Chapter 5: A New Home, An Old Path

The house smelled the same. A mix of freshly cooked food, old wooden furniture, and faint traces of coffee and perfume. Ivan didn't remember much about being a child, but the second he was placed in his grandmother's arms, he felt safe.

She held him close, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "You'll stay with me for now, little one."

And so, he did.

The next few years were peaceful, at least compared to what came before.

His grandmother favored him, just like in the original timeline. Not in a way that neglected his brother, but in a way that made it clear—he was special to her. She taught him everything: reading, writing, numbers, discipline, how to think ahead, how to control emotions.

Most kids his age played with toys. Ivan studied.

Not because he had to, but because he knew he had an advantage.

Every moment spent with her was an investment in his future. And she was the best teacher he could have asked for.

When his brother was 1 and a half, his mother moved to another part of town, taking him with her.

Ivan stayed behind.

It was an odd feeling, knowing his brother wasn't in the same house anymore. They had been inseparable in their past life. But for now, Ivan wasn't too worried. He would see him again.

And in a way, this was a blessing.

With his mother gone, his education under his grandmother's care became even more focused.

By the time he turned six, he could read, write, multiply, divide, and understand money. More than most adults ever did.

And then, everything changed.

2010 – Moving Back to His Mother

When he turned six, it was time.

School would be starting soon, and he had to be with his mother again.

It was strange, leaving his grandmother's house. He knew it was only temporary, that he would always come back to her, but something about the move felt… off.

His mother had remarried. A policeman.

Ivan didn't remember much about him from his first life, but he was generally a good guy. Not abusive, not a drunk. Just a man trying to make things work.

For a while, things were stable.

But stability never lasted long.

2011 – First Grade, First Loss

When Ivan was seven, his mother's marriage fell apart.

The policeman left.

And with him, any sense of stability his mother had was gone.

The gambling started soon after.

At first, it was small bets, harmless games, promises that she knew what she was doing. Then it turned into something more. Something worse.

Ivan saw the shift almost instantly.

She started waking him up early, dragging him to the bar before school.

Seven years old, sitting at a sticky bar table while his mother dumped her last bills into a slot machine.

Ding. Ding. Ding. The flashing lights. The mechanical sounds. The sound of losing.

Then, when it was time for school, she would grab him, walk him to class as if nothing happened.

And then she would go right back to the bar, playing the same machine, waiting for him to be dismissed.

His younger brother was in kindergarten most of the day.

His mother used the free time to gamble.

Just like before.

Ivan sat in his first-grade classroom, staring at the chalkboard but not really seeing it.

It was 2011.

He had restarted his life to escape failure.

But here he was, watching history repeat itself.

Was it inevitable?

Could he really change anything?

Or was he just playing along in a story that was already written?

One thing was clear:

If he wanted out of this cycle, he had to start now.

End of Chapter 5.