D'andre took an early excuse from work and booked a cab home.
The ride was quiet as he was stuck in his head, replaying everything, trying to find an explanation for his predicament and trying to confirm if he should even consider his situation a problem. What if it were all a dream?
He shook his head. 'There is no way that could be a dream,' he thought. 'It's too detailed, too realistic, too memorable to be just a dream.'
Fortunately, he had already used the computer at the supermarket to find Rowan's username and placed a call to his home.
He had planned to contact him again when he got home to get something useful, something to help him break out of the mental torture.
While he was thinking about that, two faces appeared in his mind: his girlfriend, Cecilia, and the guy she would soon cheat on him with, Roberto Starz, a rising star actor.
As those two faces appeared, his mind replayed a humiliating memory, one that would soon happen, the same one that broke his mind and soul, forcing him to give up his dream of becoming an actor.
He had lived the rest of his life after that laying a video game that would be recommended to him by his coworker.
He had only played the game for a few days when he completed a unique mission and received a notification that made his transmigration possible.
'Even if this is a dream, I want to have a well-planned revenge on those two! I want to destroy their fucking lives,' D'andre gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.
His sudden change in demeanor caused the old driver to squint as he watched him in the rearview mirror.
"Sorry... Unpleasant memory," D'andre flashed him a reassuring smile.
Then his gaze fell out the window.
He watched as people and places flashed past as the car drove fast toward his destination, toward his home, toward his only family.
Ten minutes of quiet driving later, D'andre finally arrived at his destination—a neat, peaceful suburban neighborhood.
As he exited the vehicle, a group of young kids rushed to welcome and play with him for a bit before returning to their game.
He stood in the middle of the road and observed the street of the place where he had spent most of his life and also the place where his mother was murdered by a serial killer.
Though the serial killer, a mad religious fanatic, had been found and arrested, he was only made to serve a total of five years in jail and would soon be released.
D'andre felt the familiar feeling of injustice and powerlessness that had taken over him at this period of his life.
'If only this world were without rules and akin to the world of Emperor's Domain, where strength rules, I would have killed that bastard myself,' he thought. But he suppressed those vengeful thoughts and strolled toward his house.
"D'andre, you are back so early today, are you okay?" a middle-aged woman greeted him. She was his landlady.
"I took an excuse from my boss. I am okay. How are you doing, Mrs. Peterson?"
"Doing okay as always, hehe. Will Cecilia come to visit today? It's been a long time since I've seen her."
'That cheating bitch,' D'andre cursed inwardly but kept a calm expression.
He responded to his landlady casually before strolling to his apartment.
As soon as he opened the door, a young girl about fifteen years old, sitting in a wheelchair, came into view.
She had white hair like his, but hers was longer and relaxed. Her beautiful hazel eyes stared at him.
She had already heard his voice and was waiting for him to arrive. She was his sister, Danica.
Danica smiled the moment she saw him. "Brother, welcome back."
Her voice was soft, yet her spirit remained bright. Even from her wheelchair, she tried to appear strong, as if she had no worries at all.
D'andre forced a smile as he stepped forward and knelt beside her.
He gently touched her arm, feeling how thin and fragile she had become.
Guillain–Barré Syndrome.
That was the name of the sickness that had taken her strength away. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by NoveI★Fire.net
It had started suddenly, like a cold or fever, and within weeks her legs had given out.
Now she could no longer walk, her muscles too weak to support her.
Doctors had warned that it could get worse, spreading to her chest and lungs. Without proper treatment, she would slip into a coma. If it reached that stage, death could follow.
D'andre could still remember the agony he felt when it happened.
He had been too poor, too powerless, unable to afford the treatments that might have saved her.
He remembered the helplessness of holding her hand as her breathing slowed, remembered the way her faint smile was the last thing he saw before she sank into silence.
Tears burned at the corner of his eyes. "Danica..." he whispered, his voice trembling.
She tilted her head and smiled at him as if she understood what he could not say. "Don't look so gloomy. I'm fine, Brother. You're back, and that's enough for me."
Her words stabbed into his chest like knives. She had always been the light of his life, the one who stayed beside him when the world turned its back.
He had lost her back then. Now... even if he couldn't tell if this life was real or not... he would do anything to make sure she didn't go through that same fate.
A plan struck his mind.
He forced a smile and patted Danica's head gently. "I guess I was just being silly. Don't mind your big brother—he still doesn't know how to act when his beautiful little sister greets him with such a bright smile after a stressful day at work."
Danica smiled back, her face glowing with innocence and gentleness.
D'andre lifted the paper bag he brought from work and gave it to her. "I bought your favorite Nutella biscuit."
Her eyes lit up beautifully.
"Really!" she exclaimed cheerfully as he gently opened the paper bag.
D'andre watched her for a few seconds with a gentle smile. He stayed and talked to her for some time before strolling inside his room.
He brought out his old laptop, entered a popular messaging app, and inputted the number he found at work.
He sent a message to the person that would be of great help in his predicament.