Endel shivered, lying in the darkness. His body felt as if it were on fire, but the pain was not physical. It lived in his mind, in his heart. In his dreams, he saw himself — not as a human, but as a monster consumed by rage. He smashed walls, screamed in agony, and in his claws, bloodied and twisted, were the faces of those he loved. Leina, Lyra, Kael, Carlos… He saw their empty eyes, heard their screams filled with fear.
"No…" he whispered in his sleep, trying in vain to stop himself.
When he finally awoke, a weight pressed down on his consciousness. His heart pounded like a drum, and an invisible load pressed on his chest. He sat up, looking around.
The darkness of the basement greeted him with silence. The walls seemed oppressive, the low ceiling like a dome shutting him off from the real world. It was cold here, but not empty. In one corner, Kael's father lay on an old bed. His breathing was heavy, his face still marked with bruises and cuts. Beside him, Lyra, his mother, slept wrapped in a blanket. Leina sat against the wall, curled up as if trying to shield herself from the world even in sleep.
Only Carlos was awake. He sat at a small lamp on a folding chair, thoughtfully twirling a screwdriver in his hands. His gaze was fixed on something invisible.
Endel rose quietly, feeling every muscle protest the movement. His body still ached, but his mind was surprisingly clear. He approached Carlos and sat down on the cold floor beside him.
Carlos glanced at him but said nothing, as if gathering his thoughts.
"Feeling better?" he finally asked, placing the screwdriver on his lap.
Endel nodded, leaning against the wall.
"How long was I unconscious?"
"About five hours, no more. We moved you here when it became clear you wouldn't wake up immediately," Carlos replied, averting his gaze. His voice softened. "Endel… what's happening to you? And… what's happening to this world?"
Endel looked at his friend, then back to the dark corner of the basement.
"What do you mean?"
"You know yourself," Carlos leaned forward, staring at him intently. "You were… different recently. Empty. Barely responding to anyone. Then, after that screen appeared, you started acting… insane, muttering to yourself.
Later, suddenly, with unprecedented fury, you threw your father aside and fought that green creature.
You fought it as if you were ready to die but would not let it win. You became… a beast. You were never like that before. What are you hiding? What happened? Is it connected to the sudden change in you a few days ago?"
Endel sighed, partly from realizing how perceptive Carlos was, partly from the weight of the situation — maybe both.
He closed his eyes for a moment and began his short explanation.
"I don't know… what happened, Carlos. I don't know what the future holds. Everything just started collapsing around me, and I… I don't know."
Endel realized he was speaking nonsense, but he couldn't help it.
Carlos frowned at the strange answer but didn't press further.
"Alright. But you have to remember you're not alone," he said finally. "We're all here together. If something's bothering you, don't keep it to yourself."
Endel just nodded.
When the others began to wake, the basement filled with quiet whispers. Lyra was the first to approach her husband, checking his wounds. Leina was heating food on a small electric burner, and Carlos resumed working with his tools.
"We need to turn on the news," Lyra suddenly said. "We need to know what's happening."
Carlos nodded and switched on the portable screen. The announcer's voice immediately filled the room:
"…across the world, as well as on colonies in other systems, unknown portals continue to appear. They emerge without warning, releasing dangerous creatures that attack all living beings. The number of casualties is growing…"
The screen showed footage of destruction: collapsed buildings, bloodied streets, and creatures tearing people apart.
"This… is impossible," Leina whispered, her face pale with fear.
"How could this happen?" Lyra covered her mouth with her hand, tears welling in her eyes.
Kael, struggling to rise, turned to his son.
"You knew this would happen, didn't you?" He recalled all the recent events, Endel's strange behavior, the warning not to go to school, and the new power. He concluded that his son knew something, which explained his actions.
The room went silent at his words. All eyes turned to Endel.
He remained quiet for a long moment, feeling his heart tighten. It was the moment to choose: truth or lie?
"Yes," he finally said.
"What do you mean?" Lyra asked, her voice trembling.
"It's my second life," he uttered, speaking slowly, meeting their eyes with difficulty.
After thinking it through, he finally spoke openly.
After talking with Carlos, after killing that green monster, he felt his thoughts begin to sort themselves. Releasing his rage with his skill had brought him some relief.
The silence was deafening.
"What?" Leina exclaimed.
"I… died at the very start of this horror, but I got a chance to return to the beginning," he said, avoiding their eyes. "It all happened at school. But now… everything is different."
