Ye Ci sat on the observation floor of Glory Corporation's main building.
By her side lay the trophy she had just obtained: Fate's Second Battle of the Kings, Solo PVP Runner Up.
As Ye Ci lowered her head to take a glance at the crystal trophy, she felt an emptiness within her heart.
She rummaged through the pocket of her coat and retrieved the cigarettes that she had just bought.
Ye Ci never smoked, but today, she felt tempted to smoke one.Lighting the cigarette she had in her mouth with ineptitude, Ye Ci took a deep puff and immediately gagged. She looked up into the night sky and grimaced.
Ye Ci caressed the trophy with her slender fingers and raised the trophy up high before shouting in a hoarse voice, "Mum, dad, I did it. But why don't I feel the slightest bit of happiness?"
"Look, I got a trophy. I have become strong. I'm standing at the top, but why am I not happy!?" In this bustling city with neon lights lighting up the skyline, nobody noticed the tiny lone human being.
She cupped her face with her hands. It was dry, devoid of even a single drop of tear. "Is this what I deserved? Is this what I get for turning my back on everything for the sake of becoming stronger?" Ye Ci screamed in agony.
In the next moment, a laughter that she could not suppress left her mouth.
"I turned my back on everything? I became stronger? The truth is, I was abandoned by everybody else. What have I done to possess the achievement I have today? I angered dad to death, mom left, and I've abandoned all my friends. I was notorious back then. I thought that I was special, I thought that nobody could understand me. The truth is, I am trash."
"But now..."
Ye Ci closed her eyes. Her mind was overwhelmed by the embarrassment she felt when her right to join the competition had been denied just because she didn't have any teammates, just because she didn't have any friends.
"Fate is not about individual strength, as the strength of an individual comes from the people surrounding them. Miss Ye, I'm sorry, but the essence of the Battle of Kings is group battle. Without a group that is willing to accept you, we have no choice but to refuse your entry."
No groups were willing to accept her...
Hehe, how could any group be willing to accept her!
She was the number 1 Sorceress in Fate, yet the most callous and black-hearted one as well. She had never offered assistance to a single soul in her 10 years of playing Fate.
Even in real life, she was the embodiment of selfishness and cruelty.
After pulling out her cellphone, Ye Ci dialed one of the few numbers that were stored in it. She was lonely. She wanted to speak to someone, anyone.
"Sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service."
"Sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service."
......
90% of the few numbers stored in her phone were no longer in service. Exactly how long ago had she lost contact with other human beings?
The cursor on the screen stopped at the last number. It was a number that she was extremely familiar with, and it represented the final sliver of warmth within the depths of her heart. That person...he might still be around. She dialed after a moment of hesitation.
"Sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service."
The cold voice of the receiver seemed to have sapped Ye Ci of all her energy. Her situation was laughable. Was there anybody else in this world who was like her? Seemingly glamorous on the surface, yet isolated from her kin.
After struggling to stand up, Ye Ci threw the phone into the air. "Inactive numbers! I, Ye Ci, do not need you people..."
Before she could finish her sentence, the night wind swept her off balance and she fell down the building. She subconsciously extended her arm out of desperation and managed to grab hold on something. Raising her head, she realised that the object she was dangling from at the edge of this hundred-meter-tall building was none other than her trophy.
Ye Ci was taken aback for a moment, after which tears began streaming out.
In the end, was this the only thing she had left?
Was there still any meaning to her life?
Let it go, let it all go. Let her miserable life come to an end like that, in loneliness and sorrow.
Throwing a final glance at the PVP trophy, Ye Ci loosened her grip.
Endless darkness swallowed her entire being; it were as if she had never existed.
A splitting headache came.
However, the cozy sunlight lulled her to sleep for a moment longer.
The girl on the bed took in a deep breath and curled underneath her blanket, returning to her sweet dreams.
10 seconds later, the soft white blanket was pushed aside violently. The girl sat up abruptly and surveyed everything in the room, looking as though she had seen a ghost.
"Is this heaven? Or am I dreaming?" She muttered to herself before shaking her head, "I doubt that a person like me could make it to heaven..."
She lowered her head and looked at her white, tender hands. Those hands wormed themselves into the comfort of her blanket and forcefully pinched her leg.
"Ahh!!" She screamed at the excruciating pain, tears flowing down her cheeks.
It's not a dream!
"What happened? What's going on?" A middle-aged man with an apron stormed into the room with a ladle in hand. The anxiety on his face was clearly displayed on his face as he asked the girl on the bed urgently, "Ci Ci, what happened? Are you ok? Did you fall onto the floor after a dream again!?"
