"Ah, there you are."
A voice, distant and muffled, pierced through the agonizing cacophony. Pain. Oh, the pain. It was everywhere, a relentless assault on my senses. My body felt like it had been shattered into a thousand pieces, each fragment screaming in agony. My head throbbed, each pulse a hammer blow against the inside of my skull, threatening to split it open. My chest heaved, each breath a struggle against the crushing weight of pain, gasping for air like a drowning man. Exhaustion, a suffocating blanket, threatened to pull me back into the abyss.
"A woman's voice…" I thought, the sound barely registering in the maelstrom of pain.
"Let me relieve you of that pain. We should go."
The voice, closer now, was laced with an unsettling calm. Then, a new wave of pain, this time centered in my head. It felt as if something was drilling into my skull, a relentless, agonizing pressure that threatened to shatter my very being. But amidst the pain, a strange sensation emerged, warmth. A gentle, soothing warmth that enveloped the pain, dulling its sharp edges, offering a fragile respite.
"Sieg!!" A woman's voice, but different from the first. Panic, raw and unfiltered, laced her words.
My body began to stir, a flicker of life returning to my limbs. I could feel it, my fingers, numb and tingling, twitching involuntarily.
"He looks so much in pain." The same woman's voice echoed once again, this time tinged with worry.
I forced my eyes open, the world a blur of swirling colors. I blinked, trying to focus, the pain in my head intensifying with each movement.
"Sieg! Can you hear me?" The woman's voice assaulted me from my left side.
Sieg? Who was Sieg? Who was she calling for so desperately? Was it me? But who was she? And why did she sound so… desperate?
"Young lord, can you hear me?" A man's voice, gruff and concerned, came from my right side.
Young lord? What in the world…? Who was supposed to be the young lord? Was this some kind of elaborate joke?
As my eyes began to focus, a blurry image came into view. An old man, his face a roadmap of wrinkles, sat beside me. Grey sideburns framed his head, and a thick pair of glasses perched precariously on his nose. He was wearing a white coat, but it wasn't the crisp, sterile white of a hospital gown. This looked more like… a robe? A doctor? Was I in a hospital?
I assumed he was a doctor, perhaps I'd been taken to a hospital after the… the accident. But this place didn't feel like a hospital. The room, whatever it was, was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of something earthy and unfamiliar. It didn't smell like antiseptic or sterile linen, but rather… herbs? Spices?
"Sieg, how are you feeling?"
I turned towards the voice. An older woman, perhaps in her fifties, her face etched with concern. There were a few strands of grey in her otherwise black hair, and her eyes, though clouded with worry, held a fierce protectiveness.
"Sieg? Who is Sieg-"
Before I could complete my question, a jolt of pain, sharp and unexpected, pierced through my skull. I groaned, the sound escaping me involuntarily.
"Sieg!"
The woman's voice, now laced with panic, echoed through the room.
A flash of memories. Memories of six years. Of a life… different. A life I had no recollection of.
I… am Sieg?
I turned back towards the old woman, my gaze fixed on her worried face.
"Gran…dmother?" I whispered, the word tasting strange on my tongue, unfamiliar and yet strangely comforting.
"Yes, I am here."
Grandmother... She held my hand, her touch surprisingly strong for someone of her age. I noticed how small my hand felt within hers, a stark contrast to the memories of my own, larger hands. Memories… I had memories? Of this body, or rather, of this… Siegfried. He was six years old, I realized with a jolt. Six. Not twenty-five.
"Ma! Is he awake? Can I come in?" A loud, boisterous voice, that of a woman, echoed from outside.
The gentle, worried gaze of my grandmother instantly hardened. She turned towards the door, her voice sharp. "You!! Stay out! Don't dare to come in!!"
I was surprised by this sudden outburst. The woman sounded… angry.
"Honey, can I come in?" A gruff man's voice, heavy with concern, came from the other side of the door.
My grandmother stood from the chair she was sitting in, her posture rigid. "Don't even think of stepping in."
She let out a breath, the tension visibly easing from her shoulders. Then, she turned towards the doctor. "Ridge, how is my little Sieg? There is no internal damage, right?"
"There is nothing to worry about, Lady Elara. He's fine. Just to make sure…" The doctor, Ridge, spoke with a calm, reassuring tone. He slowly placed his hand on my head.
And then, the impossible happened.
A soft, ethereal glow, an emerald light, emanated from the doctor's hand. It was mesmerizing, a sight I had never witnessed before. I blinked, disoriented. What in the world was that?
The light felt warm, almost soothing, like the sensation I had experienced earlier, a comforting presence that seemed to seep into my very being. I closed my eyes, enjoying the strange sensation, the warmth spreading through my head like a gentle tide.
The doctor examined me for a few moments, his expression remaining serious. Then, he nodded. "There's no damage to the skull. Just keep the bandage with the medicine on, to prevent any scarring." He got up from the stool.
"Let me see you off."
She slowly caressed my head, her touch surprisingly gentle. "Rest for tonight, Sieg."
Both of them left the room, the door clicking shut behind them.
Alone in the dimly lit room, I stared at the ceiling, a whirlwind of confusion swirling within me.
This wasn't a hospital bed. It was someone else's life.
Just what is going on.