In fact, I was very much alive. Not only had I survived, but most of my brain function seemed intact. Clearly, the accident had taken its toll, but it seemed the damage wasn't too severe.
I could only wish the young boy from the accident was okay too. Perhaps it's the boy I could hear crying even now?
Slowly, my vision improved and I could make out those blurry lumps more acutely. There was a youthful man standing over me, perhaps in his mid to late twenties.
The man had light brown hair and faint brown eyes. He wore a cheerful expression, his gaze darting quickly between me and something behind me.
Soon enough, the man took both of his well-defined arms and effortlessly lifted me straight up from the bed I was lying in. Most definitely an impressive feat to lift a fifteen year old so easily - even I had to applaud that sort of unnatural strength.
With this newfound view I once again analysed my surroundings. The young man was no longer in sight but instead, I could see a beautiful young woman likely also in her mid to late twenties.
Her glossy black hair showered the white bed she lay on top of, folding over itself slightly. She seemed to be wearing a pure white robe which contrasted her black hair greatly.
Her countenance showed an affectionate yet strained smile - clearly, she had just gone through a lot. Her posture and the slight bags under her eyes were enough to know she was going through a difficult time. Despite her expression, relief was evident.
As much as I loved the attention and bright smiles, it was getting a bit strange now. If this wasn't where I died - the street I had ran through plenty of times - then shouldn't it be some sort of hospital or ambulance? This place looked way too similar to a normal house.
I could hear the couple talk amongst themselves but I couldn't make out a word - it all sounded like gibberish. Maybe I had gotten some brain damage from that truck incident and that affected my hearing. That wasn't a possibility I could rule out just yet.
I tried calling out to them so I could get a better understanding of what was going on but to no avail. The young man just kept smiling and making strange faces at me – as if that was the answer I needed. As much as I liked a good joke, I really would prefer answers to anything else right now.
What felt like hours passed while I was trying to communicate with the man. Failure after failure to talk with both the man and the woman meant I was starting to get restless now.
Since he wouldn't listen to my words that left me with only one choice. I had to take matters into my own hands. Literally. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
A desperate measure only to be used in extreme situations was in order. The next time he drew close to me to make a weird face I drew my hand back and whooshed it forwards as hard as I could.
Pow!
At least that's the loud crisp sound and the slight stinging sensation I was expecting. To my surprise, that wasn't what I heard. In fact, that wasn't what I felt either. Instead, it was what I saw that really shocked me.
Slowly, my hands came into focus and I could see quite clearly that they were more like little stumps. I could recognise hands like these – anyone could. They were baby hands.
Immediately, everything made sense: the darkness, the cries, the young couple and even the strange faces. That annoying irritating sound that only seemed to get louder... was me. It could only have been me.
Those strange faces were definitely in some attempt to make me laugh, smile or stop crying it seems. Then that means that darkness could've only been one thing...
I really didn't want to dwell on that - the thought was mildly uncomfortable. I wasn't completely unfamiliar with reincarnation. I'd read my fair share of Korean Regression novels and Japanese Isekai novels in the past. I just really didn't think this would ever happen to me.
After all, I wasn't an old jobless NEET and while I was definitely going to take this life seriously - I was already doing that before I reincarnated.
Last time I checked, I wasn't a great sage either, so clearly I wasn't going to become a slime demon king and create my own monster nation. It was likely I didn't even have a cheat ability like re-turning after death—not that I had any plans of testing that.
I did have to admit I was very much looking forward to this - I mean just who wouldn't be? The nerdy side of me was already dreaming up countless goals, fantasies and quests in this world.
Surely there had to be some sort of mythical world tree among a populated magical forest! Different races like elves, dwarves, demons, goblins, fairies—all with their own histories and magical abilities! Dangerous ruins like dungeons, caverns, mazes and labyrinths crawling with opportunities!
Of course, the classic adventurer's guild and blacksmith stores are a must visit - can't forget the alchemists too! Maybe I might even get caught up in a devious plot and have to stage an epic escape while rescuing a noble princess from an evil scheme!
Sure all those things sound nice but...
The thing I couldn't stop thinking about right now - more than anything else - was the possibility of living with real parents again. Just one more time.
As much as I wanted to believe I was reincarnated into a fantasy world - in reality I had no way to tell, at least not yet. But a part of me desperately hoped it was.
Only in a fantasy world could I give it one hundred percent. I already gave my all to life on Earth even if it was only for a short lived fifteen years. I had trained and practiced and studied and trained and practiced and studied and... I think you get the point. I was sick and tired of Earth already; fifteen years was enough.
With a more critical eye - I began to analyse who I was assuming to be my parents more deeply. The young man who had me tightly coiled in his embrace was up first. I had heard the woman call him "Glyve". That was about everything I could make out from their conversation with these under-developed ears.
