a tale as old as time

[You have reached the top of the tower]

Jack lay on his back heaving. How long had it been since the tower had appeared? It must've been at least a couple decades. And it was finally over. He'd reached the top of the tower. And yet, he still hadn't won. In the end, he was the last person standing. The Man had taken everything from him. His friends, his family, his entire life.

[Rewards will be distributed]

He sat there wondering what the system could possibly be offering him now, now that he'd completed everything. He'd maxed out his stats, leveled up his equipment, and beaten the tower that destroyed the human race. What else could there possibly be?

[A choice will be made.

Reward 1: Ascend and become a Reader...]

Jack stared blankly at his status screen. The first option was essentially letting him become a being greater than a human. One of the observers to the game that Earth had become. A Reader. Readers possessed incredible power and would often choose humans to sponsor as an Icon. Standing up, Jack received a message from his Reader. The one who had looked after him for so many years. The one who lent him the power to finally get to the top of the tower. And the one he hated with every fiber of his being.

The Man: [What, you don't like the ending I picked out for you? You arrogant child. This is what you signed up for, the moment you bought those beans from me. I created you. And soon we will be together. Soon you will ascend to become a Reader, and we will start the entire cycle anew with a brand-new world. Only this time, you will be one of the "Gods" that you hated so much.]

Jack reread his status screen. There had to be a mistake. There was no way.

The Man: [You will choose an Icon just as I did when I was in your shoes. You'll lend them your power, whisper in their ear. And hand them all the tools they need to dismantle the world they live in. And soon you'll realize exactly why us Readers do this. Because in this entire universe there is no better way to entertain yourself!]

That's when Jack realized that The Man couldn't see the second reward he saw.

[...Reward 2: Restart your journey from the beginning]

He stood there numb. "Restart from the beginning? Is it possible?" he muttered in disbelief. Emotions surged through his heart as he recalled all his past regrets. People he had killed. People he couldn't save. And above all else, he regretted taking those damn beans. "If I could go back and do it all over again, I could save Autumn. I could save everybody. I could rewrite how this story ends."

The Man: [What the fuck are you talking about this time you idiot? Just receive your reward quickly and we'll have a celebration. It's not every day a human is promoted to a Reader.]

Jack suddenly started to smile.

"I will get my revenge on you. I will tear apart the entire system, and I will beat this game again. There's nowhere in this entire tower that you can hide from me. I will win this time."

And without a second thought, Jack selected the second option.

[Selected Reward 2.

Sending you back to September 3rd, 2023]

And with that, all went dark.

*

Jack woke up. He was in his old bed wearing the same sweatshirt he used to wear when he was 20. Before the Tower showed up. He bolt upright staring at his hands. "Did it really work?" he thought to himself. He scrambled out of bed and pulled out his phone from his nightstand. He turned it on and stared at the date. Sure enough, it was September 3rd, 2023. 11:29 am. Right before his mom had sent him ou-

"JACK COME OUT HERE RIGHT NOW"

Jack's mother called him out of his room.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO GO OUT AND SELL MILKY WHITE YESTERDAY. WHAT IS IT STILL DOING IN OUR GARAGE."

Milky White was the name of Jack's beloved creme colored minivan that'd been in the family for generations. Selling her had hurt him tremendously, but Jack needed the money. He had to support his mother who was sick and had to live with him. Times were tight, and they'd run out of money. Rent was due six months ago, so Milky White was the only way Jack had thought to make the payment. Despite this, Jack knew this time around he wouldn't be selling his car to the same man as last time. He left his room and faced his mother.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU WE NEED THE MONEY BADLY AND-"

Jack cut her off with a massive hug.

To his mother it would seem like it came out of nowhere. Since when do twenty year olds hug their mother right when she's yelling at him? However, to Jack, seeing his mother again was a blessing he hadn't been able to enjoy for thirty plus years. With tears in his eyes, he embraced her.

"Oh. Where's this coming from?" his mom asked. "Did you do something? What's wrong?"

"I-It's just good to see your face mom" Jack buried his face in her chest.

"Whoa there Jackie, that's something you haven't done since you were breastfeeding. You want to tell me what's wrong?"

Jacks face went red as he pulled away. "Ew mom gross. I never want to hear those words in that order come from your mouth ever again." Despite his words, he was still extremely caught up in emotion and was smiling despite himself.

"Well don't think you can change the topic that easily mister. Make sure you go out right now and sell Milky White. And no goofing around with Autumn until we have enough money to repay our past few months' rent. Now go." And with a kiss on the forehead, Jack's mom whisked him into the garage and closed the door.

Jack stood there for a few seconds trying to restart his brain, when one name clicked for him. Autumn. How long had it been since he'd thought about her? He couldn't remember. All he could do was get in the car, pull out of the driveway, and start driving to the place where it all started.