Fate Rewritten: A Life Between Time and Stars

18/5/2019 Buzz ~ Buzz ~ Buzz Yêu cầu thành công "The program is interrupted. Please wait another minute." That's the familiar notification that popped up on my phone, pulling me out of the world of music I often used to escape reality. "Haizzz, how boring. When will this suffocating life end?" I, Hazaqi, am a third-year student at a top-tier university in Japan, majoring in Japanese. To call it "boring" is an understatement; it's more of a suffocating feeling. This school is known as the cradle of elites and geniuses. And I, an ordinary student, was forced to enroll here after failing all the other schools. To be honest, I didn't want to set foot in this place. It was all because my father wanted to show off his "talented" son to his friends. I sighed, turned around in the hallway, and headed back to my classroom. My classroom is 3E, the "bottom" of the school, where the most "special" students, those shunned by the entire school, are gathered. As I pushed open the classroom door, a "Bop" sound echoed. A bucket of icy cold water poured down on my head, drenching me completely. This was followed by a "Bang," the sound of the empty bucket hitting the floor. "Hahaha, look at that loser, he's as wretched as a mouse scurrying out of a drain." That was the voice of Taichi, a blonde-haired guy and the leader of the gang in the class. He stood in the corner with his arms crossed, a cruel smile on his face. "You piece of trash, what are you standing there for? Go and wash up quickly, you're so filthy!" Another guy in his group joined in, his voice full of contempt. The insults kept pouring out, stabbing at my ears and my heart. I stood there, feeling each cold drop of water stream down my face and neck, soaking through my clothes. A thousand thoughts surged in my head—fury, humiliation, and a craving for revenge. But I knew this wasn't the time. They were stronger, tacitly allowed to do these things, and I, alone, could do nothing. I silently turned and walked out of the classroom, heading for the restroom. After about three steps, I overheard them talking again. "Haha, look at that i***t, how pathetic, his face makes me so happy!" "Gahaha, that's right, looking at that loser is a real eyesore, but it's fun to have someone in this class for us to entertain ourselves with." "Damn it." An overwhelming sense of powerlessness washed over me. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. There would be no help from the school, as class 3E had been out of control for a long time. I walked into the restroom, my mind filled with chaotic thoughts. I stood in front of the mirror, washing my face with cold water. Suddenly, a voice from behind me startled me, cold and mysterious. "Do you want to experience death?" "Huh?" I spun around. Tick-tock Tick-tock I turned to my right and saw a girl. She had a slender figure, long snow-white hair, and a pair of pure black eyes so deep they felt like they were pulling me in. In her hand was a gun, looking both antique and strangely modern. "Welcome to a new beginning... and I'll see you again if we're fated." The girl smiled, a smile devoid of any emotion, and pointed the gun at me. Bang A dry bang echoed. I didn't feel any pain, but everything around me started to blur and darken, and my consciousness began to fade. Boom ~ Boom ~ Boom The deafening explosions echoed all around me, shaking the ground. I slowly regained consciousness and thought to myself, "What on earth is happening around me?" As I struggled to get up and opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a m******e. A group of people in silver armor stood over there, their faces hidden beneath helmets, brutally cutting down ragged, blood-soaked captives chained to massive wooden posts. After that, they swung enormous hammers, smashing them against the bodies. Blood streamed down in rivulets, and from time to time I caught glimpses of glistening entrails spilling to the ground. Horrified, I let out a scream—“A…a…a!”—and immediately, their heads snapped toward me. Terrified, I tried to force my stiff body to move, to duck down and hide from them. “This… this can’t be real… this isn’t a dream…” The thought repeated endlessly in my head. Luckily, they didn’t rush toward me immediately, giving me just enough time to gather my strength. I jumped to my feet and ran, my only goal to escape this hellish place alive. But curiosity gnawed at me—I turned back for one last look and saw them still pounding away at the bloody post. The Boom Boom Boom rang in my ears, each step of the armored warriors crushing the earth as if they wanted to destroy everything in their path. The heat of their approach made it hard to breathe. My mind screamed for me to move faster, to get as far away as possible. I stumbled through narrow roads, squeezing between damp mossy walls. It was only then that I noticed my surroundings—gnarled, alien-looking trees that I didn’t recognize. Suddenly, my foot caught on something, and I fell face-first into the mud. Before I could stand, a chill shot down my spine—I could feel something closing in from behind. I was sure… they were right there. In a panic, I squeezed into a hollow in a nearby tree trunk—just wide enough for a person to hide. The smell hit me instantly, thick and nauseating, like rot and damp earth. From outside came the sound of heavy boots stopping right near me. "Not far now… I can smell your fear." I held my breath, willing my heart to stop pounding so loudly. This hiding place might be my only chance. My mind clung to the desperate thought: Hide here and wait until they leave… But before I could finish that thought, I realized they had gone silent—perhaps searching elsewhere. Then, a woman’s voice spoke right beside my ear, low and cold: "Each step you take from now on will be paid for in blood…"