For a heartbeat, the room only held the sound of blood.
"Oi, motherfucker," one of them snapped.
"Why'd you kill her? We could've had our fun with her!"
"She jumped in front of me! I didn't—"
Their words blurred.
All I could see was her body, blood spreading across the cracked floor like ink.
Panic pressed against my ribs.
No. No—no, no, no…
I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe.
'Move.'
I screamed in my head.
'MOVE, DAMN IT! YOU.PATHETIC.BASTARD, MOVE!!!!!'
But my body stayed still.
Useless. Powerless.
Tears burned my eyes as the men argued.
Then one of them stepped closer, grinning. I saw the glint of his dagger — then looked down to see it buried in my chest. He twisted it.
I couldn't feel the blade, but I could feel the will to live flare hotter than pain. I would not die without dragging them with me.
'I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them! I will kill them!!'
'I WILL KILL THEM!!'
Looking at the man whose face was near me, just an inch away.
I pushed my body to its limits. I knew I couldn't move my entire body, but I didn't have to.
I did what was possible. I could move my neck. So–
I bit.
My teeth sank into his neck, ripping until hot blood spurted like a fountain from the carotid artery.
"Ghh—aaaghk!!"
He screamed — a raw, animal howl — and staggered back, blood pouring from the wound.
"What the fuck!!"
The other's eyes widened in horror. They had never thought that the cripple would do something like that.
They ran towards him, trying to help, but it was useless. His neck was gushing with blood. He was losing his life.
"pthu….Hehehe…haha…HaHAHAHA!!!!!" I spat the warm, metallic taste from my mouth and laughed, hysterical and hollow.
Meanwhile, looking at the man who was looking at them with a maniacal expression while laughing like a madman, they were afraid shitless.
They knew he was crippled, but they didn't take a risk and left without even glancing a second to their partner, who was already dead.
"H-HaH-Ha-ah-gakkkh-ha…I-I k-killed them.. I killed them, L-Lia…Lia" A gurgling sound echoed in the deadly silence.
Lucien was already on the verge of his death. He could feel his vision slipping.
Still, before dying, he wanted to see her. He wanted to see his beloved sister.
A few feet away, her hand lay open, fingers curled like she'd tried to reach for him.
He wanted to call her name, but his throat only gurgled blood.
"Lia…s-sorry-I-I am sorry."
The word barely escaped his lips — a whisper that died faster than he was.
His eyes dimmed, and his vision blurred. He had lost a lot of blood, and even the adrenaline rush had ended.
Just before dying, he heard a voice. A soft, feminine voice—not human, not machine exactly—cutting the dying hush.
[Detected fatal state]
[You have a chance to go to the past. Regress before the apocalypse]
[Proceed? YES/NO]
Lucien thought he was dreaming. He couldn't hear properly.
All he could hear was 'Regress' and 'Go to the past'.
"Y-aakh! – Y-Yes." He gasped. Even opening his mouth was painful.
His lungs were burning. He could hear the thudding of his heartbeat slowing down.
[Confirming selection]
[…]
[…]
[Final Directive Initiated. Regression Commencing in 3... 2... 1...]
The world unspooled. Flames twisted into light, rubble into dust, blood into stars.
His vision blurred as something vast and ancient stirred behind the screen of reality.
And then — silence.
Until he opened his eyes again…
to the day before it all began.