Regret

Lin Xiao lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts racing and heavy with regret.

He had used his powers selfishly, erasing ten years of Zhang Wei's life to protect himself.

The realization that there might have been other solutions, like revealing his supernatural abilities to the officers, haunted him.

Now, Zhang Wei was essentially a five-year-old in a teenager's body, ten years behind everyone else because of Lin Xiao's decision.

He felt a heavy weight in his chest. "I've ruined everything for him," he muttered to himself, clenching his fists. "What kind of friend am I?"

Lin Xiao's thoughts spiraled.

How would Zhang Wei's family cope with this sudden change?

How would Zhang Wei adjust to a world that had moved on without him? The ramifications were endless, and all of them painted a grim picture.

His cats, Xiao Bai and Lil' Blackie, sensed his distress and nudged him gently, trying to comfort him. But even their presence couldn't lift the burden he felt.

"I should have thought it through," he said, his voice trembling. "I panicked and now... Zhang Wei is the one paying the price."

The weight of his actions felt almost unbearable, and his guilt over Zhang Wei's situation kept him awake all night.

Every time he closed his eyes, he imagined different scenarios where he could have handled things better, ways to save Zhang Wei without erasing his memories.

A soft knock on the door interrupted his spiraling thoughts. It was his sister, Lin Meiying.

"Lin Xiao, wake up! Just because it's the weekend doesn't mean you can sleep in late. Mom's waiting for you downstairs," she called through the door.

Lin Xiao sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "Alright, I'm coming," he replied, forcing himself to sound more energetic than he felt.

He couldn't let his mother see how exhausted and troubled he was.

She had already been through so much since their father's death, and he didn't want to add to her worries.

He dragged himself out of bed, took a quick glance in the mirror, and winced at the sight of his dark eye bags.

Splashing some cold water on his face, he tried to wake himself up and look somewhat presentable. After getting dressed, he made his way downstairs.

In the kitchen, Mother Lin was preparing breakfast, her face lighting up as she saw him. "Good morning, Xiao. You look tired. Didn't sleep well?"

Lin Xiao forced a smile. "Just had a lot on my mind, Mom. But I'm fine."

Lin Meiying was already at the table, munching on a piece of toast.

She glanced up at him, her expression a mix of concern and annoyance. "You look like a zombie, geez. Maybe you should stop reading those late-night horror stories."

Lin Xiao chuckled softly, appreciating her attempt to lighten the mood. "Yeah, maybe I should."

As they sat down to eat, the familiar comfort of their morning routine brought a small sense of normalcy back to Lin Xiao.

But in the back of his mind, the thoughts of Zhang Wei and the military officers lingered.

"Lin Xiao, are you sure everything is alright?" his mother asked, her eyes filled with motherly worry. "You know you can talk to me about anything."

He hesitated for a moment but then nodded. "I'm okay, Mom. Just stressed about school stuff. You don't need to worry."

Mother Lin smiled gently, patting his hand. "Alright, but if you ever need to talk, I'm here."

After breakfast, Lin Xiao excused himself and went back to his room.

Lin Xiao grabbed his backpack, stuffed a few things inside, and left the house. He didn't have a particular destination in mind but needed to clear his head.

Walking aimlessly through the streets, he thought about his next steps. He couldn't undo what he'd done, but he could try to make amends in some way.

Maybe he could find a way to accelerate Zhang Wei's recovery or support him through the adjustment period.

Suddenly the system buzzed.

[Due to the recent actions and their impact, a special mission has been unlocked]

[Objective: Assist Zhang Wei in adapting to his new life. Find a way to mitigate the effects of the time reversal.]

[Reward: +2 Intelligence, +2 Strength, and a unique skill]

...

At the Xinyang City military base, the atmosphere in the briefing room was tense.

Colonel Wang Yong and Major Li Jing sat at the head of the long conference table, listening intently to the intelligence officer delivering the report.

"Sir, Major, we have received intel about an individual who accessed our honey pot website set up for monitoring Dream Desire Palace members. The individual, identified as Zhang Wei, was apprehended, but upon interrogation, it was discovered he had no recollection of the incident or the site itself," the officer reported, handing over a dossier containing Zhang Wei's details.

Colonel Wang Yong's brow furrowed as he absorbed the information. He turned his sharp gaze towards Major Li Jing, who sat calmly beside him, her expression unreadable.

"Major Li," Wang Yong began, his voice measured, "is there any chance you had a hand in this? You're the only one I know who can wipe memories so cleanly."

Li Jing tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing as she considered the colonel's question, her expression cold, "No, 'Colonel', I did not wipe his memories. If I had, it would have been part of an authorized operation, and you would have been informed."

Wang Yong tapped the table thoughtfully. "Then how do you explain this?" 

Li Jing crossed her arms and said "You know, There are others out there, rogue agents or perhaps members of secret organizations with similar capabilities. It's possible he encountered one of them."

The colonel sighed, leaning back in his chair. "This complicates matters. We need to determine who else has the ability to perform such advanced memory manipulation and why they intervened."

The intelligence officer interjected, "Sir, according to the suspect's mother, one of the suspect's friends came to their home just before the police arrived. She was not able to see who it was."

Wang Yong straightened up, his interest piqued. "A friend? Did she provide any details about this individual?"

The officer shook his head. "No, sir. She mentioned only that it was a young man, possibly a friend of her son's. she couldn't catch a clear look at him."

Li Jing leaned forward, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "A friend who shows up just before the police, and then Zhang Wei's memory is wiped? That doesn't sound like a coincidence. This friend could be our lead."

Wang Yong nodded. "Agreed. We need to find out who this friend is and what his connection to Zhang Wei is. If he has the ability to wipe memories or knows someone who does, he's a key piece of this puzzle."

The intelligence officer handed over a photograph of Zhang Wei and a list of his known associates. "This is Zhang Wei and a list of his friends and contacts, sir. We can start by questioning them."

Wang Yong took the list, scanning it quickly. "Start with the closest friends. We need to approach this carefully; we don't want to tip off whoever is behind this. Major Li, coordinate with the local authorities and ensure our investigation remains discreet."

Li Jing nodded. "Understood, Colonel. I'll also look into any recent incidents of memory manipulation in the area. If there's someone with this ability operating locally, we need to identify them."

Wang Yong stood up, determination etched on his face. "Let's get to work. We need to find out who wiped Zhang Wei's memory and why. This is bigger than just one individual; it could be a threat to our entire operation. We are so close to catching Dream Desire Palace."