After finishing the book, Edwin, or rather Victor, placed it gently on the small bedside table and turned his head towards the window, his gaze drifting out to the bright afternoon sky. "It has been like what? Three days since I woke up… "
"And I still can't get used to people calling me Edwin," he muttered, feeling complicated at the thought. It wasn't that he disliked the name; it just felt… wrong. Like wearing someone else's favourite sweater – familiar in a way, but definitely not his. "Three whole days, and every time they say 'Edwin', I have to remind myself they're talking to me actively."
….
...
...….
"Fucking hell," Victor muttered, finally breaking the silence that had settled over him as he staring briefly at the sky. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter, rubbing his temples with a frustrated groan. "This is just great. Absolutely fucking fantastic."
"This whole situation was messed up, you know?" Victor sighed helplessly, feeling his emotions soothe slightly and continued to stare at the sky, but this time, his mind was miles away, replaying the fragmented memories that now felt like a part of him, yet utterly foreign. "And this kid, Edwin… man."
He shifted restlessly in the bed, the sterile white sheets rustling. "They called him a thief when he was just fourteen. A goddamn thief! He didn't even remember doing anything. Just like that, his so-called perfect little life went down the drain. Friends turning their backs, whispers in the hallways… that kind of crap can eat you up inside, especially when you're just a kid."
Victor's jaw tightened. "And his parents… they started out strong, believing him. But the pressure got to them, didn't it? The damn public opinion. Like a pack of wolves going after the weakest one. They couldn't handle it, and Edwin… he was left to deal with all that garbage alone. Shunned. Bullied. His spirit just… faded."
He let out a low sigh, the weight of Edwin's past pressing down on him. "Then, a few years later, bam! Accused of assault. Seventeen years old, trying to clear his name, actually fighting for himself this time. You'd think people would learn, right? But no. Prejudice, lies… it all piled on again. Ruined his reputation. Drove a wedge between him and everyone he knew. Even his folks couldn't stand the heat anymore."
Victor's voice hardened with a touch of anger. "That father of his… Daniel, right? What a spineless jellyfish. Just bailed on his own son when things got tough. Divorce because of the stress? Seriously? What kind of parent does that? Leaves their kid hanging like that."
He ran a hand over his face, feeling a strange mix of emotions – anger, sadness, and a growing sense of responsibility. "This kid… he went through hell. False accusations, betrayal, isolation… it's a damn miracle he even kept going. And now… now I'm stuck in his body, carrying all this baggage."
"But I guess that's karma, huh?" Victor chuckled humorlessly, staring at the ceiling now, a wry smile twisting his lips. "All those shady deals, the roughing up, the… well, let's just say my past wasn't exactly filled with sunshine and rainbows. Maybe this whole 'waking up in someone else's messed-up life' thing is the universe's way of saying, 'Payback's a bitch, ain't it?'"
"But you know what?" Victor declared, his voice gaining a firmer edge. He pushed himself up slightly against the pillows, a newfound resolve hardening his gaze. "Sitting here moping about it isn't going to magically turn me back into... well, me. And it sure as hell isn't going to fix this kid's screwed-up life."
"Before anything, I've got to get used to calling myself with that name," Victor muttered, his eyes still fixed on the ceiling. "Edwin. Sounds… soft. Not exactly the kind of name that strikes fear into anyone's heart, you know?"
"But hey, three days in, and I haven't slipped up too badly. Baby steps, right?" He chuckled again, a little less humorlessly this time, before shifting his gaze toward the TV remote control that he put on the bedside table earlier. "Alright…"
"Enough wallowing," he declared, reaching for it and flicking the TV on, the sudden burst of colour and sound jarring him slightly. "Let's see what kind of crap I can find at this time."
He started scrolling through the channels. Reality shows with screaming people, cooking competitions that looked way too intense, and a news channel droning on about something he couldn't bring himself to care about, but after a few minutes of aimless channel surfing, Victor stumbled upon a talk show in full swing.
"Oh?" Victor uttered, putting the remote down and carefully sitting upright with his back leaning against the pillow. Usually, he wouldn't care much about a talk show, but he noticed the preview mentioned interviewing a hunter, which kind of intrigued him.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen!" the host, Olivia, announced cheerfully, her smile infectious. "For this next segment, we're going to be discussing the devastating gate disaster that occurred last week."
"And joining us today is a special guest," Olivia announced, her voice filled with excitement. "He's one of the renowned hunters who survived after braving the most dangerous yet extraordinary mission and confronting legions of the most terrifying creatures."
