Roy had everything one could desire. Wealth, power, and a life filled with respect that bordered on fear. As a ruthless CEO of a multi million dollar company, Roy built an empire that ruled over others. But success came with a heavy price loneliness, mistrust, and emptiness. He had everything, and yet nothing at all.

In his first life, he never knew what it meant to care for someone. Relationships were superficial, connections transactional. His icy demeanor repelled anyone who dared get too close. That was, until the night of his sudden death.

It was a cold evening, and Roy found himself driving home from yet another meaningless social engagement. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing from his life, something he couldn’t quite place. The streets were empty, save for the occasional flickering streetlight. Roy had been distracted, his mind lost in thought, when it happened. A flash of lights, a screech of tires, and a deafening crash. The world around him shattered as he felt his car spiral out of control. Darkness consumed him.

When he awoke, it wasn’t in a hospital bed. Instead, he found himself in a place that defied explanation a place between life and death. The world around him was bathed in a strange light, as if suspended in time. And then, a voice echoed around him.

Do you regret it?

Roy tried to make sense of the voice, his mind still reeling from the accident. Regret what? he asked, his voice sounding unfamiliar even to himself.

Your life. Do you regret living without love?

The question cut deep. Roy had never thought of it before, but now, confronted with the possibility of his own death, he realized the emptiness of his existence. He had everything, but love had always been elusive, something he never pursued, never understood.

As if in response to his silence, the voice spoke again, this time with a strange promise. You will be given another chance. A second life. But this time, your path will be different.

The world around him dissolved, and when Roy opened his eyes, he found himself in a hospital room. But something was different. He wasn’t the same person who had crashed his car that night. His body felt younger, stronger, his mind clearer than it had ever been. As the days passed, Roy discovered the truth: he had been reborn, but not in the same timeline. He was younger, now a 22-year-old college student, far from the life of luxury and power he had once known.

It wasn’t long before he saw her.

Sitting in a crowded lecture hall, Roy’s eyes fell on a girl he had never seen before in his previous life, yet she stirred something deep within him a sense of familiarity, an inexplicable connection. Her name was Hana. She was quiet, shy, but with an undeniable grace that drew him in. It wasn’t love at first sight, or at least that’s what he told himself, but there was something about her that he couldn’t shake.

Roy had always been calculated, methodical in everything he did. But with Hana, those traits dissolved into obsession. It started subtly an urge to know more about her, to be near her, to protect her. He found himself watching her, his mind consumed with thoughts of her every action. It was as if his entire reason for being reborn was tied to this girl.

In his first life, he had never cared for anyone. But now, in this second chance at life, Roy felt something he had never experienced before: a burning desire to possess her. It wasn’t just infatuation; it was an all consuming need. The more he learned about Hana, the deeper his obsession grew. She lived a simple life, far removed from the world of power and privilege Roy had once inhabited. She was kind, gentle, everything he had never been. And that fascinated him.

But there was something darker lurking beneath the surface. As Roy’s obsession grew, so did the intensity of his emotions. He began to isolate himself from others, his entire focus shifting to Hana. He followed her, learning her routine, discovering her favorite places, memorizing the sound of her voice. He wanted to be the one who controlled her happiness, to become the center of her world.

Yet, Roy wasn’t blind to the reality of his obsession. He knew that what he felt for Hana was far from love it was possessiveness, a desire to claim her as his own. But in his mind, it didn’t matter. He had been given a second chance, and he wasn’t going to let her slip away, no matter the cost.

The more Roy immersed himself in Hana’s world, the more he noticed a strange pull between them. Hana, who had once been unaware of his existence, began to notice him. Their interactions were brief, mere glances or passing words, but each encounter left Roy craving more.

He convinced himself that it was fate this connection, this obsession. In his previous life, he had never experienced anything like this, and now he was certain that Hana was the reason he had been reborn. He would do anything to be with her, to make her his, even if it meant crossing lines he had never considered before.

But Roy was no longer the man he used to be. This time, he was willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted. After all, wasn’t this his second chance?

And Hana… she was his second chance at love.

Or so he believed.

Roy’s second chance at life seemed to revolve entirely around Hana. Every day, his obsession grew more profound, more suffocating, as if the very air he breathed depended on her existence. He spent hours replaying their brief encounters, analyzing every glance, every smile. Was she beginning to feel the same pull that he did, or was she simply being polite? The uncertainty gnawed at him, yet it only fueled his desire to claim her.

Hana, meanwhile, lived her life as she always had. She was a quiet presence, soft-spoken and kind hearted, with an almost ethereal beauty that Roy couldn’t help but admire from afar. To him, she represented everything good in the world everything he had been denied in his previous life. He watched as she navigated her classes, interacted with her friends, and lived her simple, peaceful life, unaware of the storm brewing around her.

