Chapter II - Home

Two days have passed since Arthur woke up from his coma. His family was notified right away but were told that he should stay in the hospital for at least a few more days. Due to his old age, grandpa can’t visit, and his younger sister was away on a school trip at the time.

“Huh? You’re at it again kiddo?” Lee Hae asked as she entered the room.

Each time she visited, Arthur was caught meditating on the bed. As promised, he didn’t do anything physically demanding knowing that if he did and allowed his curiosity to get the better of him, they could and would keep him there longer.

“Meditation is key to inner peace,” Arthur answered.

He took the time spent in bed to go over what his body was capable of, as there were too many differences between this world and his old.

“Well, don’t let me disturb you. Here’s your medication.”

“Thank you, Hae. How can I repay your kindness?”

“Just don’t get into more trouble and consider us even,” she chuckled.

Watching Arthur's peaceful expression left Hae smiling. She could feel the peaceful aura he created around himself. He no longer seemed as a high school kid but rather as a monk who devoted his entire life to inner peace.

“Your wounds have fully healed. . . Honestly, had I not seen it for myself, I wouldn't have believed it," she sighed but seemed relieved. "What sort of hidden superpowers do you possess?”

“Maybe I've had them in another life and they merely resurfaced now,” Arthur chuckled.

“Surely that's the case. . ." she said jokingly while approaching the bed to sit across Arthur. "Turned out your injuries weren't as bad as we believed. I'm glad. . .”

Hae closed her eyes for a moment showing Arthur a sweet smile.

“How come you’re so nice to me Hae?”

“Ha? What do you mean?" she chuckled glancing towards him. "I’m a nurse. . . Of course I’d be nice to a patient.”

It wasn't about attraction, but Arthur felt that there was definitely something making Lee Hae take a special liking to him, even though she denied it.

“Fine, keep it to yourself. I don’t mind the attention from a woman such as yourself.”

She chuckled, slightly blushing. Even though he was younger, he has been nothing but charming the past few days. If not for the age difference, she might have fallen for it.

“Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. Your sister is coming to pick you up today. So I’ve come to say goodbye since I gotta go.”

“Hmm. . . Well, I just wish to thank you for taking care of me. Hopefully, I'll be able to repay your kindness one day.”

Hae couldn't help but glance at him affectionately. Getting up, she approached the table taking out a pen from her pocket before writing.

“I’ll leave this with you. It’s my number. Call me if you happen to need anything.”

She placed her hand on his head and messed his hair up playfully before turning and leaving without further delay.

Though he only knew her briefly, it felt lonely knowing she left. He wondered if they shall ever see each other again.

He glanced at the piece of paper she left behind.

Her number. . . What the heck do I do with this number?

He sighed confused. There was still so much he didn't know. So far he learned that he was in a country called Korea, within the capital Seoul. He has a younger sister named Sophie, and his grandfather is called Ryung. The medical equipment is much more refined than in his previous life, and there are electronic devices that are powered by electricity, a form of energy. At first, he believed it to be magic.

During his meditation, he also noticed that the chaos present in the world was nearly non-existent. To the point where he wasn’t even sure if he could feel it or was it just his imagination. It wouldn’t be impossible that his senses were playing a trick on him, due to experiencing such raw form of chaos within the flower itself.

While chaos wasn’t present, the human body still possessed Qi. However, both Lee Hae and Arthur’s had almost all of the pathways blocked to the point where Qi was rendered useless. Even if he did end up releasing all of them, for an untrained master it could end up being too much for the soul and body to handle.

This world is confusing. How can a world without magic exist? Did destroying the flower cause the world to change so much? No. . . How do I know if this is even the same world?

There were too many questions and not enough answers.

* * *

About an hour later, Arthur heard a knock on the doors.

“Come in?"

This was the first time someone knocked before entering.

