David jolted awake, his body drenched in a cold, clinging sweat that soaked through the tattered sheets. The echoes of Ruby's piercing screams still reverberated in his skull, a relentless torment that gnawed at his sanity. Beside him, Luna slumbered in serene ignorance, her chest rising and falling as if the world hadn't shattered around them. Outside, the wolves howled—a feral chorus slicing through the night, their mournful cries mirroring the storm of grief and rage churning within David's chest. His crimson eyes burned, twin embers glowing in the dark, as he clenched his fists until his knuckles whitened. I'll save her, he swore silently, or I'll burn it all to ash.
Days bled into nights, and their cursed journey had dragged them to Henwards Kingdom. Luna, ever the pious fool, sought solace in the church's hollow promises, while David ascended the spiraling steps of the Magic Tower, its shadow looming like a guillotine over his fractured soul. In a desolate wasteland beyond, he found her—Ruby, his sister, broken and defiled, her lifeless body a grotesque tableau of suffering. Rage erupted, a volcano of hate, as he tore into the demon Fear with his bare hands. Blood sprayed like a painter's cruel masterpiece, bones snapped under his relentless fury, and the demon's guttural shrieks faded into a wet gurgle. But the nightmare didn't end there. Luna—his supposed ally—revealed her treachery, plunging a blade through Ruby's heart as David's anguished roar shook the heavens. Consumed by a fury blacker than the abyss, he unleashed his dark power. Luna's screams were drowned by the crackling inferno as he obliterated her, her family, and every trace of their existence in a maelstrom of destruction.
The Creator, a distant and indifferent god, intervened then, bestowing upon David the power to rewind time—a cruel gift wrapped in chains of torment. The world reset, and Ruby awoke, alive, her eyes wide with innocence that clawed at David's distrustful heart. He stood over her, vowing protection, yet the gnawing suspicion festered like rot. Above, the gods bickered in their celestial council, their voices a dull thunder as they debated a missing deity. Below, David lingered at a crossroads—revenge or salvation—his crimson gaze locked on a horizon veiled in uncertainty, a future dripping with blood and shadow.
Two days later, the Magic Academy stood silent, its gates barred, its staff proclaiming a fleeting reprieve. David lay sprawled across his bed, staring at the cracked ceiling of his dismal room. The dim light filtering through the window cast jagged shadows that danced like specters across the walls. His mind churned, a tempest of sorrow and rage, as he whispered to the emptiness, "Is there any good left in this cursed existence?"
David (muttering to himself):
"First life… happy once. Now? Revenge or protect Ruby… or both? Gods, heroes, treacherous wife—they all deserve to rot. But which path? Kill every other David, every Ruby across the timelines? Or tear the heavens down?"
His eyes flared crimson, a molten glow that seemed to pulse with his heartbeat. Confusion clawed at him, a beast with no face, as he wrestled with his fractured purpose. To protect her, I must destroy them all—every timeline, every echo of us. His thoughts spiraled darker still: revenge on the gods who toyed with his fate, on the summoned heroes who strutted as saviors while he drowned in despair.
David (voice rising, trembling with venom):
"I could be this world's hero… or its reckoning. AHHH! I don't know what I'm doing anymore!"
He sat up abruptly, chest heaving, and thrust his hand forward. A portal ripped open in the air—a swirling vortex of violet and black, its edges crackling like a storm. He stepped through, his form cloaked in stealth as he emerged above New York City in a timeline eerily akin to his past. Skyscrapers pierced the sky like jagged teeth, and the streets below buzzed with oblivious life. He flew unseen, a phantom of wrath, drawn to the day he'd died in his own world. But here, this David lived. This David thrived.
Hovering above a quaint brownstone, he peered through a window. Linda—his Linda, or a version of her—laughed with a David who hadn't been broken. No betrayal, no blood, just a sickeningly perfect life. A child darted into the room, all gap-toothed smiles, shouting, "Daddy!" The other David scooped him up, pressing a tender kiss to the boy's forehead.
Other David (grinning):
"My cute son… Jack, you're my world."
David (whispering, voice dripping with malice):
"A David with a happy life… wow. This isn't right. This isn't what I got."
He checked the timeline's hue—gold, shimmering with safety and joy. Below, the family sat to dinner, their laughter a dagger twisting in his gut. Jealousy surged, a tidal wave of black hate, as his crimson eyes narrowed to slits.
David (hissing through clenched teeth):
"This should've been mine. Linda, a kid, a home… but I got screams and ashes. Why should he have it? Why should I be the only one to suffer?"
The moon hung low, its silver light bathing the city in an eerie glow. David's laughter erupted—a jagged, maniacal cackle that echoed through the empty skies. He waved a hand, and time in this world slowed to a crawl. Twenty-four hours here would be a mere second in his own timeline—a godlike power he wielded with sadistic glee.
David (voice low, unhinged):
"Now I've got all the time I need. I won't kill them… no, no, I've slaughtered billions already. But this happiness? It's an insult. I can't stand it—this other David, this mockery of what I lost."
His mind raced with twisted possibilities. Is this timeline good for Ruby? Does it matter? I wanted this—Linda, a son, a life. But I didn't get it. So why should he? The air grew heavy, thick with the stench of his festering resentment. Below, Linda served Jack a slice of pie, her smile radiant. David's lips curled into a sneer.
David (snarling):
"I'll destroy his happiness with his own hands. Ha… haha… HAHAHA! A bloody path, a terrible end—this jealousy will be their ruin!"
The night deepened, shadows stretching like claws across the city. David's crimson eyes glowed brighter, twin beacons of malevolence. He wasn't good, nor evil—he was a void, a force of suffering seeking satisfaction in chaos.
David (voice dropping to a chilling whisper):
"I'm no saint, no devil. But I won't suffer alone. Everyone will feel this… this satisfaction. A world of secrets, ripe for exposure. Governments hiding their filth—I'll rip it open. I'll hunt the hunters."
In his college days, he'd dreamed of power, of toppling corrupt systems. Rage had destroyed his own world once, but here, he'd be precise. The government—puppets of lies—would be his prey. His laughter rang out again, a sound to curdle blood, as the city below lay unsuspecting.
David (voice booming, unhinged):
"I'll show them! The citizens will see their precious leaders for the snakes they are! This fake life they've lived—over! Crimson eyes on, world—I'm your reckoning!"
The chapter closed on a precipice of dread. A happy David, his wife Linda, and their son Jack sat blissfully unaware, their fragile joy teetering on the edge of annihilation. Above, the original David loomed, a specter of wrath and ruin, his powers poised to unravel their world. Something vast and terrible brewed—a storm of evilness ready to descend, promising horror, suspense, and a shattering of innocence.