I walked alone, lost in thought, accompanied only by the darkness. The night was cold and biting.
Wearing my headphones, I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my newly bought jacket and pulled the hood over my head.
How long has it been? Since I returned... to this past.
I'm so lost.
I stopped walking and stared at the traffic, at the place where my fate had been sealed.
That was the spot where I met my grandfather. The day I was hit by their car. The day I thought I died.
"...."
I started walking again. As always. I've always moved forward, just like I did in my past life.
Even if the path ahead is worse than hell, I keep going. I'll only stop when I run out of breath, when my thoughts of revenge end, when this heart—filled with cold and anger—stops beating.
"Haa…"
I wearily looked ahead into the darkness until I finally saw the faint light of the place I now called home.
"You're here?" my teacher greeted gently. I gave her a small nod and smile.
"Hm. I'll head straight to my room. We already ate outside."
"Alright, get some rest and sleep early, okay?" she said, patting my head.
I paused for a moment, startled, then nodded again.
I went upstairs to my room and lightly touched the spot on my head where she patted me.
"…It feels odd. But… nice," I whispered to myself.
The room fell into complete silence—which I liked. I collapsed on my single bed, turning my head to the tiny window, where I saw the full moon glowing above.
I feel at peace… so much so that I feel like crying.
I don't know what kind of plan God has for me… why He brought me back to the past, to the time before it all began.
At first, I was shocked. Lost. Angry. But after everything sank in, the only thing I felt was… tired.
I felt betrayed, as if everything I went through in my previous life had just been thrown away.
"…It's raining," I murmured, watching the heavy downpour. Slowly, I drifted off to sleep, lulled by the sound of thunder and falling rain.
Once again… I hope I sleep peacefully tonight. Please. Let me rest. I'm tired.
---
"Have you discovered the identity of Master R?" asked a deep, magnetic voice.
The man loosened his tie and sat on a red leather sofa.
"We apologize for our incompetence, my lord," the personal secretary answered, trying to stay composed despite the nervousness.
Assistant Secretary Lee glanced at the young heir of the Callum Clan—the feared and respected successor of the powerful bloodline.
Zayron Callum.
A flash of lightning lit up his sharp, handsome face. The secretary quickly lowered his gaze in fear.
"Forget it. Get out."
"Yes, sir!"
The secretary hurried out of the office. Zayron watched him leave with a faint smirk before turning to the large glass wall, watching the storm outside.
"Hm…" he muttered as he opened a black folder on his desk.
"Detailed. Precise. Informative," he said coldly, scanning the list of corrupt government officials and their crimes—bribery, rape, murder, human trafficking—all exposed.
The files, which had gone viral across social media for nearly a week, couldn't be deleted, no matter what the experts did.
The hacker world was in chaos.
In an instant, the long-standing hacker rankings were shattered. Rank 1—River—had been dethroned, replaced by a mysterious figure.
Master R.
No one had been able to delete the viral exposés—not even the most elite hackers. Anyone who tried was overwhelmed by an army of digital viruses.
They couldn't breach the defenses. And if they tried, their systems were ravaged by attacks. Master R was relentless.
"So ruthless. I like it," Zayron smirked.
According to the intel, Master R did all of it just because they were "out of money." And now, they claim they're done taking jobs because they're tired of "mess, chaos, and war."
No one knew their gender. No personal info. It was like they appeared only to wreck havoc, then vanished once satisfied—completely indifferent to the mess left behind.
"…Kinda cute," he chuckled.
---
"ACHOO!"
⫷ OPHELIA'S VIEWPOINT ⫸
I sneezed and felt goosebumps rise on my skin. Wait—who's badmouthing me?
-__-++
"Are you okay? Did you get caught in the rain last night?" Mae asked with concern.
"No, I didn't. I'm fine. I'll sleep now. Wake me up at recess."
"What are you even doing to always look so sleep-deprived?"
"Nothing. I'm just tired."
Honestly, I had a good sleep last night. I just want to sleep again.
"We have PE in 30 minutes."
"Eh?"
"Don't 'eh' me!"
Hah. Whatever. Maybe I do need some exercise. My body's so fragile compared to before…
I quickly dismissed the useless thoughts and laid my head on the desk, facing the window.
"...."
Now that I have time to reflect, I realize how many things threaten my slacker life plan. So many complications.
"What to do…" I muttered, stressed.
Just thinking about those bastards makes me want to strangle someone.
"But it's not like I have to face them all the time. I'll just avoid them. Especially that beast."
I blushed furiously. I buried my face in my arms on the desk.
"Damn that insatiable beast. If I hadn't escaped from his territory, I swear he would've tied me to his bed."
"What? Bed?" Mae asked, clearly intrigued.
"Nothing."
"You're so weird. Come on, PE time!"
"Yeah, yeah."
We changed into our PE uniforms.
The sun was blazing, and even before our instructor arrived, complaints were already flying. I noticed the practice dummies—lined up like scarecrows.
Then came the instructor, carrying arnis sticks.
"We'll be practicing! Take one each and go to your assigned dummy!"
I was impressed. Even though this is a public school, they provide everything the students need.
This school is one of the rare few where government and clan donations actually go to the students.
The Headmaster is a righteous old man… But in my past life, he was assassinated.
I walked toward the dummy labeled:
Ophelia D. Yves
How I wish I could erase that surname… but not yet. Not now.
I slashed the dummy hard, out of sheer irritation.
To my shock, it broke apart and fell over. It was made of thick wood.
Everyone, including the instructor, stared in stunned silence.
My head buzzed. Did I just destroy that?
I looked down at my reddened hand. No pain. No strain.
I ignored everything else. My senses sharpened. I was in a trance.
I practiced basic strikes—eight directions of attack, just like sword drills from my past life.
Upward, downward, diagonal, horizontal.
I imagined an opponent, adjusted my footwork, tested my body's coordination. Then I tried more complex sword techniques.
But I was disappointed. My current body still lacks training. But one thing is certain—it's not normal. I possess dormant strength and speed I hadn't noticed because of my laziness.
I thought back on everything I've done since I returned—sleeping, lounging, eating, doing nothing. But no regrets. That's my dream life.
Still, this is a good surprise. I won't have to train too hard. Light training should be enough to keep me from dying easily.
Because I know my peaceful life won't last once my true family finds me.
"OH MY GOD!!!"
"My goddess is so cool!"
"Ophelia!! Ophelia!! Wooo! You're the best!!"
"Did you see that? Those attacks were insane!"
"Bro, did you see her footwork and speed? It's like a real-life combat scene!"
Only then did I realize what I'd done. I cursed repeatedly in my head.
No matter how much I try, I always stand out. I'm a sore thumb.
I'm digging my own grave.
Then, the instructor walked toward me. Silence fell.
He looked at me seriously, then placed both hands on my shoulders.
"I FOUND A TREASURE!" he shouted, emotional.
…Oh sh*t.