Morning Light
Sunlight filtered through the curtains as I stirred awake. My body ached, but the smell of bacon and coffee pulled me out of bed. I shuffled into the kitchen, where Hana was flipping pancakes and Ren was scrolling through stock charts on a tablet.
“Morning, Granny,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.
Hana froze mid-flip. “Granny ?!”
Ren snorted. “Kid’s got a death wish.”
I blinked, suddenly alert. “Uh… Hana. Hana. Sorry, force of habit.”
Hana narrowed her eyes but slid a plate of pancakes toward me. “Eat. And explain these injuries.” She pointed at my bandaged arms.
I shrugged.
“Built a time machine. Uncle Shizumori’s lab was… chaotic. If you think these are bad, you should’ve seen him. Geniuses forget to look where they’re walking sometimes.”
Ren raised an eyebrow.
“Explains the burn mark on your shirt. Time travel’s messy business, huh?”
“You have no idea,” I said, drowning my pancakes in syrup.
---
The Soldier’s Tale
I eyed the pistol holstered at Ren’s hip. “Why do you carry that?”
Ren raised an eyebrow. “Why? Scared?”
“Curious,” I said. “In my timeline, you were… different. Retired early. Ran a restaurant. Never mentioned guns.”
Ren snorted. “Well, in this timeline, I was in the army. Saw enough blood to last a lifetime. Quit, made a fortune in stocks, and now I’m here.” He patted the gun.
“Old habits die hard.”
I blinked. “Stocks? Seriously?”
Ren smirked. “Kid, I retired at 35. Meanwhile, Granny here”—he jerked a thumb at Hana—“won’t quit her job if you paid her.”
Hana threw a dish towel at him. “I’m a doctor. Saving lives beats stocks.”
I grinned. “You two haven’t changed.”
Hana and Ren froze.
You two?” they said in unison, their voices squeaking like startled anime characters.
I burst out laughing. “Yeah. Grandma and Grandpa. Get used to it.”
Hana’s face turned red. “I’m 27!”
Ren groaned. “Kid, I’m not even 30 yet. "Grandpa" makes me sound ancient.”
“You are ancient,” Hana muttered.
“Says the granny,” Ren fired back.
---
The Plan
Ren leaned forward, his playful tone shifting to serious.
"So, tell me. Why did you want to time travel in the first place ? what exactly happened in the future ?"
I told him everything I knew, about the wars, Prometheus, The CEO, Everything... Including my mother. Ren and hana were surprised to know that so much could happen so fast.
Hana's eyes were teary, but she held them back. Ren however, was unphased. he sighs and says
“The future is that bad huh ? Alright, kid. What’s the grand plan? How do we fix this future of yours?”
I pulled out my battered notebook and flipped it open.
You see, the wars didn't start out of greed, they started out of HUNGER and DESPERATION. The two main reasons for that were the lack of forests and the assassinations of scientists who built Eco Friendly machines. They wanted to build a world where natural resources weren't needed to live a luxurious life.
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But they were killed because the industry was just so big and profitable. people found money in burning fossil fuels and not in saving the planet in the long run. No one dared to do ANYTHING to help build machines like that ever again. Which caused people to burn even more natural resources, including forests.
deforestation was so common that what should have taken centuries to happen only took a couple of decades. people ran out of food, clean water and pollution was immense.
Governments and entire nations collapsed, all they could see was a path of war. They waged wars against their neighbouring countries with whom they shared friendships for centuries... all so that they could live. The situation got so bad that Nuclear warheads were only one step away from being used. If that happened, the world would have ended.
And THAT is when Prometheus came into play. You know the rest... They stopped the weapons supply to other countries and ended the war with little to no effort. Thats how he was named as "The Saviour", A Visionary, A man who saved the world.... until they saw what he did- did to-... My mother and countless others. *SIGH* that should give you enough context. now for the actual plan
Granny was trying her best to hide her tears but i could still them dripping down her eyes. She was always a kind woman. She didn't want me to see her like that.
Ren understood that, he was just waiting for an opportunity to change the subject.
"ok so what's the actual plan ?" he asked
“Step one: money. Lotteries, bets, stocks—I’ll turn 10 million into 10 billion.”
Ren whistled. “Ambitious.”
“Step two: buy every forest on the planet. Protect them. No deforestation, no wars over resources.”
Hana frowned. “And the scientists?”
I tapped a list of names.
