The Secrets I Forgot

[ Wake up, Host. ]

A woman's voice echoed, causing the sleeping young boy to jolt awake on the bed.

His face showed a mixture of shock and confusion as he looked around.

It was a bedroom that was, at least for the moment, unfamiliar to him.

"Where am I?" he wondered as he got out of bed.

His attention was drawn to the color of the moon outside, making him even more astonished.

The moon was a pure blue color, surrounded by countless multicolored stars.

This... wasn't Earth. And even if it somehow were Earth, people would be screaming outside, wondering what was wrong and whether it was the end of the world.

Strangely enough, he really could hear screams.

As his heartbeat gradually calmed, he hurried toward the window to look outside.

The closer he got, the more sounds he heard in addition to the screams.

The beating of drums, the sound of guitars, the melody of flutes.

It was complete chaos.

Those sounds gave him a vague idea of where he was and what was happening, causing his heart to pound wildly.

When he reached the window, his expression changed.

"Khalthu'ra! Khalthu'ra! Grant us greater fortune!"

"Everyone, come out of your homes and sing! Bring joy to Khalthu'ra!"

A large crowd walked through the streets together, singing and dancing to the sounds of guitars, flutes, and many other instruments.

K... Khalthu'ra? Tell me that's really what I just heard.

The young man stood there in disbelief before slowly stepping back.

He glanced toward a mirror beside the window and walked over to it.

He had pure blue hair and equally pure blue eyes, a combination that made him far more handsome than most boys his age.

Then he noticed something.

He froze.

Rin?

No... I'm also Rin, but... isn't this the protagonist of my own web novel, who I also named Rin?

Why do I have his appearance?

His thoughts overlapped one another as a violent headache assaulted him, forcing him to sit on the edge of the bed.

The protagonist of my web novel is called Rin, and today, like every first day of the first month each year, the Khalthu'ra Festival is held.

Today is also the beginning of Rin's story... the day everything changes!

Did I transmigrate into his body on this exact day?

And...

He suddenly stood again while holding his head.

I can't remember...? What exactly causes that turning point? What change is it supposed to bring to the protagonist's life?

Damn it... I'm the author, so how can I not remember?

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Three loud knocks echoed through the room, making him jump as a woman's voice came from outside.

"Rin! Are you ready? We'll leave without you if you don't hurry."

Ah? Right... Rin's mother. We're going outside to join the crowd?

He walked to the door and opened it, forcing himself to adapt to the situation before smiling.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Fortunately, he had also gained the ability to speak Dagon, the main language of this country from his web novel.

It wasn't English, much less French. In fact, neither of those languages even existed here.

Standing before him was a young woman with long black hair, elegantly dressed.

She barely looked like a mother, as she still appeared remarkably youthful.

I did mention that Rin's parents were young. Makes sense, Rin thought.

He had created the protagonist of his web novel based on himself, so they shared the same personality and habits.

There was no reason to feel awkward.

The young woman looked him up and down before letting out a deep sigh.

"You still haven't changed your clothes."

Rin thought for a moment before replying with the same smile.

"I suddenly got a headache. I won't be able to come with you."

The young woman coughed before replying, not looking surprised in the slightest.

"I warned your father, but he didn't believe me. You never liked festivals."

"Khalthu'ra is going to strike you with lightning."

Rin chuckled. Even though he couldn't remember the story itself, he still remembered the general setting. He had filled this web novel with mysteries, terrifying cosmic entities, and overwhelmingly powerful beings.

Just thinking about what 'strike you with lightning' truly implied was enough to send chills down his spine.

She suddenly remembered something.

"Oh right. Marc's and George's parents called. They want to know if their sons are alright."

Then she asked,

"You were with them before you came home exhausted around seven in the evening. Do you have any idea where they might be?"

Rin was stunned.

Marc... and George! Marc... and George...

He repeated their names twice in his mind.

I remember! The catastrophe that marks the beginning of Rin's story also involves those two!

He held his head again.

But I can't remember exactly what happened... damn it.

Seeing him clutch his head, the young woman spoke worriedly.

"Forget it. We'll talk about it later. For now, go get some rest."

"Thank you," Rin sighed.

"Otherwise, we split up at seven. I don't know where they went after that. Hey, they have lots of friends. Try asking them."

The young woman nodded in understanding before sighing and walking away, leaving one last sentence behind.

"Your father and I are going out. Be good."

When he returned to the bedroom, he sat back down on the bed and held his aching head, unable to think of what to do.

As he sat there holding his head, his expression suddenly changed when he heard a strange sound.

Drip... Drip...

It sounded like drops of liquid falling, forcing him to turn toward the source.

The mirror.

A short paragraph had appeared across its surface in English, his original language, written in pure crimson blood, while the blood continued dripping down onto the cabinet beneath it.

That wasn't there!

Rin read the message as his heart pounded violently.

" Stranger, it has been a long time since this world received a visitor. I am curious to learn more about you. Why not come have a little chat at Hideo's house one of these days? "

W... What? What is this? Hideo?