In a stone-walled room, a boy lay on a canopy bed made of a metal similar to spelt.
He had a youthful face, likely no older than twelve. His golden hair and peaceful, childlike expression made him look like an angel from a painting.
Despite the silence in the room, the boy suddenly woke up, clutching his head and grimacing in pain.
This behavior, so different from the calmness of just seconds before, lasted a few minutes before he collapsed back onto the bed.
The boy was breathing heavily, drenched in sweat as if he had just run a marathon. His bright blue eyes stared at the wooden beams on the ceiling.
"What happened to me?" he asked, his voice hoarse, as if he hadn't drunk anything in days.
"I remember being on horseback."
Then he put a hand to his temple. "No, I was at a university lecture."
"Wait… what's a university?"
Now confused by his own words, he tried to force his mind to remember.
Suddenly, like a bursting dam, a flood of memories surged into his mind, sending another wave of pain through him, enough to make him faint.
After several minutes, the boy opened his eyes again, though they now seemed more tired than before.
"Damn… what does all this mean?"
"Why do I have these memories? Who am I?" he muttered, then turned and began punching the pillow behind him.
After venting his frustration, the boy calmed down and began thinking through his situation.
"What if I'm not really me? What if someone else woke up in this body? What if I'm just… stealing someone's life?"
He fell silent, listening to the pounding of his own heart.
"No," he finally whispered, barely audible.
"No, that's not it. There's no one else. I don't feel anything that doesn't belong to me. Every memory, every feeling, every face… they're all mine."
He ran a hand slowly across his face, as if trying to recognize himself through the touch. Then he let himself fall gently back onto the pillow, still staring at the ceiling.
"To think the monks of Karat were right there is life beyond life," he said dreamily, then shook his head.
"Let's not dwell on that now. How could this have happened?"
Even though he had calmed down, the situation still felt bizarre. One moment he was on horseback, and the next he was lying in a bed with someone else's memories in his head. It was all too strange.
As the boy wrestled with his inner turmoil, the door to the room opened, and a woman in her thirties entered. She had long brown hair and wore a maid's dress.
"Prince Ludleth, you're awake!"
"Mara? What's going on? Why am I in my bed?"
"You don't remember, young master? You fell off your horse and hit your head."
At that, the boy instinctively touched his head, wincing slightly from the pain.
"We were all so worried, my lord. Even your father came to visit, despite his many duties."
Hearing his father mentioned made Ludleth flinch in disbelief. To him, it seemed impossible that his ever-busy father would come to see him, even in sickness.
Marilena, noticing his reaction, quickly changed the subject. "Your mother will be thrilled to know you're awake. I'll go call her right away!" she said, then turned and rushed out without waiting for his response.
Seeing this, Ludleth could only sigh. Mara had always been a bit scatterbrained, but he had long since grown used to her. Besides, he had a much bigger problem at hand a full-blown identity crisis. Everything else could wait.
Just as he began trying to make sense of what had happened to him, a blinding light appeared before his eyes. It quickly took the shape of words:
[Summoning System Activated]
Ludleth was momentarily stunned. He had seen light magic before from his mother, but thanks to the other set of memories in his head, he had a vague idea of what this screen was.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ludleth said, "Status."
⸻
[Name: Ludleth Ashenvale
Race: Human
Age: 12
Strength: 5
Agility: 4
Vitality: 5
Magic: 10/100]
⸻
He stared in shock. It was just like one of those systems he used to read about in his other life.
This was by far the strangest thing he had ever seen. The concept of past-life memories was somewhat familiar… but this? This was something else entirely.
"System, can you speak?" he asked.
Silence followed. He waited for a response, but none came.
"So this system doesn't seem to be sentient… But how do I use it?"
Unsure of how to interact with the system, he started wondering about its purpose. As he thought, the screen shifted again:
⸻
[The Summoning System allows you to summon beings from the Multiverse for a limited period of time.]
