Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 397 Changing the Past?

”I SAID STOP IT!!!” Aether roared, his voice filled with desperation and fury. Flames erupted from his hands, engulfing the room in a shimmering blaze of blue fire.

The visions that tormented him flickered in the heat..... but they did not disappear.

His heart pounded, the rage boiling within him threatening to consume everything.

[Oh, come now, Gentleman Aether. You canʼt solve everything with violence, no matter how much you want to.]

The words appeared, taunting him with their calmness, floating before Aetherʼs wild, bloodshot eyes. His entire body trembled with barely contained wrath as he glared at the words.

”Stop this... Stop it all... Now!” His voice dropped to a dangerous growl.

[Oh my~ Are you really trying to threaten me?

How adorable, like a child throwing a tantrum.

But since weʼve arrived at the place I wanted to show you, let me ask you something...

You despised your motherʼs marriage, didnʼt you? You hated every moment of it, yet you never spoke up.

Why?

Why did you stay silent when it mattered most?]

Aetherʼs breath caught in his throat as the words struck deep, triggering the reel of memories he wished he could forget.

The visions shifted, displaying his motherʼs wedding day. It was a grand affair, the kind that made headlines. A union between a beloved top actress and a powerful high-level politician. The kind of wedding that glittered with perfection.

As he watched, his motherʼs radiant smile after so many years cut through his anger, leaving only a hollow ache, ”I... I wanted her to be happy,” he whispered, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. ”Just like my father found happiness in his new life...”

[Hmm... Interesting. Youʼve seen too many dramas at a young age if you truly believe such naive things.]

Aetherʼs mind drifted back to his childhood, the memories of countless dramas his parents used to watch. Despite his neurological issues, he had always been a curious child, absorbing everything around him like a sponge.

The stories, the fantasies, Even acting... they all became a part of him, a way to escape the harsh reality he was too young to fully understand.

[But tell me, Aether... Were you happy? Truly happy?]

The vision twisted, the bright wedding scene replaced by a much darker memory.

His stepfatherʼs cold, disdainful gaze bore into him. Whenever his mother wasnʼt home, the man would order him around, treating him like a servant rather than a son.

The little boy would bite his lip, agreeing to every demand, hoping it would gain his affection and make his motherʼs life easier... but,

Slap!

The sound echoed in Aetherʼs ears, as sharp and stinging as it had been all those years ago.

”Tsk, useless, just like your worthless father,” his stepfather sneered. Aether, still too young to fight back, this time spilling tea on the manʼs expensive clothes. ”Next time you stain my clothes, You will be sleeping on the road!”

As time passed, the manʼs cruelty grew. He began hurting Aether whenever his mother was away, finding joy in the boyʼs pain. When Aether could no longer bear it, he finally told his mother, his voice shaking with fear and hope.

But her reaction shattered him.

”If you hate your new father, just say so,” she snapped, her eyes cold, her love suddenly distant, ”Heʼs the best man Iʼve ever met, unlike your bastard father who couldnʼt even control—” She cut herself off, her voice rising. ”Tsk, next time you speak ill of your father, donʼt make me hate you more than I already do!”

Aetherʼs vision blurred with tears as he stared at the memory, his focus narrowing to his motherʼs face, etched with anger and disappointment.

The woman who had once been his world now seemed like a stranger.

[It all began because you didnʼt voice your true emotions...]

The scene suddenly froze, leaving Aether suspended in a dark void. The words shimmered in front of him, twisting and changing...

[If only you had shown who you really were... the outcome could have been so different...]

The vision shifted again, showing an alternate reality—a ʼWhat if?ʼ that Aether had never allowed himself to imagine.

”No, Mommy! Please donʼt marry him! I donʼt want to lose you!” A younger version of himself cried out, his voice filled with desperation as he clung to his motherʼs leg.

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”N-No...” Aether stammered, his heart pounding in disbelief as he watched the memory warp before his eyes. This wasnʼt how it happened... and yet, it was everything he had ever wanted.

What if he had been brave enough to express his true feelings?

What if he had ignored his motherʼs smile and told her the truth?

