The room was cold and dark.
Old machines stood around like forgotten guardians. Their screens blinked weakly, and thick wires covered the floor like a spider's web. A single table stood in the middle, metal and stained. It was quiet—only the soft hum of electricity broke the silence.
A man sat beside the table, shaking. His hands, wrinkled and full of scars, held a strange syringe filled with glowing blue liquid. His breathing was rough. His eyes were sunken, tired, and full of pain.
This man was once a genius. A scientist feared and hated by many. But now, he was nothing but a dying old man, alone.
"This is it…" he whispered. "The final chance."
His name didn't matter anymore. People called him a monster, a lunatic, a madman. And maybe they were right. After all, he had done terrible things—experiments that crossed every line.
But there was one thing he always wanted.
"To be young again…" he said with a smile. "To feel alive… even just once."
He looked at the mirror in the corner. The face staring back was full of wrinkles and sadness. A face filled with regrets. He touched the glass with shaking fingers.
"I never went to school… never had friends… never loved anyone."
He turned back to the machine. The serum inside the syringe glowed brighter, as if calling to him. Wires connected the machine to his body—arms, chest, even his brain. A metal crown sat on his head, filled with small lights.
"All systems… ready," a cold voice spoke from the speakers. It was the AI he created long ago.
He smiled. "REI… my only creation that never betrayed me."
"Confirming: Rebirth Experiment Version 99. Target: Mind transfer and physical renewal."
"Confirmed," he whispered, and pushed the syringe into his neck.
Pain exploded.
His body shook violently. The machine beeped louder. His veins lit up blue. His heartbeat raced, then slowed… then stopped.
Flatline.
Everything went dark.
---
Silence.
Then—light.
A gasp. A breath.
He opened his eyes.
The ceiling looked different. The smell was clean. His body felt light, strong, and full of energy.
He sat up slowly.
"What…?"
He looked at his hands. Smooth. Young. No wrinkles. His arms were strong, and his skin was pale but clean. He touched his face and rushed to the mirror.
There, a boy stared back.
No, not a boy.
A perfect young man.
Sharp jawline. High cheekbones. Messy black hair. Eyes dark and deep.
He stepped back in shock. "I… did it…?"
Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind.
"Good morning, Creator," it said softly. "Rebirth successful."
It was REI.
He fell to his knees, laughing and crying at the same time.
"I'm… alive," he said. "I'm young again…"
Then, the mirror flickered.
For a second—just a second—his eyes glowed.
A bright, unnatural blue.
He stared at the reflection.
And for the first time in his life…
He smiled.