A Desperate Awakening
Ethan's head throbbed violently as he opened his eyes, his vision hazy and unfocused. A dull ringing filled his ears, drowning out his thoughts.
"What's happening…?" he thought, his mind sluggish, struggling to catch up with reality. One moment, he was asleep—or at least, he thought he was—and the next, searing pain forced him awake.
His vision swam, shapes blurring together in a disorienting mess. But then, muffled noises filtered through the haze—frantic, panicked sounds. Someone was trying to scream, their voice smothered, choked by something.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
As his sight gradually sharpened, Ethan's breath hitched.
He was on all fours, looming over someone. A girl.
Her body twisted and writhed beneath him, ropes biting into her wrists and ankles. Her mouth was gagged, muffling her cries. Her wide brown eyes, brimming with fear and fury, glared up at him.
Ethan's body locked in place, his blood running cold.
"What the…?" His mind reeled, thoughts slamming into each other in chaotic disarray. "What kind of bizarre dream is this?"
Panic clawed at his chest. His breath came in ragged, uneven gasps as he scrambled backward, only to realize his limbs felt sluggish, uncooperative, like they didn't belong to him.
"Is this… is this some kind of twisted fantasy I never knew I had?" A sickening thought slithered through his mind, making his stomach churn.
The girl's frantic squirming slowed for a moment, her gaze flickering with confusion as she took in his expression—his trembling hands, his wide, horrified eyes. But the fear returned just as quickly. She struggled harder, her body arching, her muffled screams rising in pitch.
Ethan wanted to speak, to say something, anything, but before he could force out a word, a glowing blue window materialized before his eyes.
His breath caught.
A translucent, hovering screen?
"What…?"
Lines of glowing text scrolled across its surface.
---
[System Activated…]
[Host Confirmed.]
[Simulating Previous Data…]
---
Before he could even attempt to process what he was seeing, a sharp, white-hot pain exploded in his skull.
It felt like a red-hot iron rod had been driven straight into his brain, twisting, burning, shattering every coherent thought.
Ethan's hands shot to his head, fingers clawing at his scalp as if he could rip the agony out. His vision swam violently, and a rush of alien memories flooded into his mind—fragments of a life he had never lived.
Flashes of unfamiliar places. Faces he didn't recognize. Emotions that weren't his.
He tried to scream, but his throat locked up. His entire body seized, his muscles spasming. Then, as abruptly as it started, the pain became too much—his strength drained away, and his body collapsed.
He landed heavily, his chest pressing against the girl beneath him.
The girl's eyes widened as she felt the weight of his body go slack.
She had been preparing for the worst, for a nightmare she couldn't wake from. But now… was this a miracle?
For a moment, hope flickered in her heart.
The gods… have they answered me?
Tears pricked at her eyes as she prayed, desperation clinging to her every thought.
Please… please, let my brother come for me.
The image of her brother flashed in her mind—the only one who had ever protected her, the one she had sworn to give everything to. He wasn't her blood, but that didn't matter. Their bond was deeper than blood.
She clenched her bound fists. I promised… I promised myself that my body, my heart, my very soul would belong to him alone.
But this wretch—this coward—had nearly taken that from her.
Her gaze snapped back to Ethan's face. His expression, once full of shock, was now contorted with agony. His muscles twitched, his jaw clenched, his breathing ragged.
She should have felt satisfaction watching him suffer. Should have reveled in the torment written across his face.
But something about it felt… different.
This wasn't the face of a predator. It wasn't the face of a man reveling in his control.
He looked lost. Confused.
In pain.
The rage in her heart didn't fade, but it was now laced with something else. Doubt.
Even so, she gritted her teeth, her brown eyes burning with fury. No… even if he's suffering, it doesn't change what he tried to do.
"Suffer," she thought venomously. "I hope you suffer for eternity."
But much to her dismay, his agonized grimace slowly relaxed. His expression softened as the pain faded from his face.
Ethan panted heavily, beads of sweat rolling down his temple. His hands still clutched his head, his skull throbbing like it had been split open.
His crimson eyes—no, not crimson. Why did he think they were red? His eyes met the girl's, her furious glare drilling into him.
If looks could kill, he'd be dead a hundred times over.
Ethan swallowed, his throat dry. He tried to sit up, his body still shaking, but a single thought crashed into his mind like a hammer.
"This… this isn't a dream."
A sense of dreadful certainty settled over him.
"This is real."
And worse—he wasn't even himself anymore.
The memories that had forced their way into his brain weren't fading. They were settling, intertwining with his own thoughts. He wasn't Ethan from Earth. Not anymore.
"Ethan Mijuri…"
That was his name now.
He was the son of the fourth son of Duke Mijuri, born from a concubine and banished to the outskirts of the duchy—sent to waste away in this small, insignificant town known as Red Pine.
"I've been… reincarnated?"
His thoughts were a mess, spiraling in a hundred different directions. But before he could piece together anything more, the blue window appeared again.
---
[Simulation Data Processing Complete.]
[Welcome, Host. Would you like to check your status?]
---
Ethan stared blankly at the floating text.
"This… this is just like the novels I used to read."
A strange mixture of disbelief and resignation settled in his chest.
"I really, really hope this is just another ridiculous nightmare."
But deep down, he already knew.
This wasn't a nightmare.
This was his new reality.
Taking a deep breath, he reached out and selected [Status].
---
Status Window
[Name]: Ethan Mijuri
[Race]: Human (82%) / Dragon (12%) / Elf (5%) / Succubus-Incubus Hybrid (1%)
[Age]: 16
[Level]: 1
[Title]: None
Attributes
Strength: 8
Agility: 10
Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 11
Luck: ???
Skills
??? (Locked)
??? (Locked)
System Functions
[Simulation Data Processing] – Analyzing…
Status Effects
[Cursed: Curse of the Secuba Queen]
Effect: If the host does not engage in intercourse with a virgin within 2 minutes, the host will die.
Curse Origin: A remnant of the Secuba Queen's malice, designed to ensure her lineage spreads or destroy those who resist.
Remaining Time: 01:59…
Ethan's blood turned to ice.
"What... the hell is this?!"
-----
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