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37. The Fall
Last Updated:
2025-03-13 12:07:13
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Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 38. Guilt
The room was heavy with tension as the doctor Jason had called over finished stitching up my back and carefully wrapped my blistered, cut hands. The sting of antiseptic still lingered, but the worst part wasn't the pain—it was facing the reality of everything that had just happened. I could still feel the fight in my bones, the adrenaline slowly wearing off. Dad stood nearby, his expression filled with concern as he watched the doctor work. He couldn't seem to stop staring at me, his eyes full of something like fear and confusion. "Are you sure you don't need a hospital to run tests on you?" Dad asked, his voice tight with worry. "The cut on your back looks pretty deep." "I'll be fine," I replied firmly, though the pain was real, the tightness of the stitches pulling against my skin. It wasn't just my body that was battered; my mind felt broken too. But I had to keep going. "Actually, Dad, I have something to tell you." "My neck and shoulders hurt," Dad grumbled, cutting me off. "
Last Updated : 2025-03-13Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 39. Not Over Just Yet
The moment we entered the hotel room, Jason collapsed into the bathroom, throwing up everything he'd eaten since this morning. I stayed back, sitting on the edge of the bed, thinking about how the conversation with my dad went. The guilt in his eyes, the way he blamed himself for all the mess. I didn't even know he felt like that. Was me being around shocking them that much? I was still trying to make sense of the whole thing myself. But I guess the change was drastic enough. I wasn't weak little Jack Spencer at all. The room itself had that nostalgic throwback vibe to the 70s, with its mustard-yellow walls, shaggy carpet, and vintage furniture. It wasn't as extravagant as the places I used to stay, but it had a cozy, cool grandparent charm. The bed was neatly made, and the floral quilt had a retro feel to it. A lava lamp glowed on the bedside table, casting that soft, undulating light. This place hadn't changed one bit since the last time I was here hiding. "Don't like the room
Last Updated : 2025-03-14Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 40. Glad To Survive
The moment stretched unbearably as I prepared for the worst, gripping the knife tightly. Suddenly, another voice rang out from outside the room. "Luigi! We found a car with matching plates at the restaurant next door! He may have parked there and escaped!" The footsteps in the room stopped. The plates! I forgot about the plates! My panic gave way to sudden realization. Jason, you street-smart genius. You switched the plates with someone else's. That's why he was so calm earlier. I swore to myself right then: I'd never doubt him again. His intelligence sitting at 45% didn't mean shit! He was too clever to let things fall apart. "Really? Let's get them!" the leader ordered. The heavy footsteps stormed out of the room, disappearing down the hall as quickly as they had come. I didn't move. My heart was still pounding, and my grip on the knife hadn't loosened. What if one of them had stayed behind? I held my breath, counting the seconds. A gruff voice broke the silence, accompanied
Last Updated : 2025-03-14Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 41. Unanswered Questions
{TW: Bullying} I healed up nicely on my day off in the hospital, where my face was treated until the swelling went down. Unfortunately, the blowjob look wouldn't go away until the bruises faded, so I opted to wear a face mask. To my surprise, the Roth gang had zero follow-up. In fact, two detectives knocked on my bedroom door to inform me that everyone who had come after my family and me had either been arrested or found dead. My actions would be dismissed as self-defense. Of course, I got chewed out for doing something so dangerous as a high school student, but they also praised me for climbing a tower crane to save a regular worker. Meanwhile, Pete's body still hadn't been found. Still, I felt like this entire thing was far from over. It would only end once I dismantled the Roth gang myself. And honestly, I think I really should. Even though it was my past life's work, it wouldn't take a lot to destroy its dwindling numbers now. I can probably easily depose Eli and put him thr
Last Updated : 2025-03-15Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 42. Full Status
