Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Beginning

"At exactly noon today, your new song will be released. Don't stress. With how good it is, the Best Songwriter award at the Golden Melody Awards is practically yours!" Anthony patted my shoulder reassuringly. I was breathing heavily as if I had just woken up from a nightmare. Glancing around at the familiar living room and Anthony's concerned expression, I finally realized that I had been reborn on the day of my new song's release. "You've worked hard these past nights writing this song, so I won't schedule any promotions for now. Get some rest," he added, starting to leave. "Wait a minute!" I called out, stopping him at the door. I shifted my gaze to the clock on the wall, watching the minute hand tick forward. When the minute hand hit ten, I unlocked my phone and found Lucas Zacker's Twitter account. Just like in my past life, he had posted a link to a music platform, accompanied by the caption: "My original solo track 'A Flicker in the Dark' awaits your listen." I clicked the link, and the familiar sound of the male vocals filled the room. "What the? Isn't this your new song?" Anthony exclaimed. He stepped forward to grab my phone. "The melody and the lyrics are exactly the same as your original work. How could Lucas be the one to publish it first?""Someone from the recording studio must have stolen your song. Give me a moment. I'll have them investigate this immediately!" I stopped him and shook my head. "Ask the company to cancel the release of the new song." In my past life, I had released the exact same song as Lucas', and the moment it went live, I was branded as a plagiarist. In order to clear myself of the accusations, I posted the creation process, but no one cared. "Plagiarist! How dare you steal someone's work and still deny it?""Faking evidence to cover up your crime, huh? Must've taken some effort to make it look convincing.""The entire family of this copycat will burn in hell! Support Lucas in defending his rights. He should sue you until you're left with nothing!" My manager, Anthony, and the studio producer testified on my behalf, but the online attacks didn't stop. Instead, he was dragged through the mud alongside me. Then, my actress girlfriend, who had always refused to make our relationship public, went live on social media. During the livestream, she openly declared her love for Lucas and fiercely condemned me for plagiarism. Instantly, I was utterly devastated! I had shared my song with her first, but she betrayed me, who was her actual boyfriend, by stabbing me in the back and siding with Lucas. After her public condemnation, her fans rallied against me and flooded my social media accounts with endless hate. Singers and actors I once worked with avoided me like the plague, desperate to distance themselves from me. Anyone who didn't publicly denounce me faced the wrath of Lucas’ fans. Just as they wanted, I was blacklisted from the music industry. The Songwriters' Association revoked my membership, and even my previous awards were stripped away. Under immense pressure, my agency terminated my contract. From then on, every time Lucas released a song, I was dragged out online and ridiculed. Netizens sent me photoshopped mourning portraits of myself. Some even came to my house and vandalized it with paint. Years of online abuse led me to develop severe depression. My parents exhausted their life savings trying to clear my name, only for crazed fans to set our house on fire, causing my parents to burn to death. The day Lucas won the Golden Melody Award for his "original" song, I jumped off a building. But to my disbelief, when I opened my eyes again, I found myself back at the moment before it all began. Fate had given me a second chance. This time, I was determined to uncover the truth behind it all.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Plagiarism

"The company invested a fortune in this single, and you want to cancel it just like that? I can't explain this to the higher-ups! "Look, I'll investigate the song theft for now. In the meantime, you need to write a new song as soon as possible to make up for it." After Anthony left, I sat alone on the couch, lost in thought for a long time. Lucas had always been close to my girlfriend, Winnie Summer. They grew up together and had been practically inseparable ever since they were children. After graduating from an international music academy, Lucas entered the entertainment industry with Winnie's help. With her, a renowned actress, as his backer, he signed a contract with Haven Entertainment, the country's biggest entertainment company. As soon as he debuted, he sang the theme song for an internationally acclaimed director's film. That was a privilege that I, her actual boyfriend, had never enjoyed. Winnie was always so good to him that I was always jealous and sulking. However, she justified it every time by saying that her family and his family go way back. She also said that if she didn't help him, people would talk. To avoid putting her in a difficult position, I forced myself to turn a blind eye. What I hadn't realized was that Lucas was the one she had longed for in her youth but could never have. Still deep in thought, I scrolled through Lucas' Twitter account, searching for clues. After some searching, I finally found something odd. It was a post from a month ago. On August 26th, he uploaded a photo with the caption, "Inspirations are flowing like a river." I zoomed in, examining the image carefully. Suddenly, my mind buzzed with disbelief! On the sheet of paper in front of him, the lyrics and structure of a song mirrored mine exactly. Even the lyrics I had deleted were there, word for word. The lyrics were written based on my own personal experiences, so there was no way I could have copied it from him. Had he experienced the same earthquake I did? 'No, that's impossible! Both Lucas and Winnie are from the north. As such, they couldn't possibly have lived on that small southern island. But then, how can our drafts be identical?' I mused. As I racked my brain, trying to piece together the mystery, Anthony called again. Unsurprisingly, he had no leads on the song theft. I found myself at a crossroads. Anthony was right. The company had poured substantial resources into promoting this new song. It wasn't just trending on Twitter but also being promoted on LED screens across major business districts. The initial investment alone was at least several million. To minimize the company's losses, I had no choice but to rush and compose a brand-new song. I stormed into my studio and picked up my long-neglected guitar. My hands trembled as I strummed the strings. This time, I would become my own Nemesis, and I would write a song that captured the injustices of my past life. I refused to believe Lucas could have the same rebirth experience as I did! After two days of sleepless work, I finally finished the lyrics and composition for the new song. I recorded a rough demo on an old phone and sent it to Anthony immediately. After listening to it, he responded with excitement and sent five celebratory emojis in a row. "Rock music? Matthew, you're a musical genius! How many more surprises are you hiding?" Before I could reply, he sent a voice message. "I've already booked the recording studio. I'll pick you up in an hour." When we emerged from the studio, dawn was breaking. Anthony rotated his shoulders. "A major holiday is coming up, and the company thinks this is a sensitive time. They want to release your song on October 3rd. What do you think?" I didn't respond right away. Instead, I asked about Lucas' whereabouts. "I have a friend at Haven Entertainment. He said Lucas hasn't been going to the company lately. No one knows what he's been up to," he said. After his song was released, he should have been busy with promotions nationwide. Yet, there was no sign of him doing anything to promote his music. It was strangely quiet. To avoid any further unexpected incidents, it was wise to observe the situation in advance. Taking a deep breath, I agreed to delay the release as the company suggested. Back home, I finally had the best sleep I ever had since my rebirth. I was awakened by Anthony's pounding on my door. "Matthew, it's bad! Lucas just released a new song. And it's exactly the same as the one you recorded at dawn!"

