Steven's body continued sinking deeper into the cold, dark water. The world above the bridge slowly disappeared as the river swallowed him whole.
Within moments, Steven lost consciousness.
Silence.
Endless darkness surrounded him.
After what felt like an eternity, Steven slowly opened his eyes. To his surprise, he found himself standing in an unfamiliar place. Everything around him was bright, almost unreal, and right in front of him stood a figure glowing with a gentle light.
An angel.
Startled, Steven stepped back in fear.
"W-Who are you?" he asked nervously.
Before he could say anything more, the angel calmly interrupted him.
"My child," the angel said in a soothing voice, "you have suffered a lot in your life. I know everything that has happened to you. I know how your brother betrayed you… and how your wife deceived you."
Steven's eyes widened in shock.
"How… how do you know all that?" he asked, his voice trembling. "Who exactly are you?"
The angel smiled softly.
"My name is Lucian," he replied. "I am a spiritual being."
Hearing this, Steven hesitated before asking another question.
"So… are you here to take me to Heaven or Hell?"
Lucian chuckled lightly.
"For me, yes. That would normally be the case," he said. "But your situation… is an exception."
Steven frowned in confusion.
"You ended your life before your destined time," Lucian explained. "Because of that, many things in the Southern Continent have gone terribly wrong."
Steven was stunned.
"How is that possible?" he asked. "What difference could the death of a single man like me possibly make? I chose to die because I thought that after I was gone… everyone would finally be happy."
Lucian shook his head.
"The moment you died," he said, "your brother seized complete control of Walker Industries. He fired countless employees and replaced them with people loyal only to him, ensuring that no one could oppose him."
Steven listened silently, his heart slowly sinking.
"After that," Lucian continued, "he bribed his way into multiple construction projects. Due to poor safety and corruption, many workers lost their lives during those projects."
Steven's breathing grew heavier.
"And that's not all," Lucian added. "To eliminate competition, he even had people from rival companies assassinated. With each passing day, his power grew… and he became responsible for the deaths of countless innocent people."
Steven stood frozen, as if time itself had stopped.
But after a moment, he spoke again.
"What difference would it have made?" he said bitterly. "Even if I hadn't taken my own life, my brother would have eventually had me killed anyway."
Lucian nodded.
"You're right," he admitted. "Even if you hadn't taken your life, your brother would likely have arranged your death."
Steven looked down, his expression empty.
"But," Lucian continued, "you now have a chance to change everything."
Steven looked up in confusion.
"What do you mean… change everything?"
Lucian smiled.
"I am giving you another chance. I will send you back to Earth… five years into the past."
Steven's eyes widened.
"There, you will still have everything," Lucian explained. "Your parents will be alive. You will have the opportunity to choose a better partner… and most importantly, the chance to change your destiny."
Steven remained silent.
Deep inside, however, fear was growing within him.
"I… I can't do this," Steven whispered. "I'll fail again. I'll end up in the same situation. I'm tired… I just want peace."
In truth, Steven had already given up on life.
But Lucian refused to accept his answer.
After a long argument, when Steven still refused, Lucian revealed a shocking truth.
"The deaths of your parents were not an accident."
Steven froze.
"They were part of a carefully planned conspiracy," Lucian said quietly. "Your brother was the one who orchestrated it."
Steven felt the ground beneath him disappear.
"Are… are you telling the truth?" he asked in disbelief.
Without saying another word, Lucian raised his hand.
A vision appeared before Steven's eyes.
He saw the past.
He saw John secretly tampering with Albert Walker's car, sabotaging the brakes. Moments later, the car lost control… crashing violently.
Albert Walker and Jia Walker died in that accident.
The scene shattered Steven completely.
He fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he cried uncontrollably.
Lucian placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You must avenge your parents," he said calmly.
Hearing those words, something inside Steven changed.
Slowly, he stood up.
"I understand," he said with determination. "Send me back."
Lucian smiled.
"Good luck on your mission."
With a wave of his hand, a blinding light surrounded Steven.
The next moment, Steven suddenly opened his eyes.
He was lying in his bed.
Confused, he quickly looked at the calendar nearby.
His heart began pounding.
The date confirmed it.
He had truly returned… five years into the past.