『From the Cinders shall rise a world anew.』

『—So I plead, in short whispers untold. Let the World Burn 』

A girl stood on the edge of the ruined world, her body trembling as the weight of her actions sank in— a sin witnessed only by the blood red sky.

Her once vibrant crimson hair now turned dull, and soot marred across her face alongside patches of dried blood that once dripped from her wounds.

Around her— the charred remnants of what once was a thriving kingdom sprawled endlessly, blackened trees stretching toward a sky choked with ash.

Fires flickered— like cruel, mocking stars.

Her hands—bloodied and scarred, felt heavier than ever as the system’s monotonous voice rang in battered conscience of her mind.

[Congratulations—Task Completed: Prevent the Demon Lord’s Apocalypse and Initiate the Hero's Regressor Cycle.]

A gasp escaped her lips as the words flashed before her sullen eyes. It was done. The task she had slaved for, suffered for, sacrificed for.

Years of torment, of pretending... and commiting monstrous acts—all of it was for this singular moment.

The system’s cruel certainty had burned a singular purpose into her soul: to give humanity one last chance through her brother.

—And now it was over.

She fell to her knees, tears rolling down her face as relief finally overtook her.

"It’s done... It’s finally over..." she whispered, her voice breaking into incoherrent cries.

"All those lives i've mercilessly taken, the countless sins i've done... they weren't for nothing. They'll have a chance now—He’ll fix everything."

Her trembling hands reached for the ground as she collapsed further, resting her forehead against the soot-stained earth. For once in Nerina Morwen's life—she let herself weep the first time in what felt like centuries.

For a fleeting moment, she felt free.

—thus, nerina closed her eyes...

"I'll go to hell for this... won't I?"

.

.

.

With a jolt—Nerina’s eyes fluttered open, the blinding white lights above her slowly dimming into the soft golden glow of sunlight streaming through a window.

For a moment— she was disoriented.

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The charred remnants of the world were nowhere to be found. Gone where the suffocating ash that had clogged her lungs, the burning ruins, the endless screams—all replaced by the faint chirping of birds outside.

She bolted upright, her hands gripping the edge of the bed she found herself in. The fabric of the sheets were soft, foreign, and… clean.

Nerina blinked rapidly, her heart pounding in her chest.

Where am I?

Her eyes darted around the small room, taking in the elegant wooden furniture. The toys scattered on the floor, the small stack of books on the bedside table— It was all painfully familiar.

Then it hit her—this wasn’t just any room. It was hers.

The girl's ragged breaths hitched as memories came flooding back. This was her room from before.

Before she became the villain, before she tore her family apart, before the world crumbled into ashes.

Nerina turned to the window balcony and swept her gaze across until she saw it—a small, quiet village with children playing outside, the sun warm and inviting in the plain blue sky.

Blue— the sky was no longer stained crimson red.

She pressed a hand to her chest— as if to asses if this was real, that everything had only been a long nightmare.

Tears began to spill from her eyes without nerina knowing— the pain of guilt which she had bottled up all these years finally began to flow.

"It’s… it’s all gone," she whispered, her voice trembling.

"It’s really over."

Relief crashed into her like a wave, her tears spilling freely as she let out a shaky laugh.

It worked. Everything I did—it worked.

Her brother would have a chance now. He would save the world properly this time.

For the first time in years, the crushing weight on her shoulders lifted. She touched her face, feeling the softness of her skin, unmarred by the scars and pain she had endured. She was alive—She was whole. She was free.

But then—as she smiled through her tears, a sharp chime echoed in her mind. Her body froze, the sound sending a chill down her spine.

Slowly, a system panel appeared before her— its glowing text etching like a dagger to her heart.

[New Task Initiated.]

[Objective: Become the Vessel of the Demon Lord.]

[Condition: Ensure the Hero’s Triumph by Sacrificing Yourself.]

[Details: You must act as the final obstacle, allowing the Hero to ascend and save the world. This task is mandatory.]

The words blurred as Nerina’s vision swam, her breath quickening. She clawed at the panel as if she could tear it away— but it remained, the letters seared unto her mind.

“No… no, no, no,”

She whispered in a cry, her voice breaking in a gutteral scream.

Nerina's heart pounded in her chest as the weight she thought she’d shed came crashing back down—heavier than ever.

Her trembling fingers clutched the sheets as she tried to steady herself.

“This… this isn’t real,” she screamed, her voice shaking.

“It’s over. It’s supposed to be over!"

But the system only responded with its cold, unfeeling precision:

[Failure to comply will result in termination of the timeline.]

Nerina's body convulsed as the words sunk in, her chest tightening painfully. She doubled over, head in her hands as she let out a broken laugh— her tears now falling uncontrollably.

"Of course"

She whispered bitterly, her voice hollow as she clutched the edges of her bed.

"Why would I ever get a second chance? Why would I ever deserve one?"

The sunlight streaming through the window felt cruel now, mocking her with its warmth. This was no rebirth...it sure as hell wasn't freedom. She was merely being reset— to play the monster once again.

Memories of the past flooded back—her brother's innocent smile, Evelyn's hopeful gaze, the warmth of their family before everything fell apart.

All of it gone. All of it sacrificed—And for what?

Her body trembled as the realization sunk in: she was never meant to be free.

Her head snapped upward, glaring at the empty sky.

“You used me!” she screamed, her voice raw with fury and despair.

"You made me believe this was the end! You made me—"

Her voice broke and she crumpled into her knees, gripping her arms tightly as though trying to hold broken pieces herself together.

Her mind reeled at the thought of what was to come. She had already been the villain once... sacrificing her family, her humanity, her soul.

And now she would have to do it again, but worse—she would have to become the monster they all believed her to be, the very vessel of the apocalypse she had worked so hard to prevent.

And at the end of it all, her brother and her friends, be the people she had done it all for—would be the one to strike her down.

A choked sob escaped her lips as she laughed bitterly, tears streaming down her face.

“Why him? Why does it always have to be them?”

“What kind of cruel joke is this?”

Her laughter faded to silence as she stared into the distance—her tears finally running dry, to the point where shedding any more would draw blood.

The weight of the system’s command pressed down on her, suffocating the girl with its inevitability.

Nerina's trembling hands gripped her hair as she tried to suppress the scream budding in her throat. The fleeting hope she had felt moments ago shattered like glass, leaving nothing but jagged pieces behind.

“They’ll hate me again,” she muttered, her voice barely audible.

“They’ll kill me once more. And I’ll let them— Because that’s what this damned world demands.”

If that was the case, then it would've been better to remain dead. Eternal rest was infinitely better than relieving the nightmares again.

Her body trembled as she forced herself to sit up, wiping her tears with shaking hands. The elegant, innocent room around her was a stark contrast to the turmoil within the broken girl's heart.

Taking a deep breath—Nerina clenched her fists, untrimmed nails digging deep into her palms.

"Fine," she whispered, her voice grown cold— gone was her hopeful reprieve.

"If that’s what it takes to save them… I’ll do it— Again."

But deep down, as she stood and looked out the window at the idyllic world she had sacrificed everything for—a single, bitter thought echoed in her mind:

How much more do I have to give?

The system’s panel flickered one last time before vanishing, its task clear. Nerina stared at the peaceful village outside, her tears drying on her cheeks.

She straightened her back, her resolve hardening even as her heart fractured further.

The role of the villain awaited her once more, and this time— there was no relief waiting at the end.