He had escaped death twice. Each time, it taught him a lesson. The first was when he was twelve years old. He was playing around near a small river when he slipped and fell into the water.
The water was shallow, but because he was just a child at the time, he almost drowned. Water filled his lungs, forcing the air out of him. He panicked and tried to yell but his attempt was futile. The only thing that noticed his struggles was a blue sky.
Luckily, his father quickly found and saved him.
That experience brought out the fear of death from him at a young age. From that point on, he avoided water entirely and even developed Hydrophobia.
Not an extreme level of phobia but nevertheless it added a distinct flavor to his life.
Slowly, time healed his wounds and the scars it left. He lived a normal life despite not going anywhere near a pool or river.
The first lesson was not to be ignorant. It taught him not to ignore the surroundings. To be more aware of others and things.
The second came from a rather silly accident. A food accident. He didn't understand clearly what the doctors were trying to explain but he got a gist of it. He ate the wrong foods and took the wrong medicine. Apparently, his body didn't like it that much. To be honest he expected that.
He welcomed that somewhere deep inside his heart.
He threw up so many times, emptying his stomach and even vomiting blood. It happened during the class. The homeroom teacher immediately called an ambulance and sent him straight to the nearest hospital.
During that time, he didn't feel much about death. Sure, he was afraid of losing his life but compared to drowning, this accident lacked something.
His family took him to therapy after they found out his mental state and also took him out of the school. It took him a lot of time and effort from others to see his mistake.
Maybe that is because he was too focused on himself, not caring about others. But he learned a lesson, a teaching that was so important that he would not forget.
After the final session with the therapist, he made a vow to himself, to never give up. He fixed his mindset and tried to live a life. A life filled with support from his parents and friends.
The second lesson was to appreciate the future that you held. The future that you can create and change.
Under those two lessons, he was excited to live his life happily. Life taught him enough lessons. Or so he thought.
The third and final lesson came suddenly. Death was a cold-hearted person. It ignored the rule. It ignored feelings. It ignored the wonderful future he was about to make.
He learned that while experiencing a cruel accident.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
At first, the impact came from his left side. Something, something with force collided with him.
Taking in that information, a wave of pain erupted. He fell down. At that moment, his mind had blanked out.
He was going to school for the first time in six months. He took the usual route.
Ahh…
The heat assaulted his mind.
It is burning.
The feeling of his head pressing hard on the ground was a reminder that he had fallen facedown. He couldn't move. Even if he tried, he couldn't move.
Something, some incomprehensible force was resisting him. The only thing he could do was feel the heat, stripping down his sane thought.
No. No… noo.
What is going on? You gotta be kidding me.
Unable to live with his mind and his body, he tried to reach outside. For the first time since he felt pain, he heard something near him.
A scream filled with terror.
"Somebody call the police. Quick."
"No."
"Ambulance."
Time was blurred. Soon he found himself blinded by light. White artificial light. It didn't have the warmth of the sun. To him, this white light was solely created to keep him awake.
To make him feel the pain, burning away his nervous system. Keeping him alive.
Pulling him out of his sleep.
Please… stop. Please.
He tried to speak but found the effort futile. He couldn't speak. He couldn't move. He couldn't explain that he was burning. He couldn't explain that his mind was spinning.
He couldn't explain that he was afraid. He was afraid. He was angry. He was sad. He was happy. He was.
There were so many things he wanted to say. So many things he kept inside. So many things he lied about.
If only he could. If only he realized that death was so close to him.
Please.. It hurt.
Hurt like needles flowing inside his heart, stabbing his veins along the way.
Time was distorted. It stretched almost like eternity.
For him the pain was vast and hot.
Death was cold and slow.
Time became unnatural.
---
Rolling around the wooden floor, he clenched his stomach with his hands. Intense heat was overwhelming his senses. He coughed.
He coughed softly not because he was being considerate toward his surroundings . He coughed softly because every movement inside his body fueled the pain.
Despite the scorching pain, he couldn't stop coughing. He felt fluid reaching up to the back of his throat, coming from the stomach. Instinctively,he sat up and bent down his head, so that he would not drown under his own vomit.
He gathered his strength and coughed for the last time.
He vomited a purplish slimly substance. The instant the slimly substance reached the wooden floor, it burned through it.
He closed his eyes, shielding from the vapor it created.
After emptying out all his stomachs, he rolled away from the mess. He lay flat on the floor, soaking in pain.
His mind was a mess. He frowned, squinting his eyes to see a good look at the ceiling. He quickly noticed his finding and immediately stood up.
It was not a good idea. His whole body ached, moving his arms felt like pulling a rusty chain. His movement was sluggish and dulled.
He decided to move slowly. He looked around in confusion.
The large bed in the middle of the room. Beside the bed was a small desk. There were a few small bottles neatly placed on that desk.
He looked down.
He was standing in the center of the room. The room was large for a bedroom. He avoided stepping on the mess he made.
He slowly walked toward the bed and lay there.
"I am." He paused. " I am." He paused again, this time in frustration.
He scratched his head roughly as if trying to revive the memories he once held. He stopped himself when he noticed blood running down from his head.
He wiped the blood with his sleeve. Memories of strange scenes started to appear.
The scene of him staying inside a room studying alone. Some times shifted to listening to stories from his mom. He thought it was his mom but he had another one. Just not from this world.
He realized. He understood.
"I got reincarnated."
"Strange," he muttered. "I am sure that I got shot by someone."
He subconsciously reached toward his left side and patted. "There is no pain right now. I obviously was feeling some type of pain before. I don't know if it is from the bullet wounds or that."
He glanced at the purplish mess. It was still eating away the wood. He was not the brightest mind in the world but he could tell for certain that the purplish slime was a poison.
He accepted the fact that he was reborn into this body. He didn't try to deny that. Rather he accepted the fact quickly.
Denying that meant, going to face a harsh cold death. He didn't have the courage to face that. He was afraid.
Memories of this body came smoothly after he accepted his situation. He digested and thought for a moment. His lips then turned downward. There was no memory regarding the past week.
But one thing was certain, he was being targeted by someone. Someone with strong authority to move passed under his family's radar.
He stood up slowly and turned around to face a mirror etched on the wall. He quietly walked toward and checked himself.
His hair was black, the length was at the middle stage. He could tie the hair but it would mean pulling his scalp.
He wore a light blue shirt. There was blood on his sleeve. His face was average. Someone he would forget when passing by. The only thing strange or rather noteworthy about his appearance was how thin he looked.
"I am 16 years old. Our ages are similar." He talked to himself.
"I don't remember my name from Earth but I remember yours. I don't know if you die or just fuse with me. But I feel your pain. That burning heat was not something humans could withstand without yelling."
"That coldness was incomprehensibly harsh and unforgivable. I don't want to face that. I don't want to feel that. I am sure you also feel the same way."
"So I will struggle to stay alive. I will fight for my life. That is the only promise I can make to you." He sighed and let out a few depraving laughs.
"From now on, I am SilasTodt."
Silas nodded to himself. He turned away from the mirror and went to the door. The fact that he had been poisoned remained unchanged. To be able to perform this under the House Todt was a noteworthy feat.
He needed to bring this situation to the patriarch's attention. The more attention he gathered the better his situation would be.
He placed his hands on the door and inhaled a sharp breath. He then pushed the door with every strength he could and yelled.
" I have been poisoned!"