"Alyssa?" Kaden whispered, his voice barely audible. It was his younger sister, looking just as she had ten years ago—before everything fell apart.

She laughed softly. "Who else would it be? You've been sleeping like the dead. Come on, breakfast is ready. Mom and Dad are waiting."

Before he could respond, she darted back down the hallway, leaving the door ajar. Kaden swung his legs over the side of the bed, his mind racing. Did that man give him a new drug?

Was he dreaming? He glanced down at his hands, half-expecting to see the scars from years of torment, but his skin was unblemished.

He stood unsteadily, crossing the room to look at himself in a small, cracked mirror hanging on the wall. Staring back at him was his younger self—no signs of the hardships he'd endured, only the face of a man in his early twenties.

"This can't be real," he murmured. But everything felt tangible—the wooden floor beneath his bare feet, the distant sounds of the city, the scent of freshly baked bread wafting up from the kitchen.

Second chances... Do you want to go back to the beginning? The old man's words echoed in his mind. Could it be that he'd been sent back in time? Kaden laughed wryly. Impossible. He was definitely hallucinating in his drug-addled state. But he did not care. He was going to enjoy the pleasant dream.

He dressed quickly, pulling on familiar clothes that felt strange after so many years. As he made his way downstairs, he was greeted by the warm smile of his mother. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she teased.

Kaden stood at the foot of the stairs, staring at his mother speechlessly. Without saying another word, he rushed forward and hugged her tightly.

Surprised by the sudden display of affection, his mother hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms around him. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise," she said with a warm laugh. "What's gotten into you this morning?"

He held her close, the familiar scent of her perfume bringing back a flood of memories. Tears welled up in his eyes as he whispered, "I just... I've missed you so much."

Pulling back slightly to look at him. "Missed me? Kaden, we've seen each other every day," she said softly, concern mingling with affection in her eyes.

He shook his head slowly, a bittersweet smile forming on his lips. "I know it sounds strange, but I had the most vivid dream. It made me realize how much I appreciate you and Dad and Alyssa."

She cupped his face in her hands. "We're grateful for you too, sweetheart. Now, how about some breakfast? Your favorite—pancakes with blueberries."

His stomach rumbled at the mention, and he laughed for the first time in what felt like ages. "That sounds perfect."

As they walked into the kitchen, his father looked up from the newspaper, raising an eyebrow. "Well, there's our sleepyhead. Decided to join us today?"

"Good morning, Dad," Kaden replied, his voice filled with genuine happiness.

Alyssa sat at the table, sipping orange juice. She eyed him suspiciously. "You're awfully cheerful today. Did you win the lottery or something?"

He grinned at his younger sister. "Can't a guy be happy to see his family?"

She smirked. "Not when that guy is you."

He tossed her hair, which once again provoked an annoyed huff from Alyssa. "You're getting on my nerves," she muttered, flattening the stray strands with her hand.

Their mother placed a fresh plate of pancakes on the table, the aroma wafting through the kitchen. "You two never change," she teased, turning back to the stove to tend to more bacon.

Kaden settled into a chair, feeling an odd mixture of comfort and disbelief. He looked at his family—Dad reading the paper, Mom cooking with an easy smile, Alyssa scrolling through her phone between sips of juice—and couldn't help but marvel at how normal everything felt.

But the reality came crashing down on him once again when the inevitable blinked in front of him.

[Congratulations! Your world has been selected for integration into the multiverse]

Kaden instantly sobered up. Everything was real. Very painfully real. If he was not wrong, then he needed to act fast. He only had an instant. He did not wait for more messages to flash.

"Mom! Dad!" He dashed towards the knife rack on the kitchen counter and hurriedly grabbed the knives. He shoved one in his mother's hand and one in his sister's hand and just as he was about to reach his dad's hand, his vision blacked out and his reality broke.

The blinking screen he ignored earlier was now the only thing in front of him.

[Congratulations! Your world has been selected for integration into the multiverse]

[Planet does not meet required conditions. Evolution process initiated]

[Indigenous population given access to the System]

[System Initiating…]

Kaden's vision once again warped before he was eventually able to see and feel. He opened his eyes to find himself lying on soft grass beneath a lush canopy of green leaves.

"Fuck!" He cursed as he stared at the familiar sight with utter dread.

He was back again.

He was really back again to when it all began!