Suncrest Apartment Complex, Eastwind City
Inside Room 1202, the smell of warm butter and eggs filled the small kitchen. Emily Cross hummed a tune under her breath as she cooked breakfast, the sunlight catching on her brown hair and softening her features. At first glance, she looked like any woman in her early thirties, casual in a white shirt and black shorts, but there was something gentle and steady in her that drew people in.
She glanced toward the living room with a faint smile.
Emily wasn't Leo's biological aunt. She had grown up with his parents, Sasha and Jayden Archer, three orphans from the same orphanage who had chosen to build a family together long before adulthood. For her, Leo wasn't a responsibility.
He was family.
Three years ago, Sasha and Jayden died in a sudden car accident. The grief had crushed Emily, but it shattered Leo. With no relatives left, Leo had nowhere to go… until Emily opened her door without hesitation. Even though she barely earned enough from her job and often worked part-time delivery shifts after her main hours, she never once thought of sending him to an orphanage. To that place she and his parents had fought for meals. She didn't want him to experience that.
She took him in. She raised him. She fought to keep them afloat. And Leo, seeing every sacrifice she made, pushed himself harder each day to make her proud.
After plating the breakfast, she carried the two dishes into the living room.
Leo was already seated on the couch, his hair still slightly damp from his shower. His ice-blonde hair had been tied into a loose, messy ponytail, a few strands escaping at the sides and framing his face. It made him look younger than he usually did, softer, somehow.
But when Emily's eyes met his, she paused for half a second.
There was something different in his gaze.
It wasn't loud or obvious. Just… steadier. Confident. The kind of confidence she hadn't seen in him before. For a fleeting moment, it unsettled her.
Then she shook the thought away and walked over.
She set one plate in front of him and sat down beside him.
"Here's breakfast, handsome," she said with a playful smile.
Leo looked up at her and returned the smile easily. "Thanks, Emily."
They started eating. Leo took a bite, and his eyes brightened instantly.
"This is delicious… seriously."
Emily puffed her cheeks smugly. "Obviously. It's made by your Aunt Emily, the great chef herself."
He laughed, and she joined him. And just like that, the apartment felt warm in a way Leo had forgotten in his previous life.
Her cooking really was special. The scrambled eggs carried a depth of flavor, a blend of spices she had invented herself. A simple dish elevated by her care.
After breakfast, Emily asked, "So? Coffee or my special tea?"
Leo already knew his answer. "Your special tea."
She smirked as if she'd won a battle. "Good choice."
She headed back into the kitchen while Leo leaned against the couch, letting himself relax. Fifteen minutes later, she returned with two steaming cups, the fragrance calming him instantly.
He took a sip and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"You're a magician," he murmured.
Emily laughed and settled beside him. They talked while sipping their tea, simple, everyday things. It felt warm. Familiar. Comforting.
Leo hadn't felt this in years. In his past life, he had distanced himself from everyone, drowning in his job until connections faded. Even with Emily, conversations had become infrequent… hollow. He never visited, always claiming he was too busy.
Not this time. Not in this life.
Emily glanced at the clock.
"It's 8:55." Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Come on! Open the website!"
Leo chuckled softly but picked up his phone all the same, entering the National College Exam portal without complaint. This single exam decided which universities students across the Aurelion Federation would be eligible to apply to. For most families, it wasn't just an exam, it was a turning point, the line between ordinary paths and exceptional ones.
He already knew his result. He had lived this day before. And back then, Emily's reaction had been unforgettable.
He wanted to see it again.
At 9:00 sharp, he entered his registration number and password.
The site crashed.
Emily gasped. "What happened?!"
"Too many students logging in," Leo said calmly. "This always happens."
He refreshed the page a few times until the dashboard loaded. Emily leaned forward, practically vibrating with anxiety.
He tapped Exam Results.
A new page opened.
And then, his scores appeared.
