In my world, if you're weak, you're done for. I refused to be one of the weak, so I committed myself to intense training to become stronger. I pushed my limits, sharpened my skills, and believed that I could overcome any challenge. But in the end, I died... trying to help someone weak. Or at least, that's what I thought. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in an unfamiliar place. And soon, the truth hit me: I had been reincarnated.
Chapter 1 New body new life
Chapter 1
Jamie's POV
I can't move, but I'm aware of my surroundings. My eyes are closed, but I can hear voices around me.
I try to remember what happened, but nothing comes to mind.
I attempt to open my eyes slowly, and I manage to do so. At first, everything is blurry, but after a few seconds, my vision clears. The first thing I see is a blue ceiling. My entire body aches, so I can't move. After a few moments, I hear footsteps approaching.
"The Princess is awake. Faye, inform the King and Queen," I hear someone say.
"You can count on me, Doctor," replies another voice before walking away.
I sense someone approaching, and I want to warn them, but no voice comes out. I try to move again, but my body feels heavy and unresponsive.
The doctor-if they are a doctor-examines me, but I can't do anything as I'm still unable to move. My body hurts too much for me to even complain.
A little later, I hear more footsteps approaching. The door opens, and several unfamiliar people enter.
I don't know what's going on, but suddenly my head starts throbbing, like it's about to explode. My entire body aches even more, so I close my eyes and endure the pain.
"Fvck!"
A few moments later, the pain subsides, and I take a deep breath. It feels like something has entered my body, and suddenly, I remember everything-from the moment I decided to go to the mall to the earthquake and the cement falling from the ceiling. I even remember helping the child.
Given the severity of my injuries, it would be impossible for me to have survived. But what is this?
I try to move my body again, and this time, I succeed. Slowly, I sit up and look around the room. The first thing I notice is the worried face of an older woman. Despite her age, her beauty remains. Beside her is a man, whom I assume is her husband, as his arm is around her waist, comforting her. I close my eyes again as another unfamiliar memory floods my mind, bringing a sharp headache with it. I try to ignore it, hoping it will go away.
I touch my stomach as it begins to hurt. When I look down, I see a white cloth covering my belly. What's this for?
A woman who looks about my age, or maybe younger, approaches me with a glass of water. I hesitate to drink it, fearing it might be poisoned. Well, I'm immune to poison, so it shouldn't matter if I drink it. I feel relieved as I drink the cool water.
"Thank you, Faye," I say. Then I pause, surprised at what I just said. "F-Faye, right?" I ask. She nods with a smile.
How do I know her name? As far as I know, I've never seen this woman before or anyone in this room. But why do they all feel familiar? Am I losing my mind?
I hold my head as the pain returns. I decide to lie down again, feeling weak.
"Perhaps we should let the Princess rest for now. She has lost a lot of blood, and she's just woken up, so she needs to recover," I hear the doctor say. He speaks with the King and Queen-oh god! What King and Queen am I talking about? I don't even know them. My head hurts even more.
"Call me if you need anything, Your Highness. I'll be just outside your room. I wish you a speedy recovery," I hear before sensing everyone leaving. Once I'm sure no one is around, I sit up again and look around the room.
The surroundings are clean and well-lit. The walls are painted in a mix of white and blue, and a moderately sized chandelier provides light. There's a large sky-blue wardrobe on one side and a bookshelf filled with books.
"Wow."
It's beautiful, but this isn't my room, and it's definitely not a hospital. So, where am I? Whose room is this? Everything here feels familiar, but I don't remember ever being here. I scan the room again, hoping to spot my phone. I want to call Jackson or Mr. Kim to ask where they took me. They'll surely be thrilled to hear that I'm awake.
How many days or weeks have I been asleep? Considering the severity of my injuries, I'm lucky to be alive.
Instead of finding my phone, I notice a large golden mirror. Its surroundings shimmer, adding to its beauty.
"Maybe Jackson bought this for me again. He knows I love mirrors."
I approach the mirror to take a closer look, but instead of being amazed, I feel shocked and confused.
"Who is this?!"
I touch my face, and the woman in the mirror mimics my actions. She's beautiful, and yes, I'm beautiful too, but if you put us side by side, I'd admit she's more beautiful than me. She's wearing white pajamas with a white cloth wrapped around her stomach, just like me. I twirl around like a fool in front of the mirror, and the woman does the same.
I feel utterly confused. Suddenly, a memory of a conversation with Kara Mr. Kim's daughter-about a fantasy book she read comes to mind.