Making her way in was a young girl, around Arthur’s age. Wearing what seemed to be a school uniform, with a vest worn over a shirt that was tucked out of a black skirt, white sneakers, and a purple backpack that is decorated with stickers. She had long dark brown hair that reached to her lower back and grey eyes. Her complexion was a bit pale but Arthur assumed it to be due to lack of sleep, as she had makeup covering the bags under her eyes.

She rushed forward as soon as she saw Arthur standing, embracing him with a tight hug. He instinctively hugged her back even though he didn't know her. The trembling made it clear that she deeply cared for him, even hearing her sob.

He chose to remain quiet, thinking about just how long ago was it since someone showed such level of care for him.

"Oppa, you're OK!" she yelled tearfully. "I was worried sick about you. . . Couldn't eat nor sleep for days, but it's all fine now. You're back!"

It took her a bit to finally pull herself away from him.

“Oppa?” he asked confused while wiping away her tears.

She was a bit shorter than him.

“Huh? You don’t know who I am?” she asked saddened. "The doctors mentioned you wouldn't remember me. . ."

“Sophie, it’s not that. . . It’s just that I do not understand the word you used.”

“Oh. . ." she chuckled shaking hear head. "Oppa just means older brother,”

“I see. . ." he took a deep breath. "Well. . . It seems like I remember Korean, but slang and other memories are still missing. I'm sorry to say this, but all my memories are gone. . .”

“I know Art,” she spoke in a low voice. “It’s just wishful thinking that seeing me would return all your memories.”

She glanced up towards Arthur, her eyes no longer teary but instead filled with newfound resolve.

“Worry not Oppa, I’ll help you out as much as I can. You can count on me, ok?”

Her bright smile was impossible to ignore. A smile of someone that deeply cared for him. Even though they've just met, Arthur already grew attached.

“Thanks. . .” he whispered.

After finally leaving the room for the first time, Arthur had the chance to observe the hospital he was staying in. It felt like a palace if compared by size and staff. However, the sight of all the injured and sick definitely put a dent on that image.

Constant lackluster noise surrounded him. Tools that seemed otherworldly were found at every turn. Checking out, they finally made their way onto the streets.

The sight was shocking, to say the least. The number of people in the streets made even the capital city that Arthur was stayed in when he was Andras, seemed small in comparison. Though unlike people back then, everyone was dressed in finest clothes, even though some styles seemed odd. Especially those that opted for a look resembling beggars in ripped clothing, but kept wearing makeup which he assumed was bound to be expensive.

The city was a lot louder in comparison to the hospital, something that would require time to get used to. What he found the strangest wasn’t even the number of people, nor the style or technology, but instead their lack of attention to their surroundings.

They seem deeply connected to hand-sized devices.

Taking a deep breath, Arthur began coughing.

“Oppa! Are you alright?”

“Yeah I’m fine. . . The air is just heavy on my lungs.”

Seoul was known as a heavily polluted city. Arthur found it hard to believe that people lived in those conditions.

“Alright. . .” she said with a bit of doubt.

The two made their way down the street, but at the first crossroad where Sophie stopped at a red light, Arthur proceeded to walk forward. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back, as a speeding car flew by aggressively honking at Arthur.

“What the heck?! Do you have a death wish?” she yelled at him scared to death, her voice trembled. “Did you forget how to cross the road as well?”

Arthur couldn't help but notice other pedestrians staring at the scene they were making. However, once the lights turned green they all began crossing without looking back.

“No, no. . . I was just trying to remember something, and was a bit careless," observing the surroundings, it wasn't hard to figure out how the traffic worked. "I’m sorry. It won’t happen again,” Arthur responded submissively, grabbing her hand and holding it firmly. “Lead the way Sophie, and I’ll be more focused from now on. I promise. . .”

She sighed but nodded nonetheless. Grabbing him by the arm Sophie pulled him in close. The two slowly, but safely, made their way home.

The siblings arrived at a rather peaceful neighborhood with proper housing. They stood in front of the iron gates observing the house that was relatively large, but nothing too special. A small garden and a two-floor house that seemed to need renovation.

“Welcome back to our humble home,” Sophie said pushing the unlocked gates.

