“Wake Up!”
Jacob jumped up in fear; his body was soaked in sweat, and his head was heavy, a relentless pressure was building behind his eyes until it felt as though his head might split apart at any moment. He couldn't think straight.
'Oh my God, why is my head aching so much?! Is this because of the beer?
Struggling to rise, Jacob found his body unresponsive to his commands, immobilized by the searing pain throbbing in his head. With even the simplest of thoughts proving difficult amidst the agony, he resigned himself to remaining prone for a while longer. After a time, and with gentle pressure on his temples, he finally succeeded in sitting upright.
'My stomach hurt as well!, Is it possible that I got food poisoning? And why is everything so hazy?'
He rubbed his eyes a few times to get a better view. His breath caught in his throat, a knot of dread tightening in his stomach as he looked around the room. He was alone in a small room. To his left stood an aged wooden door, while nearby rested a weathered drawer containing a book, a mirror, and a flickering candle. Jacob looked at his bed; it was an old bed with dirty sheets, with a small table on the right side of the bed holding a few tablets and a glass of water. A window was located on the table's top. The moonlight poured through the window, casting a silvery glow across the room.
‘What the hell is going on? Where the hell am I? What exactly is this place?!! Did I get kidnapped?’
Struggling to rise due to a pounding headache, he opted to rest for a moment. As time passed, the pain gradually subsided, allowing him to stand once more. With cautious steps, he made his way to the window and peered outside.
"What...is...this...place? It's not London!"
The city before him looked like it had been forgotten by time. Its muddy streets were nearly empty, save for a few figures wandering aimlessly, and not a single vehicle was in sight. The wooden houses that lined the roads were ancient, their walls cracked and warped with age, threatening to crumble at the slightest touch. Bronze street lamps flickered weakly against the encroaching dusk, their dim light casting eerie shadows. The strangest part was that there were no visible wires, nothing to power them, yet they glowed all the same.
Jacob stood in the middle of it all, horror creeping up his spine. He took a few shaky steps backward, his body frozen in shock.
‘Calm down. Calm down,’ he thought, desperately trying to regain control. 'Where am I? What is this place? Did I die in my sleep? Is this some kind of afterlife? Or… was I kidnapped by aliens? Is this some kind of sick joke?'
Frantic, he spotted the small wooden drawer by the bed and saw the mirror. He lifted it with trembling hands, and the face that stared back at him made his stomach lurch.
‘Haa… who is this kid? Is this really me?’
The face was young, far younger than his real age, with soft features and wide eyes that bore no resemblance to the man he used to be. His reflection felt like a stranger. Jacob stumbled backward, dropping the mirror onto the bed, his hands shaking uncontrollably as panic surged through him. He sat down heavily on the bed, struggling to catch his breath.
After what felt like an eternity, he forced himself to breathe slowly, the chaotic whirlwind of thoughts in his mind gradually slowing. His hands still trembled, but the fear was subsiding, replaced by a cold, unsettling clarity.
‘Okay,’ he thought, gathering his composure. ‘Let’s go over the situation. First and foremost, this isn’t a joke. I’m in a new body, in a city I’ve never seen before, and there’s no way aliens would care about someone like me.’
He rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of the bizarre reality he’d found himself in. His reflection, the strange city, the ancient, crumbling buildings—it all felt too real to be a dream.
‘So, if this isn’t a joke… what the hell is it?’
He remembered a couple of animes where the main character was reincarnated.
‘So, either I died and I’m now in hell, or I’ve been reincarnated,’ he muttered, pausing for a moment to examine his body. ‘Or maybe I’ve been transmigrated.’
Jacob’s gaze returned to the table, where a tablet lay next to a half-empty glass of water.
‘Could it be suicide that’s causing this gnawing pain in my gut?’ he wondered, a grim possibility that sent a shiver down his spine.
Restless, he rose and approached the window, seeking solace in the night sky.