“These people invented machines that could’ve saved the world—solar-powered cars, water engines. Prometheus killed them. I’ll protect them, make their inventions mainstream.”
Ren leaned forward. “How?”
“Fund them. Hide them if I have to. Make their tech so common, even Prometheus can’t erase it.”
Hana’s eyes lit up. “I can reach out to my colleagues. Doctors know scientists.”
Ren nodded. “I’ll handle security. Army connections still work.”
---
The Hospital’s Secret
Hana pulled out her laptop and typed furiously. “I’m taking a leave from work. Indefinitely.”
I frowned. “Will they just let you do that? Aren’t jobs usually strict?”
Hana smirked. “I’m not just a doctor there. I own the hospital. And I have a substitute doctor with the same degree as me for situations like this.”
My jaw dropped. “You own the hospital? That’s… cool as hell.”
Ren chuckled.
“Don’t let it go to her head. She’s just lazy. Takes too much time off. So much for saving lives. Hehehehe.”
I burst out laughing.
Hana’s face turned red. “I can save more lives by researching cures and vaccines. That’s why I have the lab in the basement.”
I raised an eyebrow. “The mini lab?”
Hana rolled her eyes. “The mini refers to the size, not the capabilities. It’s one of the most advanced laboratories in the world.”
---
Day One: The Grind
They got to work immediately. Ren helped me navigate the complexities of buying lottery tickets, placing bets, and trading stocks. I, still adjusting to the timeline and recovering from my concussion, struggled with the details.
“Why’s this so complicated?”
I groaned, rubbing my temples.
Ren patted my shoulder. “Relax, kid. You’ve got a mild concussion and time lag. Let me handle the heavy lifting.”
Meanwhile, Hana scoured her network for scientists working on eco-friendly machines. She found 37 names including the ones in the last that shinra gave her—some established researchers, others still in university.
“These people are considered fools in the science community,” Hana said, shaking her head.
“Anyone who tries to challenge the status quo gets silenced.”
---
The First Victory
That evening, I returned home at the same time as Ren. Hana was waiting in the living room, a stack of papers in her hands.
“How’d it go?” she asked.
I grinned. “We bought lotteries and bets worth 12 billion today. Only 4 billion were announced, so we cashed out 4 billion.”
Hana’s eyes widened. “4 billion? In one day?”
Ren nodded. “We invested internationally. Based on our estimates, we’ll hit 100 billion in two weeks, including the time to cash out.”
Hana leaned back, impressed. “You two are insane.”
I laughed. “Insane enough to save the world.”
---
Guardians of the Future
I turned to Ren. “We need to protect the scientists. All 37 of them. Can you arrange private assassins? Not to kill anyone—just to guard them.”
Ren raised an eyebrow. “Assassins? That’s… specific.”
I shrugged. “We’ll pay them 5 million per day each. Only the best of the best. We’ve got the money to spare.”
Hana blinked. “185 million a day? That’s… a lot.”
Ren smirked. “Compared to the billions we’re making, it’s pocket change. I’ll make some calls.”
Hana sighed. “Alright, that’s enough business talk for today. Shinra, don’t forget—you’re still recovering. You need rest.”
I groaned. “Granny, I’m fine.”
Hana crossed her arms. “Oh, really? Then why are you swaying like a drunk penguin?”
Ren burst out laughing. “She’s got a point, kid. You look like you’re about to faceplant into the pancakes.”
I glared at them. “I’m not a penguin.”
Hana smirked. “Prove it. Walk in a straight line.”
I stood up, took two steps, and immediately stumbled. Ren caught me, grinning. “Definitely a penguin.”
I groaned again. “I hate you both.”
---
A Quiet Goodnight
Later that night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. My head still throbbed, but my heart felt lighter. I heard a soft knock on the door.
“Come in,” I said.
Hana and Ren stepped inside. Hana sat on the edge of the bed, brushing my hair back. “You’ve been through so much,” she whispered. “But you’re safe now. We’ll figure this out together.”
Ren placed a hand on my shoulder. “Get some rest, kid. Tomorrow’s another day.”
I smiled, my eyes closing.
“Thanks… Grandma. Grandpa.”
Hana and Ren exchanged a look, their eyes glistening. They stayed by my side until I fell asleep, their hands clasped tightly over mine.
It was almost as if... They knew that I'd need it... Almost as if they KNEW about what was happening to me...
---
End of Chapter 4