"Is this… the only time?" Lyra asked, her voice barely audible.
Endel hesitated, then nodded.
"Yes."
He knew he was lying. He couldn't tell them that regression could repeat… If he died again… They were already traumatized.
Kael looked at him with a neutral expression, then nodded.
"So you got a second chance. Don't waste it."
Endel felt a strange relief that they believed him. But looking at the faces of his loved ones, he knew: this was only the beginning.
A few minutes later, Endel felt the weight of silence pressing down. Their cautious, fearful yet demanding stares burned into him. Inside, he felt crushed, but he understood that continuing to stay silent was pointless.
"In the first regression… everything was different," he finally began, trying to keep his voice steady. "I knew nothing then. About portals, about monsters. And even now, I don't know everything."
He looked at Carlos and Leina.
"I didn't tell you to go to school because I knew what would happen there."
Carlos frowned.
"What exactly?"
"In the first life, you all died," Endel said, his voice lowering. "At school, the first portal opened in a classroom during lessons. We heard screams, then a severed head flew into the class… and two horrifying monsters burst in. Later… it can only be described with one word — carnage. I… I was there, just like you…"
Silence enveloped the basement again. Leina clenched her hands, her eyes filled with horror.
"We died…?" she whispered, head bowed.
"Yes," Endel said with difficulty, meeting her gaze. "You… and then me."
"How?" Carlos clenched his teeth, his voice sharp.
Endel closed his eyes, sinking into the memories.
"The first to die was teacher Elvais. He was crushed into pieces right at the blackboard," he began, trying to remain calm. "We were shocked, paralyzed, but somehow managed to pull ourselves together. Someone shouted that we needed weapons, that we had to fight…"
He paused for a moment, then continued:
"We organized a group, tried to act together. But suddenly…" Endel looked at Carlos, his voice trembling.
"What?" Carlos tensed, feeling a wave of dread.
Endel exhaled heavily.
"You charged the biggest monster. Just ran at it head-on, without a plan.
It… tore you apart."
Carlos froze, his breath heavy. The shock left him speechless. He turned away, trying to process what he had just learned.
The silence was suddenly broken by laughter. Leina, pressing a hand to her mouth, began giggling, then laughing aloud.
Kael and Lyra looked at her in surprise, not understanding how she could laugh after such news.
"Hahaha," Leina laughed through tears. "What an idiot! Just charging at the huge monster without thinking!" She didn't even realize it, but laughter is known as a protective reaction of the psyche.
Endel remained silent, his face serious. He continued only after Leina calmed down.
"Then," he said, looking at Leina, "you and a few other students tried to hit the spider-like monster from the flank. It cut down everyone except you. And then…"
Leina froze, her smile disappearing instantly.
"Then that huge monster brought out a bone hammer and turned you into a bloody mess."
Silence engulfed the basement. Carlos finally parted his lips and muttered:
"Good plan, Leina. Like a Solomon's hourglass."
Leina sat frozen, digesting what she had heard.
Kael, frowning at his son, asked:
"And how did you die?"
Endel looked away, pondering for a moment.
"They… ate me alive."
The eerie silence returned. Shock was etched on every face.
"What?" Lyra exclaimed in disbelief.
Endel waved his hand.
"I don't want to talk about it anymore."
And finally, everyone understood why he had been acting so strangely.
Leina, gradually recovering, frowned.
"Why did we attack so stupidly? That wasn't heroism, that was idiocy! We knew nothing about the monsters, yet we ran straight at them…"
Endel didn't understand it either back then, and had no answer for her.
"Maybe it was some kind of hypnosis?" Carlos suggested.
Endel thought and nodded.
"Perhaps. But why didn't it work on me?"
Carlos shrugged, unsure how to respond.
"Even more questions now," Kael added dryly, ending the discussion.
When the conversation died down, Leina stood and, slightly trembling — either from laughter or fear — opened the interface.
"If you have a system," she said, looking at Endel, "maybe we have something too?"
Carlos followed suit.
"System activated," he read aloud.
"Me too," Leina confirmed, frowning.
Kael and Lyra had identical statuses.
Endel observed as they compared their statuses. Their systems were identical to his, but without Arcana or skills. Their capabilities were limited, but the very presence of a system gave them a chance to survive.
Soon, everyone prepared for sleep. Kael checked the metal basement door and locked it securely. Then they split up to take turns keeping watch.
Endel lay on the old antique couch, feeling exhaustion take over. He drifted into a deep sleep.