‘Is this just a figment of my imagination?’ he questioned, pinching his arm sharply—a jolt of pain confirming his reality.
‘No, this is too vivid for a dream,’ he concluded, scanning the room for a timepiece or a means to ignite the candle, finding neither. He retrieved the old book from the drawer, its cover worn with age. Straining to read in the dimness proved futile, so he moved closer to the window, letting the moon’s silver light aid his endeavor.
Opening the book, Jacob found the inscription on the first page: "This is the diary of Leo Mantine, born on the 12th of January, 453." A small, wry smile crept across his face.
‘A diary,’ he thought, his pulse quickening. ‘I’ve got a name—Leo Mantine. Now, if only I knew the current year… I could figure out my age—or rather, his.’
he paused for a few seconds, staring at the number on the page—Year 453. His mind reeled.
‘Year 453? Could I have traveled back in time?’
It wasn’t impossible. After all, he had woken up in a body that wasn’t his own, in a world that was far removed from anything he’d ever known. The ancient buildings, the lack of modern technology—it all pointed to something far older.
Flipping to the next page, he began to read:
"Page One: Mr. Dyehill has asked us to keep a diary of our daily activities. What’s the point? Doesn’t he know how much a notebook costs?"
Jacob chuckled softly. ‘Thank you, Mr. Dyehill; now I can get the information I need.’
"Page Two: I just came back from school and got into another fight with my mom. I don’t feel like writing anymore."
Jacob frowned, the mundane nature of Leo’s life pulling him further into this strange reality. But as he continued reading, a sudden wave of nausea hit him hard.
"Ugh... God, I almost puked," he groaned, clutching his stomach. "Why is my stomach hurting so much?"
He massaged his abdomen, hoping the discomfort would pass, but it lingered for a few minutes before easing. Once the queasiness subsided, Jacob returned to the diary.
"Page Three: That bully kids beat me again. I tried to hide it from Mom, but Rosie found out and told her."
'Rosie? That sounds like a girl’s name. His sister? Wait... what language am I even reading?’ Jacob paused, realization dawning on him. ‘This isn’t English, so how can I understand it? Do I have Leo’s memories?’
His mind raced, but after a few moments of thinking, he came to a decision. ‘For now, let’s not worry about it,’ he thought, shaking off the unsettling questions.
Just as he turned to the next page, a knock echoed through the room.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Leo, it’s morning. Wake up!" a voice called from behind the door.
Jacob froze, his heart skipping a beat as the voice shattered the fragile barrier between his mind and reality.
Creak. The old door swung open. Jacob (Leo) got goosebumps on his back. A young girl entered. She was about 12 years old and about 150 centimeters tall; her hair was black and messy, and she had a small cute face with big green eyes.
"Are you sleeping again...? Oh, you're awake; that's strange; come down; mom's making breakfast."
She then walked out of the room without shutting the door.
'That has to be Rosie.'
He examined the book in his hand.
'Right now, I need information to survive.'
He picked up the mirror again and examined himself. A young boy nearly 160 cm tall with green eyes and black hair His overall appearance was pleasing. His eyes were a little large, and he had an almost small nose and a sharp jawline. There was a dark circle under his left eye.
"Probably a punch from those bullies."
He approached the door.
“At this point, all I can do is survive. Nothing else matters—no past, no former identity, just staying alive. I need to act as Leo Mantine.”
Leo cautiously descended the stairs, the old wood creaking beneath his weight. Each step felt as though it might give way at any moment, reinforcing the sense that this place was as ancient as the strange world he had found himself in. When he reached the bottom, he took in his surroundings: a small hall connected to a modest kitchen.
The kitchen looked worn, with an old table tucked into one corner, three cabinets—one of which hung slightly askew—and an odd-looking oven that seemed to run on something unfamiliar. The floor was dusty, and everything had a well-used, faded quality, as though the house itself was trying to hold onto its last vestiges of life. The sofa in the hall looked like it had been there for centuries, its fabric threadbare and sagging in places.
