"Alright, alright, let's calm down," Reader thought, trying to reign in his spiraling thoughts.
"Looks like I'm in the hospital. So, it seems I'm still in the modern world," Reader mused, piecing together the strange circumstances.
"I haven't read much light novels, but during my short breaks from my 9-to-5 job, I do read a few reincarnation stories," Reader reflected with a slight chuckle, recalling how he had occasionally indulged in the genre during his long hours at the office.
His brow furrowed slightly—or at least, what could be called a furrow given his infant state, his limited line of sight making it hard to discern much of the world around him.
What should I do now?
"What should we call him, Rowan?" a soft, gentle voice echoed in the room, snapping Reader from his wandering thoughts. The words pulled him back to his new reality.
Oh right, what is this body's name? he thought, still trying to process everything.
A masculine voice, clear and commanding, rang through the room, silencing any lingering conversations. "Hmm..."
"Let's call him... Reader," Rowan suggested.
"Reader?" Eleanor repeated, as if testing the name.
"Yes, Reader Elison," Rowan confirmed, his tone resolute.
Reader's mind flickered in surprise. Wait, Reader? The coincidence was uncanny. In his previous life, his name had been Reader Rayward. Now, he was reborn as... Reader Elison. The irony was almost too much to grasp.
He let the name settle in his thoughts as his eyes grew heavy once more.
Damn... I completely forgot about that thing... the system.
His curiosity continued to gnaw at him. What was that system all about? It seemed to have a strange power, one that no one else seemed to notice, but it felt... significant.
What was that thing anyway?
Reader's thoughts whirred as he tried to make sense of the system. It had appeared so suddenly, almost like an intrusion. Yet, it had also saved him from the ghost—repelled it, even. The system seemed to be helping him, somehow.
I don't think it can hurt me. From what I saw earlier, it somehow helped me survive, he reasoned. The power it had felt like a lifeline. But a nagging feeling lingered at the back of his mind. But something tells me that won't last long...
Reader's thoughts were interrupted by a yawn.
His eyelids grew heavy, and despite the whirlwind of thoughts, sleep crept up on him, dragging him back into unconsciousness.
I'll figure this out later...
And just like that, the world faded away once more, leaving him lost in the quiet of his new, strange life.