"Say thank you!" I demanded. "Thank you," Damien said as we went into the locker room. “Are you hurt anywhere?" "N-no," he huffed stubbornly. I looked at him, and he quickly looked away. "I'm sorry," he blurted out like he was waiting for me to hit him. "So... you're the underwear thief?" I asked. "Yeah," he admitted. "I'm sor—" "I thought I was getting messed with all this time. At least it was you who has them and not some creep," I said. "I'm confused." "About you taking my clothes?" "Are you seriously... you're not mad?" "Why would I be mad if you have my things? If you needed underwear, I could buy you some. You've been taking them for two years," I teased. "Are you shitting yourself? You shouldn't be ashamed of your medical issues." Damien finally met my eyes, his face in shock. "Sometimes," he lied. "Sometimes, it happens. It's just too embarrassing to just ask you." I shot him a look. I know he knows that I know he's lying. Fine, if that's the way he wants to
Last Updated : 2025-03-15Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 43. Flirt, Reject, Warning
Class was awkward as hell when I walked in with Damien. It had only been about thirty minutes since the incident, but the way everyone stared at us made it clear—they already knew. "That loser is still in one piece?" "Quiet! Do you want Jack to hear you?!" "I guess it is true!" I ignored the whispers and slid into my seat. Damien sat next to me as usual, though his body was tense. Jared, who sat in front of us, turned around with a knowing smile. "Hello. You got everyone talking again," he said casually. "That's not my fault," I rolled my eyes. "I just didn't like what the fuck I saw." "Well," Jared mused, "everyone was already curious about the nature of you two, and your little outburst pretty much confirmed the rumors." "Rumors?" I repeated, narrowing my eyes. "Yeah, the rumor that Damien is fucking you for protection," Jared said smoothly, watching for a reaction. I turned to Damien. "You knew about this?" Damien nodded, completely unfazed. Of course, he wouldn't clear
Last Updated : 2025-03-16Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 44. The Grandparents Visit
{TW: bad family relations} After a week of no new missions, I decided to finally check out my karma levels, and boy, I wish I hadn't. Standing in front of the mirror, instead of my usual reflection, I was greeted with a terrifying dark murky red aura completely surrounding me. The system's text came through, explaining that it represented an uncontrollable, angry, vengeful, deeply evil soul. That alone left me speechless. I was a vengeful spirit, but damn, I had a good reason to be... Well, I wasn't a boy scout, but... I was only doing what I had to do to survive... Fuck! I can't even lie to myself! I'm an evil person who's done evil things for almost thirty years. No matter what excuses I make for myself, it doesn't change the fact that others had it just as hard as I did but didn't do half the shit I did. Can an evil soul actually be saved? Can an evil soul be loved? Can I be loved even though I'm clearly bad down to the bone? [New Mission: Survive the next 48 hours.
Last Updated : 2025-03-16Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 45. The Announcement
I stood outside the ballroom doors, taking a deep breath. The grandeur of the evening was suffocating, and the weight of expectation pressed down on me. Dad had invited politicians and investors, while Mom brought a small army of her friends and their children. A good opportunity. A terrifying one. "You can stay out here for a bit longer, young master. There's no rush," Erwin assured me, his voice calm as ever. "Are you sad that you won't really get to celebrate your birthday?" I shrugged. Have I ever really? All my birthdays were spent like my holidays—lonely and depressed. Now, they'd be spent doing tiresome things like this. "I've given up on the concept of a happy birthday for myself. It's just another day to me now." "Hm, I thought you'd want to take that back as well," Erwin mused. "Let's just go in and get this day over with," I said, adjusting my posture. "Birthdays are a lot more stressful when it's your own." "Smile first." Right. I had to act like I was enjoying thi
Last Updated : 2025-03-17
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Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 119. 1 Year Later
