"Ah, damn it," Caleb cursed, clutching his throbbing head. "I'm never getting another ADS unless it can actually drive itself." He muttered the words to himself, the memory surfacing with the pain: falling asleep at the wheel, the sickening crunch of metal as his car slammed into another.
His hand had slipped from the wheel, and he’d been helpless to override the so-called self-driving mode. They claimed ADS was more advanced than autopilot, a claim Caleb now found impossible to believe.
Why did I pay sixteen thousand dollars just to babysit my own car? he thought, a fresh wave of anger rising.
Thankfully, he had survived the accident, though his pricey Volta had not. "What a shame," he sighed, shaking his head in defeat.
"Oh, thank Runa! He's awake!" A voice startled him out of his reverie.
Huh? Who said that? Caleb thought, struggling to turn his head. He forced his heavy eyelids open to take in his surroundings.
"Shh! He's waking up," another voice whispered.
Caleb stared in confusion. He was surrounded by scantily dressed women.
Don't tell me this is some poorly scripted prank, he thought, a seed of doubt sprouting. Well, if it is, I hope they have deep pockets. I'll sue them for everything they're worth for putting me through this.
"Hey, child! Are you okay?" a beautiful, curvaceous woman asked. Caleb sighed in resignation. I have to admit, they hired some gorgeous actresses. The thought had barely formed when a searing pain lanced through his entire body, tearing a scream from his throat.
His lower body was paralyzed. Any attempt to move sent a tide of spine-breaking agony through him.
Suddenly, a firm hand pressed him back down, holding him in place. Caleb’s vision hazed over, the world spinning violently around him. He couldn’t tell which of the women was speaking before he collapsed, his consciousness swallowed by the darkness.
"Hahh! Hahh!" Caleb shot upright, gasping for air. As his frantic breathing slowed, his mind began to clear, and the world swam slowly back into focus.
"Where am I?" he asked aloud, his gaze sweeping over the strange, clay-molded structures around him.
"Ahhh!" He gripped his head as a sharp wave of mental fatigue struck him, then vanished as quickly as it came.
"Oh, you are awake," a clear, feminine voice reached him.
Caleb snapped his head toward the sound and saw a voluptuous, mature woman. She was just as curvy as the others he’d glimpsed before passing out.
"Where am I?" he asked again. A cold certainty was dawning on him: this was no prank.
The woman sighed. "It seems that you lost your memories," she said, her voice laced with pity and disappointment. "I wish I could have done more, but my gift can't bring back what is lost."
Caleb stared at her, confused. A sudden, jarring thought made him throw aside the piece of cloth draped over his body. He looked down at his legs.
These aren't my legs. These aren't my clothes, he thought, his panic rising. He lifted his arms, examining them, then ran his palms over his face and chest.
This isn't my body. The thought flashed through his mind like lightning. His breath hitched. He had died in that crash. The realization that he was somehow still alive was the only thing that kept him from completely losing control, allowing him to slowly stabilize his breathing.
As his gaze darted around the unfamiliar room, Caleb’s mind reeled with disbelief. "I've been transmigrated," he muttered, swallowing hard. He'd always thought that kind of thing was just a gimmick in trendy fiction, but now he was living it.
I've been transmigrated. The phrase echoed in his mind like a tolling bell until the woman's voice cut through his thoughts.
"With your memory loss, it's okay for you to be confused," the woman explained. She walked over and sat down beside him on the cold, hard ground.
She placed her hand on his forehead. Just as Caleb was about to question her intentions, a soft, bluish light emanated from her palm, washing over his vision. He stared blankly for a moment. The woman removed her hand and exhaled another sigh.
"As I expected, my gift doesn't work on this sort of thing," she said.
Caleb processed her words along with the impossible light he had just witnessed.
He truly was in another world.
Although it seems a bit primitive, Caleb thought, scrutinizing the woman before him.
She wore what looked like a tribal loincloth, a length of fabric tied low on her waist that was slit high on the side, revealing her leg from thigh to knee. A simple band of cloth served as a tube top, hugging her torso so tightly that it outlined the full, rounded shape of her breasts and the distinct points of her nipples.
From his angle, he could see the deep valley of her cleavage and the gentle curve of her breast from the side. He quickly averted his gaze so as not to seem rude.
"Don't worry, I have already sent someone to call your mother." The woman gently rubbed his cheek before placing her hand on his forehead again. "But what you did was a very dangerous thing, young man." Her expression suddenly turned stern.
Caleb watched her, a mix of alertness and confusion on his face.
"Don't give me that look. I am not going to let you off that easily, even if you’ve lost your memories," she snorted. Her eyes swept over his body before she continued. "I wonder what you were thinking, walking to the other side of the river. You should know that area is prohibited."
Even though he didn't understand the specifics, Caleb was smart enough to piece together some clues from her words.
It would have been nice to have the memories of this body's previous owner, he sighed inwardly. But I'm not in a position to choose. This will have to do.
"Miss…" Caleb opened his mouth to speak, but she immediately pressed a finger to his lips.
"You will be okay in a few hours. Don't stress yourself by talking until then." She rose from the floor, turned, and walked toward a doorway.
As she walked away, Caleb found his eyes drawn to her swaying hips. He swallowed hard.
The fabric of her loincloth was tucked deep between her buttocks, and with each step, the motion rippled through her. The thin strip of cloth only served to separate and emphasize each perfect, sensual curve.