“Reborn With the Future in My Hands”

Chapter 7: The Man Who Remembered

The words on the photograph seemed to burn into Ethan's mind.

I REMEMBER TOO, ETHAN.

He read them again.

Then a third time.

His first thought was impossible.

The System had told him that someone else might know about the future.

But Ethan had never expected to see proof this soon.

“Ethan?”

Amelia's voice pulled him back.

“What does it say?”

Ethan turned the photograph over before she could see the writing.

“Nothing important.”

Amelia frowned.

“You're lying.”

“I need you to trust me.”

“That isn't an answer.”

Ethan looked at her.

She wasn't afraid anymore.

She was angry.

Good.

Angry people asked questions.

Fear made people run.

Before Ethan could respond, footsteps sounded from the hallway.

The same footsteps from moments earlier.

Someone was coming back.

Ethan immediately pulled Amelia behind one of the tall bookshelves.

“Stay here.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Find out who we're dealing with.”

He stepped into the corridor.

Empty.

The emergency lights flickered above him.

Ethan moved slowly.

At the end of the hallway, a door was slightly open.

He approached it.

Nothing.

Then he noticed something on the floor.

A small black access card.

He picked it up.

**UNIVERSITY ARCHIVE — AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL**

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

The person who had accessed his emergency contact information before had used an internal terminal.

Now someone connected to the same university had entered the library, photographed him, and left without being seen.

This wasn't random.

Someone had access.

Someone had been watching.

His phone vibrated.

[Future System]

[Investigation Update.]

[An individual connected to the hidden timeline has entered your immediate vicinity.]

Ethan looked around.

“Who?”

The System remained silent.

For the first time, there was no answer.

Ethan frowned.

That was unusual.

The System always gave him something.

A clue.

A warning.

A direction.

This time, nothing.

Then a second message appeared.

[Certain information is unavailable.]

Ethan's expression hardened.

So even the System had limits.

He returned to Amelia.

“We're leaving.”

She grabbed her bag.

“What did you find?”

“An access card.”

“From the university?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know whose it is?”

“Not yet.”

They started walking toward the stairs.

Halfway down, Amelia suddenly stopped.

“Ethan.”

“What?”

She pointed toward the glass entrance doors.

A man stood outside.

Dark jacket.

Baseball cap.

His face was partially hidden.

He was staring directly at them.

Ethan turned.

The man immediately walked away.

Ethan ran toward the exit.

By the time he reached the street, the man had disappeared into the crowd.

But something was left behind.

A folded piece of paper.

Ethan picked it up.

Three words.

**You changed everything.**

He stared at them.

Then another line appeared underneath.

**Victor was supposed to betray you first.**

Ethan's heartbeat stopped.

Victor.

For the first time since his rebirth, the name didn't make him angry.

It made him uncertain.

If this message was true, then saving Amelia hadn't simply changed one event.

It had changed the betrayal itself.

Maybe Victor wasn't the first person who would betray him anymore.

Maybe someone else had taken his place.

Or maybe—

Victor had never been the real betrayer.

“Ethan?”

He folded the paper.

“We need to go.”

---

That evening, Ethan returned home alone.

Richard was sitting in the living room.

He looked up immediately.

“You met Amelia.”

It wasn't a question.

Ethan stopped.

“How do you know?”

“Because I know the Rose family.”

“You knew I would meet her?”

Richard's expression remained unreadable.

“No.”

Ethan walked closer.

“Then tell me why someone just sent me a message about Victor.”

Richard's eyes changed.

“Victor?”

“Yes.”

Richard stood.

“What did they say?”

Ethan studied him.

“They said Victor was supposed to betray me first.”

Richard became completely silent.

That reaction told Ethan more than any answer could.

“You know something.”

Richard looked away.

“Your friend Victor is not the person you think he is.”

Ethan's jaw tightened.

“Is he working with Blackridge?”

“I don't know.”

“Is he involved with the warehouse?”

“I don't know.”

“Then what do you know?”

Richard finally looked at him.

“I know that David Hayes once asked me to keep Victor away from his business.”

Ethan froze.

“Why?”

“Because Victor was asking questions.”

“What questions?”

“About 1996.”

Ethan's mind raced.

Victor had been investigating the same event?

How long?

And why?

Before he could ask more, his phone vibrated.

A message from Victor.

**Can we meet tonight? Alone?**

Ethan stared at the screen.

A second message followed.

**I know what happened to Elena Vale.**

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

Then a third message appeared.

**And I know why someone wants Amelia Rose dead.**

Ethan slowly lowered the phone.

For the first time, he couldn't tell whether Victor was reaching out to help him—

or leading him into a trap.

[Future System]

[Decision Point Detected.]

[Trust Victor.]

[Or investigate him first.]

Ethan stared at the two options.

Then the System added something he had never seen before.

[Warning: Choosing incorrectly may permanently remove Victor from your future.]

Ethan looked toward the window.

Outside, a black car was parked across the street.

Its headlights were off.

Someone was sitting inside.

Watching the house.

Ethan closed his fist around the phone.

This time, he wouldn't rush toward the answer.

He would make the answer come to him.

And if Victor really knew the truth about Elena—

Ethan intended to find out exactly how much he was hiding.