Roy’s fascination turned into something darker. He began following her more closely, learning the patterns of her life with frightening accuracy. He knew when she left for class, where she liked to sit in the library, and even what kind of tea she ordered at the small café near campus. The more he learned, the more he convinced himself that he was meant to protect her that his obsession was justified because he was looking out for her. But deep down, he knew that what he was feeling was far from normal. It was dangerous, even to him.

One afternoon, Roy’s silent watch came to a halt when he saw something that shook him to his core. Hana was sitting outside the café, her face lit up with a smile he hadn’t seen before, and across from her sat a man someone Roy didn’t recognize. The two were laughing, clearly comfortable in each other’s presence. The way she looked at him, the softness in her eyes, made Roy’s blood run cold.

Jealousy, a feeling Roy had never experienced before in either of his lives, flared up like wildfire. His mind raced with questions. Who was this man? How long had they known each other? And why was Hana giving him the smile that Roy had convinced himself was meant for him?

That night, Roy couldn’t sleep. The image of Hana and the stranger haunted him. His obsession, which had once been contained in the shadows, was beginning to spiral out of control. He found himself consumed by thoughts of her, of the life she was living without him, of the possibilities that were slipping through his fingers. In his previous life, Roy had always been in control of his business, his decisions, his emotions. But now, for the first time, he felt utterly powerless.

The next day, Roy’s obsession pushed him to do something he had never thought he would. He confronted Hana.

It was late afternoon, and Hana was alone, sitting on a bench near the campus garden. Roy had followed her there, as he often did, but this time, he didn’t remain hidden. Taking a deep breath, he walked toward her, his heart pounding in his chest.

Hana, he said, his voice catching slightly as he spoke her name aloud for the first time.

She looked up, surprised to see him. For a moment, her eyes flickered with recognition he had been in some of her classes, after all but the surprise quickly turned to curiosity. Yes?

Roy struggled to find the right words. His carefully constructed plan had never involved speaking to her so soon, but the image of her with the other man had driven him to act. he hesitated, his mind racing. He had never been this nervous in his entire life. “I’ve noticed you around. I wanted to say hello.”

Hana smiled, a polite but distant gesture. Oh, hello. You’re in my literature class, right?

Yes, Roy replied, relief washing over him that she at least remembered him. But he couldn’t stop there. The burning need inside him pushed him forward. I see you at the café sometimes, too.

Hana blinked, surprised by the statement. Really? I didn’t realize.

Roy tried to smile, but it felt forced. His heart was pounding, his mind buzzing with thoughts of the man she had been with. I saw you there yesterday, actually…with someone.

At this, Hana’s expression softened. Oh, that was Akira, my friend from high school. We were just catching up.

Friend. The word echoed in Roy’s mind, but it didn’t bring him the relief he had hoped for. He didn’t believe it or maybe he didn’t want to believe it. Either way, it wasn’t enough. He wanted more than a passing explanation. He wanted to be the one she spent time with, the one she smiled at like that.

I see, he said, though his tone betrayed his inner turmoil. He needed to change the subject, to shift the conversation back to something that would give him an advantage. “Do you come here often?

Hana nodded, seemingly unaware of the intensity behind Roy’s calm façade. Yes, I like to come here after classes. It’s peaceful.

Roy felt a pang of satisfaction. He had known this already, of course, from his countless observations, but hearing her confirm it felt like a victory. It meant he was getting closer, even if just by inches.

The conversation was brief after that, a few pleasantries exchanged before Hana excused herself, saying she had to meet a friend for dinner. Roy watched her walk away, a mix of satisfaction and frustration swirling inside him. He had finally spoken to her, finally broken the barrier that had kept them apart. But it wasn’t enough. Not yet.

As the days passed, Roy’s obsession continued to grow. His brief conversation with Hana had only fueled his desire to be closer to her, to make her see him as more than just a stranger from her class. He began to escalate his efforts bumping into her more frequently, finding ways to strike up small conversations, positioning himself in her world in ways that seemed accidental but were anything but.

Hana, for her part, remained polite, even friendly, but she was oblivious to the darkness lurking behind Roy’s interest. She didn’t see the depth of his obsession, the lengths he was willing to go to in order to claim her. But Roy knew. And he knew that it was only a matter of time before she belonged to him whether she realized it or not.

To be continued...

Days turned into weeks, and Roy’s obsession with Hana became more consuming than he could have ever anticipated. What had once been a fascination had evolved into something far more sinister. Every moment not spent near her was a moment wasted. His thoughts, once filled with ambition and power in his first life, were now fixated on the quiet girl who unknowingly held his sanity in her delicate hands.

Hana, meanwhile, continued her life, blissfully unaware of the storm swirling just beneath the surface of Roy’s carefully crafted exterior. She was kind to him, polite during their encounters, but there was no indication that she felt anything more than distant friendliness toward him. And that infuriated him.

Roy had always been a man who got what he wanted. In his previous life, he had risen to power through sheer force of will, never taking no for an answer. But this was different. Hana wasn’t a business deal or an opponent to be outmaneuvered. She was a living, breathing person with her own thoughts, emotions, and worst of all her own free will. And that terrified Roy.

