Chapter 1

In my past life, during the military academy entrance physical, my childhood friend drugged my drink and filed a complaint claiming I had a color vision deficiency.

All so she could hand my spot to an underprivileged guy.

"He deserves more sympathy, and he needs this chance more than you do."

Those were her exact words back then.

My dreams were shattered, my health completely ruined, and I died in the dead of winter at twenty-eight.

Before I died, I sent her one last text: Did you know about that drugged water?

She never replied.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the morning of the exam.

The water bottle was still sitting in the fridge, the seal completely intact.

I poured it down the drain, filled it with tap water, twisted the cap tight, and put it right back.

Her voice called out from outside the front door: "Ethan, did you grab your water? Don't forget to drink it!"

I opened the door and gave her a small smile.

"Got it. I'll make sure to drink it."

Chloe stood outside. Her voice was just as soft as in my previous life, her tone completely unchanged.

"Let's head to the military academy together."

Our footsteps echoed down the empty corridor.

She walked half a step ahead of me, then suddenly turned around.

"Ethan, once we're admitted, we'll get to train together again."

She had said the exact same thing in my past life.

Later, when I was lying alone in a dingy rental apartment waiting to die, she was running laps side by side with Julian across the academy field.

I lowered my gaze. "Yeah."

Downstairs, her father's black sedan was already idling at the curb.

Julian was sitting in the back seat, wearing a faded school jacket, his head bent over the medical examination guidelines.

He looked up and gave me a timid smile. "Hey, Ethan. Mr. Miller said it was on the way, so he offered me a ride."

I didn't answer him. I just pulled open the front passenger door and sat down.

Chloe started the engine and reminded me again:

"Ethan, where's your water? You'll get dizzy if you fast for too long. Make sure to drink it."

A soft sigh came from the back. Julian's fingers tightened, crumpling the exam slip in his hands.

Chloe immediately glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "What's wrong? Nervous?"

"Yeah... I couldn't sleep last night."

His voice was quiet, full of fragile grievance.

"Don't worry. Your scores are incredible, you'll do great." Her voice was light, filled with the kind of patience you'd use to soothe a child.

I leaned back against the headrest, quietly watching the city streets flash past the window.

A long line had already formed outside the medical examination center.

After parking, Chloe retrieved another water bottle from the trunk and handed it to Julian.

"Got one for you too. Clear your throat before they take your vitals."

Julian took the bottle with both hands, whispered a thank-you, and followed behind us with his head down.

The waiting area smelled heavily of rubbing alcohol and bleach.

Julian sat next to me, nervously turning the bottle in his hands, twisting the cap back and forth at least ten times.

"Ethan, drink your water first," Chloe said, checking her watch. That was the third time she had pushed me.

"In a minute."

"Just don't forget."

The loudspeaker called my name.

I stood up. The bottle in my bag rested quietly in the side pocket, the cap sealed tight, without a single drop missing.

Inside the vision testing room, the examiner gestured toward the chair across from him with a blank expression.

"Call out the numbers as soon as you see the patterns. Don't hesitate."

He flipped to the first plate.

In my past life, this was the exact plate where everything blurred into a grayish mess.

"Twenty-nine," I said without missing a beat.

The second plate, the third, all the way to the most complex red-green dot pattern.

"A butterfly. And the number twelve in the bottom right corner."

The examiner pushed up his glasses, turned to two more high-difficulty plates, and I called them out effortlessly.

"Color vision perfectly normal. All items cleared."

When I stepped out of the examination room, Chloe and Julian both stood up at the same time.

"Ethan, how did it go?" She stepped forward, wearing a bright smile.

"Passed. The color vision test was completely fine."

Her smile froze for a split second before returning to normal. "That's wonderful! I knew you wouldn't have any problem."

Julian stood frozen, nearly dropping his water bottle.

"Ethan... that's amazing," he said, forcing his mouth into a stiff, awkward grin.

Chloe reached out to hold my hand, but I shifted aside and dodged her touch.

Her hand hung awkwardly in midair, her tone puzzled. "Ethan?"

"I'm a little tired. I want to go home."

On the drive back, Julian sat silently in the back seat, and Chloe checked on him through the rearview mirror multiple times.

I closed my eyes and rested against the window as the cool breeze rushed in.

In my past life, on the day she drove Julian back to campus, it was this exact same road.

I had been standing on the curb, and their car had sped right past me without stopping.

That night, my phone screen lit up.

A text from Chloe: Ethan, are you free tomorrow? I want to check on Julian. His exam didn't go well today, and he's pretty upset.

I didn't reply.

I closed the chat and placed the phone facedown on my desk.

The next day at noon, my phone rang.

The caller ID showed the landline for the medical examination center.

"Ethan Vance, someone has filed an official complaint against your color vision test results from yesterday."

The voice on the other end was strictly bureaucratic, every syllable hitting like a hammer.

"We require you to come in tomorrow morning for an official re-examination."

My hand tightened around the phone until my knuckles went pale.

The person who filed the complaint was Chloe.