Reclaiming My Fate

The stench of feces clung to my nose like a sticky film. That smell wasn't just a fleeting sharpness; it drilled deep into my nostrils, embedding itself in every inch of my mucous membranes, refusing to fade. The suffocating pain still churned deep in my throat. My trachea was clogged with murky liquid; no air could pass through, and my lungs felt like they were about to burst. That near-death panic still spread through every fiber of my being, even now as I opened my eyes. I suddenly opened my eyes, my chest heaving violently. Each breath came with a rapid gasp, as if trying to make up for all the oxygen I had lost. Before me stood a desk that was both familiar and strangely unfamiliar. What feels familiar is the scratch along the edge of the desk—the one I accidentally carved in junior high. What feels strange is the senior year math test paper spread out on the desk— even though I graduated from high school so many years ago. The densely packed formulas and calculations leapt into my eyes from the test paper. Those once deeply ingrained points of knowledge now feel hazy, yet they slowly awaken in my mind. My fingers gently brushed the surface of the desk. The icy cold sensation traveled from my fingertips, spreading through my palms. The genuine heat makes me dizzy. I lifted my head; the calendar on the wall clearly showed—one week before the college entrance examination. The red numbers, like burning brands, slammed harshly against my heart. My mind went utterly blank in an instant. All my thoughts froze, leaving only the date on the calendar looming larger and larger before my eyes. I remember clearly—I was already dead. Just last month, I was eight months pregnant, my belly swollen like a balloon, making every movement difficult. That day, I went out to buy my delivery bag, and as I walked down a lonely alley, someone suddenly covered my mouth from behind. I struggled desperately but couldn't match his strength. In the end, I was forcibly pushed into the filthy pit in the alley. Cold, foul, suffocating... every sensation flooded back into my mind. The filth flooded into my mouth and nose, choking me until my chest tore apart. But I couldn't even make a sound to call for help. The child in my womb seemed to sense the danger, kicking me lightly a few times before falling silent. That kind of despair—I will never forget it as long as I live. Just as I stood there stunned, a mechanical voice sounded in my ear: "Fortune Exchange System binding in progress, current progress 98%, fifty days remaining until complete binding." My whole body went rigid. It was as if my blood froze in that moment; my limbs grew icy cold, and I even forgot to breathe. That voice—I've heard it before. Just before I died, in that blurry moment of fading consciousness, it had sounded just as cold and chilling. It revealed a cruel truth to me — my cousin Mindy Jones had forcibly bound the System, stealing my fortune. In that instant, I understood that all my misfortunes were manipulated by her behind my back. Since I was a child, I had always been top of my class, and my parents adored me, but Mindy was always set against me in every way. Later, I started dating, but she stole my boyfriend. I looked for a job, and after finally passing the interview, she secretly sabotaged me, causing me to lose the opportunity. So, all of this wasn't a coincidence, but something she gained by trading my fortune. The mechanical voice sounded again: 'If the fingertip blood of the host Tina Yates is not obtained by the full moon, the system will activate the backlash program, targeting the binder Mindy Jones.' The sound vanished. The room grew silent once more, with only the pounding of my heartbeat remaining. I slowly clenched my fists, my nails digging deeply into my palms. The sharp pain sharpened my senses and fueled the deepening hatred in my heart. Mindy Jones. I silently repeated this name in my mind, each word laced with grinding hatred. This time, I will never let you succeed! What you owe me, what you owe my child, I will reclaim it all, piece by piece!