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NATIONAL COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM – RESULT SLIP
Name: Leo Archer
Registration Number: NCE-70-1785923
Birth Date: 5 August 2052
Examination Year: 2070
Exam Centre: Evergreen National High School
Status: PASS
Subject-wise Scores
Mathematics: 189 / 200
Science: 193 / 200
National Language: 138 / 150
English: 140 / 150
Social Studies: 132 / 150
Logical Reasoning: 135 / 150
Total: 927 / 1000
National Rank: 1,742
High School Rank: 7
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Emily's mouth fell open. She snatched the phone from his hand, eyes wide as she scanned each line, verifying each score.
And then her expression broke, into a smile so wide it made her eyes shimmer with tears.
She didn't hold back.
She shrieked and launched herself at Leo, hugging him with such force that he toppled backward into the couch.
"You did it! I knew it, I knew it!" she cried.
Emotion poured out of her like a dam breaking. All those years of struggle, her double shifts, late nights, the weight she carried alone, seemed to release in that moment.
Leo wrapped his arms around her, feeling her shoulders tremble.
She had given up so much for him. And he had repaid her in the only way he knew, by studying until exhaustion.
When she finally calmed, Leo gently wiped her tears.
"Hey now… why are you crying, Aunt~?"
Her cheeks reddened, and she lightly smacked his hand. "Don't call me aunt! Do I look old to you?"
"Well," Leo teased, "you're young and beautiful… Aunt Emily~"
"Brat!"
She dove onto him with her ultimate weapon, tickling him mercilessly.
Leo burst into helpless laughter. "Hahaha, okay, okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
When the chaos finally died down, both of them were breathless, wiping tears of laughter from their eyes.
Emily suddenly straightened up as if remembering something. "Wait here. I'll be right back!"
Before he could ask, she dashed off to her room, practically skipping. Leo watched her with raised eyebrows, amused by her excitement.
A moment later, she returned holding a shopping bag, her face glowing with anticipation. Leo already had a guess what was inside, but he kept his expression curious.
"What's that?" he asked.
Emily thrust the bag toward him with a mischievous grin. "Hehe, check for yourself."
He took it. When he looked inside and saw the large rectangular box and two smaller ones, his heart was filled with warmth once again.
His eyes landed on the big box, and the logo confirmed it.
"A laptop!" he exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement.
He set the box aside and immediately pulled Emily into a tight hug. "Thank you so much, Emily."
She laughed softly, patting his back. "I knew you'd score well, so I bought it beforehand. Go on, open it. See if you like it."
Leo pulled away from the hug and opened the large box. Inside was a sleek silver office laptop, mid-range, balanced, perfect for a student. The same model she had given him in his last life. The one that had stayed with him for years.
For a moment, emotion tightened his throat.
He opened the smaller boxes next, one held a wireless keyboard, the other a wireless mouse, there were also some other items like USB cable, pendrive and a mouse pad.
When he looked back at Emily, worry crept into his voice. "This must've cost a lot, right?"
Emily waved him off with a smile. "Don't worry about it, lad. You're going to college. You'll need it."
He swallowed, voice softer now. "Thank you… really."
She clicked her tongue dramatically, striking a pose with one arm raised. "Stop being emotional! Tonight, we eat out!"
Leo mirrored her pose instantly. "Hell yeah!"
"But only at night," she warned, slipping easily into her responsible tone. "I still have a shift at the restaurant."
Leo nodded. "Got it."
Emily stepped forward and hugged him again, gentler, warmer.
"I'm really proud of you," she whispered.
And Leo hugged her back, holding onto the second chance he had been given.
Then she headed to her room. After a few minutes, she emerged dressed in blue jeans and a black top. She hugged him one last time.
"I'll be back by eight. Be ready!"
"Have a good day," Leo said with a warm smile.
The door closed behind her.
Silence returned to the apartment, but this time it felt peaceful, not empty.
Leo walked back into his room with the shopping bag and then his phone buzzed.
Incoming call: Adam
He stared at the name, a familiar thread of his past weaving into his new beginning.