Chapter 11 – The Life He Never Knew
For the first time in 90,000 years, James woke up to a new day.
No reset.
No loop.
Reality was moving forward.
He stared at the ceiling, feeling strangely disoriented. He had spent so long trapped in an endless cycle that the mere idea of tomorrow felt unreal.
But as his mind adjusted, something even more shocking hit him—
He wasn't in his apartment.
This wasn't the lonely, sterile penthouse he had lived in before the loop.
This was a home.
And he wasn't alone.
---
A Voice From the Past
A soft voice called out from beside him.
"James? Are you awake?"
He turned his head and froze.
A woman lay beside him, her dark hair slightly messy from sleep. Her face was familiar, yet distant—like a memory he had forgotten long ago.
She reached out, brushing his cheek gently. "You okay? You look… different."
James couldn't speak. His mind was still racing, trying to process the reality before him.
Then, a small voice from the hallway—
"Daddy?"
His breath caught.
A tiny girl, no older than three, stood at the bedroom door. She had bright eyes and clutched a stuffed rabbit to her chest.
James felt his heart pound in his chest.
A wife.
A daughter.
A family.
Something he had never known in his old life.
Something the loop had never let him see.
---
Reuniting With His Parents
Later that morning, James stood outside a familiar house.
His parents' house.
A house he hadn't visited in decades.
He hesitated before knocking, his hands trembling slightly. He had seen them in memories, but after so many lifetimes, they had become distant figures.
But when the door opened—
His mother gasped.
His father stood frozen.
And before James could say a word—
They pulled him into a tight embrace.
His mother was crying. "James… where have you been?"
His father's voice was rough. "You disappeared for so long. We thought—" He stopped, shaking his head.
James felt an overwhelming wave of emotions.
He had lost them once.
Now, he had them back.
---
A Life Worth Living
That evening, James sat in his backyard, watching his daughter run around the grass, laughing as she played with her toy rabbit.
His wife sat beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. "You're acting strange today. Like you're seeing everything for the first time."
James exhaled. "Maybe I am."
He had spent a million loops chasing power, knowledge, control.
Now, he had something far more precious—
A life.
And this time, he wouldn't waste it.