.
Before he could think about it longer a sharp pain shot through his head.
"Argh!" He clutched his head. His vision blurred. His body tensed from the pain. It felt like something was being pushed into his mind. Memories that didn't belong to him flooded in. Names, places and faces he had never seen before appeared one after another.
"…Lucas… Ironhart…" he muttered. The name echoed in his mind. The pain continued. More memories surfaced, clearer than before. They flowed like they belonged to him.
The owner of this body was Lucas Ironhart. A fourteen-year-old boy born into the Ironhart family. They were known for their strength and influence. Every member of that family carried expectations. Each of them lived up to it… except one. Lucas.
In an open space under the hot sun, kids who were not much older than Lucas were practicing with swords and magic. They were really good at it. Every time they moved it was quick and strong.
Lucas was with them. He was having a hard time keeping up. When he held a sword, his hands shook and his swings were slow. He did not stay on his feet for long. Soon he fell down dropping the sword. The other kids laughed at him.
One of his brothers stood over Lucas looking at him with disgust. His words hurt Lucas more than any sword could as he said Lucas was worthless and asked if he was even worthy of being called a Lucas Ironhart.
The Ironhart name was important, to Lucas and his brothers words made him feel bad. Lucas was trying to do his best with the sword but it was just not working out for him and that made him feel like he did not belong with the other Ironharts.
He was the weakest among his siblings. He lacked talent and strength. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't meet the standards expected of someone with the Ironhart name. His existence became an embarrassment to the family.
So they discarded him without hesitation. Without regret.
The memories showed it clearly. The cold expressions. The indifference in their eyes. The moment he was thrown out of the estate along with his belongings. Like he was nothing than an unwanted burden.
A faint breath escaped his lips. Those memories settled in.
"So… am I in another body now?" he murmured. He clutched the cloth near his collar. He still couldn't believe it.
The weight of the situation slowly sank in.. Before he could grasp it movement in front of him caught his attention.
A merchant passed by transporting an amount of cargo. Like the others the goods floated effortlessly behind him. Defying all logic he once knew.
Among the cargo a large mirror stood out. As it moved into his line of sight his gaze locked onto it. When he saw his reflection his eyes widened.
"What!?" The face staring back at him was unfamiliar.
White hair framed a face. His eyes were sharp and red. They carried an intensity that made him look unreal. It was a kind of appearance that would naturally draw attention.
For a moment he simply stared.
Then the mirror moved past him. Carried away along, with the merchant.
His hands rose to his face. He touched his skin. Ran through his hair. Trying to confirm what he had just seen.
"T-This is real… I'm not Reji anymore!" His voice trembled slightly. The realization finally settled in.
Before he could gather his thoughts something appeared in front of his eyes. A translucent screen.
[System activating]
He froze, staring at the words. "Huh? System?" he muttered. His confusion returned.
The text continued to appear.
____________________
[Player successfully Transmigrated]
[Player – Lucas Ironhart]
[Level – 1]
[Health – 100]
[Mana – 10]
[Strength – 4]
[Agility – 3]
[Defense – 5]
[Stamina – 7]
[ Stat – 0]
[Magic. Not awakened yet]
[Age. 14]
[Skills. Null]
____________________
He remained silent. He read through everything. His mind tried to piece it all
"Player… and these stats…" he murmured. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Wait… am I playing a game?" He touched his arms and face. Confirming again that everything felt real.
"…No this isn't a game " he said under his breath. "Then what am I seeing?" Before he could question it further another line appeared on the screen.
[Task: Immediately head to Silvas Magic Academy]