Rey awoke again to find himself lying in bed, just as he had initially.
He rose and examined his body, finding no cuts or slashes, and sighed in relief, thinking it had all been a dream.
Nevertheless, he decided to check on his mother to ensure she was alright.
Descending the stairs, he noticed her door was slightly ajar, which made him feel weak as he approached it with hesitant steps.
Upon reaching the door, he saw his mother sleeping soundly, unharmed. He was about to feel relieved when his gaze shifted to the other side of the room, where the man who had killed his family was advancing towards her with the same knife used before.
He saw the man poised to drive the knife into his mother's neck, and at this sight, Rey couldn't restrain himself; he dashed towards the man as he entered the room.
The man spotted Rey but couldn't react in time; the knife had already been thrust into his mother's throat, and a second later, she was gone.
Rey's punch landed squarely on the man's face, sending him tumbling backward to the floor. After a single roll, his head collided with the wall, leaving him dazed.
"Mom... wake up, I'll save you, please wake up," he pleaded, attempting to stem the bleeding. But it was too late; his mother had already passed, and he was powerless to do anything but witness her demise.
Enraged, he prepared to confront the assailant responsible for this tragedy. However, as he turned, he realized the man had vanished. Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted in his throat, and he discovered a large dagger embedded deep within. The pain was excruciating, but before he could react, the dagger was yanked out, and he collapsed to the floor. Powerless, he watched the man advance towards his sister's room. Moments later, a scream pierced the air from above, and then silence enveloped the house.
He lay there, forced to watch the life ebb from his family, and with profound regret, he drew his final breath.
Minutes passed, and then, inexplicably, he awoke to find himself back in his bed, as if nothing had happened.
Dazed by the sight, he thought he was trapped in a loop and began yelling, "Aiden, I know you're behind this, please stop, I beg you. I'll do anything you ask, just stop this torture." He pleaded for 3-4 minutes and was about to rise when the door opened, revealing the assassin with a bloody dagger, the one who had killed his family.
The assassin, seeing him awake, lunged to finish the job.
Rey, having been killed by this man twice already, was beginning to adapt. He rolled to the side to dodge the attack and quickly stood to defend himself.
However, the assailant was experienced and, using his superior strength, attacked Rey with such speed that Rey couldn't defend himself. He was slashed all over, and finally, he fell to his knees, gasping for air, his vision blurring from the blood loss.
Seeing Rey weakened, the man stepped forward and swiftly slit Rey's throat with the dagger, ending his life before he could react.
Rey's last sight was of the man leaving, speaking with colleagues who seemed to be waiting outside the house.
And by this he died for the third time and the process continue from the start.
He woke up and now his mind was clear about what to do. First he had to find something to defend and attack and that can be only find in kitchen as only sharp weapon was a knife in his house.
He sprang up and rushed to the kitchen downstairs. As he descended, he glimpsed the shadow of the man who had killed him.
He prayed that his mother would be safe by the time he returned. Moving silently, he reached the kitchen and withdrew a knife from the drawer. A moment's hesitation gripped him, but the memory of what had happened to him and his family steeled his resolve, and he hurried to his mother's room.
He arrived just in time to see a familiar scene about to unfold within seconds. But before he could act, Rey burst into the room with a loud bang from the door, startling the intruder and waking Jasmine, who had been sleeping peacefully. Terrified at the sight of an unknown man advancing towards her, she retreated to protect herself.
Rey charged at the man, knife concealed behind his back and the other hand poised to strike, using the punch as a distraction.
The assailant, blinded by the darkness, sidestepped to avoid the punch but felt a sharp pain in his wrist and noticed a cut. It was only after Jasmine, who was behind Rey, turned on the light that he saw the knife in the boy's hand.
The man became alert and assumed a battle stance, drawing another dagger from his bag.
He leaned forward slightly and charged at the boy he was hired to kill, thrusting the dagger blade at him.
Rey, inexperienced in combat, managed only to fend off some of the slashes. However, having faced death three times, he mustered some courage and began to counterattack, causing both to bleed. Rey's condition was critical, and seizing the moment, the man delivered a kick to his chest, sending Rey flying into the wall. The impact shattered a family photo, scattering glass shards on the floor, some of which scratched him.
As the man approached to finish the job, Rey searched for his knife but realized it was out of reach. Desperately looking for anything to use as a weapon, he found something.
Struggling to rise, still on his hands and knees like an animal, he gasped for air, the kick to his chest hindering his breathing.
The man approached and was poised to strike, but a faint voice halted him.
"Why are you doing this?" Rey's whisper was too soft, prompting the man to stoop closer to listen. But as he did, a premonition of danger made him recoil. Too late—a sharp object pierced the underside of his jaw, causing excruciating pain, and his dagger clattered to the ground.
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Seizing the moment, Rey lunged for the weapon. The man noticed and scrambled to retrieve it first, but a shadow loomed, and a vase crashed against his face, buying Rey time.
It was Jasmine, who had been standing behind Rey. Witnessing his peril, she grabbed a vase from a table, biding her time until the right moment to strike.
With the man distracted, Rey snatched the dagger and, with a powerful leap, drove it into the man's face—specifically, his eye—ending his life.
Rey confirmed the man was motionless before collapsing to the ground, exhausted, to rest.
He was just settling in for some rest when a voice erupted from the Bluetooth.
"Oi, Agent 7, what's taking you so long to finish a simple family, huh?" someone demanded.
