A new beginning

As Andre lay back on his bed, he let out a slow breath, staring at the ornate ceiling above him. The events of the day replayed in his mind, but unlike before, his body felt… light. Strong. The lingering aches from his earlier workout were gone, replaced by a sense of energy humming beneath his skin.

"This elixir is something else," he mused, flexing his fingers. "A few hours ago, I was struggling just to jog, and now? I feel like I could run another lap around the estate without breaking a sweat."

He sat up slightly, testing his movement. No soreness. No heaviness. Just effortless motion.

"So this is what leveling up feels like. No wonder the system wants me to keep improving—this kind of power is addictive."

His thoughts drifted back to his parents' argument. The tension between them was undeniable, but what unsettled him the most was how familiar it all felt.

"The old Andre must've seen this a thousand times… yet he never did anything about it."

He exhaled, running a hand through his hair.

"Not my problem. At least, not right now. I've got school to deal with in the morning."

The thought made him pause.

"Right. School. College. Business major, of course. Makes sense—an heir to an empire needs to be trained to take over someday."

He smirked slightly.

"Not that the old me was particularly studious. From what I remember, classes were just a formality between partying and reckless spending."

His phone buzzed on the nightstand, pulling him from his thoughts. He reached over and glanced at the screen.

Julian [9:47 PM]

"Yo, you coming back to school tomorrow?"

Andre stared at the message, then chuckled.

"Guess I don't have a choice, do I?"

He collapsed on his bed again, but his mind kept running.

"Of course, Andre was a business major—what else would he be? Literature? History? Yeah, right. He was being groomed for power, whether he wanted it or not."

He went to a prestigious university—one with a reputation that carried weight. Not quite an elite business school, but still the kind of place where graduates walked out with connections that actually mattered.

My dad was against the idea of me going there, but the old me clearly wanted something a little bit normal for once. Not a lot of people knew that he was the son of the Great Maxwell Atlas, and that was exactly how the old Andre wanted it... because he knew this would be the last time he got to goof off before becoming the head of his father's empire.

Before he could process that thought further, another message popped up.

Julian [9:48 PM]

"You must be done resting and getting better by now. Also, Eva's been asking about you non-stop—you know how she gets."

Andre frowned slightly. Eva? Another wave of memories surfaced.

Gia sinn. Smart, ambitious, effortlessly elegant. The kind of girl who turned heads without trying. She had always been in Andre's orbit, whether as a friend, an admirer, or something in between.

Julian's next message came almost immediately after.

Julian [9:49 PM]

"Oh, and there's a new girl in class. She's so hot. Totally my type."

Andre exhaled through his nose, shaking his head.

"Julian…" He scoffed, not even bothering to hide his reaction. Predictable.

He typed back a simple response:

Andre [9:50 PM]

"Sure."

No need to overthink it. Tomorrow, he would face school—another cha llenge in this unfamiliar life.

Placing his phone back on the nightstand, Andre rolled onto his side and shut his eyes.

Within minutes, He dozed off.

Morning light streamed through the window as he slowly woke up. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and caught sight of his reflection in the mirror.

"Woo— is that me?" he said, shocked as he kept observing my own image. Damn! he hardly recognized the guy staring back at me. Gone was the frail, uncertain version of who he used to be. Now, he was taller, with a sharply defined jawline, broad shoulders that filled out my tailored tee, and a lean, muscular build that practically screamed confidence. It was like he had stepped straight out of one of those action-packed tales he used to admire.

Determined to embrace this newfound strength, he got ready and made his way to class. The lecture hall was modern and inviting—a spacious room with large windows, clean lines, and an atmosphere that buzzed with the promise of a new day. Arriving early, Andre chose a seat near the front, letting the anticipation of the day ahead settle in.

A few minutes later, his best friend Julian breezed in, a playful grin on his face. Sliding into the seat next to him, Julian couldn't help but comment,

"Dude, you look different than the last time I saw you. Funny how in just a week you're almost as handsome as me,"

Julian said, his tone a mix of teasing pride and a hint of intimidated awe at the transformation his friend had undergone. Despite the jibe, it was clear Julian was genuinely happy to see him.

