Rebirth: A Second chance at life
Chapter 101: Lizzie having Fun!!

Chapter 101: Lizzie having Fun!!

At the distant edge of the jungle, beneath the thick canopy where moonlight barely reached, a figure dragged himself through the mud and leaves.

Heavy breathing filled the night air. Calvert’s face was a mess—smudged with dirt, tears, and dried snot. His clothes were torn, his skin scratched and bruised.

He gasped and stumbled behind a fallen log, pressing himself flat against the ground. His heart pounded like a drum against his ribs.

"I... I shouldn’t have offended her..." he whispered, voice trembling with regret. "Aurora... what kind of demon are you...?"

His whole body shook. The memories of the last few days haunted him like a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from.

At first, when Aurora had taken him, he was thrown into a dark cellar, hands and feet tied. He thought that was bad enough. But soon... that psycho with the red hair came.

Calvert whimpered just thinking about him.

The torture sessions blurred together. Screams, pain, more screams. Then finally... he blacked out. When he woke up again... he was here. In this jungle. Muddy. Bloody. Abandoned.

Or so he thought.

It was only when he tried to crawl away... that he saw her.

At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. But there, sitting casually on a large rock... was a huge, jet-black panther.

Her golden eyes glowed eerily under the moonlight as she lazily licked her paw, glancing at him like he was nothing more than a toy.

His breath hitched that first time their eyes met.

Panic took over.

The moment he moved, the panther’s ears twitched. A low growl rumbled from her throat.

And then began the horrifying game of cat and mouse.

For hours now—maybe even longer—she had been toying with him.

Letting him run... only to track him again... chasing him just enough to keep him terrified, but never close enough to finish him.

"Damn..." Calvert whimpered, crawling to hide behind a large rock.

"I want to slap my past self to death..." Calvert mumbled bitterly, dragging his aching body behind another thick tree trunk.

His voice cracked as he cursed himself under his breath, tears mixing with the dirt on his face. "Why... why did I ever set my eyes on her? Why did I think I could handle someone like Aurora..."

His entire body shook with exhaustion and fear. Every scratch burned, every muscle screamed.

"Have mercy on me... Ms. Aurora... please..." he whimpered, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

At this point... he had no hope left. No pride. No ego.

He now fully understood...

He wasn’t escaping.

He wasn’t going anywhere.

He was in her capture... and she wasn’t going to release him anytime soon.

The only freedom left for him now...

Was death.

But even that... she wouldn’t grant so easily.

With trembling hands, he pressed his forehead to the cold ground, choking out the words between sobs.

"I... I’ll beg for death if I have to... just... just make this end..."

His heart nearly stopped when he heard the leaves rustling again.

Grrrrrrr...

That deep growl sent cold chills down his spine. Tears rolled down his dirty cheeks as he pressed his face into the earth.

"Ah... please... someone... save me..." he whimpered. "I swear... I’ll apologize to Ms. Smith... I’ll be her loyal servant forever... Just please... get me out of here..."

A sudden thought crossed his mind, making his blood boil even through his fear.

"It’s all Veronica’s fault..." he muttered, clenching the dirt beneath his fists. "If I ever get out of this alive...

I’ll skin that damn woman alive... It was because of her I even knew about Aurora... Because of her... I started chasing something I should’ve left alone..."

Another rustle.

Another low growl.

Calvert didn’t wait.

With whatever strength he had left, he scrambled up and ran... again.

Behind him, Lizzie, the black panther, lifted her head lazily and followed his scent with casual steps, as though amused with her little game. Her tail flicked with delight.

Meanwhile, under the bright glow of fluorescent lights back at the villa, Aurora sat at her workstation, her eyes glued to the data flashing on her screen.

Hours of non-stop work had left her muscles stiff, her back sore, and her fingers numb.

But she didn’t stop.

Not until now.

Finally... after recalculating the compound ratios for the fifth time... she leaned back slightly and exhaled.

Her sharp eyes scanned the solution inside the small vial in her hand. The color looked right. The reaction time was stable. No toxin spikes. No late-onset nerve damage.

This was it.

Aurora slowly stood up, stretched her stiff neck and back, and called out to Dr. Maxwell.

"Professor Martin," she said, handing him the newly developed medicine. "Test this batch."

Maxwell took the vial carefully, almost like holding something sacred. "Right away, Boss."

The lab team jumped into action at his order. The trial was prepared. They worked quickly but carefully, knowing well that this was their best chance yet.

Two long hours passed.

Then... the results came in.

Positive.

The medicine worked. No adverse reactions. The trial subject showed consistent, safe recovery signs.

As soon as the confirmation rang out from the testing team, the whole lab erupted in cheers.

"We did it!"

"We finally did it!"

"It’s a breakthrough! This is going to change everything!"

Some even clapped. Others jumped from their seats. Excitement buzzed in the air like electricity.

For months they had failed... but now... thanks to Boss... they had succeeded.

Maxwell didn’t waste a second.

With a huge smile plastered across his tired face, he rushed straight to Aurora’s private chamber. He knocked on the glass door lightly and stepped inside.

"Kiddo," he said warmly, his voice full of pride. "You did it. The results are positive. This is it... It’s a success!"

Aurora, who had her laptop open and was typing away, lifted her head. A small, polite smile touched her lips.

"That’s great news," she said in her usual calm tone. "Congratulations, Professor Martin."

Maxwell laughed. "Hey! Don’t give me all the credit now."