Jacob chuckled to himself, taking it all in. ‘We appear to be poor. That's not disappointing at all,’ he thought with a wry smirk. In his original world, poverty would have been an obstacle, but here, in this strange new life, it seemed like just another piece of the mystery to unravel.
To his left, there was a narrow corridor leading to a small room, its door slightly ajar. He had no idea what lay beyond it.
‘This place… it's like I’ve stepped into another reality,’ he thought, his smirk fading into a more thoughtful expression. As much as he tried to brush it off, the gravity of his situation was becoming clearer by the second.
He took a look around the kitchen. A woman was there, making breakfast, and the same small girl who had come into his room was sitting on a chair near the kitchen table.
'That woman is most likely my mother; I shouldn't say too much or they'll be suspicious.'
"Good morning"
His mother turned her head and smiled at him.
"Good morning, sweetie. You awoke early this morning. Is this a special day?"
She was around 30 years old, about 165 cm tall, with blond hair and green eyes and lovely facial features. Her hands had rough skin, indicating that she had worked hard.
‘Though what I read wasn't much, but I think Leo is a bit rude, I should try to be like him.’
"No, I just didn't feel like sleeping."
"Come sit down; your breakfast is ready."
Leo approached the table and sat in one of the four chairs. He was sitting directly across from his sister. His mother brought him his breakfast while he was staring at her eating hers. He examined his plate, which contained a small amount of cheese, toasted bread, and a small bowl of soup.
Leo methodically chewed his breakfast, the dull ache in his stomach a lingering reminder of his recent stress. As he finished, he reached for a glass of water, the cool liquid a contrast to the warmth of the morning meal.
“Thank you,” he said, the words slipping out before he could catch them.
The room went still, the unexpected politeness hanging in the air like a foreign note in a familiar melody. He mentally chastised himself for the slip—Leo’s usual demeanor was far from gracious.
His mother and sister, visibly startled by the break in character, exchanged glances.
“…eee… You’re very welcome, sweetie,” his mother replied, her voice tinged with confusion.
“I’ll be in my room studying; please don’t interrupt me. And, what year is it now?” Leo asked, feigning nonchalance.
Rosie’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “Study?” she echoed, as if the word were alien.
“It’s 468,” his mother answered, still processing the morning’s anomalies.
“Okay, thank you,” he said, a sigh escaping him as he ascended the stairs to the sanctuary of his room, closing the door behind him with a definitive click.
Downstairs, his mother and sister shared a look of bewilderment.
“Mom, he’s acting strange today; he never studies, wakes up early, or says thank you,” Rosie whispered, her voice a mix of concern and curiosity.
“Maybe he’s finally maturing?” his mother mused, hope coloring her words.
Behind the closed door of his room, Leo pulled out his diary, the leather-bound book creaking as he opened it. He began to read.
"Page four: Why do I have to go to school? My father went to school once, but what good did it do? Where is he now? Gone. He ran off without a word, leaving us behind like we never mattered. He didn't care enough to stay, didn't think twice about his family. And what do I get? A daily routine of fists and jeers. Every day, I'm just a punching bag for the bullies.
The entries from pages five to ten were all the same—complaints, bitterness, a boy pouring out his frustrations on the paper. It was like his words were his only escape, each line a cry for help no one would ever hear.
Page eleven: I don’t want to go to school anymore, so why bother writing about it? Every day is the same: someone is beating me, wearing me down. It’s not even worth putting on paper anymore.
And that was it. No more pages.
Leo stared at the journal, the blank space beyond page eleven unnerving in its emptiness. ‘Did this kid... end his life over this? Maybe he didn't, maybe it's not that simple. It’s dangerous to jump to conclusions,’ Leo told himself, but the silence of those unwritten pages was loud. What had happened after that last entry?
