ALEXEI
I had to reach her.
Her silhouette flickered in the distance as they dragged her toward the back of the warehouse, just beyond the rows of rusting steel and abandoned crates. I couldn't make out her face through the dim light and the haze of my vision, but I knew it was her.
I promised her.
My legs gave out for a second, sending me crashing into the floor. Pain tore through my body like wildfire, but I pushed myself forward, grinding my teeth. I was hit bad—three bullets. One was lodged deep in my gut, another in my leg, and a graze had torn across my left eye, leaving everything on that side clouded in a red blur. Blood poured from me in thick, sluggish streams, soaking my side and dripping onto the concrete floor, each drop loud enough to echo in my head. I could barely see out of my left eye, everything a fog of crimson and distorted shapes.
I quickly checked my gun. Three bullets left.
Not enough.
But it had to be.
Leaning heavily against a rusted blue container, I sucked in a breath, feeling my lungs scream with every inhale. The bulletproof vest was suffocating, pressing down on my chest. I tore it off, tossing it aside like dead weight. I was bleeding too much, moving too slow.
But none of that mattered. The rule was simple: The job isn't over until the client is safe.
That was all I had to focus on. That was the mission.
I pressed forward, creeping around the corner, my heart pounding in my ears, the ringing getting louder with each step. Then I saw them. Four men in sleek black suits, standing guard. Malin's family. The second son, arrogant as ever, sat slouched in a chair with a cigar dangling from his mouth, smirking like a smug bastard.
And in front of him—her. Tied to a chair, bound and shaking, tears cutting streaks down her face. She was screaming something, her voice desperate and raw, but I could barely hear it over the roar in my ears.
"Let me go!" she screamed again. He chuckled, low and cold, before slapping her so hard her head snapped to the side.
Bang!
I didn't hesitate. I fired, the shot finding its mark in his shoulder. He jerked back with a curse, his cigar flying from his hand. Panic surged through the group as they scrambled, reaching for their guns and barking orders.
She saw her chance and kicked free, knocking over the chair and dragging herself toward the exit.
Bang! Bang!
Bullets flew in my direction, but I had already dived behind a metal crate. I fired the last two shots blindly as I rolled into cover, hearing one of the goons grunt in pain.
Then my gun clicked empty.
Shit.
The adrenaline was fading fast, replaced by crushing exhaustion. My body felt like lead, heavy and cold. The world tilted, spinning like a broken carousel. I dropped the gun, letting it clatter uselessly to the floor. My back hit the container, and I slumped down, my legs giving way as my strength bled out with every passing second. Blood pooled beneath me, warm and thick, but I could barely feel it anymore.
I couldn't breathe. Each gasp was labored, my chest tight, my vision tunneling.
This is it. This is how I die.
The sounds of their footsteps echoed, drawing closer. They were after her, after my client. And I had nothing left—no bullets, no strength, no hope.
My fingers twitched against the cold metal of the floor.
If only I could do more… if I could just…
BEEP!
A sharp noise pierced through the haze in my mind. It wasn't from the warehouse. It was coming from... inside my head?
System Initialization in Progress… Synchronizing with user…
What the hell?
A translucent screen flickered into view, hovering just inches in front of my eyes like a hologram. My breath caught. I blinked hard, but it didn't go away.
Would you like to use a Return Credit?
The voice was mechanical, female, and emotionless. It felt surreal, out of place amidst the chaos and pain. My head was spinning, my thoughts clouded with confusion and exhaustion.
A countdown started on the screen.
10... 9... 8…
I tried to process what was happening, but my brain wasn't keeping up. My body was shutting down, too slow, too broken to respond. The numbers kept ticking down.
4… 3… 2… 1…
If the user does not respond, the system will automatically make a decision that benefits the user's current situation.
I wanted to scream, to ask what the hell this was, but I couldn't speak. My voice was stuck in my throat, my limbs refusing to move. I was frozen, helpless, as the countdown reached zero.
BEEP! Return Credit Activated. Returning to January 12, 2022…
Suddenly, the warehouse, the pain, everything vanished. The world exploded into pure, blinding light. I felt weightless, like my entire body was being torn apart, molecule by molecule, but there was no pain. Only a strange, floating sensation, like I was being pulled apart and scattered into the wind. The light swirled around me, pulling me deeper into the void.
Then, just as quickly as it had started everything went black.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Return Credit has been activated…
User is being transported back in time…