Dating Damien hadn't exactly been easy. At first, Jared went full petty sabotage mode—planting fake pictures in my bag, giving Damien's number out to random strangers, doing anything he could to wedge something between us. But after about two weeks, he got bored, or maybe just tired of seeing it wasn't working, and backed off. Now he was too busy working with his mom at HUG and trying to keep Cormac from laundering too much money through McIntyre. Thankfully, we'd reached a point where we could all hang out again without drama... well, except for Jared and Damien's usual bitch-fest back and forth. Meanwhile, Jason had flown back to Italy with his dad after a tearful goodbye with my mom. He was finally starting the whole "heir to Ferrari" thing now that his dad had apparently given up on chasing women. After he left, I made a quiet visit to his mother's memorial. I apologized to her for everything and promised I'd never let Jason get hurt again. It was all I could offer. On the bus
Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 118. The Love Interest
I looked around the bright space, blinking through the haze of gold and white. The floor didn't feel real beneath my feet—it was too soft, too quiet. The kind of silence that wraps around you like cotton, comforting and terrifying all at once. "What the hell is this?" I muttered, spinning as the door behind me clicked shut. "So you're back," a woman's voice echoed across the space. I turned, and there she stood—a figure that looked more divine than human. Her presence glowed with a radiant gold that shimmered like sunlight caught in glass. Her hair flowed like liquid fire, and her eyes were endless, filled with stars. No wings, no halo—yet she was the most godlike thing I had ever seen. "Looks like you've accomplished your goal of getting revenge on Elijah Roth," she said, her voice calm and echoing like it came from inside my own head. "How was it? Are you satisfied?" I exhaled slowly. "Yeah... thanks to you, System." But even as I said it, the words felt hollow. Like I'd said t
Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 117. The Illusion
The fire started spreading faster than I expected. The gasoline-soaked couch lit up with a fury, the flames crackling and leaping like they'd been starved too long and finally given their feast. Eli's face twisted when he realized what I'd done—pure disbelief smeared with rage. "Until the end..." he muttered, eyes flaring. "Fuck, alright. Let's end this fucked-up relationship. You prepared so much, I'm fucking cornered." "Shut the fuck up," I said, raising my fists again. The room was already growing hot, but we ignored the fire swallowing everything around us. We clashed like animals, swinging, grappling, gasping—two beasts caged in a burning tomb. His body slammed into mine and we hit the ground hard. Eli climbed on top, hands around my neck, squeezing with everything he had. I choked, vision dimming at the edges—but my hand found the broomstick nearby. I grabbed it and broke it clean across his head. Before he could reel back, I jabbed a jagged end right into his open eye. "Fu
Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 116. Ashes To Ashes
{TW: violence} Eli jumped to his feet, his face twisted with desperation and rage as he lunged forward again. "FUCK!!! YOU'RE DOING ALL THIS BECAUSE OF ONE LITTLE BOUNTY ON YOUR HEAD?! JUST BECAUSE I CALLED YOU A FAG?!!!" He swung wildly, fists flying in every direction. He was panicking. Even still, one of his punches landed hard on my cheek. "FINE THEN!!! I APOLOGIZE!!! JUST LET THIS SHIT GO NOW!" Eli snapped. I kicked his knee, making him stumble. "I'M BEING FUCKING SINCERE!!!" he yelled, breathless, spit flying from his mouth as the fight devolved into something brutal and ugly. Then, with a sharp upper swing, I felt something slice from my cheek to my forehead—blood immediately clouded one of my eyes. I staggered back, vision blurry. Another blow slammed into my face. Then another. My ribs caught a few good hits before I dropped to a knee, trying to gather myself, focus. "What's wrong, Jack?" Eli sneered, looming over me. "After all that effort you put into living like a
Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 115. Full Circle
{TW: Violence} The entire passenger side of the car was crushed, and all the airbags on my side had deployed. It felt like I had been tossed violently against something soft yet hard at the same time. I let out the breath I'd been holding and kicked my door open, staggering out of the wreckage. A few gags followed, but fortunately, I hadn't eaten anything all day, so nothing came up. Holy shit, I almost killed myself! I made a mental note—never again. I wasn't cut out for driving in situations like this. I glanced into the backseat. Eli was knocked out cold, blood dripping from his forehead where he'd slammed into the window. Too bad for him, he was still breathing. I wasn't done with him yet. I pried open the passenger door and dragged him out by the back of his shirt, pulling him into the forest. The eerie darkness around me gave me the jitters, but I ignored it. I had bigger things to focus on right now. "Stupid asshole," I muttered, dragging him further. "I fucking got you. F
Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 114. The Hunt Begins
A week had passed, and no one had found Declan's body. Things were moving fast, and without speaking to my dad first, I took the initiative and bought everything related to McIntyre Corporations. It was a massive undertaking. We had to fire the entire board and replace them with our own people. The financial webs were deep, tracing money from offshore accounts, and the intel I'd gathered? It was a goldmine of blackmail material, exposing nearly every business owner, politician, and high-ranking official in the city. My dad didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately used this treasure trove to his advantage. He worked quickly, killing the news of Declan Sr.'s disappearance so that no one outside our circle would know what happened. My mom, of course, was confused. The official story was that Declan had fled to avoid the scandal, but I later realized something: My dad hadn't lied to her—he just didn't want to ruin her newfound peace. She had taken a liking to Jason, and Dad didn't wa
Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 113. Caught
I couldn't get the system's words out of my head. "You'll soon be too preoccupied to think about it." What the hell did that mean? What could possibly take my mind off the weight of what I'd done in my past life—of Gianna, of Jason, of everything unraveling? [Mission Accomplished! You will receive secret intel!] I froze. That... that would do it. What the actual fuck was going on? I hadn't even made a move toward atonement yet, and the mission was already marked as complete? How? Why? My phone buzzed, Jason's name lighting up the screen. It was nearly 2 a.m. A part of me didn't want to answer—I was exhausted from the party and from... well, everything. But I picked up. "Hello—" "Jack?" Jason's voice was breathless, panicked, and definitely crying. "I—I need you... to come over! I need you to come over now!" He was gasping like he couldn't breathe. "What's up? Is it your dad?" "No! No! No, no—" "Tell me what happened!" I snapped, heart racing. "No! I—I can't actually say—"
Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 112. Guilty Conscience
{TW: Suicide attempt} The memory came back like a bullet to the skull—sudden, searing, and impossible to ignore. I was seventeen. A parking garage bathed in that awful yellow-white light, nearly abandoned except for the low hum of flickering fluorescent tubes above me. The scent of oil and cold concrete filled the air. My footsteps were quiet, deliberate, echoing through the still space as I closed in on her. Gianna Lionetti. A cloth gripped tightly in my hand, soaked in chloroform. She didn't even have time to scream. I grabbed her from behind, pressing the cloth to her mouth and nose with a vice grip. She fought hard. Nails like razors dug into my wrist, her limbs thrashing with the kind of panic only people on the edge of death can summon. It took a full minute and a half—ninety long seconds of struggle—before her body finally sagged, unconscious in my arms. I eased her down like a sleepwalker, like she was fragile glass. Then, almost robotically, I opened the passenger door,
Rebirth: What’s Left Of Me 111. Surprise Party
I sat stiffly on the edge of the velvet couch, hands clenched loosely in my lap as camera flashes exploded from every angle. The drawing room was filled to the brim with reporters—some with cameras, some already holding up mics with eager hands, all of them watching me like a hawk about to strike. This was actually kind of terrifying. The last time I'd been in front of this many cameras was... well, it wasn't exactly a shining moment. I was being perp-walked in my last life, paraded in handcuffs while people shouted for my head. The bright lights, the judgmental stares—it all felt a little too familiar. A woman in the front row leaned forward, mic close. "How did you manage to get such incredible scores?" I blinked at her. "Studying like a normal person. It's not like there was much else to do besides that and work." Click. Click. Flash. "Your first appearance on TV left people with a bad impression of you. What do you think about that?" another reporter asked. I rolled my eyes
