Born To Fall, Reborn To Conquer

The Reexamination

As Lucas stepped out of the house, his eyes gazed at the billboard standing proudly across the street. In bold letters, it read: Thomas Empire.

Thomas was more than just a successful businessman. As the CEO of the largest oil company in the United States Of America, his empire stretched across industries. His company didn’t just compete in the market—it controlled it.

Thomas had deep ties in every important sector. From top politicians to senior military officers, from healthcare professionals to financial regulators—he had them all within reach.

Lucas sighed deeply, his mind swirling with thoughts of Thomas—of the immense power the man held, and all he could do with it.

“Well, I’m ready for whatever comes.” Lucas muttered under his breath, a soft smile playing on his lips.

He raised his hand and waved down a passing tricycle. It slowed to a stop and Lucas took it home.

Upon getting home, the familiar aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air which led him to the kitchen.. As he entered the kitchen, his eyes fell on the spread of local specialties his parents had carefully laid out on the table. He stood there for a moment, watching his mother hum as she arranged the food.

“For Scarlett?”

His mother looked at him for a while and smiled. “Congratulations on your examination,” she said . “Yes, it’s for Scarlett. We thought it would be kind to send something to her”

Lucas placed his bag down carefully by the kitchen door. “She’s not family anymore,” he said.

“She was, once. And we don’t stop being kind just because things change,” his father responded from the living room.

Lucas let out a long sigh, his eyes gazing at the carefully arranged dishes sitting on the kitchen cabinet.

In his prey life, they were the same dishes they used to prepare for Scarlett. He had watched Scarlett, always so particular and critical, turn her nose up at his parents' humble meals.

She’d found them unrefined, too simple for her tastes, and more than once, she’d insisted on going somewhere else—somewhere more “sophisticated.” His parents, oblivious to the rejection, had always prepared the dishes with love, only for them to be discarded, left untouched, and unappreciated.

A few minutes later, Lucas collected a selection of specialties and made his way to the charity event.

At the charity event, an international chess competition was going on.

Lucas, one of the volunteers, lingered at the edge of the hall, watching the final game conclude. After the game, he took a seat near the exit.

It wasn’t long before the silence was interrupted by a disagreement. Two elderly men were exiting the hall mid-debate, their voices rising with stubborn vigor.

“You played into the Lasker Defense, and you know it,” grumbled an old man in a gray waistcoat.

“It wasn’t the Lasker. It was a hybrid of the Classical variation. Don’t be ridiculous,” snapped the other, straightening his blue tie with defiance.

As they passed by Lucas, Lucas smiled gently as he stood up gently from his seat.

"Actually," Lucas said, as he turned toward them.“It was the Lasker Defense. Black followed the classical pattern — knight to f6, bishop e7 — but fell into a positional trap on move twelve. That's where the imbalance started.”

The two elders stopped mid-step.

Robert, in a gray suit and playing Black, blinked in surprise. “You noticed that?”

The other man, wearing a blue tie and playing White, let out a scoff. “Ridiculous. And who are you supposed to be?”

“Just a volunteer,” Lucas replied with a small shrug. “But if you replay that segment, you’ll see black conceded the center without proper compensation. The pawn structure after white’s queen-side expansion left you open.”

Robert turned slowly to his companion. “He’s right.”

The other man looked unconvinced. “Talk is easy. Let’s settle this properly.”

“Let’s have another game,” said the man playing White, gesturing toward Robert.

Robert nodded in agreement.

After spotting a place, they sat down there and gestured for Lucas to join them.

“You,” Robert said, smiling a little bit, referring to Lucas .“Why don’t you make the next two moves for me?”

Lucas remained on his feet, his gaze fixed on the board.

He instructed Robert to open with knight f6, followed by a subtle bishop maneuver that baited an overextension. The elder in white fell for it. Within eight moves, black had regained control of the center. A bit of tactics later, the board locked into a trap, and Lucas whispered the final combination into Robert’s ear.

Three moves later, checkmate followed. The elder in white stared at the board in stunned disbelief as the final piece was placed. The room went silent for a while before Robert let out a low, satisfied chuckle.

The elder in white stared at the board, looking disappointed “Beginner’s luck,” he muttered, pushing back his chair, his chair scraping against the floor as he stood.

He walked off without saying another word, his steps echoing gently in the hall as he exited .

Robert gestured to the empty chair across from him. “Play with me. Let’s see what else you’ve got.”

Little did Robert know that Lucas was fully aware of who he truly was. Robert was a senior prosecutor in the United States of America while his son, Daniel, was the local police chief.

Moving the chair a bit to the back, Lucas gently sat down, his eyes fixed at the chessboard.

"If you don’t mind," Lucas said, his voice calm, as he carefully unpacked the local specialties he had brought with him. He gently placed them in front of Robert.” It's yours".

In his previous life, Lucas could recall how Robert used to meet his wife at a small restaurant in his hometown.

"I appreciate it," Robert said, as he gently extended his hands to collect the specialties.

Lucas smiled. "It’s the least I can do," he said. "Actually, I’m in the middle of applying for a civil service position. I was fortunate enough to rank first in the medical licensing exam, but I’m a little worried I might not make it through the reexamination.”

Robert gave a thoughtful nod, his fingers brushing over the packaging of the food.

“I’ve always admired those who serve the community,” Lucas spoke, gazing at Robert, trying to catch his attention. “The way the police force handles its affairs— especially the recent financial fraud case. It’s been impressive watching how efficiently the police force has moved on it, especially Daniel, the local police head”.