Tyler woke up earlier than usual.
For a few moments he remained lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling while the first rays of sunlight slowly pushed through the curtains. The room was quiet. Outside, the neighborhood was only beginning to wake. Somewhere down the street a motorcycle passed by, followed by the distant barking of a dog. It was the kind of ordinary morning most people would barely notice.
Tyler couldn't.
His mind was already moving.
The moment he opened his eyes, yesterday's events returned.
The stair landing.
The unbearable headache.
The blood.
Eris's frightened face.
And most importantly, the knowledge.
A faint smile slowly appeared on his face.
Looking back, the pain had been horrible. It was probably the worst headache he had experienced since his rebirth. Even now he could still remember the sensation of his skull feeling as though it might split apart from the inside.
Yet despite that, he felt satisfied.
Tyler slowly sat up and leaned against the headboard. Morning sunlight continued spreading across the room while he organized his thoughts.
Two and a half years.
That was how much time remained before middle school ended.
Two and a half years until he turned fifteen.
Two and a half years until Deep Mind Search awakened.
For most people that sounded like a long time.
For Tyler, it felt short.
Very short.
Because he already knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish before then.
After spending most of yesterday evening thinking about it, he had narrowed everything down to three goals.
The first goal revolved around Vanessa.
Not revenge.
Not yet.
Simply preserving the future surrounding her.
A few months ago Tyler would never have thought like this. Even after his rebirth, part of him still viewed Vanessa through the lens of his previous life. He remembered the arguments, the debts, the financial collapse, and eventually her departure from the Brown household. Because of that, he spent years believing she had been another victim of circumstance.
Now he knew better.
The more he listened to her thoughts, the more ridiculous that belief became.
Vanessa wasn't being dragged toward disaster.
She was walking toward it willingly.
Every decision she made was motivated by pride, jealousy, and an obsession with control. The group loan scheme was simply the latest example. Instead of viewing it as a risk, she genuinely believed it would eventually elevate her position inside the family.
Tyler shook his head.
If he interfered now, countless future events could change.
Steven might never leave.
Vanessa might never leave.
The entire sequence of events he remembered could become unpredictable.
And unpredictability was dangerous.
No matter how strong he became in the future, knowledge remained his greatest advantage.
He had already lived through these years once.
He knew what was coming.
Giving up that advantage for temporary satisfaction would be foolish.
Vanessa's future would remain unchanged.
At least until she left the Brown household.
Only after that would Tyler begin settling accounts.
His second goal concerned himself.
More specifically, his abilities.
A small smile returned to his face.
Compared to yesterday, everything suddenly felt clearer.
Decision Bias.
Even the name sounded fascinating.
Unlike Emotional Influence, it didn't directly alter feelings.
Unlike Thought Manipulation, it didn't interfere with surface thoughts.
Instead, it influenced choices.
That was what made it dangerous.
Human lives were built upon decisions. Every future existed because someone made a choice somewhere. Choosing one school instead of another. Accepting a job. Rejecting an opportunity. Trusting someone. Distrusting someone.
Countless futures branched from countless decisions.
If Emotional Influence was a gentle push, then Decision Bias was a subtle tilt in probability itself. He couldn't force anyone to choose something. Not yet. But he could make one option feel slightly more appealing than another. Slightly more natural. Slightly more likely.
To most people that would sound insignificant.
To Tyler it sounded terrifying.
And useful.
For years he had been limited to emotional manipulation. He could encourage hesitation, suppress aggression, amplify confidence, or weaken fear. Useful tools, but still limited.
Decision Bias was different.
This wasn't simply changing how someone felt.
This was influencing what they eventually chose to do.
By the end of middle school, he wanted mastery over every stage available to him. No more blind experimentation. No more random guesses. For the first time, he knew what he was working toward.
His third goal concerned his father.
Immediately the smile disappeared.
Financial problems had already begun appearing throughout the province. Delayed salaries. Growing uncertainty inside the banking sector. Quiet rumors spreading among employees. Most people still believed things would eventually return to normal.
Tyler knew better.
The provincial election had already happened six months ago.
The debt relief program had already been announced.
The first cracks had already appeared.
Eventually those cracks would become fractures.
And somewhere along that road stood Silas Brown.
Tyler lowered his gaze.
That memory still hurt.
