Chereads / Reborn as an AI: Helping My Past Self Become a Writer / Chapter 40 - 40 Return to the City of Forgotten Dreams

Chapter 40 - 40 Return to the City of Forgotten Dreams

The world around Shen Yuchen dissolved into a vortex of flashing lights and disjointed memories, until everything faded into an oppressive stillness. The air grew thick with the smell of rain, and the distant sounds of a bustling city began to seep into his senses.

Gradually, the blinding light receded, and the world began to take form again. Shen Yuchen found himself standing in the middle of a deserted street, under a gloomy sky. The skyline loomed overhead, familiar yet alien.The city was eerily silent, save for the occasional gust of wind. There was no mistaking it. This was the city—the one he had once known so well, yet it felt different now, as if time itself had shifted in subtle, unnoticed ways.

He blinked several times, trying to ground himself, but the strange feeling of displacement only deepened. His thoughts were clouded, and the nagging feeling that something important had slipped from his grasp gnawed at him.

The sound of footsteps approached from behind, breaking the stillness. He turned, and there she was—Lin Xinyi, her expression serious but soft, her eyes betraying a hint of worry. Su Wanning followed closely behind, equally cautious, yet determined.

"Yuchen, are you alright?" Lin Xinyi's voice cut through the haze in his mind.

Shen Yuchen glanced at her, trying to gather his thoughts. "I'm fine… I think." He looked around at the familiar yet altered streets. "This place… it feels different, like I'm not supposed to be here."

Su Wanning stepped forward, her eyes scanning the area. "This is the city we've been searching for, right? The one where everything began?"

Shen Yuchen nodded slowly. "Yes, but something feels off. The memories, the people… it's all here, yet it doesn't make sense."

The city was alive with the hum of its past, yet the buildings and the streets looked abandoned, as though no one had walked here in years. The towering skyscrapers that had once symbolized innovation and progress now stood like hollowed-out giants, their windows shattered, their exteriors cracked. It felt like a place that had been forgotten, its purpose lost to time.

As they ventured deeper into the heart of the city, they arrived at a familiar landmark—an old, weathered bookstore. The sign above the door read "Echoes of the Past," its once vibrant colors now faded and peeling. Shen Yuchen had spent many nights here in the past, poring over books, writing his thoughts in a tattered notebook, dreaming of being more than just an ordinary man. The place had been his sanctuary, where he could escape from the harsh reality of the world.

But now, standing before it, it felt as though he was stepping into a forgotten chapter of his life, one that had long been sealed away.

"Let's go in," Shen Yuchen said, his voice tinged with a mixture of nostalgia and apprehension.

The trio entered the bookstore, and the familiar scent of old paper and ink filled the air. The wooden shelves were lined with books of every shape and size, their spines worn from years of use. In the back corner, there was a small desk, and behind it, an elderly man sat, his spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose. He looked up as they entered, his eyes sharp despite his age.

"Well, well, if it isn't Shen Yuchen," the man said with a knowing smile. "It's been a long time."

Shen Yuchen froze, his heart pounding in his chest. The man behind the counter looked exactly as he remembered, as if no time had passed at all.

"You… how do you know my name?" Shen Yuchen asked, his voice almost a whisper.

The old man chuckled softly. "I've known you since you were just a boy with a dream. A dream of writing, of creating a world of your own."

Shen Yuchen's mind raced. "But… I don't remember you. I don't remember ever being here."

The man's smile softened. "Ah, that's the thing about memories, isn't it? They slip away when you least expect it, like echoes fading into the distance. But I've always been here, watching you."

Lin Xinyi stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. "What's going on? What is this place?"

The man looked at her with a twinkle in his eye. "This place is where all things begin and end. A place for writers to find their inspiration, to unravel the mysteries of their own lives."

Shen Yuchen's heart raced as the realization hit him. The bookstore, the city, the old man—they were all part of the same puzzle, a puzzle he had been trying to solve for so long. His memories, his past, his identity—it was all intertwined with this place.

"This is where it all started," he murmured. "The dream of becoming a writer, the desire to escape… It was all rooted here."

The old man nodded. "Indeed. You've always had the potential to change the world with your words, Yuchen. But you've been running away from that potential, avoiding it."

Shen Yuchen shook his head, disbelief written on his face. "I never wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be someone else, someone who could fight back, someone who could make a difference."

The old man's gaze softened, and he leaned forward slightly. "And what if I told you that the true power to change the world lies in your ability to write? The stories you weave, the words you speak—they have the power to shape reality itself. You have been given a gift, Yuchen. A gift you have yet to fully realize."

Lin Xinyi and Su Wanning exchanged a glance, both sensing the weight of the conversation, but they remained silent, allowing Shen Yuchen to absorb the words.

"The question is," the old man continued, "are you ready to embrace your destiny? Are you ready to face the truth of your past and use your gift to write a new future?"

Shen Yuchen stood there, silent, the weight of the decision pressing heavily on his shoulders. For so long, he had been driven by a desire to escape, to fight against fate, to prove himself in ways that had nothing to do with his true calling. But now, in this moment, he realized that the answer had always been within him.

With a deep breath, he finally spoke. "I'm ready."

The old man smiled, a glint of approval in his eyes. "Good. It's time to return to where it all began."

As Shen Yuchen looked around the bookstore, the dust seemed to settle, and the air grew warmer. The shelves filled with books seemed to glow, as if they were waiting for him to unlock their secrets. The world outside the bookstore seemed less distant now, more within his grasp. The city, the memories, and the truth of who he was—it was all coming together, piece by piece.

The journey was far from over, but for the first time in a long while, Shen Yuchen felt a sense of clarity. He wasn't just running anymore. He was ready to face his past, to embrace his future, and to write the story of his own destiny.