The sound from the TV filled the room.
Aarav's eyes opened slowly. The noise felt distant at first—but familiar.
This early…? Who's watching TV…?
The sound sharpened. Cartoons. Juhi… It had to be her.
It's Sunday. No school today.
His attention shifted briefly—something flickered at the edge of his vision. He frowned slightly.
…What was that?
The thought passed just as quickly.
I'll check it later. Right now, I have something more important to focus on.
His attention moved on.
---
His gaze drifted upward, settling on the slow rotation of the ceiling fan.
I can't just lie here doing nothing…
…Wait. I'm not even sitting. I'm stuck.
A brief pause.
This is useless. I need to do something.
He tried to move. A faint response—barely there. Not enough.
If I keep trying every day… like exercise… maybe I'll at least learn to sit on my own.
He pushed again. The effort drained him almost instantly. His body gave up before he could try properly.
…I'm already exhausted.
I'll start from tomorrow.
His thoughts shifted again.
What should I even do in the future…? What do I focus on…?
---
His thoughts drifted.
Then—something flickered at the edge of his vision. The same faint presence as before.
…Right. I left this for later.
Might as well check it now.
He focused on it.
Is this… a notification?
The moment the thought formed—the screen opened on its own. As if it had been waiting.
Aarav stilled.
…It's reacting to me.
---
His gaze fixed on it.
This looks like those legendary system stories my otaku friends used to talk about.
But something about it felt off. Familiar.
Not just from what he had heard—
but from something he had already seen.
…Where?
Then it clicked.
That moment—when he had just woken up. Something had appeared in front of him. Asking for permission.
…I thought that was a dream.
He hadn't paid attention then. Too tired to understand what was written.
…Did I accept it without realizing?
His eyes shifted back to the screen.
A timer was displayed.
24:00:00
Most of it was already gone. Only a few hours remained.
So this is… the remaining setup time.
---
The door opened, followed by approaching footsteps.
Raghav entered, a newspaper in one hand and a milk pouch in the other.
"Let's check what's new in the newspaper today…"
He stopped mid-step.
His gaze fell on Aarav—already awake.
Aarav wasn't restless. He was quietly staring, as if focused on something.
A soft chuckle escaped Raghav.
"Why does it look like he's already worried about his career?"
He shook his head, amused.
What am I even thinking… he's just a baby.
Little did he know.
Still, he walked toward Aarav. The cradle swayed lightly as he approached.
Aarav looked at him. Their eyes met.
A small, innocent smile formed on his face—as if nothing had happened.
…He can't see this screen. Good.
A faint sense of relief followed.
---
Raghav picked him up.
"Come here."
He carried him into the living room.
"Aarav, what's your plan for today? Do you have anything in mind?"
He paused.
"…Why am I even saying this? He won't understand a thing."
Aarav almost responded.
I can understand everything… I just can't speak.
The thought faded. No point dwelling on it.
His attention shifted to the system window. It hovered there, irritating.
How do I close this?
The moment the thought formed, the window vanished.
Aarav stilled.
…It disappeared.
Then it clicked.
So it's connected to my mind. No commands, no buttons… it reacts to my thoughts.
That made things easier.
There was no need to bring it back now. The countdown was still running, and until it finished, the system was useless anyway.
I'll check it later… once it's done.
For now, leaving it hidden was the better choice.
---
By the time Aarav drifted into his thoughts, they had reached the living room, where Juhi was watching The Jungle Book, while Nandini sat nearby, peeling peas.
Aarav found the cartoon fascinating—not just for its story. In his past life, he had been an animal lover, and the animals on screen held his attention.
A faint thought crossed his mind.
Have I seen this before?
He couldn't remember clearly. Maybe he never had—or maybe he had simply forgotten.
On the screen, a boy moved through the jungle alongside a black panther. The scene held his gaze.
Perhaps it was because of his current body, but he found himself drawn to it.
---
Time slipped by, and Aarav didn't notice.
"Breakfast!" someone called.
He was picked up as Nandini brought him milk. "This is for you," she said.
Then a warm, simple smell reached him.
His gaze shifted to the table, where ghugri—peas and potatoes with light spices—sat in a bowl.
He stopped drinking, staring at it.
I want that…
"Oye, your food is this," Nandini said, bringing the milk closer. "Don't look there."
Aarav felt irritated.
Then don't show it to me.
Reluctantly, he went back to drinking his milk.
"Ghugri is really good today," Raghav said. "With paratha… perfect."
Nandini replied, "Big brother made the ghugri."
Raghav looked at Vikram. "Oh really?"
Vikram nodded.
Raghav took another bite. "…That explains why the potatoes are slightly undercooked—and the paratha's a bit burnt, too."
Vikram smiled. "The paratha was made by Nandini."
Raghav froze.
He looked at her. "Sorry… I was joking."
Nandini replied calmly, "No need. I'll give it to someone who actually deserves it. You don't need this anymore."
Vikram started laughing.
Neha said, "Enough, all of you. Raghav, you stop too. Nandini, relax—he was just joking."
Raghav grinned. "Sister-in-law, you're the best. You really understand me."
She shot back immediately. "Oh, I understand. It means you don't like the food at home anymore. Fine, go eat outside. You don't need to come home for meals."
Everyone laughed.
Watching their parents, Aarav and Juhi had the same thought—these adults were even more childish than they were.
Aarav resumed acting normal, drinking his milk.
---
The day passed in family time—talking, sharing small moments.
Raghav and Vikram argued over what to watch, but were quickly shut down by their wives.
In the end, the women decided how to spend the evening.
As the house gradually settled, Aarav's thoughts returned to the system.
Aarav focused, and the screen appeared.
[System Initialization Complete]
[Memory System: Ready]
Aarav paused.
Memory system? What does that even mean? Is it going to improve my memory?
…Guess I'll find out.
A prompt appeared: "Do you want to access the system?" with "Yes" and "No."
Without overthinking, he selected "Yes."
The moment he did, a sharp shock ran through his body.
Everything went dark.