Rey stood motionless, a screen glowing before him—offering escape.
Yet his heart hesitated.
Running now would an giving up. It would an choosing safety over growth. That wasn't him. No matter how many stories he'd read or watched, where protagonists pushed past their limits for the people they loved—he never saw himself in them. And yet... he still admired them.
Maybe, deep down, he wanted to be soone like that too.
Every battle since eting Aiden had taught him sothing. But no one—not even those monsters he'd faced—had ever pushed him like Jacob did.
And this ti, Aiden wouldn't intervene. Rey didn't want him to. He wanted to do this alone.
With burning resolve, he made his choice.
The screen disappeared.
Rey faced Jacob, whose body was still covered in flickering Zero particles.
"This ends today, Jacob," Rey said. "Only one of us walks away."
The unstable Zero energy around him condensed into a new dagger, shaking in his hand. He held it steady as he bought ti.
Jacob grinned through the pain. "You're right about one thing, kid—soone dies here. And it won't be ."
He lunged, blade slashing. Rey dodged and retaliated, striking the gaps in Jacob's weakened armor. Jacob growled and countered with a storm of swings, forcing Rey on the defensive.
Fifteen minutes passed in a brutal exchange. Both fighters were breathless. Jacob bled from dozens of wounds; Rey, though healing, was reaching his limit.
Rey narrowed his eyes.
He saw an opening.
Sliding in, he struck behind Jacob's knee. The older man fell to the ground with a grunt.
As Jacob dropped, Rey absorbed his weapon. A surge of power flowed through him.
He now wore two-thirds of the armour's protection—just enough to survive.
"You're done, Jacob," Rey said. "In my world, you've already lost."
He pulled out his last hidden dagger.
Jacob chuckled, breathing heavily. "Heh... You were right, boy. One of us was ant to die."
He sidestepped Rey's throw, summoned a crude club from the last of his particles, and struck back—hard.
CRACK!
The blow hit Rey square in the ribs. He stumbled—then another strike ca.
Then another.
And another.
Rey collapsed under the relentless assault. His body curled in on itself, bones breaking, vision blurring. Blood poured from every wound.
Jacob stood over him, panting.
"I told you it was my lucky day. But I'm tired of calling you 'kid.' What's your na? I want to rember it... after I conquer this world."
Rey coughed, barely conscious.
Then he smiled.
"No, Jacob... this is your end."
He moved his hand—but nothing happened. His body wouldn't respond.
Jacob sneered. "Still defiant? You really think—?"
Then he froze.
Sothing pierced his skull.
He didn't even have ti to scream.
Blood ran from his mouth... and from the dagger now protruding through it.
Jacob's body collapsed next to Rey.
A final strike—from above.
Rey burst into wild, breathless laughter.
His trap had worked.
Earlier, when he threw the dagger, it had ricocheted and dropped behind a machine. He waited—tid it perfectly. And when Jacob got too close, the dagger, controlled by his last reserve of power, struck ho.
Jacob never saw it coming.
Rey staggered to his feet, trembling. He approached Jacob's corpse and absorbed the final fragnt.
The system revealed the final ssage.
Rey didn't hesitate.
He drove the dagger into his own head.
Darkness claid him.
Not out of despair—but to awaken.
To return ho.
The void greeted him again, but this ti, he was pulled backwards.
A brilliant light surged behind him. As it engulfed him, his eyes opened.
He was in his bed.
Breathing hard. Drenched in sweat. 7:12 a.m.
Late for school.
"Aiden? Zero? Victor?" he whispered.
No answer.
He scrambled out of bed—then froze.
They stood before him, smiling. Whole. Alive.
But he didn't waste a mont.
He sprinted downstairs.
His mother, Jasmine, was cooking.
His little sister, Emmy, sat at the table, eating breakfast in her uniform.
"Brother?" Emmy looked up. Her eyes widened as he stumbled in, tears falling, breath ragged.
"What happened?" she cried, running to him as he collapsed to his knees.
Jasmine turned and rushed over, panic in her voice.
But Rey only smiled, hugging them both.
"I thought I lost you…"
They looked at him, then burst out laughing.
To them, it was just a dream.
But Rey knew better.
He'd bled for this mont.
Elsewhere, Victor watched quietly. "We thought he'd turn into a monster," he murmured. "But he's more human than we expected."
Aiden nodded. "Didn't think he'd beat Jacob. Even with our help, he was nearly done for... but he pulled through. Not bad... for a newbie."
They faded from view, leaving Rey to finally enjoy the peace he'd fought so hard to earn.
--> To be Continued...
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