Chapter 1: Rebirth

The light was blinding, a white glare piercing through his closed eyelids. Victor Langlois blinked, but his movements were slow, heavy, as if he were emerging from a deep sleep. He tried to lift a hand to shield himself from the brightness, but his arm refused to obey. A strange sensation filled his body—an unusual weakness, as if he were trapped in a shell that did not belong to him.

A dull sound resonated in his ears: muffled voices, indistinct whispers. He tried to focus, to understand where he was. Gradually, the sounds became clearer—crying, laughter, exclamations of joy. Then, a soft and familiar voice rose, that of a woman.

— Welcome to the world, my little Victor.

Victor opened his eyes wide, or at least as much as he could. His vision was blurry, the contours indistinct. He made out a figure leaning over him, features both foreign and deeply ingrained in his memory. His mother. But how was that possible? He had left this world in 2050, at the age of 49, and now he found himself in his mother's arms, as if he had just been born.

Panic overwhelmed him. He wanted to scream, to ask what was happening, but no sound came from his throat. His vocal cords were useless, incapable of forming the words swirling in his mind. He was trapped in the body of an infant, with all the limitations that entailed.

Yet, his consciousness was intact. He remembered everything—his work as an artificial intelligence engineer, his groundbreaking inventions, the investors who had sabotaged his projects, his tragic death in an accident that might not have been an accident at all. And now, he was here, in 2001, on the day of his own birth.

Victor closed his eyes, trying to calm his racing mind. He needed to think, to understand what was happening to him. Was this a second chance? An opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past? Or a cruel joke played by fate?

He felt himself being lifted, gently placed in a crib. The voices around him faded, replaced by the soothing silence of the room. He was alone, at least for now.

Victor reopened his eyes, observing his surroundings. He was in a hospital room, surrounded by machines and medical equipment. On the wall, a calendar displayed the date: September 15, 2001. The day of his birth.

He tried to move, but his tiny limbs did not respond as he wanted. He was weak, dependent, unable to fend for himself. It was frustrating, even humiliating, for a man who had been at the forefront of technology, who had manipulated concepts that few could grasp.

But Victor was not one to give up. He had always been a fighter, a visionary. If he had been sent back to the past, it was for a reason. And he intended to make the most of it.

He began to devise a plan. He needed to prepare for the future. He knew the major events of history—the key moments, economic crises, technological innovations. He could use this knowledge to get ahead, invest wisely, create companies that would dominate the market.

But most importantly, he had to remember his enemies. The investors who had betrayed him, the competitors who had stolen his ideas, the politicians who had passed laws to limit his influence. This time, he would be ready. He would build his empire earlier, stronger, and he would let no one stand in his way.

Victor smiled inwardly. He might be a baby, but his mind was that of a 49-year-old man, armed with knowledge and experience. He had a significant advantage over the rest of the world, and he fully intended to use it.

He heard the door open. His mother entered the room, accompanied by his father. They leaned over the crib, their eyes shining with happiness.

— He's beautiful, his mother said, gently caressing his cheek.

— Our little prodigy, his father added proudly.

Victor observed them, feeling a mix of emotions. He loved them, of course, but he also knew he would have to keep the truth from them, at least for now. He couldn't explain who he really was, what he knew. They wouldn't believe him, and it could jeopardize his plans.

He had to play the game, act like a normal child, while secretly preparing his ascent. It wouldn't be easy, but he was determined.

As his parents continued to gaze at him with admiration, Victor closed his eyes, pretending to fall asleep. But in his mind, the gears were already turning at full speed. He had a new life ahead of him, a chance to start over. And this time, he wouldn't let anything or anyone stop him.

The first chapter of his story had just begun, and he was ready to write every line of it.