A proud man reduced to begging.
A hardworking father forced into humiliation just to protect his family.
In his previous life Tyler had been powerless to help.
This time would be different.
The only problem was timing.
If he solved the financial situation too early, it could affect Vanessa's plans. If Vanessa's plans changed, other future events could change as well.
Everything was connected.
For now, patience remained necessary.
Watch.
Prepare.
Wait.
Then act.
Tyler slowly exhaled.
Three goals.
Preserve the timeline.
Master his abilities.
Protect his father.
Everything else could wait.
His attention eventually drifted toward the corner of the room where a familiar object rested against the wall.
The guitar.
The sight immediately brought back memories.
Years ago Richard and Pamela had given it to him as a gift. At the time it felt enormous.
Now it looked tiny.
He picked it up and lightly brushed his fingers across the strings. A soft note echoed through the room before fading away.
Another memory surfaced.
A different guitar.
The second-hand guitar he bought in his previous life.
He remembered saving money for months. Every coin mattered. Every unnecessary purchase was avoided. When he finally bought it, he felt like he had accomplished something important.
The memory should have been pleasant.
Instead, bitterness followed.
The broken string.
The argument.
His father's anger.
For years Tyler blamed bad luck.
Now he understood the truth.
Vanessa.
Looking back, her influence appeared everywhere. She rarely acted openly. Instead she planted ideas, whispered comments, and encouraged misunderstandings. By the time damage appeared, nobody remembered where it started.
Including him.
"I really was stupid."
The words escaped quietly.
His previous self had viewed her as innocent.
His current self saw something completely different.
A manipulator.
A snake hiding beneath a smile.
Still, there was no point dwelling on it.
Not yet.
Tyler carefully placed the guitar back where it belonged before opening the top drawer of his desk. Inside rested his savings.
After counting everything twice, he leaned back slightly.
Three thousand.
Not bad.
Actually much better than his previous life.
Maybe I really became stingy.
The thought made him laugh quietly.
Then again, unlike most children his age, he rarely spent money on things he didn't need. Three thousand should be enough to buy the guitar he wanted.
More importantly, he knew exactly which guitar he wanted.
The same one he bought in his previous life.
This time things would be different.
After freshening up and changing into his school uniform, Tyler grabbed his bag and stepped out of his room.
The smell of breakfast greeted him immediately.
Melissa sat at the dining table while Silas quietly read the morning newspaper beside her. The scene looked simple and ordinary, yet Tyler found himself appreciating it more than he ever had in his previous life.
"Good morning."
Melissa looked up first.
"Morning, Ty."
Silas lowered the newspaper slightly.
"Morning."
"Your lunch box is on the kitchen counter," Melissa added. "And don't forget it this time."
Tyler sighed dramatically.
"I forgot it once."
"Three times."
"One memorable time."
"Three times."
A quiet laugh escaped Silas.
Tyler rolled his eyes and headed toward the kitchen.
The lunch box sat exactly where Melissa said it would be. He picked it up and stood there for a moment longer than necessary. The words he wanted to say refused to leave his mouth.
Immediately frustration appeared.
It was ridiculous.
Speaking with Chris was easy.
Arguing with Eris was easy.
Even dealing with Sunny required less effort.
Yet whenever he wanted to have a genuine conversation with his father, something inside him froze.
The hospital memory returned without warning.
Machines.
Silence.
Regret.
His fingers tightened around the handle of the lunch box. No matter how many years separated him from that day, the feeling never truly disappeared.
If only he had done more.
If only—
"Ty?" Melissa called from the dining room. "What's taking so long? Breakfast is getting cold."
The memories shattered immediately.
Taking a slow breath, Tyler returned to the table and sat down beside her.
"Sorry."
Melissa narrowed her eyes.
"You've been spacing out a lot lately."
"I'm thinking."
"That's dangerous."
Tyler looked up.
Melissa was smiling.
"Every time you think too much, trouble follows."
"That's unfair."
"It's accurate."
Even Silas laughed quietly at that one.
For a brief moment the atmosphere felt warm and ordinary.
Then Silas glanced toward Tyler.
Only once.
But it was enough.
A father didn't need mind-reading abilities to notice when his son wanted to ask for something.
Silas folded the newspaper and stood.
"You two continue talking. I'm going to the washroom."
