My consciousness slowly returned, though I was reluctant to open my eyes. The soft, luxurious fabric beneath me was foreign, unlike anything I had ever slept on. I hesitated before cautiously lifting his eyelids. The room around me was grand, far more opulent than any place I had ever been. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the walls were adorned with intricate tapestries and paintings. The bed I lay in was enormous, with silk sheets that seemed to shimmer in the low light.

"This is it..."

I attempted to sit up, but something was off. Though I could feel my body moving, my vision didn’t change. It was as if I were still lying down, staring straight ahead at the same spot on the ceiling.

"Huh? That's strange."

Confused, I tried again, this time focusing all of my strength on moving my head. Still, the world remained static. Panic began to creep in. What was happening? Why couldn’t he see anything beyond this one, fixed perspective?

Then, out of the corner of my vision, I caught something, just a flicker, a brief movement near the edge of the room. I tried to turn my head toward it, but my sight remained stubbornly fixed. The sense of my body shifting was there. I was moving... I'm sure of it, but my view was still the same.

"What the hell is happening?!"

Determined, I moved again, trying to focus on the sensation rather than the disorienting sight. It felt like I was swinging my legs off the bed, but the ceiling was still all that I saw. The more I concentrated, the more I became aware of my body’s responses. Slowly, I realized that I could feel the ground beneath my feet, cool and firm, even if I couldn’t see it. I took a step forward, then another. My body was moving as it should, even if my sight betrayed me.

Then, the truth hit me with cold clarity. I looked down, or at least, I tried to. My eyes, unchanging, betrayed nothing, but deep within, I felt the truth: my head wasn’t where it should be. It wasn’t on my shoulders. That flicker of movement I had seen earlier in the corner of my vision—it wasn’t something else in the room.

It was my own body.

"W-what the fuck?!"

The realization of this new, horrifying condition sent a shiver through me. Panic surged in my chest, and I instinctively reached up, fumbling for my head. But all I found was empty air above my shoulders.

"N-no this can't be happening!"

His heart raced as he tried to connect the dots.

I clearly have no head but what am I seeing...

Is my head perhaps detached from my body?!

"Hahaha... that's ridiculous..."

'Right?'

A deep sense of dread mixed with a strange, otherworldly calm washed over him. I was a Dullahan, a headless rider of legend. I could move, I could act, but my head, my vision, remained separate from my body, watching, observing, helplessly fixed in place even as my body obeyed my commands.

I have to find my head in this room!

The sensation of movement was there, my arms were moving, my hands were groping in the air, but my sight remained frozen, an unchanging portrait of the luxurious room.

I remembered the flicker of movement from earlier, where my vision had caught a glimpse of my own body. I tried to reorient myself, shuffling awkwardly across the room, relying solely on the feel of the ground beneath my feet and the vague sense of his body’s position in space.

I reached out again, my hands fumbling along a dresser, knocking over a lamp with a clatter. The sound startled me but I didn’t stop. My fingers brushed against something cold and smooth. At the same time, I could feel something touching my face.

"There! Haha, I'm holding my head!"

That sounded weird but I got my head now!

I tried to grab my head but my fingers poked directly into one of my eyes. A sharp, unexpected sensation shot through me and I instinctively pulled my hand back. My own head wobbled precariously on the dresser, almost toppling over.

"S-shit this is hard..." he muttered to himself, his voice muffled and slightly distorted since my mouth was kissing the dresser now!

I reached out again, this time determined to grab my own head correctly. But my sense of spatial awareness wasn’t cooperating. My hand poked my head in the forehead, then slipped off to jab my own cheek. The feeling was bizarre, I could feel the pokes and prods as if someone else was doing it, but I knew it was him.

“Come on!” I grumbled in frustration, accidentally sticking a finger into my nose this time. I winced as the sharp sensation made me cringe. “Seriously…”

Frustration mounted, but I couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Here I was, in what appeared to be a grand mansion, wrestling with my own head like some sort of slapstick routine gone wrong. After a few more failed attempts, including a particularly embarrassing moment where I poked myself right in the mouth, I finally managed to get a solid hold on my head.

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“Gotcha!” I exclaimed triumphantly, though it came out as a garbled noise since my palm was covering the opening of my mouth.

With exaggerated care, I tried to line up his head with my neck, but of course, my sense of direction was all wrong. After a few more failed attempts, I either angled it too far to the side or nearly dropped it again but I finally managed to place it back where it belonged.

Once my vision realigned with my body, I let out a huge sigh of relief, still chuckling at the absurdity of it all. I couldn’t believe what just happened.

I tried to walk but I wobbled a bit as I was still starting to get used to the bizarre sensation of having my head detached from my own body...

I looked around and saw an ornate mirror standing in the corner of the room. My curiosity piqued me as I approached the mirror.

I wonder if I still look the same as I did in my past life.

There I was, standing in the middle of an elegant, richly decorated bedroom, I sadly still look the same as I was in my past life but I looked like a mess. My hair was sticking out in all directions, and my face was still slightly lopsided from my earlier attempts to reattach my head. A red mark from where I poked my own eye was clearly visible, and there was a faint smudge on my cheek where I’d accidentally jabbed myself.

