The young man sat on a bench by the side of the road holding his head tightly. His fingers pressed against his temples. He felt really confused.
"Where am I?" he exclaimed. You could hear the frustration in his voice.
He took a breath and tried to calm down. He knew that panicking would not help him figure out where he was. So he tried to remember what happened before he woke up.
The night he was in his room. It was a bad place. He remembered feeling hungry and tired. He lay down hoping that sleep would make his hunger go away.
His memories stopped there. No matter how hard he tried he could not remember anything
"What is going on?" he muttered. His confusion was getting worse. He opened his eyes and looked around. At first everything seemed normal. People were walking on the streets talking and moving. They acted like nothing was out of the ordinary.
The longer he watched the more he noticed that something was not right.
A man floated past him an inches above the ground. It was like gravity did not apply to him. A woman raised her hand. Made a small flame. She let it burn for a bit then put it out like it was no deal. Another person moved past him fast. Their body was a blur as they crossed the street.
The young man stared in silence. He tried to make sense of 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 thing?" He was not panicked this time. He just could not believe what he was seeing. He looked at his hands checking them carefully. He expected something to be different.. They looked normal.
"Can I do that too?" he whispered.
Before he could think about it more a sharp pain shot through his head.
"Ow!" He clutched his head. His vision blurred. His body tensed up from the pain. It felt like something was being pushed into his mind. Memories that were not his 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 felt like they belonged to him.
The owner of this body was Lucas Ironhart. He was a fourteen-year- boy born into the Ironhart family. They were known for being strong and powerful. Every member of that family had 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 time keeping up. When he held a sword, his hands. 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. He said Lucas was worthless and asked if he was even worthy of being called an Ironhart.
The Ironhart name was important to Lucas and his brothers words hurt him. Lucas was trying his best with the sword. It was just not working out for him. That made him feel like he did not belong with the Ironharts.
He was the weakest among his siblings. He lacked talent and strength. No matter how hard he tried he could not 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 whispered. He clutched the cloth near his collar. He still could not 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 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 his 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 with the merchant.
He touched his skin. Ran his fingers through his hair trying to confirm what he had just seen.
"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 whispered. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Wait... Am I playing a game?" He touched his arms and face confirming again that everything felt real.
"This is not 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]