I am finally free.
The thought echoed in the emptiness of my mind, a profound, soul-deep realization that eclipsed everything else.
It wasn't a sudden, jarring change, but a slow, peaceful separation from a weariness.
I hadn't even known I carried until it was gone.
Wow, it felt good.
A wave of serene warmth washed over me, a feeling of utter weightlessness and peace I hadn't experienced in... a very long time.
I wanted to stretch, to just revel in this newfound, effortless existence, but I found I couldn't move.
But why was it so dark?
I blinked, or tried to, but there was no change in the profound, absolute blackness.
It wasn't the dark of a room at night, but a deep, formless void, a lack of all sensation save for the lingering peace.
Ah, was this the afterlife?
That would explain the peace and the darkness.
Maybe this was the waiting room.
I figured I'd wait and see what came next.
There was no rush.
Oh, was my vision returning?
A faint, milky-white haze began to creep into the edges of the darkness, slowly pushing the black back.
It was blurry, incredibly so, like looking through thick, watery glass, and the light felt strangely muffled, distant.
I focused, trying to will my eyes to see clearly, but the world remained an indistinct kaleidoscope of soft, pale colors.
It was getting comfy.
A new sensation, physical and pleasant, began to register.
A gentle pressure encased me, not restrictive, but supportive and soft.
So soft.
It was wonderfully yielding, enveloping my entire body in a downy embrace.
It was the most comfortable I had ever been.
Oh, I was in bed?
It certainly felt like the best bed in the world, a perfect cocoon of warmth and softness.
If this was the afterlife, I had certainly gotten a good deal.
I should probably try to open my eyes fully now.
I slowly managed to pry my eyes open all the way.
The blurry mess began to resolve itself into shapes and colors, and I took in my surroundings.
It was an unfamiliar room.
It was definitely not my old room, or anything I recognized from my past life.
But wow, even though it wasn't a modern one—there wasn't a screen or a sleek, minimalist aesthetic in sight—it was so beautiful and luxurious.
The walls were paneled in a rich, dark wood that gleamed softly under the light filtering in from the tall windows.
Heavy velvet curtains, a deep, royal blue, were pulled back and tied with thick, braided gold ropes.
The furniture was ornate, clearly hand-carved, with swirling patterns that caught the eye.
Everything in the room spoke of old money, of a wealth so profound it didn't need to shout.
I bet even a ten-star hotel wouldn't compare.
That kind of opulence was usually reserved for history books or private museums.
It was wide.
I tilted my head back to take in the sheer scale of the space.
The ceiling seemed miles above me, adorned with a large, crystal chandelier that glittered even with no one having lit it yet.
There were a lot of things around.
A massive, intricately carved wardrobe stood against one wall, and a dressing table with a silver-backed mirror sat near the windows.
A small seating area—two plush velvet armchairs and a low, round table—was tucked into a corner.
This bed was wide and big.
I was currently luxuriating in the most comfortable mattress I had ever felt, a massive thing easily twice the size of a king-sized bed.
The sheets were silk, cool and smooth against my skin, and the covers were an absurdly thick, soft duvet.
Surprisingly, I didn't feel confused about the situation.
'I should probably be panicking right now.'
'This is a strange place, I'm wearing clothes I don't recognize, and I have no memory of how I got here....,'
'....yet I feel perfectly calm, like this is just a minor inconvenience,' I thought.
Instead of worry, there was only a mild, detached curiosity.
It was a strange, unsettling feeling of complete acceptance.
I lifted my hands, raising them slowly into the filtered morning light.
They were smooth and pristine.
I turned them over, flexing my fingers.
The skin was healthy, the nails perfectly shaped, and there was a defined strength in the tendons of my wrist.
It was a healthy one, not like my skin and bones from my past life.
The difference was startling; I was used to the sight of thin, almost translucent skin stretched over prominent knuckles, not this vibrant, well-nourished flesh.
When I stood up, pushing off the silken sheets, I noticed an immediate change.
Wow, the world view was higher.
The top of the intricately carved wardrobe suddenly seemed to be at eye level, and I had to crane my neck down to see the surface of the dressing table.
Oh, I was tall!
It was a completely new sensation, a kind of confident verticality I hadn't possessed before.
I walked over to the full-length mirror that was part of the wardrobe.
Standing before it was a very handsome young man.
I stared, unable to look away.
He—or rather, I—looked young, maybe around fifteen?
I couldn't take my eyes off it.
The face staring back was so striking, the features sharp and elegant, but there was also a pervasive, almost unsettling coldness to the expression.
It wasn't a frown, but a kind of regal indifference, an unconscious hauteur that seemed permanently etched onto the face.
That fiery red hair and piercing light green eyes—maybe they were part of the charm.
The hair was a brilliant, almost impossible shade of scarlet, falling just to my ear line, and the eyes were a shocking contrast, a crystalline, pale green that seemed to look right through me.
'This is me,' I thought, a shiver of realization running down my spine.
'I'm not in the afterlife; I'm in someone else's body.'
Since I promised that to myself that I won't care about anyone but myself, I should start to know this guy... ah, me.
This new shell was going to be my vessel, my protection, and my only concern from now on.
I had a clean slate, a new life, and the only person I was looking out for was the one staring back from the mirror.
It was morning.
The soft sunlight filtering through the curtains confirmed the time of day, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air.
I was glad the more my mind rumbled and chaotic, my face was still neutral.
Despite the mental storm of 'I've been body-swapped into a wealthy teenager,' the handsome face in the glass remained utterly impassive.
Ah, maybe indifferent was the better word.
It wasn't just a lack of expression; it was a deliberate emptiness, a wall between me and the world.
Wow, the gaze was so cold.
Those brilliant green eyes didn't just look at things; they appraised them, judged them, and dismissed them all in the same icy stare.
I took a slow, deep breath, running a hand through the shockingly red hair.
Time to get some answers.
'A luxurious room, antique furniture, and clothing that looks like it belongs in a period drama… this isn't Earth as I know it. Or at least, not the one I left,' I mused.
Is there a magic in this world?
The question popped into my mind, a sudden, intriguing thought spurred by the overwhelming sense of the otherness of this place.
If I was in a completely new world, one where I could be resurrected into a new body, then fantastical elements like magic or systems were a distinct possibility.
It was a leap, but a logical one given the circumstances.
I needed to find a clue, anything that pointed to the nature of this world.
A soft knock sounded at the heavy wooden door, a sound almost swallowed by the vastness of the room.
It was tentative, polite, yet clearly announced the arrival of someone who wished to enter.
"Your Highness...?"
The voice was a quiet query from the other side, barely audible.
Her voice was... afraid?
I hadn't done anything, though.
I was still standing in front of the mirror, analyzing the handsome, icy face of my new self.
Why would a servant sound so utterly terrified just by asking a simple question?
It suggested that the original owner of this body had a reputation, and likely not a pleasant one.
'Well, that explains the coldness. Looks like I've inherited a personality along with this gorgeous hair,' I mused, a flicker of dark amusement crossing my mind.
I took a breath.
This was my first interaction with the inhabitants of this world.
I needed to establish control, or at least maintain the existing dynamic.
"Come in."