Nemesis. Start on the End.

"I wasn't thinking straight, but aren't you supposed to be on my side?" I hissed, my words slurring as I tossed back another drink. The whiskey burned down my throat, mixing with the blood dripping from the wound on my forehead. My black hair hung in front of my face, sticky with sweat.

Why?

The voice whispered the word into my mind, calm and detached. Why?

I stopped mid-motion, the word reverberating in my skull, like an echo bouncing off the walls of my mind. Why?

I stared into the empty space in front of me, the question rattling in my head like a curse. Why? I couldn't escape it. I turned to the side, eyes catching the sight of the bartender's lifeless body sprawled out on the floor, a broken glass lodged into his eye. His face was frozen in a grimace, the pool of blood around him soaking into the wood of the bar.

Why? I heard the voice again, pressing me, forcing me to answer.

I blinked, unable to tear my gaze away from the scene. Why am I still here? Why hasn't it ended yet?

I shook my head, trying to make sense of it all, but there was no answer. My breath came ragged, my hands trembling as I looked at the bartender, the violence of the moment settling in my stomach like a stone.

"Why?" I muttered to myself, louder this time, my voice cracking. "Why should I care anymore? What the hell am I even doing? I've lost it all, and for what?"

You're not insane.

The voice's calm tone slid into my thoughts again, like a hand on my shoulder, guiding me. You know who I am. This is not your imagination. You are not crazy. Your mind is clouded by your anger, your betrayal, your pain. But you're not insane.

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "Not insane?" I scoffed, bitterness choking my words. "Then what the hell am I? Look at me. I've had my heart ripped out, my trust destroyed, and now I'm left alone, drowning in my own misery. Why shouldn't I be insane?"

Because it's not insanity. It's just that your choices have been bad from the start.

The words hung heavy in the air, and a coldness washed over me. My eyes burned with unshed tears, but I wiped them away with a trembling hand. "Choices," I muttered bitterly. "Yeah, my choices. I chose to trust her. I chose to believe in people. I thought maybe, just maybe, someone would have my back. But no. She betrayed me, and now I'm just… nothing."

The anger built in me again, like a wave ready to crash. "She slept with some guy after telling me she wasn't ready for sex. She lied to me, used me, and threw me aside. And Adams? That son of a bitch used me as a pawn in his game, just like everyone else. I'm done with all of them."

And that's why you're here.

The voice's tone shifted, more matter-of-fact. This is the reality, cold and unforgiving. There are no heroes here. No saviors. No friends. There's just the world, and the choices you make.

I clenched my fists, the anger almost suffocating. "I know that. I've been living in this hell, watching everything slip away. There's no one to save me. I'm on my own."

Exactly. You see it now. The world is cold, unfeeling. But you don't have to be a victim. You can choose to be king of your own fate. If you let go, if you die now, you'll be free. You can rewrite your story.

I looked back at the bartender's body, the glass still lodged in his eye, his face frozen in death. Just like him, the voice seemed to whisper in my mind. Dead. Gone. Free.

I blinked, confused by the voice's offer. "Rewrite it? How? What the hell are you talking about?"

Sometimes, in order to change your fate, you must first let go of everything. Let go of your anger, your past, your regrets. If you die now, if you let Adams kill you, the cycle can break. You will be reborn, but this time, with the chance to make better choices. This is the price you pay—to be free.

I stood there, silent, feeling the weight of the decision settle on me. "So that's it? I die, and everything changes?"

Yes. Let go. Let the pain, the anger, everything, just disappear. You will be free. The cycle will break. The world is cold, but sometimes, you can become king if you just let go and die.

My hands shook, my heart racing. I couldn't deny it. It was tempting. All I had to do was die, and the world would change. I'd be free of the pain, the betrayal, the heartbreak.

I looked at the door to the bar, hearing footsteps approaching. I knew who it was. Adams. The man who had used me. The man who was going to end it all.

I felt nothing. No fear. No anger. Just… nothing.

Let go. Let him end it. The cycle will break.

I stared at the gun in Adams' hand. "End it," I muttered, my voice low and almost detached. "Just do it. I'm done. I don't want to play this game anymore. I'm done."

The gunshot was deafening.

BAM!

And just like that, everything went black.

But even as the darkness closed in, I heard the voice again, soft and sure.

This is your chance. You will be reborn. You will have the power to change everything.