A new life

I felt as if I were drowning, sinking deeper into a vast, dark sea. Suddenly, I broke through the surface, gasping for air. I blinked my eyes open and shot up in bed, disoriented and panting. The room around me was unfamiliar, bathed in the warm glow of morning sunlight. My heart raced as I tried to calm myself down.

“Young master, you’re awake!” A woman stood over me, her expression a mix of worry and relief. I looked at her closely; she seemed kind but also anxious. Confusion washed over me as I glanced around the room, taking in its brightness and strange decor. My throat felt parched as I attempted to speak but found my voice stuck somewhere deep inside me.

I reached up and felt something obstructing my breath—an oxygen mask! Panic surged through me as I yanked it off. “Oh no, young master! I don’t think you should do that,” she exclaimed, her eyes widening in alarm.

“What… what’s my name?” I croaked out, my voice rough like gravel.

“Your name?” She looked taken aback for a moment. “Your name is Royalty, young master.”

I sighed deeply, feeling the weight of disbelief settle on my chest. Is this really happening?

It actually worked? I'm leaving someone else's life!

“Hold on, young master! I’ll get the doctor,” she said hurriedly before rushing out of the room. Left alone with my thoughts, I leaned back against the headboard, trying to piece together what had just happened. That’s when a memory flickered in my mind—the little robot-human thing.

“Leon,” I whispered urgently.

“Over here!” He appeared from the shadows of the room, startling me with his sudden presence. “How do you feel?”

“I don’t know; this is just all too weird,” I replied, looking around again at the unfamiliar surroundings that felt alien to me. Everything felt very familiar-yet not. If that even makes sense.

The woman returned shortly after, accompanied by a man dressed in a crisp white coat—definitely the doctor she had gone to find. He approached me with a calm demeanor and sat down beside me on the bed.

“How do you feel, Mr. Black?” he asked gently.

I turned to Leon with wide eyes. “Mr.? Why are they addressing me as ‘Mr.’?”

“Oh! I forgot to tell you,” Leon said with an exasperated sigh. “You’re married.”

“What?!” I shrieked in disbelief. “I’m married?”

“Yes! And also Royalty! You’re the only one who can see me,” Leon pointed at the two people watching me with concern, their expressions revealing their confusion about my apparent madness.

“Did you suffer from amnesia?” The doctor asked while standing up straight.

“Do you remember anything at all?” he pressed further.

I turned back to Leon for guidance. “I don’t know; do I?”

Leon facepalmed himself dramatically. “Yes! Yes, you do! You have to act normal so they don’t know something is up!”

“Oh,” I exclaimed with a nod, trying to understand how deep this rabbit hole went.

“Who are you talking to, young master?” The woman asked nervously.

The doctor sighed heavily. “Maybe we do need to take you to the hospital f—”

“No!” I interrupted sharply, and both of them shot me surprised looks at my sudden outburst. “I’m fine! Totally fine!”

If there’s one thing that fills me with dread more than anything else in this world, it’s hospitals—the pale blue walls and the sight of sick patients make my skin crawl. But most importantly, the memories that came with that place......

“Mr. Black,” the doctor said firmly but kindly, “I’m going to have to ask you a couple of questions about your personal life to ensure you’re okay and haven’t suffered any kind of brain damage. Is that okay?”

“Yeah… sure,” I replied hesitantly.

“Don’t worry; I’ll tell you all the answers,” Leon chimed in reassuringly.

The doctor took a deep breath and began his questioning. “First question: What’s your name?”

That was easy enough: “Royalty.” The doctor nodded in agreement as if checking off a box on his clipboard.

“What is the name of your husband?” he asked next.

My eyes went wide with shock as I turned back to Leon for help.

He chuckled lightly at my reaction. “Yes! Did I mention you’re married to a guy named Callahan?”

“No! You didn’t mention that!” My teeth were gritted together as frustration bubbled within me.

“Mr. Black,” the doctor urged gently but firmly, “please answer the question.”

“It’s Callahan,” I finally managed to say with resignation.

“Okay then… Name of your brother?”

“Eniz.” Leon answered again without hesitation; I echoed his response without thinking twice.

The doctor nodded again before asking his next question: “Name of your husband’s sister?”

“River.” Once more, Leon provided an answer that slipped from my lips automatically like a parrot mimicking its owner.

The doctor sighed deeply after writing everything down on his clipboard. “Okay then; let me check your vitals.”

He proceeded to examine me thoroughly—checking reflexes, measuring blood pressure, shining a flashlight into my eyes—all standard procedures that made me feel slightly more at ease despite everything else being so strange.

“Okay,” he finally announced after finishing his examination. “Everything is normal; looks like you’re okay. Nothing to worry about Hilda. ”

The woman—Hilda, the doctor had said—who had been quietly observing us this whole time let out a sigh of relief that echoed through the room like music after silence.

“Thank you so much, Doctor! I’ll inform Master Callahan,” she said gratefully as he stood up to leave.

“I’ll take my leave now then,” he replied politely before stepping out of the room.

“I’ll leave you to relax now,” Hilda said softly but paused when I reached out and grasped her hand gently.

There was just one question that kept flashing in my mind.

“What happened to me?” My voice wavered slightly as uncertainty filled my heart once more.

She frowned deeply at my question—a look on her face that suggested she knew more than she was letting on. “I’d rather not tell; it’s best you not know.”

And with that cryptic comment hanging heavily in the air between us like an unsaid truth left unexamined, Hilda turned and left the room quietly behind her.