Betrayed and Broken : My Touch Reveals Your Secrets

Chapter 3

A golden-red light suddenly enveloped Peter’s body, healing all his wounds. The old book knocked over the cupboard and the books surrounding Peter, then circled the man’s body before finally landing on his chest.  

As the room grew dim once more, the rain began to pour down heavily. The wind blew fiercely, whipping tree branches against the window and creating a clattering sound.

Raindrops seeped through a hole in the warehouse roof, falling onto Peter’s face.  

Peter began to blink, coming round. He rubbed his head repeatedly, taking in his surroundings.

“Where am I?” Peter jumped in surprise at the dim light. He felt around him, touching some books nearby.

Peter turned towards the window. When a thunderclap rang out so loudly that the room was suddenly lit up, a series of events instantly flashed through his mind.

“I intended to propose to Clara today, but she was actually having an affair with Simon. No, that madwoman has been playing me all this time. Out of anger, I hit Simon and went to be alone on the bridge. Simon hit me until I....”

Peter jumped to his feet. “I was thrown off the bridge and fell.”

Peter stood motionless amidst the thunder that grew ever louder. He felt his body, looking up at the gaping hole in the roof.

“What has happened to me?” Peter brushed the water from his face. “Am I dead?”

Peter hurried to the window, observing the scene outside. “I recognise that view, especially the river and some of the rocks. I... am still on campus.”

Peter slapped his cheek. “I’m still alive, too.”

“Then...” Peter surveyed the room around him as the light returned. “I recognise those rows of bookshelves, too. I... am in an old warehouse near the river.”

“I fell into this old warehouse after falling off the bridge.” Peter felt his body falling silent as he touched his head. “Simon hit my head just before I fell off the bridge. But, I... don’t feel any pain in my head. I’m sure he hit me hard.”

“But I’m actually fine now. This… is strange.”

Amidst Peter’s confusion, a light suddenly appeared from a book.

Peter picked up the book, feeling the cover until he finally realized something. “The man on this cover looks just like me.”

Peter hurriedly switched on the light and opened the first page. He was taken aback when he discovered something. “Peter Miltra?”

Peter blinked several times, rereading the text at the very top. “The first page of this book mentions a detected user, the application of past vision skills, and a user named Peter Miltra.”

Peter checked the book cover and the first page in turn. “The picture on the book cover looks very much like me, and the user name written there is Peter Miltra.”

“Could Peter Miltra be me?” Peter fell silent for a while. “I’ve lived in an orphanage since I was a child, so I know nothing about my family. The only memento I have from my parents is the ring on my finger.”

Peter read the following text.

[Congratulations on acquiring the first-stage ‘Past Vision’ ability]

[The user can see random past events of a person for five seconds upon touching their body]

[User must touch or make contact with someone for three seconds and concentrate fully to activate the ability]

[The ability will not function if the user lacks sufficient energy or fails to concentrate during the scanning period]

[The user will experience dizziness, chest tightness, and a racing heart after using the ability]

“What on earth is all this about?”

Peter looked down at the very bottom of the page. A single short sentence and a mobile number were written in smaller print.

“Call this mobile number to claim your prize.”

Peter ran his finger over the mobile number, looking hesitant, but eventually dialed it. He placed the book on the table and studied the lines of text on the first page.

The call connected, but there was no sound coming from the phone.

Peter let out a long sigh, staring at his picture on the book’s cover. After clenching his fist tightly, he plucked up the courage to speak, “Hello, I’m... Peter Miltra.”

“Welcome back, Young Master. I’ve been waiting for your call for a long time.” A cold, stiff voice came from the phone.

“Young Master?” Peter moved the phone away from his ear for a moment. “Did you just call me Young Master?”

“Correct, Young Master. You are entitled to a reward for successfully applying your core skills through your special book.”

“My special book?” Peter glanced at the book. “I...”

“I’ll send your reward straight away. Please give me your account number now.”

“So, I really am Peter Miltra.”

“Are you listening, Young Master?”

After giving his account number, Peter said again, “I have a lot of questions for you now.”

“The call will be disconnected in five seconds. You can call me back once you’ve managed to open five pages.”

The call was cut off before Peter had even had time to process the situation.

“What on earth is this? He just cut me off like that.”

Peter dialed the number again, but the call still wouldn’t go through. “That man is so cold and stiff. He’s also…”

Beep!

A message notification popped up on Peter’s phone.

Peter froze as he read the notification on the screen. His eyes widened even further at the sight of the extremely long string of numbers. The man blinked repeatedly to make sure he was seeing correctly.

Peter tapped the notification. The phone screen displayed his account balance instantly. He held his breath, took a few steps back until he finally fell onto a pile of old books and documents.

“That person has transferred a hundred billion dollars into my account.”

Peter stood there in a daze for quite some time, slapping his cheeks repeatedly. “This isn’t a dream. I... really do have a hundred billion dollars in my account right now.”

Peter rubbed his forehead as he stood up, checking his account details again. “I-it really feels like a dream right now. I never thought I’d have that much money in my account. I...”

Peter suddenly smiled, checking the first page of the book again. He read the writing there over and over.

“I was betrayed and humiliated in front of everyone, falling off the bridge after Simon hit me on the head. When I woke up, I was fine, received strange information about the strange abilities from this old book, and now I have a hundred billion dollars in my account.”

Peter laughed in the silence of the room. “This really is a miracle.”

Peter checked the book, falling silent when he found no notes on the second page or beyond. “This book only contains notes on the first page.”

Peter fell silent as he recalled his earlier conversation with the man. “He said I should contact him again once I’d managed to open five pages.”

“How do I open the next page?”

Peter shook his head several times. “I’ll think about that later. I need to confirm something first.”

Peter slipped the book into his shirt and hurried out of the warehouse as quickly as possible. He braved the rain as he climbed the long staircase. The thunder and strong wind did nothing to dim his smile.

Peter checked his balance at the cash machine. He was pushed back so hard he nearly fell when he saw the string of numbers still in his account.

“This is real. I really do have a hundred billion dollars in my account.”

Peter ran along the pavement, passing several students and graduates who had taken shelter in various buildings. The rain grew heavier, but it didn’t slow him down in the slightest.

All sorts of plans began to form in Peter’s mind. All his dreams and desires seemed within easy reach with the money in his account now.

Peter returned to the lakeside—the spot where Clara and Simon had humiliated him some time ago.

“I’m going to get you back for what you did.”