Glyve had a very distinct, striking appearance. Strong features and a sharp jawline with a clean haircut. His light brown hair and light hazel eyes matched his features perfectly and his frame was filled out.
The tight black shirt he had on only served to accentuate his build – fully showcasing the defined arms he had. Clearly, he had put in some work towards improving his physique and was fairly active. He seemed fairly tall too, at least from my infant perspective.
Next up was the snow white beauty who sat neatly on the bed behind me. The rays of light from the window adjacent emphasized the gloss of her matte black hair. Her cold blue eyes only made her seem prettier upon second glance.
I couldn't help but laugh to myself. These two were quite the lookers - it seems I had won the genetic lottery. Surely if these two were this good looking then I was bound to be charming too, right?
I still hadn't quite made out the name of the woman who was likely my mother. Not being able to understand the language was going to be a problem, but I imagined it would be a temporary one.
A second chance. An opportunity I knew I was extremely lucky to have. What should I change? What should I do better this time? How should I act? What is important to me? What were the mistakes I made in my previous life?
Did I even deserve this second chance?
Questions which hid deep in the back of my mind surfaced quietly but I quickly dismissed them. I knew I had to eventually answer those questions - everyone does - but they didn't matter too much for now. I was just a new-born baby after all. I had time.
By now my hearing had improved slightly and I could make out the woman's name. From what I heard it sounded like "Silvia". A lovely name that well and truly matched her demeanour.
After some time Glyve handed me to Silvia. It felt weird to be moved that easily, like I was some sort of parcel. I wasn't sure I'd ever get used to that.
Silvia's embrace felt a lot more comfortable and smoother than Glyve's. Softer too.
Even though I was starting to regain control of my five senses, I still couldn't stop myself from crying. Noticing this, Sylvia pulled me closer to her embrace and flashed me a smile so bright I could feel the sun stare jealously from outside the window.
A sweet melodious voice resounded and a soothing melody rung out with it. To my surprise, she was humming. Soon enough, I could feel my cries begin to slowly soften out - which gave me mixed feelings.
It was nice to have stopped crying and even nicer to hear such a lovely lullaby, but the fact I wasn't able to control it myself felt uncomfortable. That being said, I was enjoying this little tune - it reminded me of my aunt's singing when I was younger.
Ever since she started to sing, I'd noticed my eyelids felt significantly heavier. Unknowingly, my small body had grown sluggish. Strange.
I could see Glyve looking from afar with a more subtle smile, at least compared to earlier. It was clear to anyone that he felt satisfaction and pride in the scene unfolding before him.
My cries had tapered off and a lovely hum lay in the air - every face the picture of contentment.
I could get used to this.
Right now, I naturally felt much closer to Silvia than Glyve. It was probably since she had managed to stop my crying, something both me and Glyve were at a loss with. It seems in this life - I'm a mother's boy.
I could feel my blinks becoming slower and more drawn out. The gentle rocking motion made my breathing steady and even. It seemed to be the complete reversal of when I had woken up earlier.
Things were becoming blurry again and I was unable to make out clear faces. They had been in constant conversation but I couldn't make out a single word anymore.
I could feel my thoughts getting slower and simpler. I'm tired. That was my last thought before everything faded to black.
<<< Nine months later >>>
Over the past nine months, I had been forced to stay in an evil cage (a baby crib) and tasked myself with exploring the labyrinth (house) outside the dangerous cage.
After endless experimentation, I discovered that escaping the cage was an A-rank mission. A treacherous task no one should attempt without careful preparation... or, in my case, cheat skills.
Those skills included:
Crawling (active skill) - the ability to traverse short distances at a slow pace. Lasts for five minutes.
Language comprehension (passive skill) - the ability to understand the language being spoken at home. Takes several months to develop.
Sitting (active skill) - the ability to sit upright. Lasts for ten minutes.
Climbing (active skill) - the ability to scale heights. Lasts for twenty seconds.
So, in other words, I didn't get any magical cheat abilities or skills. Not yet, at least. For now, I was just a regular baby, no special powers to make life easier. Not ideal, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. After all, it was still more than enough to plan my great escape!
First, I made sure the coast was clear: Silvia was busy cooking, and Glyffe was out. The conditions had to be perfect. Once everything was set, I activated my climbing skill—well, that's what I decided to call it anyway—and scaled the bed with surprising precision for someone in my current state. Carefully, I broke my fall, landing softly on the floor. Escape, complete!
I took a brief moment to let my tiny chest recover from the effort. My heart raced, but this was only the beginning. There was a whole new world to explore, and the labyrinth ahead was waiting for me.