Lucas's eyes snapped open, wide with shock. "I'm alive?" He sat up, staring at his unbroken hands—no mangled flesh, no fatal wounds, just sweat soaking his back from the sweltering heat. Confusion crashed over him; even 2050's cutting-edge tech couldn't resurrect someone who'd plummeted off a cliff, let alone a nobody like him.
He scanned the room: a tattered single bed draped in a mosquito net, a folding table, plastic chairs, and a chipped 42-inch TV—items he'd discarded years ago. His gaze locked on four words carved into the wall: Have you forgotten your shame? He'd etched them in high school to motivate his college exams, only for his mother to paint over them during renovations. "Am I… reborn?"
Glancing at the clock—11:59 AM—he flipped on the TV. The noon news anchor's voice hit him like a sledgehammer: "Good afternoon, viewers. Today is June 16, 2040." Lucas bolted outside, staring at Havenbrook University's main hall—demolished five years prior—standing intact. He punched the brick wall, tears burning his eyes. "I'm back. I'm really reborn."
Ten years of nightmares, ten years of begging to rewrite his fate, had come true. He'd lost to betrayal once, but now he knew every friend and foe. "Julian Voss," he muttered, his eyes cold with hatred and fiery resolve, "thanks for teaching me who to destroy. This time, we'll see if your family's wealth can outmatch ten years of foresight."
Julian hadn't just stolen his fortress—he'd stolen his family, his love, his entire life. Lucas would raze Julian's empire to the ground. His gaze drifted to the calendar, a ruthless plan taking shape. Today was Forsaken World's launch day—the perfect battlefield to begin his revenge.