Chapter 217

Alex blinked in confusion.

"I'm sorry-what did you say, Master?"

The old man smirked.

"You heard me, boy. This so-called 'world' is a grand fake but. A cheap illusion. Have you ever bothered to question why you're alive? What's the purpose of life? Where do you go after death-and do you really believe you'll live again once you're dead?"

A chill seized Alex's spine. "Master, are you talking about reincarnation? We die, then return... but with a new life, right?"

The old man's laughter rasped through the room like a rusted nail scraping metal.

"Don't flatter yourself, kid. Who says you get a fresh start each time? What if, after you keel over, you snap right back to day one in the same tired script? Over and over. Like some glitchy video loop that never stops replaying because you're too blind and clueless to notice."

Alex swallowed hard. "That's... horrifying."

"Horrifying?" The master's lip curled, contempt dripping off every syllable.

"What's really scary is that you're alive right now and know absolutely nothing about what that means. You stumble around in a daze, clueless, day after day. Do you even realize how pitiful that is?"

Alex clenched his fists but said nothing.

"Get it through your thick skull, Alex." The master shifted, then swung the staff

with surprising force, smacking the top of Alex's head.

"Find your way out before you waste another eternity."

A flash of pain shot through Alex's skull-and then, darkness.

When he finally opened his eyes, the stark fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, and he realized he was hunched over a steel table in a modern research lab.

were scattered everywhere, leftover food

old man's scoffing voice and the

his head,

that... a dream?" he wondered aloud, teeth clenched. But it had felt far too real. Far too vicious to be a

around the lab, the computer screens blinking like a silent

on his scalp. "I don't know what you were trying to show me, old man, but I'm

There was no time to dwell on dreams about reincarna or looping

Chapter 217

One Week Later

when it buzzed for the

it up to see Kelly's name blinking. "Kelly, this better be good," she snapped, the toll of sleepless nights

excitement

Jas? Alex pulled it off-he actually synthesized the Emerald Elixir!"

me," Kelly said breathlessly

chest. "On

was racing through the pristine corridors of Hilton Pharmacy's

her with a grin wide enough to split her face. She held up a small glass container, heart pounding like she'd discovered buried

breathed, uncorking it. Inside lay a single emerald-green pill that

for a test drive?" Kelly teased,

hard. "I...

the pill into her mouth, half-expecting

the crisp snap

her limbs, chasing off the exhaustion that had

subtly tighter, as if

raced to a small mirror on a steel

face gazing back was...hers, but improved-bright-eyed, vibrant, as if she'd just had a

her eyes? Gone. Her skin practically

fingertips brushing her cheek in wonder. "If this is how a single dose works,

practically dancing. "All thanks to that

but it's paying off big time. We

her lip, a grin slowly curving. "He did it. That genius actually did it." All her worries-about Jericho Kane, about the pressure from corporate, about looming deadlines-briefly vanished. Hope replaced the fear, shining so brightly it almost

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255