Chapter 35: Predator in the Mirror

In the heart of the house, where moonlight filtered weakly through velvet-draped window,

Rey’s body lay motionless on the bed

—or so it seemed.

To any observer, he might’ve appeared simply locked in a nightmare—limbs twitching, sweat soaking his sheets, breath ragged and uneven. But within, he was

trapped in a storm of death, rebirth, and relentless repetition

.

And this… was his

23rd attempt

.

He stirred once more, waking in his bed

exactly as before

, in the exact same posture. His fingernails dug into his scalp as he sat up, muttering incoherently under his breath. The throbbing pain of defeat lingered behind his eyelids.

"So close... and still, they blew everything up..."

He had managed to eliminate every assassin last time—

all but one

, who, in a desperate final act, had triggered a hidden bomb concealed in their gear. The explosion had reduced his home—and his hope—to rubble.

But this time, things were different.

Standing before the mirror, he blinked. His reflection shimmered unnaturally—revealing the form he had acquired after his

cleansing

. Taller. Leaner. Hardened. The muscles coiled beneath his skin like steel cords, and a coldness had settled in his once-gentle eyes.

"So that's why I’ve been reacting faster… dodging with ease."

A crooked smile tugged at his lips.

"Perfect."

His confidence soared. He had adapted.

Evolved.

And tonight, he would win.

Without hesitation

, Rey dashed out of his room, not even sparing a glance behind. His ears strained, catching the subtle sound of a footstep, the whisper of death moving toward his mother’s door.

Agent 7 had arrived.

Hugging the shadows, Rey crept up behind him. As the man crouched to unlock the door with a special tool,

two arms snaked out of the darkness

—one wrapping around his mouth, the other locking around his throat like a steel vice.

The assassin froze. His training kicked in—but it wasn’t enough.

His arms flailed, fumbling for his blade.

“No, you don’t,” Rey whispered.

Crack.

Agent 7's neck snapped with a sickening twist.

“Goodbye, Agent 7.”

The Bluetooth in his ear beeped. His body slumped.

The threat was gone.

But not the night.

“Damn, he made too much noise.”

As Rey hid the corpse in the shadows, the door creaked open.

"Son? What are you doing up this late?"

Jasmine’s

voice cut through the hallway as she stepped out, eyes sleepy but alert.

Rey turned to her with the calmness of a soldier between battles.

"I was getting water and heard a noise. Found a mouse sneaking in. Took care of it."

She frowned. “You… killed a mouse? And weren’t you terrified of them before?”

He flexed casually. “It’s in the past. I’m stronger now, Mom. It tried to hurt me—us. I couldn't let it.”

Jasmine blinked at his odd expression but sighed, brushing it off. “Alright. You’ve got school tomorrow anyway—just three days left of high school, and May’s final exams aren’t far.”

Before she could ramble further, Rey gently ushered her back inside.

“We’ll talk tomorrow. Go get some rest.”

Then, without warning, he locked the door from the outside.

“Rey! Open the door! What are you doing!?”

“I will, Mom. Just sleep first.”

Rey backed away quietly, sprinting toward

Emmy’s room

. In past lives, they had used her as a hostage—a cruel distraction that ended in blood.

Not this time.

He jammed the lock, broke the knob, and whispered to her through the door:

“I’ll come back for you. I swear.”

He returned to the body of Agent 7, retrieving his signature daggers and the still-ringing Bluetooth.

He answered it.

“Where is 7?”

came the voice on the other end.

Rey’s eyes narrowed.

“The individual you're trying to reach is currently en route to the underworld. If you'd like to join him, please stay on the line. Your death is my priority. Estimated arrival: tonight.”

A beat of silence.

“If anything happens to him, I swear—” Agent 1’s voice was cut short by Rey crushing the Bluetooth beneath his heel.

Elsewhere

, deep in a narrow alley, six figures stood in silence, cloaked in matching black gear.

“Brother... what’s wrong?” asked

Agent 3

, her eyes scanning his expression.

Agent 1’s knuckles turned white.

“Someone killed 7. And now they’re threatening all of us.”

Shock rippled through the group.

Unaware that

their predator

was already moving.

Rey sprinted through the night. He knew their location. He had learned it in previous loops—but back then,

he always arrived too late

.

This time, he was ready.

They were about to depart for his house when he arrived.

A light flashed in his face.

“Who the hell—?”

Rey squinted, stepping into the moonlight.

“You were sent to kill me. Rey Shadowthrone.”

“That's impossible. The boy in our files looks nothing like—”

“Doesn’t matter,” growled Agent 6. “Orders are to eliminate anyone claiming to be Rey.”

She raised her bow.

“Wait—!”

Too late.

In a blur,

Rey vanished.

Agent 5

, who had moved in to strike, suddenly crumpled. He hadn't even seen the blow. His body hit the ground, gasping.

Rey was already crouched,

driving the dagger into his heart

.

“From life 4 to 23… I’ve grown too fast for you.”

Panic spread. But it was far too late.

One by one,

they fell

, their bodies reduced to motionless husks. Slashes so precise, so lethal, no one could stop them.

Only

Agent 1

remained.

He stumbled back, stunned. Rey emerged from the shadows like a ghost.

“Funny. You once left me like this. Bleeding, gasping, dying.”

Rey advanced toward the last operative—

Agent 6

, holding a remote.

“W-Wait… who are you?”

“I told you. In every life cycle, I said I’d kill you all. Tonight, I finish it.”

She backed away. Agent 1 thought Rey had spared him… until the

beep

echoed.

A blinding explosion consumed the alley, turning concrete to ash.

Rey watched from a rooftop, waiting.

Seconds passed. Then minutes.

But this time—

nothing reset.

No return to bed. No rewind.

"Why…?"

He clutched his chest.

"Wasn't the goal to survive? To save them? They're alive—why am I still trapped?"

Panic clawed at him.

A thought crept in.

“What if… I have to kill everyone here to escape?”

If this world was a loop—a trap—then perhaps there was only one way out:

Cleanse it. Entirely.

He stood tall, resolved.

“If this goes wrong… I’ll just die and try again.”

To Be Continued...

Author’s Note:

Thanks again for reading! 🔥 Rey’s mind is slipping further into the void with each life, and now the real question begins—

What

is

this cycle? And how far will Rey go to break it?

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