There were a lot of weird things about this moment—and that was saying something, considering my life had already gone completely off the rails.

  First, the kid.

  I stepped out into the hallway, the crutches clicking against the polished floor, and took my first good look at her. She was definitely the one who broke the vase—what was left of it, anyway.

  Which begged the question—what was a kid like her doing here?

  The hallway itself was something out of a museum. Tall and narrow, lined with red-orange walls threaded with silver patterns. Paintings hung in ornate frames, the kind that looked older than me—hell, maybe older than my past life. Statues stood on carved pedestals, and vases just like the one she broke were spaced along the corridor. I guess one finally went off.

  But I kept coming back to her.

  The way she held herself, the control in her expression—it didn’t match the small, fragile frame. Still, she was shorter than me, just by a little.

  And then she spoke.

  “Who are you?”

  Her voice was soft but steady, and I could see the flicker of surprise in her pale gray eyes as she really looked at me—up and down, taking in the gaunt frame, the way my clothes hung loose. Yeah, I probably did look like a skeleton.

  But I was more interested in the fact that she wasn’t running.

  "I’m the one who should be asking what you’re doing here," I said, leaning on my crutches.

  The girl didn’t answer. Instead, she dusted off her dress with this slow, deliberate motion.

  "Are you perhaps a servant?" she asked, ignoring my question entirely.

  "Am I?" I waved a crutch. "Unless this is the new uniform, I’d start firing people."

  But I knew, I probably looked like a zombie in my current state.

  Then the corner of her mouth twitched — almost a smile, but not quite. “No. You don’t speak like one.”

  "Hey ki– Who are you?"

  “You don’t know me? Hm. That’s rare.”

  She said.

  Before I could push more, I heard the frantic shuffle of footsteps—Mari, rushing toward us with a tray of food. The thing wobbled dangerously, and for a second, I thought we were about to have two broken things in this hallway.

  "Young master!" Mari’s voice was a mix of relief and panic.

  And that’s when the girl’s head tilted ever so slightly. "Young master?" she echoed, her pale gray eyes flicking between me and Mari with something that looked suspiciously like curiosity.

  Mari, bless her, finally seemed to register the other person in the hallway. Her eyes went wide. "Oh! Young lady! Pardon me!" She dipped into a hurried bow, nearly sending the tray toppling again.

  Young lady?

  I stared at the girl. The expensive clothes made sense now—the dark fabric with those silver hints, the air of practiced calm. I should’ve guessed. Nobility. Or something close to it. I wasn’t sure yet. But the way Mari practically folded in half meant this kid had standing. And power.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  The girl raised a hand—just a slight motion, barely any effort. "It’s fine. Perhaps you should check on him” she paused pointing at me.

  She glanced at me—just for a second. Our eyes met. I didn’t look away.

  “Maybe,” I muttered, dragging the moment out, “we should focus on that vase.” I pointed at the shattered mess on the ground.

  Mari jumped in. “It’s fine, young master! The young lady didn’t have anything to do with it. Let’s… let’s just pretend I broke it.” She smiled, but her voice shook around the edges.

  I raised a brow. “That would cause trouble.”

  Before Mari could respond, the girl spoke.

  “It’s my fault,” she said, her voice calm. “Worry not.”

  She bowed — just a slight dip of her head — and I saw it. The practiced grace, the restraint. Then, without another word, she turned and walked away.

  Well. That was… something.

  First, she broke a vase. Then she bowed like she was issuing a formal apology. And now she was walking off like none of it mattered.

  I wasn’t sure what it was about her — the way she carried herself, the calm in her voice — but there was something strange there. Unusual. Especially for someone her age.

  As Mari set the tray inside and started sweeping up the broken glass, I stayed outside, moving toward the window the girl had been so focused on earlier.

  “She’s weird,” I muttered, my eyes drifting to the view outside — and widening when I saw the snow. Soft, white flakes drifted down, covering the grounds in a pale, perfect sheet.

  When did that happen?

  “Same age as you, young master,” Mari said from behind me.

  I barely heard her. My attention stayed fixed on the landscape — the huge, ornate gate, the stones, and beyond that… the back of the estate. A massive tree stood there, its bare branches dusted with snow. And the ground — streaked with dark, disturbed patches. Snow dirt.

  “I guess so,” I murmured, still watching.

  “Oh! The food’s inside, young master. You should eat before it gets cold.”

  “Yeah. In a minute.” I didn’t move. “Just want to look a little longer.”

  Snow, huh?

  “Is it winter already?” I asked.

  “Winter?” Mari echoed, like I’d said something strange.