Before Andre could respond, Julian leaned closer and whispered, "Look, it's Gia."

"Where?" Andre asked, glancing around the room.

Across the lecture hall, Gia was engaged in a conversation. Andre's eyes were drawn to her immediately—she was stunning. With long, flowing Red hair that framed a face of perfect symmetry, her sparkling blue eyes and radiant smile had an effortless allure. There was something captivating in the way she carried herself, an aura of confidence mixed with approachable warmth that turned heads wherever she went.

Just then, Gia caught sight of Andre and her eyes lit up. "Oh! It's Andre!" she exclaimed, dashing over with excitement.

Andre stood to greet her with a warm hug. As they embraced, Gia couldn't help but notice the obvious changes in him—his newly sculpted frame and the confident air he now exuded.

"You look different," Gia remarked playfully, stepping back to appraise him with a teasing smile.

"Different how?" Andre replied, feigning obliviousness despite the clear admiration in her eyes.

Gia hesitated for a split second before blurting out, "You look hot."

"What?" Andre asked, as if he hadn't heard, a smile tugging at his lips.

"I mean, you look a lot better now," Gia corrected, her cheeks tinting with a soft blush.

"Okay, thanks," Andre replied lightly as he sat back down, the playful banter easing him into the day's challenges.

With the conversation drawing to a comfortable close, the lecture began, and the three friends settled into their seats—each carrying their own sparks of excitement for the day ahead.

After class ended, the corridor buzzed with the casual chatter of students heading off to their next destination. Julian was the first to break the comfortable silence between friends.

"Alright, Andre, I've got a date with a girl," Julian announced with a playful smirk as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "See you later, man."

Gia, who had been sitting beside Andre, gave him an encouraging smile. "I'm not going anywhere," she said softly.

Andre hesitated, then shook his head. "I really have to head home now, Gia. There's stuff waiting for me."

She paused, her eyes lingering on him as if trying to read something new. For a brief moment, Gia noted how his aura had subtly changed—a quiet confidence and a glow that wasn't there before. But she brushed it off with a light laugh.

"Probably just the new workout routine," she reasoned aloud, though her tone held a hint of curiosity.

"Yeah, yeah, something like that," Andre replied with a grin, giving her a quick hug before turning to leave.

---

Later that evening, Andre arrived back at the mansion. The corridors were dimly lit, and as he passed by a partially open door near the foyer, he heard a heated exchange.

Inside, his father, Maxwell Atlas, was in a tense conversation with one of the estate's long-time maids. Their voices were low, but the words carried a sharp edge.

"I can't do this anymore… anymore," the maid murmured, her tone heavy with resignation.

Maxwell's voice was stern as he shot back, "You already got what you wanted. Why are you making things hard? I already promised you a huge sum to keep quiet and disappear."

He leaned in, his tone rising further, "Use the money and leave the country if you want. There's no more room for your complaints here.

Maxwell's voice, low and tense, cut through the silence:

"This is the last week you'll keep things under wraps—any more, and you'll have to vanish without a trace."

A pause, then the maid's voice trembled with frustration:

"I don't think I can do that, Mr. Atlas! How do you expect me to face the Mrs. and the Young Master with... this hanging over me?"

Maxwell's tone sharpened, almost icy:

"You already got what you wanted. Now, use the money and fix it. We can't afford any more complications."

The maid's reply was barely a whisper, laden with despair:

"But it's not that simple... How am I supposed to keep up appearances every day?"

"Then do as you're told," Maxwell snapped. "This is your final chance to avoid stirring suspicion."

The heated conversation eventually died down, and as the door closed behind the departing voices, a heavy silence fell over the corridor. Andre lingered in the shadows, his mind reeling from what he'd just overheard. The words—the ultimatum, the desperate tone, and that peculiar reference to "keeping things under wraps"—had planted a seed of doubt in his thoughts.

Later, collapsing onto his bed, his thoughts continued to race.

'i've seen that maid before,' he mused.

Then it hit him: she was the second maid in the room when I woke up.

Their exchange had been incredibly heated. Could it be that my dad and that maid had something to do with the old Andre's death? The thought left him with a gnawing uncertainty that he couldn't easily shake off.