The jealousy he felt over her interactions with other people only worsened. He found himself seething every time he saw her laugh with her friends, or when she sat with that same man, Akira, from the café. Even though she had said they were just friends, Roy couldn’t bring himself to believe it. Why would she choose to spend time with someone else when he was right there, always waiting for her?

One evening, after another sleepless night haunted by thoughts of Hana, Roy made a decision one that would mark a turning point in his obsession. He needed to know more about her. Not just her habits and routines, which he had already memorized, but her deeper secrets the things she didn’t share with the world.

It was an unusually cold night, and the campus was quiet. Roy had followed Hana as she left the library, his heart pounding with anticipation. He had seen her walk home before, had memorized the route she took, but tonight he planned to follow her all the way. He needed to know where she lived, what her life looked like when she wasn’t surrounded by people.

He kept a safe distance, careful not to let her see him. The streetlights flickered above, casting long shadows across the pavement. Hana walked with her head down, seemingly lost in thought. Roy’s pulse quickened. There was something intimate about watching her like this, something that made him feel closer to her than he had ever been before.

After a short walk, Hana arrived at a small apartment building on the edge of campus. Roy watched from a distance as she entered the building, the door closing softly behind her. He stood there for several moments, his breath coming in shallow bursts. Now that he knew where she lived, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction. This was another piece of her life that he could claim for himself.

But it wasn’t enough.

The days that followed became a blur for Roy. His obsession had fully taken over, pushing aside any remnants of rational thought. He began spending more time near Hana’s apartment, lurking in the shadows, watching her come and go. Each time he saw her, he felt a mixture of elation and despair. Elation because she was so close, and despair because she was still so far from truly being his.

One evening, as Roy stood outside her apartment building, hidden in the dark corner of the street, he saw something that made his blood run cold. Hana stepped out of the building, her usual soft smile on her face, and there beside her was Akira. The two of them laughed as they walked down the street together, their arms brushing against one another.

Roy’s hands clenched into fists, his heart pounding with fury. He had been patient, had bided his time, believing that Hana would eventually come to see him the way he saw her. But this this was a betrayal. How could she choose Akira, someone so unworthy, when Roy had been the one watching over her, protecting her from the shadows?

In that moment, something inside Roy snapped. The obsession that had been simmering beneath the surface erupted into a storm of possessiveness and rage. He couldn’t stand by any longer, couldn’t let Hana slip through his fingers. She belonged to him she always had, from the moment he was reborn.

The next day, Roy’s mind raced with dark thoughts. He needed to act, to take control of the situation before it spiraled even further out of his grasp. But how? Confronting her directly hadn’t worked Hana saw him as nothing more than a passing acquaintance. And if he tried to force his way into her life, she would only pull away.

Then, an idea began to form in his mind. It was risky, but Roy had never been afraid of taking risks. In his first life, he had built an empire by taking calculated risks, by using every resource at his disposal to get what he wanted. This would be no different.

That night, Roy waited outside Hana’s apartment again, but this time, he wasn’t just observing. He had a plan.

When Hana returned home, she seemed more tired than usual. She fumbled with her keys, and Roy, hidden in the shadows, felt a rush of anticipation. His heart pounded in his chest as he watched her unlock the door and step inside.

Silently, he approached the building, his movements careful and deliberate. He knew the layout of the building from his previous nights of watching. He knew where the back entrance was, and he knew how to slip inside unnoticed. He had done his research.

Once inside, Roy made his way to Hana’s apartment door. His hands trembled as he reached for the handle, but he forced himself to remain calm. He had come too far to back out now. This was it the moment where everything would change.

Using the small tool he had brought with him, Roy carefully picked the lock. It took longer than he expected, his nerves making his hands unsteady, but after several tense moments, the lock clicked open.

He slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind him.

The apartment was dark, save for the faint glow of a lamp in the living room. Ry stood there for a moment, his breath coming in shallow bursts as he took in the space around him. This was Hana’s world the place she came to after her long days, the place she felt safe. And now, he was inside it.

Roy’s heart pounded in his chest as he moved through the apartment, his footsteps silent on the floor. He could hear the faint sound of water running Hana was in the bathroom, probably getting ready for bed. He moved toward her bedroom, his mind racing with thoughts of what he would do next.

As he stepped inside the bedroom, his gaze fell on something that made his breath catch in his throat a framed photograph on her nightstand. It was a picture of Hana and Akira, smiling together, their arms around each other.

Roy’s vision blurred with anger. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Hana wasn’t supposed to be with Akira. She was supposed to be his.

The sound of the bathroom door opening snapped Roy out of his thoughts. He froze, his heart pounding in his ears. Hana stepped into the hallway, her footsteps light as she moved toward the bedroom.

Roy’s pulse quickened. He had come this far there was no turning back now.

This was the moment that would decide everything.

To be continued...