Chapter 1: Chapter 1: In That Moment, I Knew…

Whack!

The blow from the baseball bat was like a bolt of lightning, sending waves of pain through my skull. "It hurts… my head…," I gasped, my voice barely audible.

"You shouldn't have gotten involved, John," the assailant sneered, their face contorted with rage, blonde hair covering their red-tinged eyes. "That bitch isn't worth saving."

But I had only been trying to help her. And now, as I lay on the ground, my life slipping away from me, I couldn't understand why this was happening. Through the blur of pain, I could hear Lily sobbing and pleading for mercy beneath me. If only her legs weren't broken, she might have been able to escape.

Lily…

As I lay there, dying, I was overwhelmed with regret. I wished that I had tried harder to make friends instead of giving up after one try. I wished that I had been brave enough to try new things, even if I was afraid of failing. I wished that I had been a better person, instead of letting my insecurities and self-doubt consume me.

But most of all, I regretted not living my life to the fullest. I had always been too afraid to take risks, too afraid to step out of my comfort zone. And now, as I lay dying, I realized that I had wasted so much time and so many opportunities.

I couldn't bear the thought of leaving this world with so much regret, knowing that I had let my fears hold me back from experiencing everything that life had to offer. And as the darkness closed in around me, I couldn't help but feel that I had let myself down, that I had let everyone else down. Mom, Dad, Emily, Lily…

I don't know how long I’ve laid here, my mind consumed by grief and regret while being crushed by a baseball bat. But eventually, I knew that it was over. I had fought as hard as I could, but in the end, it wasn't enough. And as I prepared to take my final few breaths, I knew that I was going to die a failure, a shadow of the person I could have been.

But even as I accepted my fate, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had to keep fighting. For Lily, for the people I had wronged, and for myself.

You are reading story A Cycle of Death and Rebirth at novel35.com

I don't know how, but I found the strength to lift my head and look at my assailant. "Why are you doing this?" I asked, my voice laced with pain and anger.

"Because I have to," they spat, the venom in their voice palpable. "It's the only way. To save her!" With those words, they brought the bat down on me again.

I don't remember much after that. There were sirens and flashing lights, and people shouting. But through it all, I held on to the faint hope that maybe, just maybe, I could save Lily and make things right.

But it was too late. As I took my last breath, I saw Lily trying to cling to me, her cries for help growing faint as she was dragged away by the blonde-haired assailant.

In my final moments, I was filled with grief and regret. I had failed to protect the people I had been trying to save, and I knew that I would never have the chance to make things right.

As I slipped into unconsciousness, I knew that I had fought to the very end, even if it was meaningless. In the end, it wasn't enough. I had died without achieving anything, without making any difference. And as my vision went dark, I knew—

—In that moment, John Fairfield had died.

—=Initializing Soul Transfer=—

---

To Be Continued ⇒ Chapter 2: The New Kid

You can find story with these keywords: A Cycle of Death and Rebirth, Read A Cycle of Death and Rebirth, A Cycle of Death and Rebirth novel, A Cycle of Death and Rebirth book, A Cycle of Death and Rebirth story, A Cycle of Death and Rebirth full, A Cycle of Death and Rebirth Latest Chapter