"Arrhh!" A White-haired boy groaned in pain, his frail frame giving the impression that his skin clung tightly to his bones, emphasizing his skinny physique.
"Hmmm…" The white-haired boy's eyes fluttered as he gradually opened them, adjusting to the uncertain surroundings.
"Armmrr!" He instinctively grabbed his head when a surge of pain shot through it, lifting his upper body with pained eyes.
Sitting up, he glanced down, realizing he was laid out on a sheet of paper on the floor.
Examining his own body, he wore a sack-like dress…. a sense of disbelief washed over him.
"W-What the…!!" He mumbled in pain, his gaze fixated on his small and delicate hands.
With wincing pain, he stared at his hands with disbelieving eyes, tracing the lines and contours as if seeking reassurance.
"N-No, No, No, No…." Ignoring the discomfort in his body, he rose to his feet and approached a mirror in the small room that appeared to be a….. Storeroom.
Surveying the bare wooden walls, devoid of furniture, not even a chair or toilet, the boy finally comprehended….
"I-It's the same as my old room" he muttered in disbelief.
"D-Did I return back?" The white-haired boy murmured, a small sense of fear creeping into his heart as he grappled with the surreal possibility of... regression?
'Clap!!'
A sharp slap echoed in the small storeroom.
"Come on! Aether! Calm Down!!" The white-haired boy, a.k.a Aether, shouted at himself in an attempt to break free from the perplexing thoughts racing through his mind.
"OUCH!"
Soon, he cried out in pain as the slap finally hit his nerves.
After a few minutes of calming down while rubbing his pained cheeks, he realized, 'It's not a dream…ah,' Aether thought, accepting the bewildering reality surrounding him.
Feeling a slight headache, he returned to his previous place. It became evident that a bandage was wrapped around his head, a faint reminder of an unseen injury.
Calmly surveying his surroundings once more, 'This room is the same as when I am with my parents….' he thought. The familiarity of the setting clashed with the childhood terrors.
He lay on the same white paper, gazing at the ceiling with a furrowed brow, his expression a canvas of worries and… fear?
He was trying to recall the events, his mind grappling with the fragments of memories that seemed….elusive and distant?
First, as soon as he got a job… he was killed by some organ traffickers due to his rare bloodline. The bitter irony of his fate struck him….
What a good way to live man!
'Thinking about it again, doctors did say I had rare blood…' Aether nodded in acknowledgement, but soon, his face turned serious.
"Those fuckers!!" Aether's eyes burned with fierce anger towards those heartless perpetrators who took his life without a shred of guilt.
Second, he found himself back in his past… That's what he believed.
"…." Aether wasn't sure whether he should be happy about it or feel sad, considering the lack of an isekai experience….
'Tsk, Seriously Me! What's wrong with me? Did I really start deluding myself?' Aether thought, immediately shaking off any fantastical notions.
"Wait a second, My friend once told me that if an organ is transplanted, it's not just a new lease on life…. He swore there's some kind of cosmic exchange and miracles of gods, like memories and traits could tag along with the donated kidney or heart" Aether muttered, his face contorted in shock.
'Fuck! If it's true then, Am I inside a teen boy who is going through the same tough life as me?' He slowly mouthed each word, his expression becoming increasingly bizarre.
However,
"THERE IS NO FUCKING WAY THAT MONSTER IS ON EARTH!!!"
Aether immediately stood up, a grimace etched on his face as he moved towards the door.
Despite a moment of hesitation, he steeled himself, remembering the surreal sights of 'Sea Horse' beyond his imagination. If that thing was in Earth then there was no way he didn't know it.
'Thud'
He slowly opened the door, first peeking out into the hallway. The room he was in was the last one in the corridor.
'Though the room is the same. this is definitely not my house….. There is no one?' Aether questioned before stepping out. Despite the room inside bearing a resemblance to his previous one, the expansive hallway that stretched seemingly for miles contradicted any semblance of familiarity.
There was no way his parents would build something like that just to annoy him.
He wasn't sure whether it was a good idea or not but…. Aether couldn't confine himself indefinitely in that room.
As he walked down the corridor, he scrutinized the structure of the building.
"Hmm… Sure, it's definitely not my parents' house…" Aether muttered as he continued to walk.
Suddenly,
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!!"
"!!!" Aether was startled when he heard someone screaming. Without conscious thought, his legs propelled him toward the source.
"YOU ARE THE ONE WHO CAME TO ME, NOT ME!!"
Aether leaned against a particular door, the origin of the vehement cries.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!!"
Hearing those trembling words, Aether, without hesitation, pushed the door open.
"Stop it!!" Aether shouted with authority, instantly recognizing the clarity of a situation where someone was attempting to assault a lady.
He might not have a pronounced sense of justice, especially after his past attempts at shoplifting to survive during dry days. However, he drew a clear line when it came to harassing women….
If he ever witnessed someone mistreating a lady, Aether would be the first to intervene. This unwavering stance…. cost him several jobs in the past as he couldn't stand idly by when customers or colleagues faced harassment.
Upon entering the study-like room, Aether's expression turned to stone.
There were five people in the room, strategically positioned - two sitting on one side of the sofa and three on the opposite side.
The first pair comprised a dark black middle-aged man and a young girl with flowing blonde hair.
The second trio featured a dark blue middle-aged man, a bluish-black-haired young boy, and a bluish-black-haired young girl. The room exuded a serious and charged atmosphere…. as if the fate of a nation hung in the balance.
"Hmm…." Aether scratched the back of his head, attempting to maintain his composure in the midst of the tense atmosphere.
"Cough-Cough…ahem…. Sorry?" Aether said with an awkward expression, attempting to diffuse the tension in the room.
He turned to leave the room, seeking an escape from the uncomfortable situation when a commanding and hoarse voice stopped him dead in his tracks.
"You came at the right time, Ether. Come pour some tea for the guests"
The use of the name "Ether" caught Aether off guard, a momentary confusion clouding his expression.
Was he the one they were addressing, or was there some misunderstanding?
Aether hesitated to react....
"Seems like you aren't teaching your slave correctly?" An amused voice followed, shedding light on the context of the conversation.
Now, Aether flinched hearing those words....
The mention of the term "Slave" added a layer of complexity to the unfolding scenario.
'Slave….ah?' This time, Aether understood that he was the one they were talking about since his sack dress clearly indicated who he was.
He wasn't sure who he was really and what the hell was happening if he acted a little different others might get suspicious…. Uncertain about the dynamics at play, he decided to play along.
"Ether!" The same authoritative and hoarse voice demanded his attention again, radiating a hint of menace that sent a shiver down Aether's spine.
"Y-Yes" Aether stammered, feeling a growing sense of suffocation in the room.
"Pour.Some.tea"
Aether turned back, locking eyes with the dark blue-haired middle-aged man who pointed towards the table with an air of authority.
As he approached, Aether took the teapot, while attempting to pour the tea into the cup.
'Splash'
However, due to his trembling hands, some of the tea splattered around, adding an unspoken tension.
"Hehehe… Come on! You are scaring the poor guy" Came the amused voice again, injecting a touch of humour into the tense ambience of the room.