Lucian woke up with a groan, rubbing his temples as the pounding headache reminded him of just how much he'd drunk last night. His body felt heavy, and his mind was clouded.
"Ahh, my head… Was I really that drunk?" he muttered, slowly sitting up in bed. His clothes were still on, even his shoes. He sighed, realizing he hadn't even bothered to take them off before passing out.
The events of the previous day slowly came back to him. Returning to the past, meeting his friends again alive. It was surreal. He couldn't believe he was back, given a second chance, but the emotional weight was there, pressing down on him. His heart ached with thoughts of what had been, and what could have been. Lucian had wanted to hug his friends and tell them everything, but that would've been too much. It was too soon.
"Max, are you there?" Lucian called out, half-expecting the comforting voice in his head.
[Always here, host. Are you feeling alright?] Max, his system, responded immediately.
Lucian chuckled weakly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… was thinking. Is there any rule against telling people I've come back in time?"
[Yes, host. You're forbidden from disclosing any future information or revealing your return to the past. Doing so will break the system's concealment and alert the world's natural defenses. The system hacked the world's timeline, which isn't something it fully understands. If you try to reveal the truth, the system's powers will be disabled.] Max explained firmly.
Lucian sighed. "Figured. Not that anyone would believe me anyway."
[Exactly, host. They'd think you were losing your mind. It's not worth it. don't waste your time on disgusting people, please host.This is your second chance, and it's best to focus on making better choices.]
"I know. But hearing that... I dunno, it's weird. The people I cared about before… it's hard to fully hate them. Even after everything, calling them 'disgusting' doesn't sit right with me," Lucian admitted, running a hand through his hair.
[My apologies, host. I only want what's best for you.]
"Yeah, I know, Max. Thanks." Lucian stood up and made his way to the bathroom. The hot shower helped clear his head, but his mind remained heavy. The weight of his past choices, the people he had once chased after, haunted him.
Looking in the mirror, his reflection stared back at him a perfect physique, sculpted by the system's rewards. His abs, his body none of it was earned by hard work. "Eight-pack abs, huh? As if I deserve any of this…" he muttered. He had gotten so many rewards from the system, but for what? Wasting his life on people who didn't care about him?
It made him feel small, unworthy.
[Host, you deserve every one of those rewards. You've sacrificed a lot more than you realize.]
"Maybe, but I still don't feel like I earned them. I won't flaunt what I didn't work for." Lucian stepped out of the bathroom, wrapping himself in a towel. He changed into simple black clothes, pulling the sleeves over his arms to hide the scars that told stories of his lowest moments.
As he headed downstairs, he was surprised to see his mother still in the lobby. Olivia was sitting on the couch, dressed not in her usual work clothes but something much more elegant, as if she was ready to attend some high-profile event. Her tired, swollen eyes told a different story though. She hadn't slept all night.
Lucian paused, watching her silently. What was she still doing here? Normally, by this time, she'd be off managing the Kane empire. And why wasn't she dressed for work?
Olivia sat surrounded by papers and documents. There were stacks of them notes, reports, everything about Lucian, from his birth up until now. His likes, dislikes, his injuries, his favorite foods, hobbies, preferences things that any mother should have known but which she had neglected. She had made one phone call and, within an hour, the most powerful connections in the world had provided her with everything there was to know about her son. But reading through those details the entire night hadn't brought her any relief just pain.
She stared at the papers in front of her, her hands trembling as she flipped through each document. She hadn't known. She didn't know anything. How had she let it get this bad? How had she, Olivia Kane one of the most influential and powerful women in the world failed so completely as a mother?
Lucian watched her for a moment longer, before walking toward the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. He could feel something was off, but he didn't want to engage. Not now.
Olivia didn't notice him at first, her mind trapped in a whirlpool of guilt. All night, she had combed through those papers, reading every detail about her son's life, trying to piece together how she had become so distant. How had she missed so much? How had she not seen what was right in front of her?
She had always thought of herself as a good mother, but now, looking back, she couldn't find a single instance where she had truly been there for Lucian. Not in the way he needed. The more she thought about it, the clearer the answer became she hadn't been a mother to him at all.
The guilt was unbearable. Every time Lucian had reached out to her, trying to connect, she had shut him down. She had been too focused on her business, on building her empire, to notice the pain she was causing him.
"Why… why didn't I see it?" she whispered to herself, tears welling up in her eyes again. The truth hit her like a punch to the gut she had been blind. For years, she had ignored him, brushed him off, and now, it was too late. She had hurt him too deeply.
Olivia couldn't even comprehend how she had let things spiral this far. As she held the papers, she felt like a stranger to her own son. Lucian, the boy who had once looked up at her with love and admiration, had grown distant, cold. And it was all her fault. She had pushed him away, and now, she didn't even know if she could ever get him back.
Lucian moved to the kitchen counter, filling his mug with coffee. He stole another glance at his mother, noticing the way her hands trembled as she clutched the papers. She looked... lost, like she was drowning in a sea of regret.
But he couldn't bring himself to approach her. Not now. Not after everything.
Olivia's heart pounded as she finally noticed Lucian in the kitchen. For a moment, she wanted to rush to him, to beg for forgiveness, to say something anything that could undo the damage she had caused. But what could she possibly say? No words could erase the years of neglect, the pain she had inflicted.
Her chest tightened as tears spilled down her cheeks. She felt the weight of her failure crushing her, and all she could do was sit there, paralyzed by guilt. She had been given a second chance, but could she ever deserve his forgiveness? Would he ever forgive her?
Lucian sipped his coffee, avoiding her gaze. He didn't want to deal with this now. His mind was still foggy from the hangover, and he didn't have the energy to engage with the whirlwind of emotions swirling around his mother.
Olivia's heart ached as she saw him distance himself from her, emotionally and physically. Her mind buzzed with memories of all the times she had dismissed him, all the moments she had failed him. Why had she been so cruel to him? Why had she treated him differently from his sister? There was no explanation, no justification.
She clutched the papers tighter, as if they could give her the answers she so desperately sought. But they couldn't. They only reminded her of everything she had missed everything she should have known but didn't.
The realization hit her like a tidal wave: she had failed as a mother. No amount of money, power, or influence could fix that. All she had left was her regret and the hope that maybe, just maybe, she could make things right.
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haha there you go guys
honestly i thought preparing for whole syallabus in one day was very hard
but somehow author did it in just 3 hours...idk if ill get good marks or not
but well i dont really care world is so boring right just passing exams is enough...yeah author is lazy
don't know why but somehow always got average marks just like this
idk why pll study for months everyday its so boring... didn't work for me
anyways there it you your update
wish luck for author exam tommorow.... luckily its so simple