"Did you know, Ate Jamie? I bought a book yesterday at the National Bookstore. The plot is amazing because the main character dies, and when she wakes up, she's in someone else's body. I think it's called reincarnation? What's even cooler is that the new body has powers."
Died and came back to life in a different body. Could it be... No! That's impossible. That only happens in books. Maybe I really hit my head too hard, and that's why I'm like this.
I look in the mirror again.
"But what if it's true? Does this mean... I've been reincarnated?" I ask myself, pointing at the woman in the mirror. "As you?" I continue, pointing at the reflection.
I'm lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling as if it might answer my questions. My brain, as sharp as it is, still can't process what's happening.
I died.
I don't know if I should be sad about my death or just be happy because I've come back to life.
Jackson is probably crying right now. That guy is such a crybaby. As for Mr. Kim, he's likely busy with my funeral arrangements, as well as managing the businesses I left behind. I feel guilty because ever since my parents died, he's been the one taking care of me and my properties. And now, he's handling my burial, too. I hope Jackson helps him and doesn't just cry the whole time. For a grown man, he sure cries a lot.
I couldn't help but give a bitter smile as I recalled the memories we shared, along with Mr. Kim's family, who also became my family. I hope they don't take my death too hard.
I didn't realize I was already crying, so I wiped my tears away. I got up and started walking around the room. My stomach still hurts from the stab wound, but it's bearable.
Speaking of stabs... The memory of stabbing myself suddenly flashed in my mind. That must be what the previous owner of this body did. Her body came back to life, but she has already passed on, leaving this as my new body. Maybe that's why I remember things from her past and why people here seem familiar-because I'm using her brain.
Even though she's dead, I'm still using her body and brain. Memories are stored in the brain, so that's probably why this is happening.
I stopped walking when I reached the window. It was open, allowing the fresh breeze to flow in. I peeked outside and saw an incredibly beautiful view. I thought I could only see something like this in paintings or pictures. I was even more amazed when I saw plants floating in the air. There was also a small river that looked familiar. Don't ask me why.
At this time, I should be at the company, attending endless meetings, signing papers, and my favorite-annoying Mr. Kim.
New body, new life. It hurts to think that I've left my old life behind, but I have to accept my new one. Even though this is no longer my body, I'm still Jamie Quinn-the woman cursed to be strong to survive in this cruel world.
I spent the entire day resting. Faye only came in to bring me food. So far, my new life is going smoothly, though I'm still confused about what's happening.
Later that evening, Faye came in and asked if I could walk because the King wanted me to join them for dinner.
Wearing the blue dress I found in the closet, I
stepped out of the room. Faye was waiting for me outside.
"Good evening, Your Highness. You look beautiful," Faye greeted. I just smiled at her and started walking. I'm not comfortable with her yet. When you've been surrounded by enemies in business from a young age, you're bound to have trust issues. Given the fact that one of our bodyguards killed my mother, it's understandable.
After walking for a while, we reached the huge door that the guards opened upon seeing us. I was greeted by the sight of a long table filled with food. My stomach growled at the sight.
Faye helped me to a seat next to Aaron. He's about the same age as I was in my past life-23. Well, I'm 16 now and the younger sister of these men, so I have to call them "Kuya" (older brother). Ugh!
Even Jackson, who's five years older than me, I sometimes called by name. But I have to maintain the polite and well-mannered personality of this body's previous owner.
We began eating in silence. The King sat at the head of the table, with the Queen to his left and Aaron to his right. Next to the Queen was Asta, who was sitting beside Arthur.
I guess the memory of Astrid's suicide is still fresh in their minds-Astrid being the name of this body's previous owner, which will now be mine.
I wonder what they'd feel if they found out that the old Astrid is gone and a stranger is now living in her body. Should I tell them? Imagine the horror on their faces if I suddenly said:
"Hey! Astrid is dead, and Jamie is the new owner of this body. Ha ha ha."
It seems too absurd. Maybe I'm going crazy.
They had already finished eating, but I kept indulging in the various dishes on the table. It was delicious, so why stop? No one had told me to, anyway.
"Astrid, dear," I heard the Queen say.
"Yes?" I replied, still munching on grapes.
"Are you feeling better? Is there any pain? Just let me know, and I'll call Dr. Kuroo to check on you," the Queen asked, her concern evident. I paused and looked at her.
"Mommy..."
To Be Continued...
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