Beep… Beep… Beep…
The steady sound of the heart monitor echoed softly through the sterile, white-walled hospital room. Faint sunlight streamed in through the half-open curtains, casting pale golden rays across Johan's bed.
His eyes fluttered open. A dull ache spread across his body, and when he tried to shift, he felt the tug of bandages wrapped around his head. His right arm was strapped with an IV line, and faint bruises marked his skin under the loose hospital gown. Every breath reminded him of the fall.
The door creaked. Creak…
"Johan!"
A soft, familiar voice cracked with panic. Before Johan could react, his mother burst into the room. Her long, dark hair swayed behind her, and tears already welled up in her eyes. At thirty-five, she carried herself with a quiet, elegant beauty—a strength born of responsibility.
She rushed to his bedside and wrapped her arms around him, careful not to press too hard against his bandaged head but still clutching him as if she could anchor him back to the world.
"How could you try suicide, my boy? If you had any problems, you should've told me!" Her voice trembled, her tears dampening his hospital gown.
Johan blinked, stunned. "Huh? Mother?"
She pulled back just enough to look at his face, her hands still gripping his shoulders. "Why did you do it?"
Johan hesitated. He couldn't tell her the truth—not about the rooftop, not about the system, not about how close he'd come to ending it all. He forced a weak smile.
"I'm sorry, Mother. But it's not like how you're thinking. I was just walking on the rooftop and… suddenly fell."
Yeah, it was the best explanation he could give.
Her lips quivered. "Really? You won't leave me?"
Johan's chest tightened as he looked at her tear-streaked face. Man… What was I thinking? How could I leave my mom behind alone? I'm sorry, Mom. But from now on, I'll make sure you don't need to worry about anything.
He reached up—his hand trembling slightly from weakness—and wiped away her tears, giving her a faint but sincere smile.
"Yes, Mom. Why would I leave you?"
The heart monitor continued its steady beep… beep… while sunlight bathed them both, the hospital room falling into a fragile, tender silence.
The room grew quiet after Johan's mother reluctantly left, pausing at the doorway to glance back at him one last time before closing the door. Click.
Silence, broken only by the steady beep… beep… of the heart monitor.
Johan leaned back against the pillow, wincing as the bandages around his head pulled slightly. His gaze shifted forward, and there it was—floating just above his bed, faintly glowing in translucent blue.
A panel.
His lips trembled as he muttered, "This thing… it's been floating in front of me the whole time."
The panel's glow reflected in his eyes as he frowned, making a thoughtful face. "Isn't this the thing that was there? He told me I would know after I open my eyes… Was he talking about this? How the hell am I supposed to use this thing?"
Suddenly—
DING!
The sound rang like a chime inside his head, startling him. The panel flickered, and new glowing lines of text appeared.
[ Ding! ]
[ The host has been given the first-time awakening package. ]
[ Do you want to open it? Y/N ]
Johan's eyes widened, his heartbeat quickening under the soft hum of the monitor.
He stared at the glowing panel, his heart thudding in his chest.
"Huh? First time awakening package? What could it be?"
With a gulp, he focused on the shining Y at the bottom of the notification. His trembling finger hovered in the air before finally pressing it.
DING!
The panel shifted, lines of radiant text scrolling across the surface.
[ First-time Awakening Package. ]
[ 1. System Inventory. ]
[ Host can use the system inventory which has unlimited storage. ]
[ 2. Full Recovery. ]
SHUUUNG!
Suddenly, Johan's body glowed with a brilliant green light. It surged across his skin like a living aura, warmth filling every vein. The aches, the bruises, the weakness—all of it melted away. His chest felt light, his breathing steady, his strength fully restored.
He sat upright in shock. "N-No way. I really recovered fully."
His lips curled into a wide smile. "It's really great."
But then—his smile froze. A cold realization struck him.
"W-Wait. I was just in a critical condition from the accident. But if people suddenly see me fully recovered, they will get suspicious about me. Damn it, what should I do? Even if I try to act I'm not okay, the moment the doctor comes to change my bandages I'll be caught."
As his thoughts spiraled, the panel flickered again with another notification.
[ 3. Oblivion Mask. ]
[ Description: A mask that can change the host's appearance as he wants. The host can also take out the voice of any person that he heard. ]
The faint hum of the monitor seemed to fade as Johan's eyes widened, staring at the new line of glowing text.
His lips parted in disbelief before curving into a grin.
"T-That's OP… If I can do that with the mask, I can do whatever I want with the others."
The thought alone sent shivers of thrill down his spine. He turned back to the panel, determination in his gaze.
"But… how am I supposed to take the mask from this system?"
DING!
The notification chimed sharply, and fresh lines of light scrolled across the blue screen.
[ The Item has been transferred to the system inventory. ]
[ The host can take the item from the inventory. ]
"Oh, is that so? Then open the inve—"
DING!
Another interruption. Johan's words caught in his throat as new text materialized before him.
[ 4. Hidden Key. ]
[ A key to another world where the host can train. ]
His eyes widened, disbelief painted across his face.
"Huh?" His voice cracked. "A-Another world!"
The heart monitor beeped steadily beside him, but Johan no longer heard it. His mind raced, his imagination igniting at the possibilities now placed in his hands.
The sterile hospital room suddenly felt far too small.