Ye Ci sat on her bed staring at the man, unable to recover from her surprise.
"Don't tell me that you have a concussion!?" Ye Nantian waved his hand in front of Ye Ci.
"Dad!" Ye Ci grabbed hold of his hand, stood up, and wrapped her arms around Ye Nantian's neck as tears streamed down uncontrollably from her eyes.
She didn't want to care anymore. Even if it was just a dream, she'd be happy just to be able to meet her parents once again.
"What's with you?" Ye Nantian was puzzled. His daughter had never had such an intimate interaction with him ever since she was 15. Her sudden change today left him bewildered.
"Dad, it's good to see you again." Ye Ci spoke from the depth of her heart. Tears blurred her vision as she held on tightly to her dad.
"What are you talking about!? You're speaking as though I came back from the dead." Ye Nantian laughed and patted Ye Ci on the back before pulling her to the side. "I'm going to make breakfast, come down quickly when you're fully awake!"
He patted Ye Ci's head again and walked out of the room.
Ye Ci sat on her bed and stared blankly at the digital clock on the wall as if it was a magnificent piece of sculpture.
20th August 2050, 7.37am
Year 2050?
It's the year 2050!!!?
After being stupefied state for an untold amount of time, she sprang into action. Rushing to her desk, she grabbed hold of a mirror with trembling hands to look at her reflection.
The face of a 18 or 19 year old appeared in the mirror. The face had a healthy shade of red with a little bit of baby fat. There was life and vigor in her eyes.
This was her 10 years ago.
Ye Ci was a hundred percent sure. This face did not have the scar left behind by that car accident 10 years ago.
But what happened?
Ye Ci put down the mirror and looked around the room. There was a bamboo bed, a book rack, and a computer desk, along with with a Fate promotional poster hanging on the wall. A corner of the room was emptied out.
Did she return 10 years back in time?
She had returned 10 years back in time!
Ye Ci's heart initially filled with frenzied happiness, but it was soon replaced with other emotions.
God had treated her well. Just when she had thought that she would end her life full of regrets, she received a second chance!
Was this a chance for her to rectify her mistakes?
Ye Ci could no longer hold herself back. She stood up and rushed towards the living room.
Ye Nantian was currently busy serving breakfast while Zuo Xiaolan was wiping off the dust from the cupboard. Both of them raised their heads upon hearing Ye Ci's footsteps.
The first thing that Ye Ci saw after entering the living room was the scene filled with warmth that was long gone from her life.
She blinked, and there was a lump in her throat.
There were countless times when she had thought that she would be a good daughter if her dad could come back from the dead, and her mother would not leave her. She would stop being wilful, selfish and rebellious. She would be an attentive and obedient daughter.
She would never have thought that she'd receive such a chance.
Ye Ci bit her lips for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh. "Dad, mum, good morning!" Ye Ci said with a loud and cheerful voice.
Zuo Xiaolan sat on the sofa while gazing at Ye Ci, who had been busying away in the kitchen. She nudged Ye Nantian and murmured to him, "Say, what's wrong with Ci Ci? She seems a little too obedient these few days. Not only did she break up with those friends who were being a bad influence, she even offered to do housework. Something must be wrong!"
"Are you not happy that your daughter became obedient?" Ye Nantian threw a grin at his wife and beckoned for Ye Ci to sit down with them.
Ye Ci sat down with her parents. She was happy, despite not knowing why her father had called for her. To her, the life she was currently in was heaven. She was fine with anything.
Ye Nantian cleared his throat and said, "Ci Ci, you once told me that you want a Fate Gaming Cabin. I promised you that I'd buy one for you if you could get into a university. So, I will fulfill my promise now. The Gaming Cabin will be here tomorrow."
Ye Ci was stunned for a moment. Her past memories replayed in her mind like a movie.
Yes, the Fate gaming cabin.
Her fate was changed from that moment onwards.
The fate of her family was also changed at that moment.
If she could start over, what would be her choice?
"However, you have to tell me, why would you need such a high end gaming cabin? You can play the game with a regular helmet as well, so why would you need a holographic gaming cabin?"
Ye Nantian was unaware of the turmoil within Ye Ci's mind and was silently staring at her with a smile.
The gaming cabin was just a bet with a friend. Despite not being rich, her parents were willing to buy the luxurious item for her out of love, one that cost about a hundred thousand bucks.
How did she answered her parents at that time? She said that she wanted to soar in Fate.
What happened in the end? She did it. However, in her quest to soar high in the sky, she had lost her friends, her parents, her happiness, and even her life. It was all due to her presumptuous foolishness and arrogance!