Diego woke up with a start. His eyes, dark as a moonless night and as cold as a sunless winter, scanned the whitewashed hospital room. Every corner felt alien, hostile. He lay back in the bed, feeling the weight of his body as an unbearable burden.
With a brutal effort, he sat up, each movement a slow and desperate agony. He staggered to the bathroom, leaving behind a trail of pain. Inside, he stood before the mirror. His reflection returned an empty gaze, a reminder of his suffering.
With a sharp crack, he broke the mirror. Fragments of glass fell to the floor, reflecting the light in irregular flashes. Diego picked up a piece, his hand trembling. Without hesitation, he brought it to his neck and cut deeply. Blood gushed violently, a scarlet river mixing with the tears he had not shed.
Diego fell to the floor, his eyes slowly losing their light. In his final moments, he found a strange peace in the silence that surrounded him. The pain ceased, leaving only darkness.
Diego opened his eyes. His dark eyes surveyed the surroundings, and a feeling of déjà vu overwhelmed him. Indeed, it was the same beginning as always: the carriage of a train. But this time, it was exactly 10 years before his previous failure, in a new timeline.
"Damn it, I failed again," Diego cursed softly.
He rested his head against the back of his seat, and with his eyes fixed on the ceiling, he quietly reviewed the events of his last temporal interaction. What had he done wrong?
Every detail, every decision, every mistake tormented him. Images of his past life intertwined with the rhythmic clattering of the train, like a macabre reminder of his failures. His thoughts swirled, searching for answers, trying to unravel the pattern that had led him once more to failure.
Diego knew he had to learn from his mistakes, but the burden of his previous failures weighed on him like a tombstone. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm in his mind. He remembered the faces, the voices, the crucial moments that had marked his downfall. This time, it had to be different.
"I can't afford to fail again," he whispered with determination, his words barely audible over the noise of the train.
With renewed resolve, Diego began to plan his next steps. It was not just a second chance; it was the only chance he had left.