A New Life: Redemption of souls

After a returning back, Ethan lay in bed, his eyes scanning the ceiling as he tried to calm his racing mind. The heist was just a day away, and he needed to be sharp, focused. But as he closed his eyes, he felt himself being pulled back into the past.

He was five years old again, standing in the kitchen of his family's old house. His parents, Mark and Sarah, were busy preparing dinner, laughing and chatting as they worked. Ethan's eyes widened as he watched his mother expertly chop vegetables, her hands moving quickly and precisely.

"Mommy, can I help?" Ethan asked, tugging on his mother's apron strings.

Sarah smiled and handed Ethan a wooden spoon. "Of course, sweetie. You can help stir the sauce."

Ethan beamed with pride, feeling happy and safe in the warmth of his family's love. His father, Mark, ruffled his hair, making Ethan giggle.

As they sat down to eat, Ethan's parents told him stories about their day, making him laugh and smile. It was a happy, normal family dinner, the kind that Ethan would cherish forever.

But as the night wore on, the scene shifted and changed. Ethan's parents were arguing, their voices raised in anger. Ethan felt a knot of fear in his stomach, not understanding what was happening.

And then, the sound of gunfire echoed through the house. Ethan's parents fell to the floor, their bodies still and lifeless. Ethan screamed, running to his parents and trying to shake them awake.

"Mommy! Daddy!" he sobbed, his small body shaking with fear and grief.

But they didn't respond. They just lay there, cold and still.

Ethan's mind recoiled in horror as he remembered the feeling of helplessness, of being unable to save his parents. He felt the same emotions now, his heart racing with fear and anxiety.

As the nightmare continued, Ethan found himself in a new scenario. He was seven years old now, standing in a cold, sterile office. A social worker, a kind-faced woman with a warm smile, was introducing him to his new adoptive parents.

"This is Henry and Emily," she said. "They're going to take care of you now."

Ethan felt a surge of hope, thinking that maybe this new family would be different. Maybe they would love him and take care of him.

And at first, they did. Henry and Emily were kind and welcoming, introducing Ethan to their other children, a boy and a girl. Ethan's new brother, Michael, was older and seemed nice, while his new sister, Lily, was younger and adorable.

But as the days turned into weeks, Ethan began to realize that something was off. Henry and Emily were distant and cold, rarely showing him affection or attention. Michael was mean and bullying, while Lily was timid and scared.

Ethan felt like he was walking on eggshells, never knowing when someone would lash out at him.

Ethan's mind was flooded with memories of his childhood, of the torture and abuse he suffered at the hands of his adoptive family. Michael, his older brother, was the worst of them all.

Michael was a master manipulator, always playing the role of the perfect son in front of their parents. But behind closed doors, he was a monster. He would beat Ethan mercilessly, laughing as he cried and begged for mercy.

"You're a worthless piece of trash," Michael would sneer, his eyes gleaming with cruelty. "You're not even a real part of this family. You're just a charity case."

Ethan would sob and plead with Michael to stop, but it only seemed to make him angrier. Their parents would intervene occasionally, but only to scold Ethan for being "too sensitive" or "too weak".

"It's your fault, Ethan," his mother would say, her voice cold and detached. "If you weren't so clumsy and careless, Michael wouldn't have to discipline you."

Ethan would try to explain, to tell them that Michael was the one who was cruel and abusive, but no one would listen. They would just smile and pat Michael on the back, telling him what a good job he was doing.

As Ethan grew older, the abuse only got worse. Michael would find new and creative ways to torture him, to make him feel small and powerless. And their parents would just sit back and let it happen, too caught up in their own twisted dynamic to notice the harm they were causing.

But the final blow came when Ethan was 17, and Lily was 15. She accused him of trying to fondle her, and no matter how much Ethan protested, no one believed him. Michael was furious, calling Ethan "disgusting" and "perverted".

Lily cried pitiful, too mad she never received an Oscar for such a performance, telling their parents that Ethan had been peeping on her for months. Ethan was horrified, knowing that it was all a lie. But no one listened to him. They just assumed he was guilty, and punished him accordingly.

The beating that followed was merciless. Michael and his parents took turns hitting him, kicking him, and punching him. Ethan was left lying on the floor, broken and bleeding.

As he looked up at them, he saw the twisted smiles on their faces. They were enjoying this, enjoying the power and control they had over him.

Ethan knew then that he had to get out. He had to escape from this toxic family and start a new life. And so, he began to plan his escape, to plot his revenge against the people who had hurt him so badly.

Ethan thought back to the day he joined the Mafia. He was young, angry, and determined to take revenge on the people who had wronged him. The Mafia had seemed like the perfect vehicle for his revenge, and he had thrown himself into it with a fierce passion.

As he rose through the ranks, Ethan proved himself to be ruthless, cunning, and intelligent. He made alliances, eliminated enemies, and accumulated wealth and power with ease. By the time he was 24, he was the boss of the Mafia, and he had set his sights on acquiring the Gray family's wealth and power.

Michael and Lily Gray were not happy about Ethan's rise to power. They had always believed themselves to be superior to him, and they resented the fact that he had surpassed them. They began to plot against him, determined to bring him down.

"It's not fair," Lily whined to Michael. "Ethan's not even a real Gray. He's just a poor, pathetic orphan who got lucky."

Michael's face twisted with anger. "We'll take care of him," he promised. "We'll make sure he pays for what he's done."

And so, they framed Ethan for a crime he didn't commit. They planted evidence, bribed witnesses, and manipulated the system to ensure that Ethan was sentenced to seven years in prison.

As Ethan sat in his cell, he couldn't help but think about how he had been betrayed. He had once trusted the Gray family, had thought of them as his own. But now, he realized that they had been using him all along.