I kept staring at the floating message box in front of me. It had sparks of silver flames surrounding it, while the box itself remained golden in colour.
Never had I seen anything like it before.. "Wait. Where am I!?" I turned around nervously, my eyes scanning the environment. The room seemed like a hospital ward, but the kind which only existed in the anime.
Before I could panick further, someone came into the supposed hospital ward—a girl dressed in elite black Highschool uniform which I could barely recognise. She had a really long silver hair that stretched down to her hips.
"You're finally awake?" She quietly sat beside me and rubbed my hair.
"The others were so worried.."
Someone else walked in, from the aura which immediately filled the entire room with his entrance, I didn't have to look up to know that--
Oh. Wow.
He really wasn't the elite figure I earlier imagined in my head. Dark curly hair, freckles and round oversized glasses; the outfit was just so ridiculous I couldn't help but muffle a laugh.
"Um, message box?" I whispered silently when the duo started arguing about who would get to stay.
'Yes, young master.'
"Young.. what now??"
'Get used to it. This is your new identity.'
"..."
'Before you get any funny thoughts, no. This isn't a dream.'
It buzzed for a while, the letters - 'This isn't a dream', staring at me like I personally had to answer a hidden question.
"Then does that mean that I'm.. dead?" I managed to voice the words out.
'Technically, yes. You died. But you were granted a second life in this parallel universe to fulfill your life's greatest wish.'
"And what happens after that?" I stared at it, "Once I'm granted my wish, does everything go back to normal? Or will I seize to exist.."
'Well I'm not in the position to give any spoilers. You have a new life now, with everything you've ever wished for—'
'Try to be happy for once!'
Then the screen went blank.
Just then, the door opened and like an adrenaline rush, my eyes cleared instantly, and every other thing slowed down like someone was tampering with the speed button.
Thousands of transparent bar codes displayed before me and my senses hightened enough for me to percieve the sweet cakes a nurse was carrying down the corridor.
"Message B--"
Right, he'd already ditched me.
It was pointless trying to get his attention, because from the looks of it, I doubt he would ever tell me anything that could help navigate my current situation.
So instead, I focused my gaze on the stranger who just walked in and let the simulations run themselves. Then, like a "Choose-your-character Bing", I could see everything about him— from his age, name and even abilities.
[Name: Rec Fiscer
Age: 17
Level: Grade B sorcerer
Ability: Dark Magic, Swordsmanship
Role: Male Supporting Character
Stats: 82%…]
Wow, that was a LOT of information.
I turned to the clingy girl next to me. She seemed to have more suppressing aura than the rest of them, Maybe knowing a bit of her could help me..
"Simulation Mode!"
[Error] A red box appeared in front of me.
Ugh, What was I even thinking? It probably wouldn't work on her because she was trying to hide something by suppressing her manna.
"Then..."
I looked at the nerd guy, "..Simulation mode!"
[Error! Error!!] the box appeared again. [Simulation Mode can only be used once a day. You've exhausted your XP]
My what now? How do I refill it??
The girl turned to look at me, then for a moment, I finally read the language of the room—tense, different, the awkward silence which was louder than my own thoughts.
Everyone was staring at me.
Poor me, now they'll think I'd gone mad. Well, literally I had, trying to figure out what an XP meant was throwing my brain into a frenzy.
Back in my past life, I did overhear a bunch of cool kids talking about how it's used in a game to purchase a character's abilities and upgrade their skills.
Whatever this world was, it definitely had to be a replica of some game universe because the characters looked somewhat familiar to the ones I had seen on big screens before.
I looked up to notice the girl was still staring at me. She quickly looked away from me and faced the guy in glasses, smacking him hard in the head.
"This is all your fault! Now Young Master is pretending not to see me."
So much irony in one statement.
"What did I do now? Salva." The nerd guy protested. He had the look of someone who was about to snap, but I could see he was trying so hard to keep his cool.
Just who were these people. Wait, I could just ask.
"Um, can you remind me your name--"
She didn't even wait for me to finish before giving me a tight slap across my face, then she erupted into tears.
"How could you pretend not to know me, Young Master?"
Again with that uncomfortable title are we? I huffed, rubbing my cheek which still burned of raw manna and a ticklish feeling.
I seemed to be the only one surprised by the fact that she actually hit me and at that, without warning.
"No, Salva." Rec finally spoke, he raised his palm for her to stop.
Rec's voice alone made everyone still for a moment—even me.
I could finally see why he was given the role of my supporting character.
Each step he took forward made me quiver, it was evident—from the look on his face and the shimmer in those sharp green eyes of his, that my secret no longer belonged to me alone.
"Message Box?"
'Yes, Young Master?'
"This Rec guy... Can he see you?"