The fluorescent lights in the ICU corridor flickered, casting long, shaking shadows. Every pulse of light felt like a heartbeat—or a warning.
A man paced back and forth. His shoes scraped the floor. His hands were clenched behind his back, trembling with fear he wouldn't admit.
In one of the rooms, his daughter lay barely conscious, hooked up to tubes and machines. Every beep, every hiss made his heart pound. Her life hung by a thread.
He couldn't think. Thinking would let the fear in—and he couldn't face that yet.
He was in his sixties, and his daughter had come back after her divorce. Life had been hard, but their family had always stayed together, ready for anything.
Then, one afternoon, a truck swerved. In an instant, both of them had been taken. He remembered feeling himself die as he watched her close her eyes.
But somehow… they were both alive. Decades had passed—or maybe not. The memories were sharp and raw.
Now she was only thirteen, almost fourteen, just finishing seventh grade. Time didn't make sense. Logic didn't matter. What mattered was her life—and he would do anything to protect it.
And then, just in time, help arrived. Blood, care, life saved from the edge.
The corridor was silent again, but the echoes of that accident stayed with him. This time, he would not fail. He had been given a second chance.
"You are safe now."
A pause.
"But not fully recovered."
The voice echoed softly.
Who is that?
The name Akshatha rang in her mind as she slowly began to regain consciousness.
Her eyes moved slightly. Everything felt heavy. Her body wouldn't respond. She was too weak to move.
Who is talking?
She tried to look around.
The room was empty.
Only her.
And the machines.
Beep… beep… beep…
The sound filled the silence.
No one was there.
Yet the voice still lingered in her mind.
"Host, don't search outside… I am inside you."
Inside me?
"Yes. Inside you. You can call me… System."
"System…?" Akshatha whispered weakly in her mind.
"Yes. From now on, I will be with you. Whenever you need help, I will help you."
Her thoughts felt slow and heavy.
What… is this?
"I have already helped you once," the System continued calmly.
"When you and your father were in danger… during the accident."
Images flashed in her mind—
A truck.
A sudden crash.
Her father holding her hand tightly.
"At that moment, I was activated," the System said.
"I intended to save only you. But your bond with your father was too strong. Because you were holding hands… my power brought both of you back."
Back…?
"Yes. Back in time."
Akshatha's mind went blank.
"I could not let my host die right after my activation," the System continued.
"So I transferred both of you. But it was an emergency… I didn't choose the exact time carefully."
Silence filled her mind for a moment.
"I am bound to you," the System said softly.
"I know everything you have gone through… all your pain."
The machines continued their steady beeping.
Akshatha couldn't fully understand everything that was happening. It felt unreal.
She had read novels like this before, just to pass time. But now… it was happening to her.
It was hard to accept. Hard to believe.
But her past experiences made it easier. Life had already shown her things she never thought were possible.
If people can believe in God's presence…
Then why not this?
And if she believed in science, then all the technology she had seen—from her childhood to her life at thirty-three—had already taught her one thing:
Nothing is truly impossible.
"Host… now is not the time to stress yourself. You need to take care of your body."
Akshatha stayed silent, trying to process everything.
The System continued,
"Both you and your father remember the past. He is also confused… but right now, he is ignoring it because of your condition."
My father…? He remembers too?
"Yes," the System replied calmly.
"I didn't take precautions while transferring you. I wanted you to keep your memories… so your father kept his as well."
Her mind felt heavy again.
"Host," the System said gently,
"your priority right now is your health. You need to recover first."
The machines kept beeping softly around her.
A nurse came in, checked Akshatha, and quickly went out to inform the doctor that the patient had regained consciousness.
Soon, the doctor arrived. He examined her carefully, then stepped outside.
"She is out of danger," he told her father.
Hearing those words, her father finally let out a deep breath. His legs felt weak with relief. He closed his eyes and silently prayed to God.
"Can I see her?" he asked the doctor.
When the accident happened, they had been rushed to a nearby hospital. It was close to their house, but in the chaos, he had delayed calling his wife.
Only a short while ago, he had finally called her, asking her to come to the hospital and bring the money he had given her a few days earlier. It was meant for emergencies. He had even been thinking of using it to pay his elder niece's fees.
But now, nothing else mattered.
His daughter's life came first.
In his previous life, this accident had never happened. But now, in this moment, he knew one thing clearly—
He would trade anything… for his daughter's life.
He didn't just call his wife. He called his elder brother first.
His brother arrived quickly and took charge of all the hospital formalities.
A nurse approached him.
"Sir, your daughter is stable now. Please come get your wounds treated."
Mr. Nagaraju nodded. Now that Akshatha was safe, he was ready to cooperate.
Until now, he had ignored his own injuries. There were bruises on his hands, palms, and legs.
But none of it had mattered before.
Now, with his daughter out of danger…
He finally allowed himself to sit down and get treated.