Ah Hyuk woke up to blinding light and a throbbing headache that left him disoriented for a while. What was going on? Where was he?
The last thing he remembered was getting hanged and then here? Where is "here"? Most importantly, how was he alive? Could it be that he was reborn?!
When someone dies their energy passes into another form. Good actions will result in a better rebirth, while bad actions will have the opposite effect. Ah Hyuk hoped he was reborn in a better place.
However, the first thing Ah Hyuk heard when his head cleared a bit was a loud beeping sound, what was going on? It didn't sound like the bell used in the monastery? Where is this place?
Most importantly, why wasn't he in the womb? Wait a minute, could it be he transmigrated? How was that possible? He was thinking about rebirth! Well, there is a cycle of transmigration consisting of rebirth and redeath as the fundamental nature of existence.
"Young Master is awake!" A loud shriek woke him from his thought and Ah Hyuk forgot all about the transmigration issue because there was a blurry of activities in the next minute.
The loud footsteps he heard next told him that it wasn't just one person that entered the room. The next minute he was probed and harassed as he felt hands on him.
How dare they touch him like that? He was a holy disciple of the Luayi temple; they had no right to treat him this way! However, when he opened his mouth to speak, Ah Hyuk found out that it was as dry as a desert. He was parched.
As if that was not enough, one of them stretched his eyes open, pointing a bright light at his eye. Ah Hyuk winced, his pupils constricting at once, and at that response, the doctor let go.
Ah Hyuk heard a series of conversations afterward but he couldn't understand a thing and he was so tired that he was losing consciousness once again. Oh no, he can't sleep now! He had to know where he was. But sleep took over.
He couldn't tell how long he slept but when Ah Hyuk woke up, someone was squeezing his hand tight. His blurry eyesight cleared, and there was an older woman by his side with tears streaming down her face.
"Daniel, my poor son…" She wept holding onto his hands for dear life.
Daniel? Ah Hyuk frowned, that was a strange name. Most of all, was it the name of the former owner of this body?
As soon as he thought of that name, a searing headache made him wince, and soon enough, strange memories filled his head. Ah Hyuk was able to understand that these memories belong to the former owner of this body.
It seems the former owner of this body died from an accident and the more Ah Hyuk accessed his memory, the more appalled he was. The former Daniel lived a life that could make a monk flush in embarrassment - and he was one.
Ah Hyuk frowned, of all bodies he could transmigrate into, why this one? This body has committed a lot of sin and immoral acts that Ah Hyuk knew he would need to read a lot of scriptures and meditation to cleanse his mind once more. How could someone live like this? If only Ah Hyuk knew he has stepped into the twenty-first century.
The older woman by his side finally noticed his discomfort and looked down, shock on her face, "Son, you are awake!" She was relieved.
Ah Hyuk frowned, "W-who are you?" He tried to recognize her from the previous owner's memory.
"D-Daniel?" The woman choked out, shock on her face as the tears flowed faster.
"Son, it's me, your grandma." She tapped her chest, as if that would help him recognize.
Ah Hyuk searched deep into the previous owner's memory and the features of his grandmother matched the one standing before him. But by the time he was done scrutinizing her, the woman had already called over the doctor and nurses to check up on her grandson because he was behaving strangely.
When the nurses surrounded him, Ah Hyuk's eyes almost bulged out of his socket when he saw the nurses in their scrub that was short-sleeved, and most of all, they were on pants. What kind of abomination is this? What kind of world did he transmigrate to?
"What is… " Ah Hyuk was desperate for answers, there were many questions in his head. Why were the women dressed this way and why wasn't the man beside them in his white coat saying a word about it?
Unfortunately, the nurses mistook him for having a panic attack or maybe he did have one, Ah Hyuk just didn't recognize it. So they had no choice but to sedate him once again while his grandmother cried by the corner.
"Doctor, what is going on with my grandson? He couldn't even recognize me when he woke up?" The woman asked the doctor as soon as Daniel fell into another sleep again.
