The world of Thorny Love was an odd concoction of romance, bloodshed, and celestial politics. Demons, monsters, angels—they were all tangled in a narrative far too convoluted for most readers to remember. But Raphael wasn't most readers.
He had read countless novels across his lifetime, so many that their names, plots, and characters blurred together. To cope, he used a special technique—Forget and Remember. As the name suggested, it allowed him to forget unnecessary information until a trigger word pulled the memory back into focus.
A useful trick for exams, sure. With it, Raphael had managed to breeze through school, enjoying life while others crammed late into the night. But this wasn't school. This was reality—or something dangerously close to it. And the stakes here were much higher.
He hadn't been cautious in this world. Why would he be? For the first time, he had the love he'd never gotten in his past life. A warm home. A family. Peace.
But if he had paid attention—just a little—he would've noticed sooner. The story that gave him away was something he should've forgotten, a tale from the novel's prologue. Boring. Unimportant. But he had remembered a name instead.
"Solvairis."
That was what triggered everything.
"Ray, you added the angel part just to throw me off, didn't you?"
Roy's voice echoed mentally, brimming with suspicion.
"Maybe," I replied, a little too smug for his comfort.
"So… may I ask? How many transmigrated people are there? Seventy-two, excluding me?"
"Probably," I said.
"If you had a body right now, I'd be choking your soul out."
I let out a nervous laugh.
"Heh…"
Silence stretched until Roy spoke again, breaking it like shattering glass.
"I'm going to fall asleep now. Activate [Cradle of Memories]."
"This is your first time using it, right?" I asked.
"Yeah. Who wants to see their own memories anyway? But thanks to this world's slow plot introduction, I kind of have to."
He leaned into the arms of his mother and younger brother, their warmth wrapping around him like a lullaby. His breathing slowed. Calm, peaceful.
And then:
Skill: Cradle of Memories — Activate.
[Conditions required for activation: Fulfilled]
[Skill Activated]
As his consciousness faded, mine followed.
Even as part of the system… I too fell asleep.
I woke up in a room swallowed by shadows. There were no walls, no ceiling—only darkness stretching infinitely in all directions. Beneath me, the floor shimmered like water. Each step sent ripples across its surface, as if reality itself was fragile, delicate.
I caught a glimpse of my reflection.
It wasn't me.
It was Raphael.
I looked just like him.
And in the distance, a small figure stood—a child. He was facing away, but I knew that silhouette. It was Roy.
I moved toward him, the water beneath my feet trembling with each motion.
He turned.
"Why do you have my face?" he asked, his tone strangely neutral.
"As if I know," I replied, mirroring his calmness.
"Fine. Then show me my memories," he said, almost like an order—but not quite. It was as if he already expected me to obey.
I knelt, lifting him into my arms. His small face tilted slightly, calm yet knowing. I sighed and opened my palm. A soft white glow began to form—a sphere of pure light. It floated upward like a fragile balloon.
The orb trembled, then burst into strands of light, branching outward like the roots of a celestial tree. Tiny glowing orbs appeared on those branches—each one a memory.
"Which memory should we watch?" I asked.
"That novel," he replied instantly. Of course.
I reached for a small orb nestled within a glowing root and cupped it in my hand. The moment I did, the space around us began to distort, bending and twisting like fabric in the wind.
The scene reformed into a bright yellow room, worn and messy. Books were scattered like fallen soldiers across the floor. Some were torn, others open mid-page. The wall bore dents and scuffs, signs of rage or boredom—maybe both.
A boy sat in a chair at the center of the chaos, a book in his hand, a sigh on his lips.
"Ahh... too shabby, too boring," he muttered, tossing the book against the wall with a hollow thud.
From beyond the room, the sound of footsteps echoed. The door creaked open.
"Raphael, the food's ready! Come downstairs to eat!" a familiar voice called.
"Okay, sister," he replied lazily.
"You made a mess again," she sighed, eyeing the room.
"Don't worry, I'll clean it up later."
"Just make sure it doesn't interfere with your studies... or the competition."
"Do you think it will?"
"Just get downstairs, you brat."
"Okay, okay... just give me a minute."
"If the food gets cold, I'm feeding it to the dogs," she called as she shut the door.
Silence returned.
Raphael lowered his head and pulled a book from his bag.
"Thorny Love? The title sounds interesting… like the others. But is it actually any good?" he muttered, flipping it open.
He turned the pages with the care of someone desperate for meaning, for something different.
__________________________
I had only one wish…
I hoped I would be lucky after obtaining a job.
My life was miserable before, and I just wanted something normal—
A decent job. A kind wife. A happy family.
But fate didn't allow it.
Suddenly, ambient sounds crept in—sirens, traffic, shouting.
Today was my interview. My job was finalized. My journey had just begun… only for a truck to slam into me.
Was this fate? Was I chosen by Truck-kun for reincarnation?
My vision faded into blackness…
The next lines were interrupted by sudden voices.
"Your Highness! Your Highness, are you all right?"
Someone was shaking him.
He opened his eyes slowly. The scene had changed.
A garden of flowers stretched out endlessly before him. A boy knelt beside him, his expression full of concern.
"You suddenly collapsed during your walk through the garden," the boy said.
I looked down at his body—it was smaller. Childlike.
"What is this…?" I muttered.
__________________________
Just as he reached to turn the page, a shout echoed from reality.
"Raphael! Come here, or I'll give it to the dogs!"
"Fine, coming," he called back, hurriedly closing the book.