Chapter 3 Chapter 3 I Am Shocked

Anthony's words hit me like a truck, shattering every ounce of courage I had built since my rebirth. 'Why, even with a second chance, can't I change anything? Will I never be able to pursue music again? Am I destined to live forever under Lucas' shadow?' I mused in despair. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I left my usual phone on the balcony this time, and I didn't use my computer to compose. How did Lucas still get his hands on my original song? On Twitter, Lucas' back-to-back release of two original singles dominated the trending list for three days straight. His tracks soared to the top of every major music chart, taking the number one and two spots. His popularity even eclipsed the superstar whose secret marriage had been exposed recently. Fans flooded the comments beneath his new song, asking him why his style had suddenly changed. "My previous song was plagiarized. Fortunately, I released it ahead of schedule, or I wouldn't have been able to defend myself. This new release is a warning to those who steal others' hard work. Talent is the backbone of a true songwriter, and I am someone you could never hope to catch up to!" he responded. His bold proclamation caused a storm on social media. Someone found my Twitter account following my company's previous promotion of my new song and repeatedly commented below. "You're the copycat Lucas mentioned, aren't you? You kept saying you'd release a new song. Well, where is it?""And you call yourself a talented songwriter? I bet even your old albums were ghostwritten." In this lifetime, I hadn't even released any music, yet Lucas still managed to brand me as a thief. But without hard evidence, my fans weren't ones to back down easily. They fought tooth and nail in the comment sections against those accusations. Lucas, who had only debuted recently, had mostly casual fans. He barely had any real die-hards. The backlash from this conflict actually damaged his reputation rather than boosting it. At this point, Winnie couldn't hold back any longer. "You have to come to Lucas' celebration party tomorrow!" Her tone left no room for argument. I laughed bitterly. "And why should I?""How dare you ask why? Your fans have been attacking him online, and he's been drowning himself in alcohol for the past two days because of it!" she snapped. "If you still want to be my boyfriend, you'll attend the party and set things straight!" 'Lucas steals my music, and I'm the one who has to attend his celebration?' I thought bitterly. Even though resentment simmered within me, I had no choice but to swallow my pride. I needed to uncover the secrets he was hiding. On the day of the party, Winnie clung to Lucas' arm, and they were surrounded by a crowd of people. "Lucas' two original singles have broken KK Music's records and topped the charts for a whole week!""Lucas' ballads move people to tears, but his rock songs are just as soul-stirring. Truly, he's a rising star of songwriting!" One of his staff members cast me a disdainful glance. "Unlike some people who flaunt the title of songwriter yet engage in theft." I forced a smile. "Lucas is certainly a rare talent. Since that's the case, could you tell us why you chose a minor key for your first original piece?" Lucas didn't answer immediately. Instead, he exchanged a look with Winnie. "Matthew, enough!" Winnie defended him, her face red with anger. "Lucas graciously invited you to this party, and yet you're adamant about causing trouble!" In that instant, clarity struck me. Winnie must have known the truth all along. "Isn't he a talented songwriter? Why can't he even explain his own reasons?" I challenged. Pushing Winnie aside, Lucas finally spoke up. "There's nothing to hide. Major keys are light and cheerful, while minor keys convey sadness and tenderness. 'A Flicker in the Dark' is meant to be played at 0.75x speed. When you slow it down, you'll see it's not a joyful tune at all. Hence, a minor key suits the mood of the song better." My heart pounded. Lucas' explanation matched my thought process exactly when I wrote the song, especially the 0.75x speed adjustment. This was a hidden detail I had embedded in the track. How could he possibly know about it? A sense of darkness washed over me. "Thank you for the explanation. I have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave." I turned to exit the private room. The moment I stepped out, Winnie hurried after me. "What did you mean back there? Why did you have to embarrass Lucas in front of everyone?" she demanded. I stared at her, feeling a wave of disappointment. I no longer wanted to be caught up in her web. "Let's break up. I'm kissing the music industry goodbye and heading back home. I wish you and Lucas all the happiness in the world.""Why are you being jealous again?" she scoffed, her eyes flashing with mockery. "What are you going to do back home? Do construction work with your dad, the contractor?""Do you really think your dad can afford to pay off your penalty fees?" she mocked. I shrugged and smiled, indifferent to her jabs, as I walked away. She had no idea that I was a real rich kid. Sure, my father may have been a contractor over a decade ago, but he had struck gold at the right time and was now a prominent real estate mogul. The hefty penalty fees she mentioned? Those would only cost him a few properties. Even if I couldn't continue making music, I still had a family business waiting for me to inherit. I was looking forward to seeing how Lucas planned to maintain his so-called "creative genius" without my work to steal.