C1 Time Reversal

"Uncle, are you seriously telling me you want to buy this house for just two thousand dollars?"

Luke glanced at the house transfer contract laid out before him, his brow furrowed in disbelief.

"Listen, Luke, I'm going to be straight with you. This bungalow was never yours to begin with. When your grandmother died, both of these suburban bungalows should have gone to me, her son. Your mother is a woman, and around here, once a daughter is married off, she's out of the picture—she has no inheritance rights!"

The man sitting across from Luke was short, portly, and balding. He took a heavy drag on his cigarette before continuing, "I've let you and your mother live here all these years out of family obligation. I've done more than enough. This two thousand dollars is a gesture, a bit of help to get you settled elsewhere. Sign the papers, take the money, and vacate the house—quickly!"

"You expect me to hand over the house for a mere two thousand dollars? Uncle, you can't be serious," Luke said, eyeing the thin stack of cash in front of him and shaking his head with a rueful smile.

In this cold world, it seems that blood ties are no match for personal gain. Memories of better times flashed through Luke's mind.

His life had taken a tragic turn eight years ago, after fainting during a high school gym class. Since then, Luke's health had steadily declined; he was constantly tired, his mind foggy, and plagued by strange noises in his head.

Even the once diligent student began to fall asleep in class, his memory failing him. By the latter half of his junior year, his grades had plummeted from the top ten to the very bottom of his class.

Despite his mother's sacrifices to keep him in high school, Luke's academic performance never recovered. After struggling through his freshman year, he was asked to leave due to his poor grades and sleeping during lessons.

Luke was determined, though. After dropping out, he threw himself into the workforce. But his frail health and frequent fainting spells meant he couldn't keep a job for more than a week. His dream of independence was cruelly dashed.

Luke grew up in a single-parent household, losing his father to a tragic car accident while he was still in elementary school. His mother, with her high hopes for him, noticed something off about Luke's health and embarked on a relentless quest for answers. For eight years, they traveled across Puchuiles, consulting with countless hospitals and renowned doctors.

Yet, at each visit, they were met with the same disheartening news: Luke's health appeared perfectly normal, with no detectable issues. This exhaustive search not only drained their savings but also took a heavy toll on his mother's spirit. Transitioning from hope to despair, she eventually succumbed to her exhaustion, leaving Luke to navigate the world alone.

With his mother gone, Luke's world crumbled. Unable to work and requiring nearly twenty hours of sleep each day, he subsisted on a meager diet of boiled noodles, his existence a stark portrait of desolation.

And now, mere days after his mother's death, his own uncle had the audacity to lay claim to Luke's sole remaining refuge—their modest old house. This very house, a modest inheritance from his late grandmother, had suddenly become a coveted asset due to rumors of a lucrative government demolition and compensation plan. Clearly, his uncle's sudden interest was spurred by greed.

"Let's cut to the chase, Uncle. I'm jobless and in poor health; this house is all I have left. I know you're eyeing the demolition compensation, but you can forget about it," Luke asserted, his voice steady. "And spare me the talk of local traditions—they mean nothing to me. I believe in the law, and legally, this house is mine through my mother's inheritance. As long as I'm alive, you won't get your hands on it."

Luke might have been physically frail, but he was no fool. He confronted the situation head-on.

"You dare speak to your uncle like that?" the balding middle-aged man fumed, rising to his feet in a mix of embarrassment and rage.

"Frankly, having a relative like you is a joke. When have you ever lent a hand during our tough times? The one time you showed up in the last eight years was to snatch up my father's house for a pittance, exploiting my mother's kindness because your son needed a place for his wedding. Well, don't expect such charity ever again!" Luke's voice rose, unleashing years of pent-up frustration.

"You..." Nick was shaking with rage.

Nick had never paid much attention to his 'worthless nephew'. To him, Luke was nothing but a failure. Back in high school, he was always at the bottom of his class. As an adult, he couldn't even hold down a job. If it weren't for the sake of the old family bungalow, Nick wouldn't have bothered to visit his sister's home to see Luke.

But today, he hadn't expected his usually compliant and timid nephew to stand up to him. The audacity left Nick so furious he nearly passed out!

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you. This house was my dad's to begin with! Sign the papers, take the money, and get lost! Or else, just you wait!" Julius, Nick's son, suddenly barged in, bellowing at Luke.

Julius had always left a sour taste in Luke's mouth. He was a troublemaker in school, known for fighting and skipping classes, with grades that barely made the cut. After being expelled for peeping into the girls' restroom, he loafed around the house. Nick had hoped that marriage would straighten him out, but Julius's wife left him after just three months. Now, he still mooched off his parents, much like Luke. But while Luke's situation was born of necessity, Julius was simply work-shy.

"No house, just a life," Luke said with a resigned shrug.

Julius's face contorted with anger, and he lunged forward, throwing a punch at Luke.

"Beep—System integration at 99.5%."

As Julius's fist flew, an enigmatic alert echoed in Luke's mind.

This wasn't the first time Luke had heard such a prompt. Over the eight years of his illness, these mysterious reminders would resurface in his thoughts every few months.

Luke had an inkling that his body's severe frailty was tied to these strange messages, yet he couldn't pinpoint what they truly signified.

"Thud!" Julius was hefty, and his punch packed a wallop. Luke, already in a weakened state, saw stars as the blow landed, and his body swiftly crumpled backward.

"Beep! System integration complete at 100%. The Straight-A Student System is now fully operational. Initiating Time Recall..."

After the eerie notification sound echoed in Luke's ears once more, his mind went blank, and he lost consciousness entirely.