"Your Agent 7 is dead, and if you dare come here, I'll kill you too," Rey retorted, anger flashing in his eyes, fueled by the pain of his past—three deaths and a fourth life.
"Who the hell are you, and where is Agent 7?" the man on the other side inquired.
"Didn't you listen? I told you he's dead. And if you're so eager to meet him, just wait—I'll send you all to join him," Rey declared, his face calm yet smeared with blood.
"Just you wait I will be the one to take your head." Man said in rage of anger and the Bluetooth got unconnected.
"Rey, what's happening? Who are these people?" Jasmine inquired, dabbing the blood from Rey's face.
"Mom, you and Emmy need to find a place to hide; I fear the attack isn't over," Rey urged, guiding them towards Emmy's room.
Pausing briefly, Rey seized two daggers from the ground, discarding his inferior blade that stood no chance against the assassins.
Entering Emmy's room, they found her asleep, oblivious to the chaos. They woke her gently.
Emmy, upon awakening to the sight of blood-stained clothes and Rey's lacerated body, was petrified. Jasmine consoled her, recounting the night's harrowing events.
Rey hurried them downstairs to the storeroom for safety.
"Son, come inside before they arrive," Jasmine pleaded, with Emmy nodding in agreement.
"No, Mom. If we all hide, they'll find us easily. I'll lead them away while you two wait for the police. And don't worry, I'll be fine," Rey assured them, determined to protect his family.
"Please, son, don't do this; we can hide here and be saved by the police," Jasmine pleaded with tears in her eyes, knowing that if he went outside, he would surely die.
"Mom, understand this, and Emmy, please take care of Mom until I clear up this whole mess," Rey said, then swiftly closed the door and ran away.
Jasmine and Emmy tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge, and they could only wait for Rey's return.
Meanwhile, Rey sat in his mother's room, where the body of agent number seven lay on the floor.
He rummaged through the agent's bag for something useful but found only some keys and a few blades.
Now armed with five blades, he felt quite confident in taking down at least two or three of them.
But what he didn't realize was that his personality was changing rapidly. Before, he had opposed Aiden's actions towards the thugs and Jacob, but now he faced the prospect of killing others with calmness.
Previously, the sight of dead bodies on TV would have made him nauseous, but now he stood before one, as composed as if he were observing a zoo animal.
He was waiting for them, feeling his body gradually slipping out of control, his vision dimming, yet he refused to close his eyes. His mother and sister were still there, and if he fainted or died, they would be in danger once more.
He persisted, and after some time, he heard the door of the room open and six figures entered.
Four men and two women were among them.
They quickly encircled him, cutting off all possible escape routes, and one approached him, standing directly in front of him.
"So, you're the one who killed our brother, right?" he said in a deep voice, then added, "And you wanted to kill us too, huh?"
"Yes, and I firmly believe that tonight will be your end," Rey replied, his expression unchanging, thinking to himself, 'Well, maybe in a few lifetimes.'
"Ho, so let me see the strength of the one who will be going to kill me." He said and clapped his hand as two of the one surrounding him rushed toward him with daggers.
Rey saw that both were attacking him from the opposite side and was about to back away but his body conditions were not right and so it delay a little and two slashes appeared on his skin on hands and belly.
Rey's heart raced as the assassins closed in. He swiftly drew the two daggers he had taken from Agent 7.
"It's the unique dagger of Brother 7," one of them shouted, charging recklessly. The others followed suit.
Rey parried one attack but was caught off guard by a strike from behind. He stumbled, avoiding a fatal blow.
Seizing the chance to finish him, both assassins lunged simultaneously, their daggers piercing his stomach. Blood flowed freely.
Yet, before they could celebrate, Rey's hands shot up. With lightning speed, he drove both blades through their skulls, ending their lives with a resounding thud.
The remaining assassin stared in shock. What they had dismissed as a normal guy turned out to be a relentless lunatic, taking hits to thin their ranks. 🗡️💀
The tension hung heavy in the air as the assassin leader seethed with rage. "You bastard, I will kill you!" he spat, lunging toward Rey. But fate intervened—the wailing sirens of approaching police cars disrupted their deadly confrontation. His henchmen pulled him away, urging him to leave.
Relieved yet battered, Rey staggered toward the room door. Each step was a struggle, but determination fueled his movements. Finally, he reached the door and pushed it open.
Inside, his mother, Jasmine, and his younger sister, Emmy, stared back at him. Jasmine's initial fear melted into relief, but it was short-lived as she took in Rey's condition.
Both women rushed to his side, steadying him as he teetered on the brink of collapse.
"Why, Rey? Why did you do this?" Jasmine's voice trembled with tears.
Emmy sobbed, her eyes wide with fear. Rey managed a faint smile, brushing away their tears.
"Mom, it was my duty to protect you both. I'm certain you'll be safe in this life. Please, live happily."
Jasmine protested, urging him to rest as the ambulance approached. She knew that if he succumbed to sleep now, he might never wake up. But her words were meant to console Emmy, who continued to cry.
Meanwhile, the assassin leader stood a distance away from the house, waiting for his accomplices. They returned, tossing a remote into his hand.
"Is everything ready?" he asked.
"Yes, big brother," replied the woman named 3.
He clenched his jaw. "Let's ease our brother's soul with their lives." With a push of the button, the explosive charge they had set detonated. The entire building collapsed, burying Rey's family beneath the rubble. 🏚️💥
And Rey who was killed by the blast was returned into the darkness and the cycle started again but this time he was ready for it maybe.
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