Chapter 44: A Knife for the Future

[11th April 2024]

Evan had just arrived home. The comforting aroma of food greeted him as he stepped inside—the result of his aunt’s culinary skills, already busy preparing lunch for him and Jason.

He entered his apartment, tossed his bag onto the desk, then went through the usual routine—changing clothes, freshening up, and mentally preparing for the next phase of his day. Skipping lunch wasn’t an option. His aunt had a sixth sense for such things, and missing a meal would earn him a full-blown lecture.

Once he was ready, he headed downstairs to their shared apartment.

After a satisfying meal with his aunt and uncle, Evan excused himself, citing the need to prepare for an upcoming test. No one questioned it.

Back in his room, he shut the door firmly behind him.

Click.

The lock slid into place, ensuring no one would interrupt what came next.

“To retrieve that item, I have to go to the factory… which means facing Jacob’s men. With my current strength, that’s suicide. But if I wait until I’m stronger, the opportunity will vanish.”

Evan leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping against the desk. The memories from his past life whispered in fragments.

“Back then, I was kidnapped. That’s how I ended up in that place… and that's where I found the artifact.”

He frowned.

“But… why can’t I remember anything

before

Blue Star? Did something happen to my soul? Or... was something erased?”

That gap in memory left a bitter taste in his mouth, but there was no time to dwell on it.

“I’ll recreate the past. Let them kidnap me again… but this time, I’ll be ready. I just need the right tool.”

His eyes narrowed. He remembered a website. A hidden one. A digital ghost that only a few could access. In his first life—right before the apocalypse—governments began subtly preparing the public, and people with sharp eyes found places to buy emergency tools. That’s how he learned of it.

He booted up his desktop and began searching.

Several minutes passed.

Then—click. A plain-looking website blinked to life. Just like he remembered.

He created an account and began his search.

Hidden daggers. Bladed watches. Concealed knives within belts. So many options, but none of them

felt

right.

He didn’t need something fancy. Just something small and lethal. A rope-cutter. A lifesaver.

Finally, he found it.

A sleek, razor-sharp dagger—thin, precise, and deadly. It could be hidden inside a wristband and easily concealed under a shirt.

The price?

915 points.

He checked his bank balance.

948 points.

“Perfect,” he muttered.

But the low price bothered him. Why was such a high-quality item being sold so cheaply?

He scanned the reviews and quickly realized the catch: it was a

single-use

weapon. Once unsheathed from its hidden slot, it couldn't be reset without breaking the mechanism. Miss the strike, and it was useless.

The seller didn’t care. He had tons of them and was dumping them at dirt-cheap prices.

Still, for Evan’s plan, it was perfect.

He tossed it into the cart and proceeded to checkout.

That’s when he saw the delivery fee.

+100 points.

“…Crap.”

He considered borrowing from Rossy, thinking he’d return it the next day. Just as he opened his messaging app, a notification popped up.

“Price Drop Alert: Local customer placed a bulk order. Shared delivery point enabled. New delivery charge: 0 points.”

He blinked, stunned.

“What kind of saint placed an order at the perfect time!?”

Without hesitation, Evan confirmed the order, picked the nearby shared pickup location, and completed the purchase.

Then, without thinking, he raised his hands in silent prayer.

“God, please bless that kind stranger. May all his endeavors succeed.”

Meanwhile…

Rey sat at his desk, clicking away on his keyboard, focused on another hidden layer of the net.

Achoo!

He sneezed suddenly and chuckled.

“Huh. Someone must be thinking of me.”

Then he dove right back into his task.

(A/N: Wait... was Rey the one who placed the original order? But how does he know about this hidden site? Ordinary people shouldn’t even be able to access it. Want to know more? Check out my second novel.)

Back in Evan’s apartment, he smiled softly, staring at the screen.

“The last thing’s done. Now, I just need rest.”

He shut down the desktop and collapsed into bed.

Sleep took him instantly.

Not just because of physical exhaustion—but the kind that weighed down his soul.

Hours passed.

At

7:15 PM

, Evan was jolted awake by the sharp ringing of his phone.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

He rubbed his eyes and saw multiple missed calls—Jason, Rossy, a few friends. Panic set in as he glanced at the time.

“Crap. I overslept.”

He rushed downstairs and entered the family apartment. The kitchen lights were on, and Rossy was busy prepping dinner.

“Hi, Aunt. Sorry, I dozed off...”

“Oh, I figured. Do you think I don’t have the spare keys? When you didn’t answer my calls, I thought something had happened! I went up and found you sleeping like a rock.”

Evan’s face turned sheepish. “(:o) Uh… sorry?”

Rossy raised an eyebrow. “So, what made you so tired?”

He hesitated. “Ah... just a minor accident in—”

He froze.

Wrong move.

Too late.

Rossy’s expression shifted from concern to alarm, and within minutes, she had:

Called Jason.

Demanded a hospital check-up.

Blasted Rick with a lecture that could rival a thunderstorm.

By the time things settled, dinner was served, and Rossy was still fussing over him like a mother hen. She handed him some pain medication and insisted he call her the moment anything felt off.

He promised, half-guilty, half-grateful.

She even wanted him to sleep over, but he gently declined. If he stayed, she wouldn’t sleep a wink worrying about him.

Back in his room, Evan packed his bag for school and took the pills.

The moment his head hit the pillow, sleep came again, deeper this time.

The next day rolled in like any other.

His mind was clearer, but his thoughts remained sharp.

The delivery was scheduled for tomorrow.

And Evan knew—he needed to be prepared to receive it discreetly.

The day ended on a quiet note, his mind spinning with silent plans.

Two people, two paths, and one unseen thread connecting them.

But while their direction was the same—

Their goals were vastly different.