"Don't worry, he'd come around. He must be traumatized by the incident and that's pretty common among patients like him. However, there's nothing a little therapy won't do. Although we would have to run a few more tests and scans once he awakes to see if a part of his brain was affected in the accident. But don't worry, I'm sure your grandson would be fine. "
"I pray so." Grandma Kang said.
If only she knew her son would never be the same again.
More days passed and Ah Hyuk was still under observation. His panic attack has stopped but his behaviors were strange and not even the doctors could understand that.
"He's like a child seeing the world for the first time," The doctor said to Grandma Kang.
The both of them stood at the corner of the hospital garden, watching Daniel who was touching everything he could get his hands on. His eyes were wide and he seemed to take everything in with a euphoric expression.
However, as soon as he saw a woman dressed in nothing but shorts and a shirt, he turned away at once, red-faced. It's been a few days since Ah Hyuk recovered and he still couldn't get used to this world he was currently in.
Although the previous owner's memory was there to guide him, there was still a huge difference between seeing and feeling. This life was totally different and grander from his past life. It was hard to believe that this is the future.
"What do you suggest I do, doctor?" Grandma Kang asked him. As much as she was grateful that her grandson was alive, she wanted his sound health as well and right now he was scaring her with his recent bizarre characters.
Days ago, he ordered that all the nurses coming to check up on him should be covered up properly or else they can't see him. It was pretty impossible to do that but with her power, grandma Kang was able to pay off a nurse to go with his idea.
That wasn't the only thing, ever since he woke up, he demanded that his diet should be changed and his food be simpler and bland. In his own language, he had no desire for luxury and the pleasure of life. Thinking about the recent changes in his character made her head throb.
The doctor went on to say, "In many cases, amnesia resolves without treatment. However, if an underlying physical or mental disorder is present, treatment for that condition may be necessary. Include physical activity in his daily routine, help him stay mentally active, give him a healthy diet, and most of all give him time. I've seen cases like this and they always resolve with time,"
They diagnosed his condition as a rare case of amnesia since he couldn't remember certain events in his life. The doctor added, "And a lot of affection. Your grandson needs you now more than ever. "
Grandma Kang looked at her grandson with tears in her eyes. The doctor was right, she can't give up on Daniel now, moreover, she promised his parents to take care of him. So even if Daniel didn't behave the same as before, he was still grandson to her.
Ah Hyuk enjoyed the joy of being outside, he was cooped up in the room all day. This previous owner's grandmother placed bodyguards at the entrance that made sure he didn't go anywhere and even if he did, it was with permission.
Having been an active person and a wanderer in his previous life, it was hard for Ah Hyuk to adapt quickly. It was hard to believe that just days ago, he was executed publicly, and now, he transmigrated into the body of another.
However, from what he has seen from this world so far, it was full of corruption and immorality. But then, he won't be swayed, he would remain steadfast in his faith and would be the one to bring change in this degrading world! Yes, that was his decision.
Ah Hyuk decided he would live as Daniel and would treat the grandmother of the previous Daniel well. The first owner died and he took over, which means he inherited his responsibilities as well. But that would be done in his own way. This world would not change him!
Days later, it was time for Ah Hyuk to be discharged from the hospital. His grandmother, alongside a staff member, was there to help him pack his stuff.
The communication was weird at first but Ah Hyuk learned to get used to his grandmother and things were going well until it was time to leave in the car.
"What are you waiting for, get in!" Grandmother Kang shouted at her grandson who remained standing outside when he should have gotten into the car already.
Ah Hyuk stared at the sleek and beautiful body of the car and decided he couldn't use this. He was taught not to become overly attached to things like wealth and status.
At once, Ah Hyuk bowed to his grandmother, "I'm sorry, grandma but I can't use something like this."
"What?" The woman almost spat blood, what was wrong with this son of hers?
"Perhaps, if you can show me the way, I can trek back home." Ah Hyuk was confident in doing that since he walked around a lot in his previous life.
"Trek, huh?" There was a sudden glint in Grandma's eyes and she signaled to the guards who at once grabbed Ah Hyuk and began to pull him into the car.
Grandmother Kang was determined, whether it took a hundred or thousand years. She would bring back Daniel to the way he was.