Once again, I’d like to ask my readers to leave a review and share your thoughts on the pacing of the story. Do you feel the pacing is good as it is, or do you think I should make some changes?
Your feedback genuinely helps me improve the story and make the journey more enjoyable for everyone.
And as always, thank you for continuing this journey with me. I truly appreciate all of you who have stayed with the story this far. ❤️
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The mysterious man held Leo’s gaze. Silence stretched between them for several long seconds before the man shook his head.
"There is nothing I can do to help you."
Leo’s posture went rigid. The man continued, his voice calm.
"The only person who can help you..."
"...is yourself."
Leo frowned. "What does that mean?"
"You already know." Those pitch-black eyes never wavered. "You have to let go of the past."
Leo’s fingers curled into tight fists. "Let go...?"
"You have started a new life." The man’s tone did not change, yet every word carried a heavy weight. "So it should be a new beginning..."
"...not a continuation of your previous life."
Leo lowered his head. None of this made sense. How could he just let go? The memories of his past were not something to be erased on command.
His mistakes.
His regrets.
The people he had failed to protect.
Lia.
Selena.
All of it remained buried deep inside his chest.
The mysterious man watched him without a word. Then, he raised a hand. A golden card materialized between his fingers.
Leo locked his eyes on the object. It looked different from the ordinary cards produced by his system. The surface was a deep, pure black, marked by countless golden lines drifting across it like rivers of light.
Leo took a step forward without thinking. "What is that?"
The mysterious man ignored the question and met Leo’s stare. "You only have this chance."
Leo stepped back, his guard up. "What do you—"
The card dissolved in mid-air, cutting him off. Thousands of golden particles burst from its surface. They swirled around the two men before washing outward in a massive wave. A sea of golden light swallowed the darkness. Leo threw an arm over his face to shield his eyes.
Then—
Everything changed.
The endless void was gone. When the light faded, Leo stood in the middle of a forest. His eyes grew wide. He knew this place.
The towering trees.
The uneven ground.
The distant slope.
His breathing caught in his throat. "No..." He stumbled backward.
The mysterious man stood a few steps to his right, but Leo paid him no mind. His full attention locked onto the sight ahead. He turned his head. And there they were.
A short distance away...
Another version of himself stood frozen in the forest clearing.
The younger Leo’s clothes were soaked with blood. His face was pale. His arms were wrapped in a desperate hold around a small figure.
Lia.
Blood coated her small frame, flowing from the blade still buried deep inside her chest.
Leo’s breath hitched as his whole body began to shake. "No..."
The moment he had spent years trying to bury stood right in front of him. This was not a dream. Not a nightmare. Not some trick of the mind. It was exactly as he remembered it.
Lia’s tiny arms reaching for his face.
Her cheek resting against his chest.
And that faint smile...
That heartbreaking smile.
A sharp pain pierced through Leo’s chest. His heart twisted in agony. He staggered backward, gasping for air.
"No..." He shook his head. "That’s not..." His voice broke. "I don’t want to see this."
The mysterious man offered no reply. Leo turned away. But no matter where he looked, the horrific scene stayed glued to his vision. The woods stretched endlessly on all sides. There was nowhere to run. He squeezed his eyes shut.
"Stop..." His hands shook. "Please..."
The memory played out. His younger self stared down at Lia in sheer horror. His lips quivered. His hands pressed down, fighting a losing battle to stop the bleeding. He remembered that exact moment. He remembered the heavy weight of her body. The warmth leaving her skin. The crimson coating his hands.
And most of all...
Her final smile.
Leo’s chest heaved as he struggled to breathe.
The mysterious man spoke.
"Your epic skill won’t activate here."
"You have to face this yourself."
"This... is what you fear the most."
Leo’s shaking paused. The man kept his gaze on the tragedy unfolding before them.
"And what you refuse to acknowledge the most."
Leo opened his eyes. He kept his sight fixed on Lia.
"You’ve spent years running from this moment."
"You’ve blamed yourself."
"You’ve replayed every decision."
"You’ve wondered what you could have done differently."
Leo’s jaw tightened. "If I had been stronger..." His voice was barely a whisper.
"If I had reacted faster..." His fists shook.
"If I had protected her..."
The mysterious man interrupted. "And if you had done everything perfectly?"
Leo froze in place. The man turned toward him.
"Would she still have lived?"
Leo opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"You don’t know."
"Perhaps you could have changed the outcome."
"Perhaps you couldn’t."
"But you will never know."
The man looked back at Lia.
"Because the past cannot be changed."
Leo stared at the scene. Tears welled up, stinging his eyes.
"I killed her..." The words escaped his mouth in a broken breath.
The mysterious man shook his head. "No."
Leo’s face fell in confusion.
"A choice was given."
"And the brave girl made her choice."
"A choice to let you survive."
"The girl knew that if she hesitated then you would have made the same choice as her. Let her live by sacrificing yourself."
Leo stopped breathing.
The man continued. "But even after all these years..."
"...you continue to punish yourself as though you were the one who chose it."
"Ask yourself this,"
Leo lowered his head. Tears brimmed in his eyes.
"I should have protected her."
"There is no longer any should."
"I should have been stronger."
"Yes you were weak and you still are."
"I should have—"
"You are still playing the blame game." The man’s voice carried a firm edge. "Do you remember her last words?"
Leo froze.