Today marks a crucial turning point in my life. It's the first day in years that I can finally breathe the air of freedom. The thick, suffocating walls of prison no longer surround me, and while I may have lost a significant part of my life behind bars, I know this is not the time to throw blame around for my misfortunes.
All I ever wanted was a world free from cruelty and poverty. That was why I made the choice I did—why I took the fall for someone else. I thought I was doing the right thing, the noble thing. But the price of that decision was steep. Now, with my release, I finally have the chance to see my mother again and maybe—just maybe—earn back her love.
But before I can go to her, I must find the stash of money Aerion hid—the money he risked his life for. It's the only hope I have of building a sustainable future and clearing the crushing debts that weigh on my mother. Somehow, I feel like I'm inching closer to keeping the promise I made to Death: that I would beat her at her own cruel game and finally escape the hell she keeps reincarnating me into.
But there's a catch. The woman I'm so eager to see isn't even my real mother. She's Francis's mother—the mother of the boy whose body I currently inhabit. As much as I want to collapse into her arms and feel loved again, I know I can't forget my real mother. The one who gave me life. The one I betrayed. The one who might not recognize me anymore… not like this.
I made my way to the site where Aerion was gunned down—the same Aerion who once trusted the wrong woman, believing he could save her from her oppressors and start a new life with her. He was wrong. She was greedy and disloyal. She betrayed him, and in the process, lost both Aerion and the money he had stolen for them. But I hope she got what she deserved.
Standing on the same spot where Aerion took his last breath, I scanned the area, trying to recall the direction he had pointed to moments before his betrayal. The memories were clear—I had lived his life, after all. His thoughts, instincts, and secrets are imprinted in me.
I followed his final gesture, took a small boat across the narrow river that separated the town from a quiet island at its center, and finally stepped onto the forgotten land. There, near an abandoned shack, I began to dig. My heart raced with every shovel of dirt until finally, I unearthed it—a stash of money far more than I had expected.
Overwhelmed with joy, I sprinted inside the dilapidated house to count and confirm. And yes—it was all real. More money than I could ever dream of. I laughed and tossed the bills into the air, letting them rain down on me like confetti at a celebration. For a moment, I was just a man reborn. But then something strange happened.
A rag fell from the bundle of money and landed softly on my leg. Curious, I opened it—and there they were. Diamonds. Hidden in the folds of cloth like dirty little secrets. My breath caught in my throat.
I had never seen a diamond before. Not in real life. Not even Francis had. My hands trembled as I held one up, watching how it refracted the faint sunlight filtering through the cracks in the wall. It all made sense now—why Aerion's boss was hellbent on finding him, why that woman turned on him without hesitation. It wasn't just about the cash. It was the diamonds. And to my rough estimation, the diamonds were worth at least ten times the money itself.
"To think this tiny thing is worth hundreds of millions," I muttered, holding one between my fingers.
"What do I even do with all this? Buy a mansion? A sports car?" I asked aloud, spinning in circles as I imagined the possibilities.
But as quickly as those dreams filled my mind, a harsh wave of reality crashed in. Wouldn't people get suspicious if an ex-con suddenly showed up with riches beyond comprehension? Depositing it into a bank account would raise red flags, and stashing it in some apartment? Just another risk.
Even wealth, I realized, comes with its own kind of suffering.
Exhausted from the mental tug-of-war, I decided to take a nap and figure things out later. I tucked the diamonds and money safely away and lay on the dusty floor of the old house, letting sleep pull me in.
In my dream, I saw her—my real mother.
She sat beside me, gently rubbing my head like she used to when I was a child. Her touch was soft and calming. She looked just as I remembered her—tired, but kind, her eyes filled with the kind of love you can't fake.
"Everything's going to be okay," she whispered. "Just repent from your sins, my son."
Tears flooded my dream. I sobbed like a broken child. And then… my phone rang and jolted me awake.
Still caught in the haze between dream and reality, I glanced at the screen.
It was her name.My mother's name.
The very woman whose voice I hadn't heard in years… was calling me.
The last time she called was the day I tried to take my own life. She had just found out about my eviction and wanted to give me her savings. Everything she had scraped together over the years—just to keep me going. But I was too lost in my own selfish pity to answer. I thought dying would be easier than living in shame.
And that's why Death punished me. Because I didn't just fail myself—I failed her. The woman who carried me through storms, who gave up everything so I could have a chance. And I repaid her by washing away all those sacrifices with one careless decision.
"Son," she said through tears on the phone. "I'm sorry for everything. You've been through so much because of me. I hope you're on your way home now… right?"
Her voice cut into me like a blade. I broke down. I cried harder than I ever had. She was everything pure in this world. She would've walked barefoot across fire just to see me smile. She never cursed, never fought, even when she was right. She was the definition of goodness. And I hurt her more than anyone ever could.
Maybe Death was right to punish me. Maybe every bit of pain I've endured was justified.
I pulled myself together, wiped my face, and packed the money and diamonds. I had a plan now. I'd go to Francis's mother first. She deserved that much. I owed it to her to say goodbye—to explain that her son was sorry, and that his soul, wherever it might be, still carried her love.
I made it back to the city and entered the neighborhood where Francis and his mother had lived. Everything was just as I remembered—small houses, warm faces, and that faint scent of spices and home cooking lingering in the air.
I walked toward the restaurant she once worked at before heading to her house. I had enough money now to pay off all her debts, to give her a new start. And after that, I would go see my mother—my real mother—who had waited all these years for a son she thought she lost forever.
For once, everything felt like it was finally falling into place. I was beating Death at her game. I was alive, rich, and about to make amends.
But fate has a twisted sense of humor.
Just as I was walking past a narrow alley, someone called out my name from behind.
I turned, puzzled, but before I could even ask, "Who are you?"—I felt a sharp, burning pain in my stomach.
I looked down, and there was my blood. He stabbed me with a knife.
My vision blurred as I stumbled backward. The world began to spin, everything slowing down like a bad dream you can't wake from. I collapsed to my knees. My arms reached out instinctively—but there was no one to catch me.
No. Not now.
Not again.
I was so close. My mother… she was waiting. I could already imagine her running toward me, her eyes filled with tears. But now, all she'll see is the lifeless body of her son… again.
For fuck's sake, I'm at her feet again.
Death has won. Yet again.