He awoke in an unfamiliar space. The ceiling did not resemble the small apartment he had rented. The smoothness of the wall lessened, and the white ceiling became creamy brown.
Maybe it was just his imagination, or perhaps the lingering drowsiness clouded his senses. He pushed himself up and discovered something peculiar: he was dressed in high-class clothing. The fabric was fine, luxurious even, with a handmade quality that far surpassed the cheap, mass-produced clothes he usually wore.
"What..."
He looked around, and his confusion deepened. The room resembled something out of a themed hospital. A syringe lay nearby, alongside what appeared to be a potion bottle. Every piece of furniture was crafted from ornate wood, giving the space a moody, antiquated feel—like a vintage coffee shop.
Cling, cling, cling.
A small bell chimed as the door swung open. John assumed it was a nurse entering, but the woman who stepped inside wore a nun's uniform. Upon closer inspection, he noticed an emblem on her chest: a sun cradled by a lone torch.
'Is this some new prank?...'
"I'm glad you've awakened. I'll notify your servant," the nun said, her eyes briefly scanning his condition before she left the room. Moments later, she returned with a maid—her hair long and brown, her expression calm and composed. The maid's garments covered her from head to toe, even her feet. She glided over to John and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Excuse me, master."
"Hey, what are you—"
John's question was cut short as a cold sensation spread from the maid's hand. It felt as though cooling powder had been injected into his veins. He stared at her, bewildered, as the icy feeling seeped into his bones and muscles.
The maid's face turned grim as the coldness reached the center of his body.
"What's going on!?"
John yelled, unable to contain his unease any longer. They were touching him, making him feel strange, violated even.
"Master..."
The maid sighed, her expression tinged with sadness. John pushed himself away from her, and the chill dissipated into the air. The uneasiness that had gripped him vanished as well.
"What the hell is going on!?"
His voice rose almost to a scream. It is no longer funny. at first, it seemed like a harmless prank, but the coldness was like everything but a prank. It's as if someone has invaded his body. His breath quickens as he looks at the maid again.
"M-Master... I... I'm sorry," the maid stammered.
"
What!?
"
None of this made sense. Why was she so upset?
"Where am I?"
"You have been admitted to Lmemore Royal Hospital," the nun answered, her tone solemn.
John fell silent. He knew exactly where he was, even though he had never set foot there before. In his favorite novel,
The City, the protagonist spent the entirety of the first act in this very place. Lmemore—the capital of Eyre.
"What the hell? Are you joking? Is this a prank? Are you the author of Divine Twig?"
He knew the author of
Divine Twig was popular, but he never imagined they'd go to such lengths for a stunt.
"Master, please calm down," the maid urged, raising her voice to match John's intensity.
Her tone snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts, and he quieted, though confusion and rage still etched his face. The maid heaved a sigh of relief.
"Master, I know how you feel, but you need to take a deep breath."
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
His emotions subsided slightly, though not entirely. Frantically, he scanned the room, searching for anything that might confirm this was all an elaborate prank—a staged performance. He half-expected someone to burst in, laughing, and reveal the joke.
But reality refused to comply. Outside the window sprawled a city straight from the pages of his favorite novel. Towering buildings pierced the sky, their silhouettes blurred by plumes of smoke rising into the air.
"Are... we really in Lmemore?"
"Yes, master"
The maid answered. Prompting John to go silent.
"Who am I?"
The maid looks across to the nun with a questioning expression. The nun responded out of obligation.
"I can confirm that all the damage has been healed. Must have been a healing drunkness or something" the nun said confidently.
"..." The maid's gaze dug deep into the nurse with that answer
"...." the nun looked away. "Maybe he just wakes up, people who suffer significant damage might have short-term memory loss"
The maid didn't quite believe it, but she let it go. She then returned her attention to John.
"Master, you're Duke Antores' second son, Reeva Antores."
John pondered a little. He searches his memories for clues to his identity. The name certainly sounds familiar. After racking in brain for a solid minute. He eventually figured it out. Reeva, Duke Antores' second son. The person with just approximately two Chapters of lore.
An extra that appeared early on for the MC to beat the soul out of him. A guy that exists for the Mc to face slap. Nothing more than that. A total extra that wasn't even relevant in the story.
"Why am I here?"
John already knew the answer, but he asked merely to confirm his guess.
"Um... you were.... fighting with Student Klad" The maid answered with a lower voice.
Damn
Out of all the times and places, John had definitely appeared at the worst. Reeva was said to have been beaten so badly that his power was permanently ruined. It had all happened in one Chapter, and in another, the character had returned as a demon, only to be humiliatingly defeated by the protagonist once again.
Based on the situation, John could see why the maid was so upset. When the foundation of one's power was damaged, it was nearly impossible to rebuild, effectively crippling them as a power user. For someone like Reeva, who constantly boasted about his strength, it was a death sentence.
John could easily imagine Reeva destroying the entire room upon hearing such news. That must have been why the maid was too afraid to speak openly.
"....."
The room fell silent as John processed everything. His mind had already begun to accept reality, at least to some extent. Meanwhile, the maid kept her head lowered, bracing for Reeva's inevitable outburst after learning he had lost to Klad, a commoner honor student.
But that moment never came. When she glanced up, she saw Reeva sitting calmly on the bed, his expression strangely composed.
For the first time, she found herself grateful for this "healing drunkenness" that seemed to have taken hold of him.