Back To The Past

I screamed in terror as I awoke from what seemed to be a terrible nightmare.

"Where am I?" I thought, gripping my chest tightly, desperately scanning for any sign of injury.

To my relief, I realized I was perfectly fine.

'Huh, that's not right,' I blinked in confusion, finding myself seated in a university lecture hall.

My experience in that alley felt too real to be a dream— the blood, the pain, that unforgettable face. 'What the hell was that!' I thought. The new surroundings were familiar, giving me a sense of nostalgia, and the faces around me seemed very familiar, like I'd seen them before.

I furrowed my brow, putting two and two together I remembered where I had seen these faces. These were my classmates back when I attended cram school.

But why would they be here and why now? I'd already graduated from university more than over a decade ago, so what was happening?

And then the realization hit me – could it be possible that I've been transported back to my past? I quickly ruled this out as an option.

'I must be delusional,' I said to myself.

Looking around, I saw some familiar faces, people I'd attended cram school with when I was alive. The lecture hall buzzed with students chatting and preparing for the class. As I contemplated and tried to piece together my thoughts, a teacher entered the room, and a hush fell over the students.

At the front of the cram school classroom stood an experienced middle-aged teacher, radiating warmth.

Her neatly styled hair, touched by a few streaks of gray, framed her face gracefully. Behind glasses, her eyes sparkled with wisdom and enthusiasm. Dressed professionally, she exuded authority and began discussing the results of a previous test.

For some reason, she felt so familiar.

'I must be experiencing a memory, yes, that has to be the explanation. Could this be heaven maybe?' I thought to myself, still baffled by my current situation.

All of a sudden the words *Regression Complete* flashed before my eyes on a panel. 'The system window!' I thought and I suddenly remembered all that transpired as I floated in that void of emptiness.

'Could it be that I was actually given a second chance?', I thought.

Still lost in thought my heart sank as the teacher pointed me out, expressing disappointment in my performance on the test.

"Damon Darhk, on your feet," she said with a firm voice, and I quietly obeyed.

"Need I remind you that this is your only option now? You already missed all other opportunities at getting into school and spent a whole year at home. I advise you to take this class more seriously. I do not say this to embarrass you but to help. My God, you're the oldest and had the lowest score in the class."

As she said this, a roar of laughter filled the classroom, and my face flushed red with embarrassment as I quietly took my seat.

"Thank you for the advice, ma'am. May I please use the restroom?" I quietly muttered, raising my hand respectfully.

"You have two minutes," the teacher firmly stated as I got up from my seat and quickly made my way out of the class and into the restroom, surprised by the fact that I knew the exact route to take.

I walked in and washed my face at the sink, looking at myself in the mirror. I looked exactly how I did back when I was trying to get into university.

My long black hair scattered across my face, and I pulled it over my head, examining my face. Eye bags curled under my eyes from sleepless nights spent gaming, and my face looked pale, with my cheeks being slightly red, smartly complimenting my chiseled jawline.

"This system, what exactly does it mean?" I muttered.

Suddenly another panel popped up with a question being relayed through it.

<Would you like to see your status window?>

[Yes] [No]

Reluctantly, I tapped yes and another panel appeared displaying the words *Status* as it's heading.

[Status Window]

Name: Damon Darhk

Age: 18 years

Occupation: Student

Current Status: Healthy/Unemployed

Hp: 97/100

Sp: 0

{Additional Information}

You have failed a test and you are in a cram school studying to get admission into university.

[End Of Information]

Even the system was harsh to me, calling me a failure. 'Oh well, at least I can change all that now' I thought.

Still trying to process my current situation, I waved my hands in the air and the window's closed, and went back to examining my features.

As I said earlier, I was by no means ugly. However, I never paid attention to my appearance as I was a shut-in who did nothing but play games and eat junk foods.

I wasn't so built, as my skinny body accompanied my height. I stood at 6 feet tall at the time. I tidied my hair and made my way back to class, and the rest of the day went on without altercations.

*******

After classes, still grappling with the shock of my situation, I aimlessly walked home.

Lost in thought, I was suddenly approached by two guys who greeted me like old friends.

I strained to remember them; I couldn't quite remember the significance they held in my life, but so as not to look weird, I simply went with the flow and pretended to be their friend.

"Hey, Damon, long time no see! We were wondering when you'd show up," one of the guys said with a sly grin.

Confused but not wanting to appear clueless, I played along.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Been caught up with stuff." I said.

"Come hang with us; it's been a while," said the other guy, putting his arm around my shoulder.

I complied and followed them, laughing at their jokes and playing along even though I felt this tension in my heart.

Something was definitely not right.

The two guys guided me toward a quieter part of the neighborhood, and as they entered a dimly lit back alley, my unease grew. It dawned on me that these guys were not friends but potential trouble.

"So, Damon, we heard you're doing pretty well now. Got some cash to spare?" One of them asked. A menacing glint flashed in his eyes.

My heart pounded as I realized who these guys were.

They were bullies!

And I was the target of their torments.

I hesitated, weighing my options. In this past version of myself, I lacked the experience and confidence to handle such a situation.

Feeling the pressure, I stammered, "I, uh, don't have much on me. Can't you guys just leave me alone?"

The bullies laughed menacingly, closing in on me. Panic surged as I fumbled to find a way out of the situation. It was at this vulnerable moment that I connected the dots.

'Wait a second, if by some miracle I've regressed, and I truly have a second chance at life, I can finally make my life better and what I've always wanted. That's right, I'll never give up; I'll get revenge on my murderer and every other person that's ever treated me wrong, and I'll make them pay, and it starts with these two fools,' as these thoughts came to my head and a wide grin flashed across my face, and the aura around me changed.

Even the bullies must have noticed it as they started to back away from me step by step.

"Hey! Give us your money if you don't want any trouble, or else," one of the bullies yelled.

~Ding!~

*New quest unlocked*

<Defeat the bullies.>

Reward: 5 SP

'I guess even the system wants me to have a go at them and since I'm getting something from it I might as well…'

I took a deep breath and muttered to myself.

"*SP* huh! I'm curious about what it does…"

The bullies in front of me gave me a puzzled stare, but I didn't care about their opinions of me.

I only cared about what I was about to do to them.

"Or else what? If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get," I said, throwing my bag to the floor, and entering a defensive stance.

At first, the bullies were surprised at my newfound courage, but then they started to approach me as they mumbled to each other.

'That's right, come at me. I'll make my life into what I always wanted it to be. I'll get whatever I want, and I'll make my enemies suffer. Starting with you two.'

I readied myself for battle as I let this newfound rage take over me.

'Let my new story begin!'