Chapter 104: Shadows of the Past

The old warehouse was cold and creaked with every gust of wind, but for now, it was safe.

Elias sat on the floor with his back against a crate, the watch lying in his palm.

The glow had dimmed, but the weight of it felt heavier than ever.

Across from him, Elira paced restlessly, biting her thumbnail — a nervous habit she thought she'd grown out of.

"I don't get it," she said, her voice breaking the heavy silence. "You were... normal. Ordinary. And now you're—"

She gestured helplessly at him, as if "super-soldier" didn't even cover it.

Elias looked down at the watch.

"I was ordinary," he admitted. "I struggled in school, messed up interviews, got dumped, bullied…"

His voice was hollow.

"But then," he continued, "the watch gave me tasks. Win here, survive there. Each time, it rewarded me."

He looked up, locking eyes with her.

"It made me smarter. Stronger. Faster."

Elira dropped onto the floor beside him, her wet hair falling across her face.

"And lonelier?" she asked softly.

Elias flinched.

Because it was true.

With every reward, he became less like the people around him.

Less relatable.

More alone.

---

Name: Jonas Reed

Age: 24

Profession: Former tech assistant, secretly working for enemies

Appearance: Pale skin, blond messy hair, thin build, always looks a little nervous

Attitude: Cowardly but regretful, deeply loyal once trust is earned

Flaws: Greedy under pressure, crumbles easily in high-stress moments, low self-esteem

---

The watch buzzed faintly.

New Task:

"Forgive those who wronged you. (Reward: Master-level negotiation skills.)"

Elias stared at it, his heart clenching.

Forgive Jonas?

Forgive everyone who had abandoned him before he became "special"?

Could he?

Should he?

Elira leaned over, reading the task from the watch screen.

"Looks like it's trying to turn you into a saint," she muttered.

Elias barked a bitter laugh.

"I'm barely human at this point."

---

He remembered sitting alone at lunch in high school.

His cracked phone screen.

The job application emails that never got responses.

The doctor's report calling him "average" in every category.

He had been so painfully invisible.

And now?

Now they wanted him back.

To forgive them.

Was it fair?

No.

But was it necessary?

Maybe.

Because without forgiveness, even the strongest man would eventually break under the weight of his own bitterness.

---

This wasn't just about Elias.

This was about how in the real world, holding onto pain could rot a person from the inside.

How sometimes, the most powerful thing you could do wasn't to fight harder...

But to let go.

Elias didn't know if he could forgive Jonas.

Or the old friends who ghosted him.

Or even his own family who thought he was a failure.

But maybe — just maybe — he could try.

And maybe that was enough.

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