I wake up, hands tied above my head to a tight metal hook on the wall. I tried to move my legs, but pain stared me straight in the eyes and said no. I look down, and that limb is still stuck in my leg. I groan and try to make my leg vibrate, and I start phasing through the limb and it falls through. Now, I just gotta wait for regeneration to kick in. I try to do the same thing to my hands through the rope, and that works as well. I stand up, clutching my injured leg in agony. It's gonna take a while for a two-inch hole to heal. I limp towards a pillar and lean on it for support, panting from the pain. I look around the room, which appears to be a basement. It's just an empty room except for me.

Suddenly, a scream comes from upstairs, carrying on for multiple seconds.

Jesse.

I pick up the limb and work my way up the stairs. Blood is starting to pool in my boots. Once I reach the top of the stairs I see Reaper standing next to a table with a few embalming tools on it.

"I hope you know that this isn't personal," he says. "I'm just trying to make Keith know and feel the sense of hopelessness. Failure. This is purely between him and me. I just have to cut you out of the loop." He takes off one of his gauntlets and sets it down on a table nearby. He points a finger in the air, looking from it to her. Oh, God. He's gonna melt her.

"Stop!" I shout, walking towards him.

"Ah, you're awake. Wondered when you would show up. Jesse looks to me, frightened. Blood from a cut above her left eye drops to her cheek. Mud cakes her arms. Blood trickles from the corners of her mouth. A broken nose, bleeding like there's not tomorrow.

Reaper picks up his gauntlet and puts it back on.

"You know, and this cabin was my grandparents'. I would come here for a month every summer and live with them. Life was so much simpler back then. But now you've complicated everything," he tells me, his eyes and mouth glowing.

"Look, David you don't have to do this. Please, just let us go, and we'll help y--" I start, but I'm immediately interrupted.

"OF COURSE I HAVE TO DO THIS!!! YOU RUINED ME!!! And now... I'm gonna ruin you."

He turned around, grabbed Jesse by the neck, and snapped it to the side.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" I cry in agony. Jesse's head lies limp to the side, eyes drained of all life inside.

"Yes. Use to anger. Fight me. But I must warn you: I will win," Reaper taunts.

"Incorrect." I say, bolting at him. He tries to clothesline me with an added punch, but I slide on the ground and sweep his legs out from under him. I get back up, stomp towards him, and raise the limb over my head, slamming it down on his head. He uses both feet to push up on the limb, deflecting my blow and pushing me backwards. I stagger, recovering from the push. I go at him again, but he grabs the limb, takes it from me, and throws it to the side. He kicks me in the chest, and I stumble backwards into a tree. He runs, jumps, and uses both legs to kick me through the tree, causing it to fall on me, trapping me under its weight.

"Like I said. I win."

He kneels next to me and starts to throw punches. My face burns in pain as I receive each blow. Eventually, I vibrate and start to phase. His punches go through me, and I'm free from under the tree. I stand up and stop vibrating. He turns to look at me. He frowns and leaps into the air at me. I sidestep and he falls to the ground. I run as fast as I can behind him, leaving a trail of light blue lightning behind me. I glance over my shoulder, and a line of white lightning is chasing me. I accelerate forwards, winding through streets and in and out of buildings. But no matter what, he seemed to always be right on me. There's no way I'm shaking him off my tail. And there's no way I can beat him physically. There's literally no way out of this.

Light. That's what I see in front of me. A swirling ball of light. Flat, yet somehow eternal. I've no idea what it is, but I make a run for it. I jump through, being thrust through what feels cold and warm at the same time. Pure energy surrounds my body. I'm thrown out of it all and onto an empty and dark street. Something that seems all too familiar. This is the street I live on. My apartment I right behind me. What was I doing here?

The mysterious light pops up in front of me again. Not the light from a second ago, but who I'm led to believe is God.

"You've done it. You've been punished. Just nearly over. One more thing needs to happen," it says, moving slowly up the sidewalk.

"And what could that possible be?" I ask. "Jesse's dead, David's chasing after me, and I honestly don't think I can have a worse situation at this point."

A ten mm pistol appears in my hand. I look up to see my wife coming around the corner with a red bag. This... this is the night she died. I look from the gun to my wife to the light.

"No. Don't make me do this. Please," I beg.

"I'm sorry, Keith. David-- or Reaper, as you call him-- will end you most certainly. And you are important to my future plans. You play a critical role. Now, I'll only be able to enable you to get rid of him if every piece falls in place. Now, I look think you know what you need to do."

"There's gotta be another way. Please, no." I cry.

"I'm sorry, Keith. There's no there's no other way. It's her or all humanity. Her death will mean something. You'll have a legacy. A role in saving all life. You can say good-bye. I promise."

My eyes tear up, looking from my wife to the light. I take off my mask, stuffing it in my pocket. I walk over to my wife.

"Keith? What are you-- " she starts.

"I'm so sorry, hon," I say.

I hug her, rocking from side to side. I take the gun. I press it to her stomach.

"I'm sorry. Just trust me, okay? I'll see you up there."

I pull the trigger and gently lay her on the ground. I stand back up and walk away. I glare at the light.

"You can take me back now."

I snap out of that time and suddenly, I'm back in my apartment. I rush out of there and go back to the cabin. I rush inside to find it empty. No blood stains, nothing. The light appears in the room.

"I thought I'd give her sand all the victims their lives back. Everyone's alive and happy. Nobody knows nor remembers a thing. Make sure it stays that way," it tells me. It disappears and so do I. I rush back to my apartment and open my nightstand drawer. I pull out the gift bag and open it. There's an envelope with my name on it. It reads:

   "Dear Keith,
You are the only man for me. You are my life, my love, and my home. You are the only light in a world of darkness. You are the man I married. Happy birthday.
                 Love, Nicole"

Inside the bag is a box. I open it to find a locket. I open it to see two pictures: one of us smiling on a sunny day. The other an ultrasound of a baby. Our baby.