LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 4: A Second Chance or a New Trap?
Nnenna froze, not physically, but mentally. The voice didn't belong to the doctors or the nurses. It was light, almost childlike, yet filled with an otherworldly confidence.
"Who are you?" she asked, her thoughts laced with confusion and wariness.
"I'm the Love System," the voice replied with a cheerful lilt. "The man you saw earlier? He mentioned giving you a second chance. Well, I'm that second chance!"
The revelation stunned Nnenna.
A love system?!
Her mind raced. She had returned for revenge, to make those who wronged her pay for every bit of pain they inflicted. But this, this was completely different.
"What exactly is a love system, and how are you supposed to help me live?" she asked, skepticism and frustration evident in her tone.
"As my name suggests, I'm the Love System," the voice answered. "Your task is to help others, spread love, and earn good points. These points are essential, they'll keep you alive and can be exchanged for other things you'll need."
The system's voice took on a slightly scolding tone. "And just so we're clear, I don't deal in revenge. Everyone deserves a second chance, and my Master created all beings to love and do good, not to hate and destroy."
Nnenna's thoughts darkened. Do good? After all they did to me?
"Do you even know what they did to me?!" she burst out in her mind. "If your Master created everything for love and goodness, then why is the world so cruel? Why did they treat me worse than a stray animal? They didn't even want to bury me with dignity until Somto, Prince Somto, stepped in."
She couldn't even bring herself to call him "elder brother." His absence throughout her suffering had created a chasm between them that seemed insurmountable.
The Love System's voice softened, but it held an unyielding conviction. "Yes, I know, Nnenna. But you can't fight bad with bad. You'll never win that way. Light shines in darkness, and darkness cannot overpower it."
Her tone grew firmer, almost coaxing. "Besides, you'll die if you don't accumulate enough good points. You don't have the luxury of holding onto your past if you want to survive. Isn't that what you truly want, to live?"
Nnenna remained silent. The words stung because she knew they were true. But how could she just forget? How could she let go of the betrayal, the humiliation, and the years of suffering?
No, she thought defiantly. They must pay for everything they've done to me.
The Love System seemed unbothered by her silence, continuing in a gentle yet unwavering voice. "I'm going to wake you up now. Once you regain consciousness, you'll have three days to start earning good points. If you don't, you'll run out of the ones assigned to you, and... well, you know what happens then."
Her voice turned softer, filled with an almost maternal warmth. "We've been watching you, Nnenna. Even before you were born, my Master knew you. You have a good heart, that's His gift to you, to everyone in fact. Don't let the wickedness of others take that away. No one can change you unless you allow it."
The voice faded into silence, its final words resonating deeply.
Nnenna wanted to reject them, to push away the idea of letting go. But in the quiet void of her mind, a tiny part of her wondered, what if the Love System was right?
She didn't have time to think through her words anymore as she hurriedly opened her eyes to the shock of Nurse Courage gently wiping her face with a warm towel.
"Y-You are awake!" The nurse exclaimed, her voice a mixture of disbelief and joy.
Ding
"New mission assigned! You need to help Nurse Courage leave her terrible fiancé. Completing this will grant you 200 points, and you'll get additional 10 points for every step you complete successfully."
Nnenna blinked, her vision still blurry as her mind struggled to process what was happening. The face before her was familiar, yet surreal. Nurse Courage.
The woman who had taken care of her in her previous life, after the fall. The fall that had happened when she was just fifteen years old, pushed down the stairs by her fourth brother over a petty fight.
Tears welled up in Nnenna's eyes as she stared at the nurse. Her heart squeezed painfully. In her past life, Nurse Courage had been a beacon of kindness.
After the fall, she had stayed by her side while she lay unconscious, caring for her, comforting her. And even after Nnenna had died, she was still hunted by Nurse Courage's own tragic fate.
In her past life, the woman had been abused, married to a man who promised to love her but instead treated her like nothing more than a punching bag. She had died tragically at the hands of her cruel husband. Nnenna had mourned her loss for months, never forgetting the woman's selflessness.
And now, here she was, standing before her, alive.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Nurse Courage gently checked her temperature with a small thermometer, and then placed a soft hand on her forehead.
"You're burning up. I'll get the doctor," the nurse murmured, moving away swiftly to dial for assistance.
But before Nurse Courage could leave the room, Nnenna attempted to sit up, her body sluggish and uncoordinated.
"Easy there," Nurse Courage said softly, rushing back to steady her. "You've been in a coma for four months. Your muscles will be weak, but that's normal after being immobile for so long."
Nnenna felt a wave of confusion flood her. Four months? She had been unconscious for that long? She tried to piece everything together, but her head was spinning, and her vision flickered in and out of focus.
Nurse Courage gently placed Nnenna's arm back down on the bed. "Don't try to move too much just yet. The doctor will be here soon to check you out."
As if on cue, the door opened and a young doctor entered, his footsteps quick and professional. He smiled when he saw Nnenna's awake form.
"Ah, good to see you're awake!" he said, his tone light but relieved. "You had us worried there for a while."