Aetherʼs breath caught as he saw the alternate outcome unfold. His mother, moved by his outburst, cancelled the marriage. Slowly, they grew closer, forging the bond he had always dreamed of, the connection he had longed for every day of his life.

[See... it wasnʼt so hard, was it? If only you had been true to yourself... But...]

Aetherʼs eyes filled with a mix of despair and longing as he watched the vision. The boy grew up happily by his motherʼs side, loved and cherished—a life Aether had never known. It was like staring into a mirror that showed everything he had ever wanted, everything he had lost.

[Thereʼs no changing the past... You ignored your own feelings and sacrificed your happiness for others...]

”I... I...” Aetherʼs voice cracked, the words caught in his throat, suffocating him with their weight.

[A child should have been selfish... Thatʼs what it means to be a child. You should have fought for your happiness, for yourself.]

As the room plunged into darkness, a deep, unsettling silence enveloped Aether. Two ominous doors materialized before him, one pure white, the other a swirling mix of white and a small quantity of black.

[Now choose.... If you believe what you did in the past was right, then choose the white door. But... if you think the vision you saw represents the true outcome of your actions, then choose the other one...]

Aetherʼs mind was already a tangled mess, lost in a labyrinth of doubt and confusion.

He stared at the two doors.... Slowly, almost mechanically, he began to move toward the white door.

His lifeless eyes reflected his inner turmoil, and his hands trembled uncontrollably.

Was he made a mistake?.... Or was this twisted game playing with his emotions, distorting his sense of reality?

Just as his fingers brushed against the cold surface of the white door, the words appeared once more, hovering before him like a silent judge.

[Are you sure...? Are you going to choose the path youʼve already taken, that miserable decision that changed your life for the worse?]

Aetherʼs hand hesitated, hovering inches from the doorknob. His gaze locked onto the words, his voice barely a whisper as he replied, ”Y-Yeah... Itʼs because I... I loved her more than I loved myself... I chose her happiness over mine.” His voice quivered, the conviction in his words wavering. Just as he was about to turn the knob, the words appeared again, stopping him in his tracks.

[Even if I told you... You could change your past, would you still choose the same path?]

”....”

The level bar fluctuated wildly...

Meanwhile, in another part of the game chamber,

[Are you sure about this... Lady Raven Noir?]

”Y-Yes... I do,” Raven panted, her breath ragged and uneven. Sweat dripped from her brow, her entire body trembling as she fought to maintain her sanity. Her hands clenched into fists as she forced herself forward, every step toward the white door a battle against the madness clawing at her mind.

Raven stepped through the door, only to be met with the same reels of her memories, playing out before her once again. Her eyes narrowed in frustration and anger.

She knew this game would continue, tormenting her, until she fully accepted herself—until she embraced the choices she had made.

This game was designed to break those who couldnʼt reconcile with their past, to shatter them until there was nothing left but despair.... And Raven was no exception.

Suddenly, the words appeared, mocking her resolve.

[This is your second time here, isnʼt it?]

Ravenʼs lips pressed into a thin line, refusing to give the voice the satisfaction of a response.

[Fu~Fu~ I see... Iʼm sorry, itʼs ʼherʼ second time, not yours!]

Ravenʼs hands clenched tighter, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to contain her rage.

[Since both of you are here... Why donʼt we see ʼHerʼ memories too?]

Ravenʼs face went pale. She had expected this, but the dread still seeped into her bones, ʼI knew these bastards wouldnʼt let me get through this unscathed...ʼ she thought.

Without hesitation, she threw several sparkling crystal balls into the air, scattering them around the room.

Spark!!

Spark!!!!

The crystal balls emitted violent sparks, crackling with energy, their light flashing chaotically in the dark room.

[Violence is not the answer~]

A smirk played on Ravenʼs lips as she nudged her sunglasses, her eyes gleaming, ”This isnʼt violence... This is something else entirely. Rather...

Activate System Code: 232476.”

The words froze in midair, their glow flickering before a new message appeared,

[..... Activating]

Ravenʼs smirk widened, ”Bypass the system,” she ordered, her voice steady, laced with satisfaction.