"Please welcome the captain of the third hunter division from The White Tiger guild! Captain Marcus Turner!!!" Olivia's voice resonated through the studio, and the audience's applause filled the room. The camera panned to the entrance, revealing Captain Turner entering the stage, dressed in tactical gear with a hardened expression. He nodded appreciatively at the audience before taking his seat opposite Olivia.
"Captain Turner, welcome to the show!" Olivia greeted, shaking his hand. "Now, tell us about this high-grade gate you and your team just faced and cleared after a week alongside other guilds. It's been making quite the news."
Marcus leaned back in his chair, his gaze steely and focused. "Thank you for having me. The mission was very intense. We were dealing with a level of threat we hadn't encountered before. Honestly, that disaster that we faced was unlike anything we've seen."
Olivia leaned forward, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. "Can you walk us through the operation? What challenges did you and your team face?"
After taking a deep breath and exhaling, Marcus continued, recalling the harrowing details. "When we first received the news, I felt really horrified to hear that the gate suddenly broke open, unlike usual, where there is time to prepare for the situation, with hundreds of monsters pouring out after it suddenly happened in the densely populated downtown area."
"And when my team and I finally arrived at the scene, it was a complete mess in many ways than I could describe for example, our team had to immediately face a lot of aggressive monsters like those hordes of harpy that target our archers and hordes of basilisk that our tanks have difficulty dealing with."
"With the added hundreds of more gates suddenly appearing out of nowhere, you could say the entire situation can rival the first era or perhaps surpass it with all of that destruction and chaos." Marcus then said, shivering a little, recalling that horrifying moment. "Despite all of that, we fortunately managed to minimise the damages they caused as much as possible with the coordinated effort of many, including the production association, the unaffiliated hunters, and the authorities."
Olivia nodded, absorbed in the narrative. "And how did your team manage to close those gates? What was the turning point in the operation?"
Marcus's eyes glinted with a mix of pride and melancholy when he heard that question. "It was thanks to the combined effort of many guilds that took action at the scene, whose leaders at the scene, I'll admit, are very adaptable and flexible, allowing us to close those gates successfully."
"And the main turning point of this event is thanks to the effort of Techno guild's specialists who lead all the tech support during the event and worked tirelessly to pinpoint the gate's boss and the leaders that have been leading the monsters, while the rest of us held the line against the onslaught," Marcus said, looking at the crowd with a soft smile, reminiscing about that moment. "After gathering all of the necessary information, it finally came down to a precise sequence of dealing with every type of monster with its weakness, and when the moment presented itself, some of us who had the opportunity quickly dived into the gate and sealed it by defeating the final boss and destroying the core, preventing further incursions."
Olivia leaned back, feeling impressed. "Incredible. Now, Captain Turner, there's been speculation about the aftermath of such operations. Can you shed some light on the impact and the measures taken to ensure the safety of the affected area?"
Marcus nodded, his expression grave. "After closing a few of the gates, our White Tiger guild's main priority was securing the area and providing immediate aid to those affected by the aftermath with the challenging part being required to provide constant ongoing support but fortunately, thanks to the collaboration between us, the local authorities and relief organisations, we're able to provide enough relief to all communities that lives in the area."
Olivia leaned forward, her tone serious. "Captain Turner, you and your team are hailed as heroes after that event. Would you like to share any final thoughts or messages with our viewers?"
Marcus smiled with a hint of humility in his eyes. "I appreciate the recognition, but the real heroes are the ones who endure the aftermath. To the affected communities out there, please stay strong and stay safe. We're here for you, and together, we can overcome anything."
The audience erupted in thunderous applause, acknowledging Captain Marcus's and his team's sheer bravery in facing disaster head-on. Olivia, visibly moved by their tale, expressed gratitude to him and even bowed down, as her mother was also one of the disaster survivors.
As the show headed into a brief break, Victor sighed heavily, leaning against the pillow even more, and his gaze staring at the ceiling. Frustration etched itself onto his brow as he ran a hand through his hair and quietly growled, "Fucking hell."
"Well, at least that explains that weird last moment I recalled," he muttered, turning his gaze down toward his bandaged body, and a wry smile soon crept across his lips as he traced the white cloth that wrapped his arm and torso. "You must also be a survivor from that disaster, huh?"
"Such a hero," Victor muttered, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. He traced the bandage on his arm again, a humorless chuckle escaping him. "Risking your neck for strangers, getting mangled in the process… I hate it so much."
To Be Continued