The evening was supposed to be a celebration.
The soft hum of chatter and clinking glasses filled the air as the guild members of Eclipse Dominion gathered around the lavish dinner table. The restaurant overlooked the city skyline, its lights shimmering like stars against the dark canvas of night. It was a rare moment of camaraderie, a break from the endless grind of Eternal Nexus, the MMORPG that had consumed their lives for years.
But for Liam Carter, it felt like the calm before the storm.
He sat at the head of the table, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the rim of his wine glass. His guild members laughed and toasted, the atmosphere felt jovial.
Among them was Elena, his girlfriend, her auburn hair catching the light as she smiled at him. Her smile had always been his anchor, but tonight, it felt... off.
"To Liam," Elena said, raising her glass. Her voice was sweet, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—something he couldn't quite place.
"The man who led us to victory over the Mace Guild in Eternal Nexus. Without him, we'd still have to be scourging for resources and struggling to climb into the top 20 guilds"
The guild cheered, their glasses clinking in unison. Liam forced a smile, but a knot of unease tightened in his chest. He had trusted these people with his life, both in-game and out. They had fought together, bled together, and celebrated countless victories. But lately, something had changed.
"Liam," Elena said softly, placing a hand on his arm. "You've been so tense lately. Relax. Tonight's about us."
He nodded, pushing aside his doubts. Maybe he was overthinking things. After all, they were his family—his real family. The game had brought them together, but their bond went beyond quests.
Or so he thought.
As the night wore on, the wine flowed freely, and the laughter grew louder. Liam's vision began to blur, his limbs feeling heavy. He shook his head, trying to clear the fog, but it only grew thicker.
"Elena..." he slurred, his voice barely audible. "I don't feel... right."
Her smile didn't waver. "It's okay, Liam. Just relax."
Panic surged through him as he realized what was happening. The wine—it had been drugged. He tried to stand, but his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor. The room spun around him, the faces of his guild members looming above, their expressions cold and detached.
"Why...?" he managed to choke out, his gaze locking onto Elena's.
She knelt beside him, her hand brushing his cheek.
However, another person from the guild suddenly sneered
"You were always too trusting, Liam. You gave us joint ownership of all your items, your account, everything. And now, Eclipse Dominion belongs to us, finally free from your clutches"
His heart shattered as her words sank in. The guild—his guild—had been a lie. The friendships, the loyalty, the love... all of it had been a carefully constructed facade.
But why? Why after all he had done for the guild?
"You were holding us back," one of the other guild leaders sneered. "Your morals have been in our way time and again. With you gone, we'll finally reach the top."
"Look at how you handled the guild all these years."
"We have won over 50 guild wars, but we have never been convincingly above the other guilds. This is all due to your mismanagement! If you weren't so soft and would have just crippled all the guilds, our guild would have soared up long ago!"
"What?" Liam exclaimed. "It is just a game. Is it so bad to not completely destroy others?"
"Just a game? You think the government's rewards of billions of dollars to guilds in the top is also a game? The fewer the number of guilds, the more share we would have!!" another executive of the guild screamed
"The money is to help develop more and more guilds. You know how monster attacks in real life have been more and more frequent in the recent past! How would the world survive if 1 guild monopolized all the resources… cough …. cough?!"
Under the effects of the poison, Liam fell to his knees.
"Still a softie, Liam. You really think that helping others and winning together is the way to go, don't you.." Elena said as she came near the now down Liam
"Elena…." Liam stammered, his voice layered with an unmistakable layer of hurt.
"You know how many times I told you that I loved your kind heart, but I think that at this point, you deserve to know the truth…"
Suddenly, Elena's smile grew cold
"You disgust me. Weak willed and ambitionless men like you belong to the lowest dregs of the society. You think someone like you deserves to be with me?"
"Now die peacefully and let me take over…."
Elena's words cut deeper than any blade. He had trusted her, loved her, and now she stood over him like a predator savoring its kill. Was this who she had always been? Had he been blind to her true nature all along?
Liam could not believe his ears, but deep down, he knew that this was the hard reality. The woman he loved, the Guild he led, the happy life he had earlier…
None of it was true. The same guild members who had been cheering a few minutes ago now looked at him with indifferent and mocking eyes.
Slowly, Liam's vision darkened as he felt someone dragging him out of the restaurant, his body limp and unresponsive. The cold night air hit his face as they reached the pool, its surface glistening like a mirror.
"This is where it ends for you and starts for me, Liam," Elena whispered, her voice devoid of emotion. "Goodbye."
They pushed him into the water, the icy embrace swallowing him whole. He struggled to move, to breathe, but his body refused to obey. As the water filled his lungs, one thought burned in his mind:
If I get a second chance... I'll make them pay. Every single one of them.
His cheating girlfriend, his traitorous guild
Every single one would pay.
Darkness claimed him, and the world faded away
….
Liam gasped, his eyes snapping open as he jolted upright. His heart pounded in his chest, his body drenched in cold sweat. He expected to see the dark abyss of death, but instead, he found himself standing in a familiar grassy field, the sun shining brightly overhead.
The air was filled with the sound of birds chirping and the distant chatter of players. He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers in disbelief. They felt real—alive.
"Welcome to Eternal Nexus," a cheerful voice announced. "Please create your character and begin your journey!"
Liam's breath hitched as realization dawned on him. He was back—back at the beginning, on the day the game launched.
How was this possible? Was this just a hallucination as his brain was dying?
Not believing the screen, he pinched himself hard.
"Ouch" The sharp pain confirmed that this wasn't a dream.
The Character Creation screen hovered before him, its interface exactly as he remembered it from five years ago. This wasn't a hallucination—it was a second chance
After confirming that he had indeed travelled back in time. The memories of his betrayal, his death, and his pledge for revenge flooded his mind.
A grim smile spread across his face as he clenched his fists.
"This time," he muttered, his voice cold and resolute, "I'll play the game not to win but to destroy. They'll regret the day they crossed me."