[Note to the user: Summons are never permanent, and summoned beings are not bound by loyalty. If a malevolent entity is summoned, your life may be at risk.]
⸻
Once again, Ludleth was left stunned.
"I didn't think I could still be surprised not even if my father told me I'd be king," he muttered with a chuckle.
"So I can summon anyone from the entire multiverse… randomly?"
His eyes sparkled with excitement like stars until he reread the last line.
"But I probably wouldn't survive if I summoned someone powerful…"
Deep down, Ludleth knew he wasn't strong not even by the kingdom's standards, let alone those of the multiverse.
The system sounded incredible… but utterly unusable. Unless he got lucky. And he wasn't exactly eager to gamble with his life.
Just as he was about to look away, the screen changed again.
⸻
[Safe Summon: This mode allows you to summon benevolent individuals, though the chance of summoning powerful ones is reduced.]
[Balanced Summon: This mode allows you to summon both good and evil beings with equal probability, increasing the chance of powerful summons.]
[Risky Summon: This mode prioritizes powerful summons, but carries a high risk of summoning evil or chaotic entities. Use only if you have the strength to control them.]
⸻
Upon seeing the options, Ludleth's mind began to ease. At first, he had thought he'd never be able to use this system…
But now, thankfully, he knew he had options.
As he pondered the idea of trying a summon, the door to his room which had been closed moments ago opened again.
Two women entered the room. The first was Mara. The second had a thick mane of blonde hair and hazel eyes but what was most striking was her face. It bore a strong resemblance to Ludleth's, yet carried a mature beauty that could captivate any man.
"Mother," Ludleth said, not noticing that the screen in front of him had vanished.
"My son, are you alright?" she cried as she rushed to him, pulling him into a tight embrace.
The boy found himself crushed in his mother's arms at that moment, they felt like an iron vice that was making it hard for him to breathe.
"Lady Anna, I think you might be suffocating young master Ludleth," Mara said with a hint of concern.
"Oh, you're quite right," Anna replied, then turned to her son with her head bowed. "Sorry, I sometimes forget how strong I am."
The boy, now taking deep breaths, responded, "It's alright, Mother. I know it's not your fault. I'm the one who's weak."
Anna immediately frowned. "How many times must I tell you that's not true? You're just comparing yourself to the wrong people."
"So I don't want to hear you say things like that again. Understood?"
"Yes, Mother."
"Good. Now let me see where you're hurt."
She then began inspecting Ludleth from head to toe.
From behind, Mara approached Anna. "My lady, Healer Joe said the young master would recover in a day or two."
Anna didn't stop examining her son's head. "Even if Joe is unpleasant, he knows how to do his job."
Neither of them said a word they were well aware of her opinion of the healer. Truth be told, they quietly agreed with her.
After a few minutes of careful inspection and seeing no visible wounds on her son, Anna sighed and stepped back.
A moment later, she gave him a light smack on the back of the head.
"What were you thinking, going riding alone?"
Seeing his mother's reaction, Ludleth couldn't argue. He knew he'd been reckless, he just hadn't thought it through.
"Sorry, Mother. I won't ever do it again."
Giving him a stern look, Anna couldn't stay angry for long. Watching her son's demeanor, she eventually softened.
"The important thing is that you've learned your lesson. And if you want to ride again, I'll arrange proper lessons with a knight."
Ludleth lowered his head and nodded, already convinced he'd never try horseback riding alone again.
"Alright then, we'll let you rest now. Mara, let's go," Anna said, turning toward the door. But just before leaving, she turned back toward her son.
"If you need anything, call one of the attendants, and Mara will bring you whatever you need." Then she walked out, the maid following behind.
Left alone in the room, Ludleth stared at the door for a moment. He had a lot to think about: The memory of another life, the sudden appearance of a system and now… a mild fear of horses.
But right now, only one thing pressed on his mind.
The system screen reappeared before his eyes and without hesitation, he tapped the Summon button.