Tyler watched him disappear down the hallway.
A familiar disappointment settled inside his chest.
Once again the opportunity had passed.
Once again he couldn't say it.
No supernatural ability could fix certain wounds.
Melissa noticed immediately.
"What happened, Ty?"
He hesitated before finally speaking.
"I wanted to ask something."
"Oh?" Melissa leaned back slightly. "That sounds serious."
"I was thinking about buying a new guitar."
Before she could answer, Tyler immediately added, "I already saved the money myself. You don't have to pay for anything."
Melissa blinked.
"A guitar?"
He nodded.
"The old one is too small now."
"Hmm."
She thought for a moment.
"Are you actually going to play it?"
"I already play."
"You practiced three times last month."
"That still counts."
Melissa laughed.
After another moment of thought, she finally nodded.
"Alright."
Tyler blinked.
"That's it?"
"What else were you expecting?"
"I prepared an entire speech."
"Save it for another day."
A genuine smile appeared on his face.
"Thanks, Mom."
Melissa shook her head.
"Just choose carefully."
"I will."
"You definitely won't."
"I will."
"You definitely won't."
Tyler groaned while Melissa laughed again.
A few minutes later he grabbed his bag and headed toward the front door, carrying a lighter mood than before. Morning sunlight poured across the street outside, carrying the promise of another ordinary school day. Behind him, Silas returned from the washroom and sat down again while Melissa gathered the empty plates.
"He wants to buy a new guitar," she said casually. "Apparently he's been saving money."
Silas nodded while reopening the newspaper.
"He saved it himself?"
"Yep."
Another nod followed.
Melissa smiled faintly before carrying the dishes toward the kitchen.
Outside, Tyler walked toward school beneath the morning sun.
As Tyler stepped out of the front gate, the cool morning air greeted him. The neighborhood was already awake. A few residents were sweeping the front of their houses while others prepared to leave for work. Everything looked ordinary until his eyes landed on the house next door.
Mrs. Olsen Parker stood near one of her front windows, staring at it with a troubled expression.
A large crack stretched across the glass.
Tyler walked over and greeted her politely.
"Good morning, Mrs. Parker."
The elderly woman turned and forced a small smile. "Good morning, Tyler."
He glanced toward the damaged window.
"What happened?"
Mrs. Parker sighed heavily and folded her arms. "That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out. Someone broke it last night."
Tyler looked at the shattered section of glass.
"Did you see who did it?"
"No." She shook her head. "I only noticed it this morning. Maybe some kids were playing around after dark. Maybe someone threw a stone. I honestly don't know."
She looked frustrated.
"And now I don't know what to do. If I call someone to replace it, it'll cost money. If I leave it like this, the rain might get inside if the weather changes."
Tyler listened quietly.
"Did you ask any neighbors?"
"I thought about it," Mrs. Parker admitted. "But what would I even ask? Nobody saw anything."
For a moment she simply stared at the broken glass again.
Tyler studied her expression.
Then, for the first time, he consciously reached toward the new ability.
Decision Bias.
It felt different from Emotional Influence.
Softer.
More precise.
Instead of pushing emotions, he gently nudged the balance between choices already present inside her mind.
Repair it now.
Wait until later.
Ask for help.
Ignore it.
Several possibilities existed.
Tyler carefully tilted the scale.
Only slightly.
Mrs. Parker blinked.
Then her expression slowly cleared.
"You know what?" she said. "I'll just call Mr. Benson."
Tyler tilted his head.
"The repairman?"
"Yes." She nodded. "He's fixed windows before. If I leave it alone, I'll only keep worrying about it all day."
A faint smile appeared on Tyler's face.
"That sounds reasonable."
Mrs. Parker looked visibly relieved.
"You're right. I'll call him after breakfast."
For the first time since noticing the broken window, she seemed certain about what she wanted to do.
Tyler adjusted his school bag and stepped back toward the road.
"Good luck, Mrs. Parker."
"Thank you, Tyler. Have a good day at school."
"You too."
As he continued walking toward Central Academy, a small smile formed on his face.
The ability had worked.
No dramatic change.
No obvious manipulation.
Just a tiny adjustment that helped someone choose a path they were already considering. Exactly as the knowledge had described and that was enough to make Tyler look forward to the rest of the day.