1 I'm Back?
[Hi guys. After a hard consideration, I've decided to rewrite this novel as it was such a mess and I hope that this time, I could do better and at some point, this novel will be contacted. Nevertheless, I hope that I can write a better version and you can expect a different protagonist and some major adjustments]
It might sound insane or unbelievable, but for some unknown reason, Daniel Bell has travelled back to the past unknowingly after dying in the future.
"I'm back!? How in the world could this happen?"
Daniel's heart pounded in his chest as he stared incredulously at the mirror in his dimly lit room.
It was as if he had stepped into an alternate reality, his mind struggling to grasp the inexplicable change that had taken place.
In the reflection, a healthy and vibrant 18-year-old boy stared back at him, his face a mix of confusion and disbelief.
His fingers trembled as he reached out to touch the mirror, half-expecting his hand to pass through some sort of illusion.
But the cool, solid surface confirmed his existence.
At the moment, his emotions were in chaos.
There were regrets and confusion, but mostly, there was a deep hatred that could never be washed away.
Nevertheless, he calmed himself before comprehending his situation.
First of all, he had mysteriously travelled 20 years back into the past.
But this wasn't a major problem because, in a week, an unknown entity would appear, and that would be the prologue of the catastrophic events.
"Although I don't know how in the world I've come to the past," Daniel murmured.
The circumstances were confounding, but the opportunity before him was crystal clear.
"With this chance, I'm given, I won't let it be wasted away, and this time..." His voice grew fierce.
"I would kill those Divine Bastards!" He declared.
His fingers curled into tight fists, nails digging into his palm as if to channel his hatred.
As he stared into the mirror, his vision blurred.
Droplets of tears streamed down his cheeks.
He finally let out all the pain he'd been holding onto for a long time.
All of his past mistakes and regrets seemed to reappear.
But in this strange moment, he saw an opportunity to change the course of his life.
To take back the future that had been stolen from him.
Eventually, he wiped away his tears and felt a sense of caution.
"I need to tread carefully," he thought, his forehead wrinkling in deep thought.
He understood that messing with history, even with good intentions, could have unintended consequences for the present time.
The idea of the Butterfly Effect worried him.
However, in the end, as he breathed out, he realized the importance of how fortunate this opportunity was.
He couldn't waste it and thus, he began thinking about what advantages he had.
"The only thing I have going for me is what I know," he said quietly.
His most powerful tool was his knowledge of the future which was stronger than anything else.
He clenched his fist but as he thought more, a feeling of guilt struck his heart.
He felt burdened by unspoken words, missed opportunities, and regret.
The image of her face, filled with both love and pain, lingered with him like a haunting spectre.
Daniel had a challenging life from a young age, facing abandonment and often going without enough food.
Then, in a surprising twist of fate, his mother, who had left him, returned.
He couldn't forgive her for leaving, regardless of her attempts to make amends.
But everything changed when the Apocalypse arrived.
At a certain point in his life, when he discovered the truth and realized how much she had done for him, it was too late for Daniel to accept her love.
It became one of his most painful regrets.
"If only I hadn't indulged in my hatred and ego, this wouldn't have happened," he gritted his teeth, reflecting on his foolishness.
The Apocalypse served as a harsh reminder of his intense hatred for those 'Divine' beings.
Once again, his animosity towards them was evident in his eyes.
"Even when I hated her to the core, she still protected me and sacrificed her life for me... but I realized it all too late... but now! I won't let that foolishness overtake me."
Now, with this opportunity, he resolved to make things right and avoid repeating the same history.
He would change his cowardice, his resentment towards his mother, and, most importantly, undo what he couldn't do.
*Knock*
"Sweety, Mom has cooked some food for you... Do you want to eat with me...?"
A voice, nervous yet mature, quivered from beyond the door, carrying a fragile hope.
Usually, his silence served as his response, a sign of the distance between them.
But something had changed now.
It impelled him to mend their fractured relationship, to give a chance for reconciliation.
"Give me a moment; I'll be there soon," he said with a shaky voice, eager to close the chapter on his past grievances.
"!!?"
Her body jolted in surprise, as she didn't expect this outcome.
"I-I'll go and prepare now!"
In excitement, she quickly dashed to the kitchen, where she had prepared an array of dishes with the help of chefs, butlers, and maids.
"All of you, quickly prepare the table for me and my son, and don't make any mistakes!"
She warned them, her voice cold despite the smile, knowing that any error might have unpleasant consequences.
Who could blame her for being cautious, given the rare chance to spend time with her child?
She feared mistakes that could make her son withdraw.
'What should I say? How do I open up a conversation with him? Should I ask him about school or how he's doing? No, that isn't it. Maybe something he wants...?'
She walked back and forth under pressure, eventually jumbling up everything and waiting for his appearance at the kitchen table.
The food recipes were indeed hers, but the chefs had prepared them in the kitchen of the mansion she had bought for them.
Minutes later, Daniel came down and sat at the table, impressed by the aromatic food and elegant utensils.
'Now that I see it, I was truly foolish to miss out on such opportunities for such grand food.'
Daniel thought with sparkling eyes, a bit emotional and regretful for not enjoying moments like this in the past.
Noticing his eyes, Daniel's mother, Leila Bell, smiled widely.
She felt satisfied and proud witnessing her son smile for the first time.
"W-Well, sweety, you can help yourself and dig in, and don't hesitate to ask for more," she nervously urged him, sitting opposite him.
With that, half an hour passed since they began eating, while the maids and butlers stood patiently on the side, waiting for them to finish.
Since then, neither of them spoke or engaged in any conversation, not because they were ignoring it, but because of the awkwardness between them.
While Leila was too nervous and afraid of any slight errors in her words, Daniel, despite having accepted her love in his heart, couldn't find the words to start a conversation.
Thus, their words were stuck in their throats.
'Well, it's now or never.'
With such a decision, he took a deep breath before expressing his thoughts and the truth of his feelings.
"Mom..." he called out.
"Yes, sweety!" she excitedly answered, but noticing his seriousness, she felt the situation become tense and became wary.
"After living with me for all these 5 years, you must have already known why I hated you...right?"
"Yes..." she faced her head down with heavy shoulders and lots of pain in her heart.
"I have no idea who took care of me before I could even walk," he said with a trembling voice, carrying a mix of emotions from his untold story.
"But what I do know is that I grew up in the poorest area, where finding even a bit of food meant searching in the garbage, and every day was a tough battle just to survive."
"Of course, these were just a few of the incredibly tough challenges I faced every day," he added, his voice showing he had accepted this reality.
Leila's eyes filled with tears, her heart hurting as she tried to understand the depth of his suffering.
She could sense the sharp edges of his pain, each word cutting through her own emotions.
His past didn't just hurt her heart; it tore her heart into pieces.
