Inside the dark alleyway, a tall, slender yet masculine man leaned against the shadowy wall. He wore transparent eyeglasses, a black jacket, and matching black pants. His arms were crossed, and a devilish smile played on his lips.
"Do you understand now, Veko?" the man in the jacket said coldly, a smile creeping across his face as he looked at Veko.
"You never realized... I planned everything from the moment we became friends."
Veko was on his knees, his arms tightly bound behind his back. His face was bruised and bloodied from repeated punches, a trickle of blood running from his split lip. His once-neat office uniform was now filthy and rumpled, stained from the kicks he'd endured.
Two big, muscular men stood beside him, each wearing black pants and tight black shirts that revealed their tattoo-covered biceps. They looked like gang enforcers as they flanked Veko. One of them held a gun, though it wasn't yet aimed at him.
The man in the jacket slowly leaned in toward Veko's left ear and whispered, "How do you like my gift, Veko? Ironic, isn't it? You're the one getting promoted to CEO... but I'm the one who truly earned it."
The man in the jacket stopped whispering and straightened up. He glanced at the man standing next to Veko, then shifted his gaze between the muscular man and Veko. The muscular man, the one without the gun but holding a brown envelope... stepped forward and tossed the envelope onto the ground in front of Veko.
"Curious about what's inside the envelope?" the man in the jacket asked with a sly smile. He crouched down in front of Veko, picked up the envelope, and slowly began to reveal its contents.
After revealing the contents, he slowly placed the legally printed document on top of the envelope and gently set it on the ground, positioning it so Veko could see. When Veko looked down and read the document, he stared at it with a look of quiet sadness.
Veko's eyes scanned the paper, reading silently even as his gaze flicked across the page. The man in the jacket watched closely... he could tell Veko was absorbing every word.
From the Office of Internal Affairs… Due to confirmed violations committed by Veko Morlen, a debt of $50,000,000 is to be imposed... Effective immediately, all promotions are suspended... Employment is hereby terminated by default...
The man in the jacket stepped on the fallen legal document, grinding it into the dirt beneath his shoe until it was torn and unreadable. Then, without hesitation, he crouched in front of Veko and seized his jaw in a firm grip. His voice was low and cold as he said, "That's what you get for trusting blindly. You believed in me so completely... and look where it got you."
The man in the jacket released his grip on Veko's jaw and straightened up, turning his attention to the man standing beside Veko... who held a pistol in his hand. The man with the gun raised it to Veko's head, silently asking for permission. The man in the jacket gave a subtle nod in response.
After that, the man shot Veko in the head... BANG! Veko instantly lost consciousness. His body collapsed to the ground as blood spurted from the wound, pooling beneath him.
Veko had spent the past ten years believing in his best friend, never suspecting that the very person he trusted most was secretly plotting his downfall. Driven and ambitious, Veko worked tirelessly to rise through the ranks of Nexovance, the world's leading tech conglomerate, with dreams of one day becoming its CEO.
Unbeknownst to him, his best friend had been manipulating things behind the scenes... sabotaging Veko's reputation while taking credit for his accomplishments. When the time came for the board to choose a new CEO, it was Veko's friend who was promoted, hailed as the visionary behind Nexovance's recent successes.
Meanwhile, Veko was cast as the villain, blamed for the company's setbacks, and discarded by the very organization he helped build.
...
A few minutes later, Veko found himself in a strange room. It was luxurious, yet carried an old-fashioned charm. The bed was covered in pristine white sheets, with ornate golden metalwork framing it. The walls were also painted a bright white, but despite the clean color, everything had an aged, antique feel.
He was lying on the bed, but when he lifted the sheets, he saw that his body looked much younger... his hands were small, and his skin was smooth. Quickly, he touched his face and felt the softness of youth. He had become a child.
"W-WHAT?!" he shouted... but the moment he heard his voice, it wasn't the deep tone he was used to. Instead, it was high-pitched and childlike.
"H-hi… h-hello," he said again, speaking slowly, trying to hear and understand his new voice more clearly.
I'm… not dead? Or was I? So reincarnation is real after all? I always believed in it, but I never expected to find out what happens after death. And now... I'm a child? What kind of world have I been reborn into?!
He quickly got out of bed and walked over to the large windows. Outside, the land stretched out in a sea of green grass. Colorful butterflies fluttered among vibrant flowers lining the walls, and the sky above was clear and bright.
"This is so beautiful," little Veko said as he looked out the window, taking in the view. Just then, the door began to open. A young-looking woman stepped inside, dressed in a maid's uniform. Her eyes widened in surprise as she exclaimed, "Young Master?! You're already awake!!"
The maid suddenly rushed forward and embraced little Veko, her eyes welling with tears as she tightened her hold on him. "Thank you... the Young Master is alive..."
Veko, still confused and unsure of what was happening, simply hugged the maid back. Just then, another maid who had overheard the commotion realized he was awake. Within moments, three more maids rushed into the room, their eyes wide with shock. One of them fell to her knees, covering her face with both hands as she began to cry.