  I turned to her. “Yeah. There’s snow outside, in case you didn’t notice.” I gestured toward the window.

  “Oh—no, young master. Our region stays in winter most of the year.”

  …What?

  I clicked my tongue, turning back to the window. That would’ve been nice to know. But I wonder why I hadn’t felt the cold — the estate must’ve been designed to keep it out.

  “Is that so?” I cleared my throat, shaking off the surprise. “I… I’m sorry. My mind’s a bit of a mess.”

  Winter most of the year huh?? that sounds extremely interesting one for sure…

  “That’s understandable, young master.” Mari’s voice softened. “If there’s anything bothering you, you can always ask me. I’d gladly help.”

  I nodded, forcing a small smile.

  But my thoughts stayed outside and on the girl.

  Before she walked away… she’d been staring at the sky. At a patch of dark clouds gathering on the horizon.

  A storm was…coming.

  Eventually, I made my way back to my room. I couldn’t believe how fast I was getting used to these crutches — and the fact that all of this had happened in just one day.

  “This is so filling,” I muttered, slumping back in my chair as I finished off the last bite. Mari stood nearby, watching me like she expected me to collapse from overeating.

  “That was prepared by our head chef, young master,” she said, sounding more proud of the meal than the person who cooked it probably was.

  “Really?” I paused, glancing down at the half-finished roast pheasant. “You want some?” I held out a piece without thinking.

  Mari went stiff. “No—no! Young master, it’s for you!”

  Right. Sharing meals with the staff probably wasn’t a noble thing to do. Just like cracking jokes or refusing to act like I was better than everyone else. There were… expectations. Even if those expectations made me feel like I was losing a piece of myself.

  Still. I forced her by saying that I hated eating alone.

  “Come on, Mari. I hate eating alone. And I’m not gonna bite — unless you try to take the last drumstick.” I said, offering the plate again.

  “B-but, young master—”

  “Here.” I shoved a drumstick toward her. “It’s delicious. I’m probably gonna be looking forward to every meal at this rate.”

  She stared at me. Then, slowly, she reached out and took the drumstick.

  “T-thank you, young master,” she whispered.

  I sat there, working my way through the food, and the thought hit me — I was basically a baby in this world. Starting over from zero. Learning everything from scratch.

  Didn’t sound great at first. But the more I thought about it, the more… interesting it seemed. A fresh start. A chance to rebuild, to live. And once I had the strength — the real kind — I’d have to consume every bit of knowledge this world had to offer.

  But for now, I was stuck here. In this room. Bored out of my mind.

  Maybe I should just jump out the window and run away.

  …Kidding. Mostly.

  The silence stretched on, broken only by the sound of me chewing. It was peaceful — right up until the knock at the door.

  Mari was on her feet instantly, hurrying over.

  I half-expected Elowen. That woman had been my main point of contact so far, and honestly, I was kind of getting used to her looming presence.

  But when the door opened — no Elowen.

  Instead, there was a girl.

  She was small. Young. Long, wavy dark-brown hair spilled past her shoulders, framing a face dominated by huge, golden eyes. And there — on her right jawline — a scar. Faint but unmistakable.

  “Young miss. what brings you here?”

  She stood at the door, eyes bright and unreasonably confident. "I’m visiting my brother. Aunt Elowen told me he woke up."

  …What?

  Did I hear that right? "Brother"?

  My brain stalled. There was no way. That little gremlin—my sibling? No, I definitely didn’t mishear it. She said it clear as day.

  Mari glanced at me, waiting for my reaction. I sighed. "Let her in, Mari."

  So this kid was my sister. A younger one, by the looks of it. Their relationship must’ve been close if she was this eager to visit. And yet… there was this weird familiarity I couldn’t shake—like I did know her. Probably the remnants of this body’s memories bleeding through.

  Before I could figure out how I felt about that, she rushed forward—no hesitation, no decorum, just full-speed running.

  "Hey!" I started, but it was too late.

  "Young miss, wait—!" Mari tried, but she didn’t stand a chance either.

  The kid launched herself like a human projectile and tackled me right in the stomach. Hard.

  I swear I heard something crack.

  "Hey, brother!" she chirped, sprawled across my midsection. Then—because clearly this situation wasn’t absurd enough—she let out a high-pitched "Woooah!" that made my ears ring.

  "Young miss, take it easy!" Mari pleaded, trying to pry her off before she finished the job of killing me.

  The little menace grinned up at me. "You look like a plucked chicken, big brother!"

  …Yeah, kiddo. I agree.

  So how about you stop aggressively crushing my ribs and get the hell off me?!