Making their way in, Arthur looked astounded.

“Feels like a mansion,” he said genuinely.

“You really did hurt your head, huh?”

Unlocking the front door, she took her shoes off and placed them to the side, Arthur followed along.

Arthur found the house impressive as Sophie took the time to show him around.

The ground floor was occupied by a living room, kitchen, washroom, and grandpa’s room, while upstairs was Sophie’s room, which she didn't allow Arthur to enter, a bathroom, and Arthur’s room. There was also the old study, but it was locked.

“I’m gonna run to the store to buy some stuff. Do you want anything Oppa?”

“No, thanks,” he said glancing around, taking in the surroundings.

“Are you going to be fine on your own? It'll only be 10 to 15 minutes. . .”

“Don’t worry so much, I promised I’d be good. Might take a nap though.”

“Alright,” she said putting on her shoes. "If you need anything, just tell me when I get back."

With Sophie leaving, he was left alone in his new home.

“Home huh?” he pondered with a smile. “I could get used to this. . .”

It didn’t take him long to scout every corner of the house on his own. He was also intrigued by Sophie’s room, but it was sneakily locked before she left. Arthur could probably pick the lock, but he deemed it better not to mess with her things.

The house was filled with various electronic devices that he had no clue how to use. Even though he was clueless, he made his guesses and poked around. The biggest surprise was the seemingly never-ending supply of drinkable water, but in fear of wasting it, he didn’t let it pour for long.

The only place left to visit was his room. Approaching it felt foreign. He opened the door revealing a dark room filled with negative energy and emotions. It was clear as day to Arthur, the sadness a soul must have felt to be trapped within. Just standing in it felt suffocating.

He found himself surrounded by a bunch of weirdly drawn humans, some even adjacent to exaggerated monsters. It was impossible not to notice a highly inappropriate poster of a white-haired woman with oversized eyes, and of course huge breasts, hanging on the closed door. The bookshelves were filled with various illustrated books that shared the same art style. It wasn't hard to find porn among them.

His desk was covered with leftover dishes, and a keyboard and mouse that only a madman would touch. Probably never cleaned before, though nothing that wasn’t fixable with a bit of effort.

The bed was nice. It was a lot softer than the one in the hospital. The sheets were clean as well, someone replaced them before Arthur arrived.

The room still smelled, even though someone used a perfume of sorts to clear up the air. In an attempt to get rid of the smell, Arthur opened the window as a cold breeze made its way in.

“This place is a complete mess. . . If I were to gather Qi here, I’d end up causing more harm to this fragile body.”

Next to the bed, Arthur found loads of different pills labeled with various names, but could instantly tell that they were antidepressants. Looking through the nightstand, only one thing stood out. Oozing negative energy, a small note. The handwriting was awful, but Arthur could tell that it was ‘his’.

The note was detailed, depicting his hatred for the people that surrounded him, and bullied him. Calling his mother names for abandoning her children. Cursing his late father, and even Arthur’s younger sister, because she was so needy for attention. He was sick of being a failure and chose to gamble his life on the off chance that reincarnation is real. Reading so many stories, he believed that if he were to get killed by being hit by a truck, it would take him to another world where he could become a hero. The idea of it all made Arthur sigh in disbelief. Not only did he suffer, but he was ready to let others suffer as well, once he took his life.

So he did try to kill himself. Well. . . It doesn’t matter. I, Andras, promise you Arthur that the chance you have given up on will be used by me to the fullest. I hope that in death you’ve found what you were looking for. Though I must tell you, you’re not prepared for the harsh life of a hero.

He sighed once more, before ripping the note into numerous tiny pieces and throwing it in the garbage. It was beyond reconstruction and rendered unreadable.

His family should never learn of this. Especially Sophie, she has been through enough.

“It might make me a bit uncomfortable, but this room will do until tomorrow. . .” he said out loud.

Arthur laid down on the bed, took a deep breath, and looked up to the ceiling.

“Home. . . I can live with this.”

Thank you. . .

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.