The Epitome of Delight, when one knows their adamant will, prevailed over the vague desires of others.

Aeron found himself snug on his bed. The bed was so fluffy and soft, the pillows on the bed were overwhelming, the tenderness against his skin was unbelievable. He could slumber on this bed forever.

It had been a long time since he felt this way. Such comfort and luxury, It had been 70 years since he last indulged in such affluence.

“20 years,” He whispered to himself as he stared upon the dark ceiling.

Recalling about the past, planning the present, and saving the future. It was tiring.

“Sigh”

He sighed and clutched the soft blanket. It was cozy. He did not want to leave at all, but as the sole individual who knew humanity’s fate, heavy responsibilities rested on him.

The burden on his shoulders was immense. Aeron alone bore the responsibility of those who were defeated in the tower. He had to prevent the tragedy that occurred in his past life.

He declared he wanted everything for himself but was not heartless, at least not yet.

He got up, stretched his arms, and gave a long yawn. His room was dark. The curtains were open, but it was midnight.

The lights turned on the moment his feet stepped on the floor.

The room was spacious. Other than his Upholstered Bed, there were study tables, bookshelf, and posters with motivational quotes.

He looked at his face in the mirror attached to the Dressing table. Jumbled hair, black eyes, perfectly symmetrical face, and slender frame. This was how he looked when he was 10.

“Now, I am back” He pinched his cheek to make sure. If it were an average person, they would be rejoicing. They could now see their family again, avoid the mistakes they made in the past life.

Aeron was not an average person.

‘Now was not the time to rejoice, now was the time to act.’ This thought served as his guidance.

'To utilize the next 20 years to its fullest, I need to change my way of life,’ He mounted on his chair and opened the laptop and listed all the events he remembered in a notepad.

The young Aeron filled his bookshelves with books of Mathematics ranging from Trigonometry to Calculus. He stuffed his shelves with awards he won.

They served as reminisces of the past.

“Completed,”

The list he made was not long. He was considered a prodigy but did not have an eidetic memory or photographic memory. Recalling all significant incidents that transpired in those 70 years would have been absurd for any human.

He noted only two events: when the Towers appeared, and another was when his family died.

These two were the only events he vividly remembered as they were the events he cared the most about.

On his laptop was a Folder named [Obstacles To Overcome]

Inside, it was the written list of competitions; he took part in from chess challenges to quizzes. He did not care for such things now, but he was a really competitive person in the past.

There was also a folder named [Daily Defeats]

It listed the times where he lost to his siblings in a specific field. It also served as a dairy, which helped him recall the events which were currently taking place. There was no way he could remember the things which happened when he was 10 with no help.

After reading for a while, he decided.

‘Convince parents to drop out, take private skills lessons, and travel.’

He walked out of his room. Right in the next corridor was another room.

Knock! Knock!

There was no reply. So Aeron knocked again.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Knock! Knock!

The door creaked as it opened.

“it…..mid… night…” The man who opened the door was a tall guy. His hair was jumbled, eyes sleepy. He was struggling to keep his eyes open. His name was Adrian.

“Brother, we need to talk,” Aeron said, looking into his half-open eyes.

“Ok..tomorrow..now go to sleep,” Adrian said while closing the door.

“No, No, we need to talk now,” Aeron insisted as he held the door from closing.

“Just go to sleep.”

“No, we need to talk.”

Both argued as one tried to close the door while the other tried to open it.

“It's Midnight!”

“It's Urgent”

“Go to sleep, will help you with your homework tomorrow.”

“It's really urgent!” Aeron insisted

“If on one side was the fate of this world, and other sleep, I would still choose sleep,” He continued while pushing back the door, “Now go to sleep.”

Being only 10, Aeron could not push back when his brother used brute force to close the door. But he still had not given up.

Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!

The door opened again,

This time his brother had Crinkled eyes and a scowling face. He grabbed Aeron’s shoulders.

“If your urgent thing is something silly, then your ass is getting deported to the hostel,” He said with a half-hearted smile.

“ok, ok” Aeron nodded.

He would have never gotten permission to drop out if he asked his father, so he went to his brother instead.

Entering the room, Aeron sat on a sofa while his bother brewed a cup of coffee from the coffee machine.

Unlike Aeron’s room, his brother’s room looked messier. There were three giant screens in front of his bed. Papers notes wrinkled and scattered around, drawings of weapons and buildings inside that paper. His room bristled with tools like goggles, wire strippers, Labeling machines.

His brother sat opposite him and asked, “Now, What’s so urgent?”

“I want to drop out,” Aeron said with a solemn expression.

“What?” Adrian spat out some coffee in surprise

“I want to drop out.”

“I heard it the first time, but why?” Adrien said as he gulped on his coffee

“It’s a waste of time, 8 hours a day, spent studying courses I could memorize within an hour, surrounded by immature brats who know nothing about world problems, and I hate socialization. I rather study alone.”

Aeron needed to prepare for the Towers. He did not have time to worry about school or grades. So, he came up with a reason to drop out.

“No, won’t work. Your sister already used that excuse. Think of something else.” Adrien again gulped his coffee.

“Hey! How come it works for sis but not me?” Aeron asked, leaning forward and maintaining direct eye contact.

“Simple, she is father’s favorite, while you're not.”

His voice was calm. Adrien was the oldest of the siblings. He had blue eyes and was 6 feet tall. Glimpses of a well-trained body could be seen through his nightgown.

“You know, just some time ago, you were like, Oh brother, I will go to the same school as you and beat your marks, I will do this and that and blah and blah,” Adrien said as he imitated Aeron’s voice. “But now you want to drop out, that’s strange.”

“Those things do not matter now. I have more important things to worry about.”

“Like what? Deciding which candy to eat.” Adrien laughed.

“I am not joking,”

“Don’t tell me-” His brows tightened, “It’s a woman!” Adrien exclaimed

‘I wanna punch him, so bad,’ Aeron thought.

“No, cut it out. I said I’m serious,” Aeron scowled.

“What happened? Did you get too much homework or something?” Adrien laughed again.

“I need your help to find a private tutor for making Autonomous weapons, High-laser tech, E-bombs, along with a diet planner and a gym trainer.”

Aeron already had plenty of combat experience from the past. What he did not have was technological knowledge of weapons. Although weapons made outside would cease to function inside the tower, the weapons made inside would work.

“Hiring them won’t be a problem, but-“

“But what?”

“I think you forgot you're ten years old. Watch cartoons in your room and let me sleep.”

Adrain waved his hand towards the door, opting for Aeron to leave.

Aeron gritted his teeth, “Ok, what would it take to convince you I am serious?”

After a moment of intense staring. Adrian Sighed, “I will arrange a meeting tomorrow with father and tell him your wishes. If you convince him, then I will believe that you are serious.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? I came to you because I knew father would disagree.”

“Not really my problem.”

“What kind of brother are you?”

“A Sleepy one, now get out.”

Aeron got Kicked out of the room.

‘That did not go as planned,’ He thought.

Aeron came from a wealthy family, so why would he not try to use the facilities he could get with their help?

‘I remembered that bastard being more helpful.’

‘Was he angry because I came in the middle of the night?’

He did not have to come in the middle of the night; it was like an impulse he acted upon. One moment of hesitation could cost one’s life in the tower, so even after he came back in time, the habit of working right away remained.