I opened my eyes, my chest aching, the pain sharp and unforgiving.
I groaned, the sound echoing off the walls of the closed alley, only to return to me like a cruel reminder.
I am on the brink of death.
Through the cloud of confusion, a fragmented memory surfaces..... his face, the face of my killer, the one who ended me. A face I could never forget....
Because it is something I share with him.
I remember heading toward the city hall when he began chasing me. Desperately, I ran toward the station, hoping to find the cops inside. But I was too late.
He caught me, strangled me into unconsciousness, dragged me into the alley, and plunged the knife deep into my chest.
Now, I can only wait for my awaited death.
I opened my arms to embrace it, for it was sweet.
.....
[13 March 2089]
[9:40am]
I jolted awake to find myself in bed, the nightmare I had was so macabre it felt incredibly real. I can recall the pain vividly, every bit of it. My heart ached as I remembered it, the pain still so intense.
Again and again, this sensation returns.
Every night, I am killed, time rewinds, and I find myself back in bed. My memories keep piling up, and now it feels like I can't remember them all.
I've even lost count of how many times I've died.
The only thing I can't forget is his face because it's the one constant, no matter how different the outcome is.
Once, I stayed locked inside my apartment, refusing to go out. When night fell, I was ready for him, prepared in case he came to hunt me. But instead, he threw a grenade inside, blowing me and the entire apartment apart.
He's a menace, unstoppable in his mischievous schemes, doing things most wouldn't dare. It's like he isn't real, just a cruel joke played on me.
For convenience, I call him Jester.
Jester, wild doesn't even begin to describe him. There's no line he won't cross. Once, he fought an entire police station just to stab a rod into my chest.
Once, I tried to end it all, hoping to break free from this endless cycle, but it was pointless. The day keeps repeating, no matter who ends my life, whether it's me or him. I always wake up the day before, stuck in this loop.
But not today, I have a solution. It seems impossible, but if I can kill him, I can be free. I can live to see another day, and maybe that's enough to break the cycle. I've never tried it before because the guy seems impossible to fight, but now that everything else has failed me, this is the only idea I can move forward with.
I kept reliving the same events over and over. I can pretty much say I can see the future, because things always unfold the same way for me.
I know everything about this day because of it.
After taking as much money as I had, and some that I stole.
I went to gun store, I need gun.
There are more advanced weapons available here, from lightsabers to light-emission guns, with fire rates far surpassing most traditional firearms.
Still, I chose the Nagant M1895 Revolver.
I want to truly experience the act, not just finish the task. Nothing matters more than understanding how I feel after my first kill.
This will reveal what kind of person I am.
Even though I feel desperate, I still want to uphold the boundary.
The Nagant can hold seven rounds, its gas seal design increases muzzle velocity and reduces sound, making it a silent yet deadly weapon.
I would have seven chances to stop the killer, and I need to make each one count.
Next was the location. I needed to ensure the killer could only approach from one direction, and I had to spot him before he got too close.
The most ideal spot I could think of was an abandoned train station ticket office, now a watch room, with its guardroom perched at the top of the old stairwell. A solid door stood at the back, and a narrow window overlooked the corridor. From there, I could spot anyone approaching long before they reached the threshold, funneling the murderer into a single choke point.
The Nagant will give me seven quiet, deliberate opportunities to make my choice.
The isolation of the train station would both cover my tracks and provide an opportunity to listen in the silence of the dead night.
With everything setup, I just need to wait for the night.
The sun dipped slowly, reluctant to release its grip on the world it was leaving behind. The sky burned with hues of amber and crimson, spreading its glow over jagged rooftops and shattered glass scattered across the city. Long, slender shadows stretched across the streets, swallowing the last remnants of golden light.
The night has come.
Darkness enveloped the train station, its abandonment now immense.
I could feel the absolution of souls and isolation of wicked. Ghosts lingered in my peripheral vision, and I was a little scared.
With the advancement of science, the world has achieved wonders, yet my mind lingers with the instinctive fear from the primordial era.
I tried to compose myself, thinking about other things, waiting for the right moment.
Time was ticking, and I could hear every shudder the weak old metal made as the night's breeze passed by. The sounds of small animals moving through the abandoned platform and the overgrown plants turning the metal into their support made the station feel less isolated than I had imagined, it was surprisingly lively.
Though from time to time, an ominous feeling crept into my mind, that was the extent of it.
With heavy dark clouds drifting overhead, the pale moon cast its rays on the platform, lighting the darkness with a cool and serene glow.
It was breathtaking.
For a moment, I completely forgot why I was at an abandoned train station in the middle of the night.
Until...
Through the moonlight, a silhouette of a man slowly approaching the station gleamed in my eyes.
It's him!