Woke Up in Another Man's Body

CHAPTER 3 — THE SHADOWS THAT FOLLOW

The night wind pushed against the hospital windows, carrying the kind of silence that hides danger underneath it.

Dr. Daniel Wood sat alone in his office, the lamp casting a soft glow across the stack of patient files. His fingers tapped the desk, slow… thoughtful… controlled.

But his eyes, those calm, mature eyes of a man who had once lived and died, held a storm. A knock came at the door. He didn’t look up. “Come in.”

The door cracked open. A young nurse stepped in nervously. “Doctor… the seven visitors you asked about… they’ve all arrived.”

Daniel’s heartbeat steadied, not raced. “Good,” he said quietly.

“Which one is here first?”

She swallowed. “Tom… sir.”

Daniel leaned back in his chair. Of course it would be Tom. The man who slept with his wife. The man who recorded everything. The man who laughed while betrayal burned through James Wood’s veins. Daniel closed the file on his desk.

“Send him in.”

The nurse hesitated. “He… uh… he looks tense.”

Daniel gave a faint smile. “Let him be tense. It will help him speak the truth.”

Tom entered with forced confidence, wearing expensive clothes that screamed new wealth. But his hands trembled, not from fear of a doctor, but fear of the unknown. Tom looked around. “Nice office, Doc. Big upgrade from the last guy we had.”

Daniel folded his arms. “Sit.”

Tom blinked, then dropped into the chair across from him. “Your name is Thomas Raymond,”

Daniel began. “Age thirty-eight. No major health issues, occasional migraines, and a high stress index.”

Tom smirked. “Stress? Who isn’t stressed these days?”

Daniel held his gaze. “You should be.”

Tom froze. Daniel continued, voice gentle but sharp like a blade hidden beneath silk. “You’re here because you claimed to be experiencing chest discomfort… correct?”

Tom cleared his throat. “Yeah. Tightness. Pressure. Hard to breathe sometimes.” Daniel leaned forward slowly.

“Guilt causes that too.”

Tom’s eyes widened. “What?”

Daniel didn’t move. Didn’t blink. He just watched Tom as if studying an insect he already knew how to crush. “What exactly do you do for a living, Mr. Raymond?”

Daniel asked. Tom swallowed again. “Business. Import. Export. You know… things.”

“Illegal things?”

Tom stiffened. “Why would you say that?”

Daniel smiled faintly. “Your heart beats faster when you lie… Tom.”

Tom stood abruptly. “Look, Doc, I came here for a check-up, not interrogation,”

Daniel’s tone dropped, soft and deadly. “Sit. Down.”

Tom sat. He didn’t even know why he obeyed. Daniel didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t threaten him. He simply spoke like a man who already knew the truth. “Tom,”

Daniel said, “tell me something.”

Tom’s voice cracked. “What?”

“Do you believe a man can come back after death?”

Tom froze. Daniel continued softly. “Do you believe a wronged soul could rise again… seeking answers… seeking justice… watching those who betrayed him?”

Tom’s lips parted. “That’s… a strange question for a doctor.”

Daniel smiled. “Humor me.”

Tom forced a laugh. “Well, if that kind of thing existed… then I guess a lot of people would be in trouble.”

Daniel watched him tremble. “Would you?”

Tom said nothing. Daniel rose from his chair and walked to the window. “You knew a man once,”

he said calmly. “A kind man. A generous man. A man who trusted easily.”

Tom’s breath hitched. Daniel continued. “A man you envied. A man you betrayed. A man whose life ended with poison… served by the woman he loved.”

Tom shot to his feet. “Okay, what the hell kind of doctor are you?!”

Daniel turned his head slightly, just enough for Tom to see the cold fire in his eyes. “Sit down, Tom.”

Tom couldn’t breathe. He didn’t know why his knees felt weak. He didn’t know why the room suddenly felt smaller. But he sat again. Daniel stepped closer… slowly… deliberately… like a shadow returning to its owner.

“You helped destroy a man who loved you,”

Daniel whispered. “You watched him die without blinking.”

Tom shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,”

Daniel leaned forward until their faces were inches apart. “Don’t lie to me.”

Tom’s jaw trembled. Daniel straightened. “The tightness in your chest?”

he said. “It’s nothing physical. You’ll be fine.”

Tom exhaled shakily. “But…” Daniel added softly, “your soul might not survive the consequences of your actions.”

Tom stood up, backing toward the door. “You’re crazy. Absolutely crazy.”

Daniel didn’t stop him. “Tell the others,”

Daniel said quietly. “Tell them the past is coming back.”

Tom grabbed the doorknob with shaking hands. Daniel added, voice cold as death. “And tell Maria… her time is coming too.”

Tom burst out of the office. Daniel watched him go, expression unreadable. The moment the door shut, his phone vibrated. A message. He picked it up slowly. “JAMES… WE KNOW YOU’RE BACK.”

Daniel didn’t blink. Of course they knew. He typed back three words: “THEN BE READY.”

The room felt colder. The war had begun. And this time… James Wood wasn’t the one dying.