Minami eyes fluttered open - her mind still a haze of disjointed memories. She slowly sat up, her head pounding as if a thousand voices were echoing in her skull
The room around her was unfamiliar - a small, dimly lit chamber with only the most basic furnishings
'Where am I?' she asked to herself, her breath shallow as she scanned the room
The bare futon beneath her and the rough wooden floor did not match the sterile modern hospital rooms she was used to. There were no machines, no beeping monitors, no familiar scent of antiseptic
A sharp pain shot through her chest and she winced, her body... No, this body - felt frail and unfamiliar
Her skin is pale, she's thin to the bones and there's bruised all over her and on top of that she is wearing a kimono that is tattered and worn
Her mind raced, fragments of her past life crashing into her consciousness
She was no doubt a skilled surgeon but she had pushed herself too far - until her body had given out. The last thing she remembered was collapsing in the hospital
A sudden knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts "Are you awake?" The voice was cold and unfamiliar but the tone was unmistakable - one of annoyance and not concern
Minami blinked, her heart is racing. She tried to speak but her voice was hoarse and weak "I… I think so."
The door creaked open and a girl stepped inside the room, the maid looked her over briefly before speaking again
"Get up! You need to start working, the laundry needs to be sorted!!"
Minami stared at the girl in confusion
'Laundry? Work?' she thought
The girl didn't wait for a response, she just simply turned on her heel and left
'What is going on?' Minami sat there while thinking and her hands starts to tremble
Her thoughts were clouded by confusion, she wasn't supposed to be here - this is not her life
She stood slowly, her legs weak and her head spinning as if the world itself were turning in circles
A strange sense of déjàvu washed over her as she stumbled towards the door. Her body felt so frail and the weight of her exhaustion seemed to have followed her into this lifetime
She stepped into a narrow hallway feeling more lost than ever, the walls were covered with paper screens and the floor beneath her feet creaked with every step
It was a world completely alien to her
As she wandered aimlessly, she stumbled into the laundry room where several other maids were busy sorting clothes. They wore simple - plain kimonos but their movements swift and practiced
She stood in the doorway unsure of what to do next. She had no idea how to fold the laundry, no idea what tasks she was supposed to complete. She wasn't even sure where to begin
One of the older maids glanced up, her eyes narrowing as she spoke "What are you doing standing around, Minami? Don't just stare at the laundry. Get to work!"
Minami blinked "But… I don't know how to do it" she said, her voice quiet and uncertain
The maid rolled her eyes "Then learn quickly, no one cares for someone who can't pull their weight around here." She handed Minami a basket of wet clothes - without waiting for a response, she turned back to her own task
Minami stood there while holding the basket, she felt completely out of place - like an intruder in this strange, foreign world
The younger maid beside her - who had remained silent up until now, finally spoke
"You should just do what they tell you... Don't question it that's how it works here"
Minami turned to look at her "But… I don't belong here. I don't even know what's going on"
The younger maid glanced at her "Did you hit your head or something?" She sigh
"No one does, Minami. You just keep your head down and survive. That's all any of us can do"
Minami's chest tightened as the words sank in, she wasn't in control of her life anymore
As she looked at the pile of laundry, she felt her throat tighten - with a trembling hand she began to hang the wet clothes
She doesn't belong here... but for now all she could do is survive