Rain hammered against the windows of the small hospital room, the sound echoing like distant gunfire.
Marcus Hale lay on the narrow bed, his body weak, his breathing shallow. The fluorescent light above him flickered, casting pale shadows across the cracked walls.
He stared at the ceiling, unmoving.
So this is how it ends.
Thirty-two years of life… and this was the final chapter.
No family beside him.
No friends waiting outside.
Just silence.
Marcus slowly turned his head toward the window where rain streaked down the glass.
His mind replayed everything that had brought him here.
Five years ago, he had been hopeful.
Ambitious.
He had invested everything he had into a startup company with his best friend, Daniel.
They promised each other they would build an empire.
Instead…
Daniel stole the company.
Marcus clenched his trembling fist.
"That bastard…" he whispered weakly.
The betrayal had destroyed him. Overnight he lost his savings, his reputation, and every opportunity he had worked for.
But that wasn't the worst part.
The worst part was her.
Sophia.
The woman he had loved for seven years.
The woman he planned to marry.
Marcus closed his eyes tightly.
He could still hear her voice that day.
Cold. Distant.
"You're not the man I thought you were, Marcus."
He had begged her to stay.
Told her it was just temporary.
That he would recover.
But she had simply sighed and looked away.
"I'm sorry. I can't build a future with someone who has nothing."
Three weeks later, she appeared on social media again.
Standing beside Daniel.
Smiling.
Marcus let out a broken laugh that echoed through the empty hospital room.
"They didn't just destroy my career…"
His voice cracked.
"They took everything."
Outside the room, thunder rumbled across the night sky.
The doctor had already explained the situation earlier.
Internal bleeding.
Too severe.
Too late.
There was nothing they could do.
Marcus slowly felt the warmth draining from his body.
His heart pounded weaker and weaker.
So this is death.
His vision blurred as darkness crept into the corners of his sight.
If…
If I had one more chance…
Marcus gritted his teeth.
If he could go back in time…
He would never trust Daniel.
He would never beg Sophia to stay.
And he would make sure every single person who betrayed him paid the price.
"I won't lose again…" he whispered.
The heart monitor beside his bed began to beep irregularly.
His breathing grew slower.
Marcus stared at the ceiling one last time.
Regret filled his chest like a heavy weight.
All those missed opportunities.
All those mistakes.
His lips moved weakly.
"If there's another life…"
His voice faded.
"I'll take everything back."
The heart monitor suddenly let out a long, piercing tone.
—————————
Darkness.
Endless darkness.
Marcus felt like he was falling through an empty void.
No sound.
No light.
No feeling.
Then suddenly—
DING.
A strange mechanical sound echoed in the darkness.
Marcus frowned.
What was that?
DING.
Another sound followed.
Then a calm, emotionless voice spoke.
[System Initialization…]
Marcus' eyes snapped open.
"What…?"
His surroundings exploded into bright light.
He gasped and sat upright.
Cold air rushed into his lungs.
The room around him slowly came into focus.
A small apartment.
Messy desk.
Old laptop.
Stack of unpaid bills.
Marcus froze.
His heart nearly stopped.
"I… know this place."
This was his old apartment.
The one he lived in ten years ago.
Before everything went wrong.
Before the betrayal.
Before he lost everything.
Marcus jumped out of bed and rushed to the mirror.
A younger face stared back at him.
No scars.
No exhaustion.
No hopelessness in his eyes.
He looked exactly like he did when he was twenty-two.
Marcus stumbled backward in shock.
"This… this isn't possible."
His heart pounded violently.
Had he gone crazy?
Was this a dream?
Then suddenly—
DING.
A glowing blue screen appeared in front of him.
Marcus froze.
"What the hell…?"
The screen flickered slightly.
Then words began to appear.
[BILLIONAIRE SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
Host: Marcus Hale
Age: 22
Current Net Worth: $327.41
Mission: Become the richest man in the world.
Marcus stared at the floating screen.
His mouth slowly fell open.
"A… system?"
He blinked several times.
The screen remained.
This wasn't a hallucination.
His breathing became faster.
"You're telling me…"
He pointed at the screen.
"…I died… went back ten years… and now I have some kind of billionaire system?"
The screen blinked again.
New text appeared.
[FIRST MISSION AVAILABLE]
Earn your first $10,000 within 7 days.
Reward: $50,000 bonus capital.
Failure: System will permanently deactivate.
Marcus' eyes widened.
Seven days?
Earn ten thousand dollars?
His mind raced.
Ten years ago he was broke.
Completely broke.
Marcus suddenly laughed.
At first it was quiet.
Then louder.
Then he began laughing uncontrollably.
"So it's real…"
He clenched his fists.
His entire body trembled with excitement.
He had returned to the past.
And this time…
He had knowledge of the future.
The stock market crashes.
Crypto explosions.
Business opportunities.
Everything.
Marcus' eyes burned with determination.
"Daniel…"
His voice dropped to a cold whisper.
"I remember exactly when you planned to betray me."
He slowly turned toward his laptop.
"And Sophia…"
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
"I also remember when you decided I wasn't worth your time."
Marcus opened the laptop and checked the date.
March 3rd.
His heart skipped.
Tomorrow was the day.
The day he originally invested in the failed company.
The moment his life started collapsing.
But now…
Now everything would change.
Marcus cracked his knuckles.
"If the system wants ten thousand dollars…"
He smirked.
"I'll give it a hundred."
His fingers began typing rapidly on the keyboard.
A particular cryptocurrency was about to explode in price tomorrow morning.
Ten years ago, he missed that opportunity.
But this time…
Marcus suddenly stopped typing.
A strange chill ran down his spine.
The system screen flickered again.
New words slowly appeared.
[WARNING]
Unauthorized variable detected.
Future timeline instability detected.
Marcus frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The words on the screen changed again.
[Another Regressor Has Appeared.]
Marcus' blood ran cold.
"…What?"
Before he could react, his phone suddenly vibrated on the desk.
A message notification appeared.
Unknown number.
Marcus slowly picked up the phone.
His heart pounded heavily in his chest.
The message contained only one sentence.
"Marcus Hale.
Welcome back to the past."
Marcus' hands trembled.
Another message arrived instantly.
"You're not the only one who came back."
Marcus felt a cold wave of dread wash over him.
Someone else…
knew the future.
And they already knew who he was.
The phone vibrated one final time.
A third message appeared.
Marcus slowly read the words.
Then his eyes widened in shock.
"Let's see who becomes the billionaire first."
Marcus looked up slowly.
Outside his apartment window…
A black car had just stopped across the street.
And someone inside was watching him.
To be continued… 🚀📖