The sunlight poured through the half-open window. It made a warm light spread across the simple room. Little dust bits danced in the gold sunbeams.
The light showed the simple furniture. The walls were a plain light color and looked a little old. There was a single bed made neatly with a blue blanket. A small wooden desk was in a corner.
Everything was clean but used.
On the bed lay a young man. He was sleeping quietly peaceful. His brown hair fell on his forehead.
His skin looked very pale. He was breathing slowly.
His everyday clothes a simple shirt and pants were a little messy. They looked like clothes he wore yesterday.
Suddenly his eyes popped open wide. It was like a shock. His face filled with confusion and panic.
He quickly sat up in bed. His breathing was hard and fast. He looked around his eyes jumping everywhere.
His hands were shaking. He brought them up. He looked at them with big scared eyes wiggling his fingers. They looked smooth and young. Not like the hands he remembered.
"I'm… I'm okay," he whispered. His voice was shaky. "How is this even possible?" He shook his head trying to think.
He looked around the room again. The desk the old rug. The paint on the wall was peeling a little. It all felt weird but it looked exactly like his old room. The room where he grew up. He had not lived here for many years.
He felt a little sick. This was not right. He should not be here. Where was he supposed to be? His mind raced.
There was pain bright lights loud sounds… a hospital? That seemed right.
"Wait a minute," he whispered again. His voice worried. "Why am I at my parents' house? I should be in the hospital… or…" He stopped. But he was not in pain. He was just… here. In his old bed.
He swung his legs off the bed. His bare feet touched the cold wooden floor. The cold felt real. It made him feel a little more steady.
His body felt different. Lighter. Stronger. Like his body in his early twenties. But his mind was a mess full of confusion and an impossible idea.
He stood up and turned towards the wall on his left. There was a tall mirror. He had put it there years ago.
He glanced at it and what he saw made him stop breathing. The person looking back was not who he thought.
He spun around to face the mirror fully. His hands went to his face, touching it. His fingers felt his chin, his cheeks, his forehead. He leaned closer looking hard.
The face looking back was his face but one he had not seen in a really long time.
"How… how am I this young?" he whispered. It was hard to believe.
The person in the mirror looked back – it was him but from ten years ago. His skin was smooth. No little lines around his eyes or on his forehead. His eyes looked full of life not tired. It was him from years ago young.
Next to the mirror on a chair was his old computer. The case was big and looked old. This computer was good when he was a teenager but now it was an old machine. He had not seen it in years.
Seeing the old computer looking young and being in his old room sent a shock through him. The pieces even if impossible were starting to fit. The idea hit him hard and fast.
"Could I have…" He stopped his voice shaking. "…somehow gone back in time?"
The idea was crazy. Like something from a book. But everything around him showed it was true. His heart was beating super fast. He walked quickly to his desk.
On the desk was his old phone. A kind he had not used for years. He picked it up with shaking hands. It felt real. He pressed the power button waited nervously. It took a while.
The screen finally lit up. His heart jumped.
The date on the front screen: January 1 2025.
His eyes felt wet. He was not in 2035. He was here. January 1 2025. The date was clear. It was true.
"I'm… ten years back?" he whispered full of surprise.
His mind was spinning. He remembered everything that happened after that date. The future ten years were gone and the past was here again. He remembered choices, mistakes, missed chances.
His eyes moved to the computer again. He remembered staying up late playing games. And one bad choice: deleting his Row Online account.
That day in 2025 he was going to start at National University. He thought he needed to stop acting like a kid. Deleting his game account felt like saying goodbye to the old him.
But he knew now that one small thing led to many other things.
Only two months later in March 2025 Row Online released a totally new version. Better graphics new things to do and it worked with a new VR-Set.
The game became super popular. Millions then billions played. It was not just a game. Game money became real money.
He felt bad for a long time about deleting his account. He watched others get rich from the game.
Adam moved closer to the desk. He pulled out the chair and sat down. The chair creaked. His fingers paused above the computer's power button before pushing it.
The sound of the computer starting filled the room. The screen lit up. His heart was beating fast.
And there it was. The little picture for Row Online.
He took a deep breath and clicked it. The game loaded. The familiar pictures and music hit him. It made him remember but also hurt. Had he already deleted his account?
The screen asked for his name and password. His hands typed in the old details. The computer took a long time. Then the welcome page showed up.
His character's name. His level. His game money. His account was still there!
He felt a huge wave of relief. He leaned back and let out a breath. For the first time today he smiled a little. This was his second chance.
Adam sat still. He looked at the Row Online screen the game that would become a big part of the world's future. Memories came back of how game money and real money mixed. People quit jobs to play. It became a second world.
Adam leaned back. He thought about trying to rejoin the game two years from now in his old life after university. He bought a VR headset.
But it was too late. Big guilds controlled everything. Starting new was almost impossible. He felt left out and annoyed.
Closing his eyes Adam felt that old upset. "Nobody knows yet how much this game will change the world," he murmured. People thought it was just a game. But he knew it would be vital for money and life. And this time he was at the start.
Suddenly he heard a voice. "Adam!" It was his mother Rachel calling from downstairs. Her voice was familiar but also worried reminding him of past troubles. He remembered his parents' money problems because of his choices.
Guilt hit him.
Adam stood up. His face was determined. This time things would be different. As soon as the new game version came out in March he would put all his effort into it. He would not care about school. He would focus only on the game.
He walked downstairs to the living room. His parents were getting ready for him to leave for university. His dad Ricky was looking at a train ticket. Two suitcases were by the sofa full of his things for school.
"Adam," Ricky said "I've got your train ticket. It leaves this afternoon."
Adam smiled a little. "Dad I want to go alone," he said calmly. "You do not need to come with me."
Ricky looked surprised. "What? Why not?" he asked worried. "I have the day off. I can help you settle."
Adam shook his head gently. "No Dad. I want to do this myself," he explained. "Start this new part of my life on my own."
Rachel turned around quickly clearly worried. "But Adam," she said "it is a new city. What if you get lost?"
Ricky put a hand on her shoulder. "It is okay Rach. If he wants to go alone let him," Ricky said. He turned to Adam. "Just remember son if you have any trouble you call us immediately okay?"
Adam nodded. "Thank you Dad. I promise." He knew he had to go alone. He was not going to university. He knew the game was where he needed to be. He could not let his dad find out his real plan. He looked at the two suitcases. "That is… a lot of stuff," he said quietly.
Rachel and Ricky looked at each other worried. Adam watched them. He felt a little guilty but also more determined. He would make it right this time. For himself and for his parents. He would make sure they had a good life.