"Oh."

Looking at it again my face is still not entirely centred on my neck. I reached up and gave my head a little twist, trying to straighten it out. The reflection twisted along with it, the head wobbling slightly before settling into place.

“Well, that’s…better?” I said, my voice still a bit shaky from the whole experience. I leaned in closer, examining my face in the mirror. I poked at the red mark on my eye, wincing a bit. “Note to self: avoid poking eyes when reattaching head.”

As I stood in front of the mirror, something caught my eye. Just below my chin, where my neck met my body, there was a faint, glowing line. I leaned in closer, squinting to get a better look. My breath was caught in my throat as I realized what it was.

A line of flickering blue flames danced gently around the base of my neck, where my head connected to my body. The flames didn’t burn or hurt; instead, they emitted a soft, ethereal glow, casting a faint light on his skin. They flickered and waved like a gentle breeze was blowing through them, creating a strange, mesmerizing effect.

I tilted my head slightly, watching as the flames responded to my movement, flaring up slightly as I twisted my neck and then settling back into a steady rhythm. The sight was both eerie and oddly beautiful, a stark reminder of the bizarre transformation I had undergone.

“Well, that’s new…” I muttered, touching the base of my neck carefully. The flames danced around my fingers but didn’t cause any pain. It was as if they were more a part of him than his skin or bones.

I couldn’t help but smile at the absurdity of it all. The flames, while strange, didn’t feel threatening. In fact, they felt almost…comforting. Like they were a part of him now, a symbol of whatever bizarre power had turned him into a Dullahan.

"Guess I’m going to need a lot of practice with this whole head situation," I muttered to myself, my reflection nodding in agreement.

Suddenly I remember God and the cards he gave to me...

The first card depicts a knight in gleaming, intricately detailed armor, standing tall and resolute. The knight holds a large, ornate shield emblazoned with a lion's head and a sword with runes etched into its blade. Behind the knight, a sunrise casts a golden glow, symbolizing hope and protection.

"Now that I think about it, a dullahan is once a knight before it turns into an undead."

The second card features a grand, stately manor house, set against the backdrop of lush, sprawling gardens. The manor is an architectural masterpiece, with tall windows, elegant balconies, and intricate stonework. Lanterns light up the entrance, and a cobblestone path leads up to the impressive double doors, flanked by statues of rearing lions.

"A mansion I woke up from, this is probably it..."

The final card portrays a dark, ominous aura swirling around a shattered mirror. In the mirror's reflection, objects appear distorted or broken.

"The last card is what confused me. Does this mean that everything is perhaps the opposite of what I was supposed to get?"

The blue flames continued to flicker softly as he took a deep breath, feeling a strange sense of acceptance. Whatever had happened to him, this was his new reality. I have a lot of questions but for now, I want to explore this place.

Suddenly, a shard knocking sound was heard echoing throughout the room.

“My lord, is everything okay in there?” a voice called out from the other side of the door. The voice was calm, but there was a note of concern.

I blinked, momentarily thrown off by the term “my lord.” It sounded so foreign, so out of place—then again, so did everything else today. I frowned, trying to piece together the situation. “My lord?” I muttered under my breath. I glanced around the opulent room, the grand bed, the luxurious furnishings, and it suddenly clicked. I wasn’t just any Dullahan, was a lord, and this mansion was his.

The knock came again, more insistent this time. “My lord? I heard noises coming from the room. Is there any problem?” The voice was closer now, almost at the door.

Snapping out of my daze, I quickly adjusted myself, trying to look as composed as possible, despite the chaos of the last few minutes. I crossed the room with purpose, pulling open the door with what I hoped was an air of authority.

On the other side stood a dignified butler, impeccably dressed in a formal suit, his posture straight and composed. The man’s hair was slicked back, and his expression was calm, though his eyes scanned the room behind the main character with subtle curiosity. “I apologize for the intrusion, my lord,” the butler said, bowing slightly. “I heard some commotion and wanted to ensure everything was in order.”

I hesitated for a moment, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that he was now a “lord” with a staff to tend to him.

“Oh, uh, no need to apologize,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. “Just…had a bit of a rough start this morning. Everything’s fine.”

The butler straightened, his expression polite but clearly relieved. “Very well, my lord. If there is anything you require, please do not hesitate to call upon me. Your well-being is our utmost priority.”

I nodded, trying to maintain the façade of composure, even as the reality of my situation settled in more deeply. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

The butler gave another slight bow, then turned to leave, his footsteps silent on the thick carpet. Just as the butler reached the end of the hallway, I called out, “By the way, what’s your name?”

The butler turned, a faint smile on his face. “I do not have a name, my lord.” With that, he disappeared down the corridor, leaving me standing in the doorway, still trying to process everything.

As the door clicked shut behind him, I leaned against it, letting out a long, deep breath. A mansion, a staff, and a new identity as a Dullahan lord...

God, this is gonna be such a headache!

(Pun intended)