Making the Decision

Vlad left his room, his mind torn between two opposing desires: to fight for a better future or to cherish the time he had with his family and live his own life.

No matter how noble the cause of saving countless billions was and how his involvement could change a lot, the choice to save the empire would come at the cost of his own life.

If he wanted to truly improve the future, he would need to dedicate his life to it because doing it half-heartedly would not work.

Even if failure was his fate, he would not be able to forgive himself if he did not do his best.

He was hesitant, and rightfully so because he understood that his new reality could be just a virtual reality, an illusion that could break at any moment.

If this was just a virtual reality, then chasing after a useless goal would be a mistake he would deeply regret once the illusion shattered.

Vlad descended the stairs, his eyes searching for his mother as the familiar sights brought old memories.

The living room contained three sofas, and right next to them rested a dining table, which he had missed countless times throughout his long life.

Two rooms stood side by side on the front left side. A narrow passageway separated them from the storage room and kitchen on the right side.

It was a small place that he once desperately wished to leave and live in, one of those high-rise buildings with amazing views, but now Vlad saw it as a place of comfort.

He wished to spend his days in this home and live a simple life with his family rather than chasing after a bigger and bigger goal.

He took his seat at the dining table opposite Yelena, who silently ate her meal. Her meal was a synthetic steak with a side of nutrient-enriched mashed potatoes and vegetables, and as she ate, her sharp gaze flickered toward him every so often.

Vlad pressed his hand on the table, and instantly, the top of the table before him shifted. A plate filled with steaming hot food rose to the surface, ready to be eaten.

'I felt the heat melt my skin and muscle,' Vlad thought as he began to eat, recounting his last moments. 

'The excruciating pain, the emergency sirens, Reed saying his goodbye, and finally the flash of white followed by the silent darkness,'

'I died,' He believed it to be true, but he was here, years back in time, reliving the moments he had lived once before.

Vlad wished dearly that he was back in time, like in those novels and movies, but he lived in a time when technology could achieve almost anything.

Vlad was lost in thoughts when his mother left the kitchen and made her way to the dining table. Her appearance was nearly identical to Yelena's, with the same flowing dark hair and light almond eyes, and she looked to be in her early thirties.

She set down her tea and looked at him with that quiet, motherly intuition that always saw through him. "Vlad, what's wrong?"

Vlad looked up, his breath caught in his throat as he felt a mix of emotions, starting with happiness before shifting to sadness, shame, and then regret, as he remembered his last memory with her before half his family was taken away in a flash.

The last memory Vlad had of his mother was of a fight he had with her over the virtual call, and he cursed himself for that stupid mistake for as long as he lived.

"Vlad, is something bothering you?" She asked, her eyes filled with concern.

Vlad didn't answer with a lie, and for some reason, he felt that he could just tell her the truth, but then he questioned what he would even tell her. 

What could he even say?

That he had already lived this life? That he knew what was coming? That every choice he made now would either lead to war and suffering or something different—something better—if he was willing to sacrifice for it?

His hands curled into fists under the table. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to be the one to carry this burden.

But the memories of the terrible future refused to leave his mind. The death of entire worlds, the long war that took everything he had, his friends, family, hope, and humanity.

He wanted to believe none of it mattered.

He wanted to believe he could just live this second chance with his family and ignore the future.

But deep down, he knew that wasn't true.

"You will be chosen." His silence stretched long enough that his mother, instead of pressing, just smiled gently and said. "I know my son will be chosen."

Vlad's mother could be so confident because he had already been tested the previous year. Although he wasn't chosen, he had been marked as a candidate, someone with a high chance of selection in the following year.

While only one in ten candidates ultimately made it through, his odds were still far better than those of the average person.

Vlad blinked, breaking free from the momentary daze.

"Mother…" His voice was quiet, uncertain. "If I get chosen, I will be spending days inside Ascension."

"Then you will earn a fortune," Yelena smirked. "And Father can finally retire."

"It doesn't matter how much you earn. Your happiness is all that matters to me." Their mother shook her head softly, laughing. 

Vlad inhaled sharply.

Happiness.

Could he be happy knowing what was coming? Could he sit here, day after day, pretending he didn't know the billions of lives at stake?

If the illusion broke and he returned to the cruel reality, then good, but what if that never happened?

He would then likely die on a random planet, running away with a heart full of regret and shame as he tried to save his family from the flames of the war.

'If this is my destiny, then I will not run from it,' Vlad thought, his fist slowly unclenching.

The burden didn't feel any lighter, but now, his choice was clear.

"Mother… Yelena…" He looked up at them, his voice steady. "If I do get chosen, so what would you ladies want as your first present,"

"Think of something big," He said, hiding his stress and anxiety behind a smile.

If he can't achieve the life he desires, he will make sure his family does, and that would be his redemption for all that he could not do in his past life and would not be able to in this life.

"A new house. One of those sky island mansions," Yelena blurted out, her eyes sparkling with excitement. But then she quickly shook her head. "No, no, wait. I want to do a galaxy-wide tour,"

She clasped her hands together, her face lighting up as she imagined it. "Visiting all those famous worlds, seeing the crystal reefs of Oceara, the floating markets of Zephyros and Oh, and the twin suns of Solaria,"

She looked at Vlad, eyes wide with expectation. "You would sponsor it, right? I mean, if you are going to be some big-shot Ascension player, you then have to do it."

"Even if I don't become a big earner, sending you away would be worth it," Vlad said, with his hand on his chin.

"Sure, Big guy," She grinned with a broad smile, "When I am gone, you will be the one to miss me the most,"

"Mom, what about you?" Yelena asked, quickly leaning closer to whisper that she should ask him to get a Sky Island mansion.

Their mother began to ponder with her palm pressed against her face, thinking hard about her answer, but deep down, she knew what she wanted.

"I want a big family, a lot of cute little children who run around the house calling me grandma as I deal with their antics," She said with a warm smile, her eyes distant as she imagined that life.

"Vlad, you can always create an orphanage and let Mother manage it," Yelena said, snickering, knowing well that she wanted her own grandchildren.

Vlad just smiled, hiding his anger and regret. It was exactly the topic of marriage that they fought over in his last conversation, and he ended up saying some truly harsh words that he regretted his entire life.

Their mother was an orphan who lived in one of the dark areas, places created illegally by a crime syndicate, and had spent her life in truly bad conditions.

Vlad was never told much about what really happened, but he knew that his mother always had a soft spot for children, likely because she wished to give them the life she never had.

"Who knows? If I get rich, I might become a playboy with a harem of wives and end up making Mother's dream come true," Vlad said with a cheeky grin.

"Ohh, please," Yelena rolled her eyes at his obvious joke. "With that cold heart of yours, you would need a miracle to handle even one wife, let alone many."

"I don't care if you have a harem, but you better treat them with equal love and care," Their mother said, and with a playful sigh, she followed. "Just remember, I expect lots of grandchildren."