‘Now it’s 468, and I’m fifteen years old. There’s not enough in this diary to understand what really happened. I need to know more.’
Leo returned to the drawer and opened the door. It had a bag inside it. He took up the bag and carried it to his bed. There were five books and three notebooks inside the bag. He took the first book from his bag, which was titled math. The book included simple math methods such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication. He put that book down and looked through other books. Literature, community, art, and history. He put them all away, picked up the history, and began reading it.
"At the dawn of time, Agoph united the human race and established the first kingdom, the Kingdom of Agophia. Agoph was a wise king, and his kingdom grew larger by the day during his reign. In his final year as ruler, Agophia's population surpassed one million people. Agoph chose his only son, Agoph the second, as his successor before he died. His son, on the other hand, had a drunken and weak personality. During his reign, he established a tax system and began to confiscate large amounts of gold from the common people. There was a social divide between common people and nobles. Agoph the second, however, did not stop there. He began kidnapping young girls for his own pleasure and young boys for his army, as well as torturing protesting families. People's daily lives were hell; they were constantly afraid, and they had to hide their children from the king."
"After 30 years of rule like this, the gates of hell have opened. With the opening of the Gate of Hell, magic began to flow in our world."
'Magic? Does this world have magic?'
Leo had a wicked smile on his face.
'And gate of hell, it just said that gate of hell was opened with no explanation for what this gate is or why it opened. This is primarily a children's book.
Leo, continued reading.
"With magic in this world, humanity's next generation began to change. Mages, sorcerers, witches, and necromancers soon appeared. Chaos began to take root in the kingdom; because the ordinary knights were unable to stop the one with magic, the king began to build his own army of mages. Death was everywhere, and it appeared to be the end of the world. Until the God of Light brought light to our world and the first paladin, Elbridge, God's hand, was born. Elbridge began by uniting common people and teaching them the way of God. The number of Paladins was growing by the day. King Agoph the Second became aware of this and dispatched an army to assassinate Elbridge. A new war had begun, but with the help of God, Elbridge and his army defeated King Agoph. King Agoph fled to the north and died of illness; his son Aganan established a new kingdom, the kingdom of the north; in the east, some mages, sorcerers, and necromancers gathered and established the kingdom of magic; and in the south, Elbridge established the kingdom of light, and thus the three kingdoms were established."
"Elbridge died of old age in the year 240, and his most loyal subordinate and friend, Arnatt Dawnbringer, becomes the next ruler of the kingdom of light. The kingdom of light grew stronger under Arnatt's rule. The kingdom of magic was also growing in strength. Mages were inventing new uses for magic. More potent spells were developed. Because Arnatt believed that all magic was evil, he made peace with the kingdom of the north and declared war on the kingdom of magic. The war was great, with a lot of casualties on both sides. Arnatt was killed in a battle with the great archmage Ivira, He was also able to kill Ivira, but he died 10 days later as a result of the scars he received during the fight. The next Ruler, Maverick Nightbreaker, negotiated with the rulers of the Kingdom of Magic, and they made peace under certain conditions. Maverick stated that not all magic is evil, and that only necromancy and dark magic are evil. With this new rule, mages begin to travel to the kingdom of light, and in a few years, the kingdom of light increases its power with the help of mages."
The rest of the book was just a description of how people lived and how rulers ruled in the kingdom of light.
'Well, it isn't complete; for example, does the entire world consist of only these three kingdoms? If not, what else is there? What exactly is dark magic? Nations always write their own books, so what is the kingdom of light, and who is this god of light? For the time being, it's better than nothing, and I know a brief history of the world.’
Leo got out of bed and went to the window; the sun had already come out. He smiled as he looked out the window.
‘I got another chance in my life; I need to explore this world and also find out what happened to me in my previous life.’
He observed people walking on the street.
‘there is magic in this world, and I will not fail, no matter how difficult it may be.