"Blam... blam!" Cain and Rachel fought on, gunning down an endless stream of zombies that kept coming at them, driven by either curiosity or pure hunger. Their heads were spinning and their bodies grew weak, to the point where they were leaning on each other just to stay upright, but they didn't give up.
Driven into a corner, Cain grabbed Rachel and ran toward the window, firing back at the zombies flooding the room. He glanced down and saw the street was a literal sea of undead. Cain's mind raced; he and Rachel were standing on a razor's edge where every move felt like the wrong one.
If he jumped, and somehow survived the fall, he'd just be eaten. He couldn't go up while carrying the injured Rachel without being caught, and forcing their way out of the room... well, the result of that didn't even need thinking about. Finally, Cain looked at Rachel.
"Hey Rachel, are you married?" Cain asked desperately.
"Huh... why are you asking that? Um... no, I'm only nineteen," Rachel answered.
"Huh... I thought you were older than me," Cain replied.
"Excuse me? I'm an intern at this office... I'm still in college," Rachel pouted.
"Haha... sorry," Cain said.
Suddenly, Cain swung his backpack around and pulled a grenade from inside. He yanked the pin and tossed it downward, then immediately dropped to one knee in front of Rachel. He took her hand and slipped the grenade's safety ring onto her ring finger. "Blaar!" A massive explosion rocked the floor below.
"Rachel, will you marry me?" Cain asked.
Rachel was stunned, looking at Cain kneeling on one leg before her, placing a grenade ring on her finger. She looked back at the zombies still trying to break into the room, then at Cain—handsome, blonde, and well-built. Finally, she smiled.
"You're crazy, but of course my answer is YES! I will," Rachel answered, smiling through tears of emotion.
Cain stood up and pulled Rachel into a hug. She squeezed back, and they shared a kiss. Two people who had only just met, only just learned each other's names, finally belonged to one another at the very end. And after that? They made a meal of each other once they both turned into zombies.
***
So, from that first life, I got my martial arts, my weapons training, my knowledge of tech that matches this world, and the mindset of a killer because I was a hitman. Now, let's get into the second life.
***
Xendia, year 1120. Inside a massive black skyscraper in a superpower nation that ruled the world.
"Boss Gerard, they're coming up for you," a woman shouted over the intercom.
Gerard didn't answer. He sat with his back to the intercom, staring out the window and puffing on a cigar. Below him, explosions were everywhere; rebel forces and police were storming his building.
"Haaah... how long do these ants want to keep challenging me... I'm bored," Gerard said, shaking his head.
He stood up and put on his long black coat, straightening the black tie against his white collar. Still holding the cigar, he ran a hand through his short-cropped hair, slicking it back. Suddenly, "Blam!" His door was kicked open, but when he turned, no one was there. He stepped into the middle of the room.
"Hey... come on, attack me," Gerard said casually.
"Demon! Die!" screamed a rebel soldier rushing forward.
The man squeezed the trigger of his rifle, spraying lead at Gerard. Gerard just kept smoking his cigar. Not a single bullet hit him; a shield of white lightning shimmered in front of him. Seeing him fire relentlessly, five other friends emerged from behind the wall and joined in, blasting away with rifles, bazookas, and whatever else they brought. But Gerard just puffed his cigar like nothing was happening. Then, he glanced at the men.
"Hey, don't you guys get bored coming here over and over trying to kill me?" Gerard asked.
"Give me back my wife! Give back my children that you poisoned with your drugs... give them back!" a man screamed.
"Exactly! How much longer are you going to rule everything? You killed every government and took control of it all!" yelled the man next to him.
"My wife killed herself after being gang-raped by your men! You closed my workplace and turned it into an entertainment hub... what do you think human lives are?" another man asked.
"Haaah, all of you just have the same complaints. Don't you realize you fell into those holes yourselves? I'm just doing business and taking what's mine. Those governments were just in the way. In fact, you should be grateful I freed you from those corrupt regimes... hahahaha," Gerard laughed.
"Die, you demon!" they all screamed.
Their magazines finally ran dry. Gerard opened his palm, and a black sword with a red hilt appeared. He swung it through the air once. Every head in front of him fell to the floor. Their bodies collapsed, and blood flooded the floor until it was a deep, dark red. The rebel and police reinforcements that followed met the exact same fate.
"Again and again, it's always this... where is this hero they said was summoned from another world? I'm tired and so very bored. I hope he can actually kill me," Gerard thought, running a hand over his hair and taking a drag of his cigar.
He sat back in his chair and watched the explosions around his building, reflecting on his life. His face looked truly exhausted. Suddenly, the sound of running footsteps approached. A young man carrying a massive sword glowing with white light stood at the door. The youth looked shocked at the sea of bodies and blood.
"Aaaah... finally, you're here. I've been waiting," Gerard said, smiling.
"Gerard Payton, I've come to kill you!" the youth yelled, brandishing his blade.
Gerard stood and walked to the center of the room, gripping his black sword. He tossed aside his cigar stub.
"Come then," Gerard said.
"Hiyaaaaaah!" The youth charged. "Clang!" Gerard blocked the swing with his black blade. A duel ensued, the youth lashing out with slashes and stabs from every angle. Gerard smiled; not many people could even penetrate his white lightning shield.
"Ahh... maybe you really can grant my wish."
Gerard threw his sword aside and spread his arms, looking up at the ceiling. The youth plunged the sword through Gerard's heart until it came out his back. "Cough." Blood spilled from Gerard's mouth.
"Thank you, young hero... now, end me," Gerard told him.
"Wh... why... why aren't you fighting back?" the youth asked, confused.
"I'm tired. I just want to die," Gerard answered.
"Fine. I won't give you mercy..." the youth replied.
"I don't need mercy, I need death. Do it, quickly." Gerard gestured to his own neck with a smile.
Seeing his opponent like that, the youth grew scared. But Gerard actually pulled the sword out of his own chest and placed the blade against his own neck. The youth swung, decapitating Gerard. As his head spun through the air, Gerard watched the world rotate. On the brink of death, he smiled and closed his eyes.
"Thank you. Finally, I can die," Gerard thought.
"Blugh." Gerard's head hit the floor, his face frozen in a smile. He was gone. The tyrant, the dark king, the demon of demons named Gerard Payton finally drew his last breath after waiting so long to leave that world. The tale of the cruel, invincible tyrant ended, and the world of Xendia moved toward a new era.
***
So, in this second life, I learned business, how to rule, and how to use a sword—which I now use as a cane. I also got the white lightning power that can open white vortexes and create shields. This white lightning is also what lets me "see," even if it's blurry, and turned my eyes completely white. Cool, right?
While I was falling, the Gerard side of me opened a white vortex, make me remember how to do it and appeared behind those two girls, pushing them off the roof. But just before they hit the ground, "Gerard" or me opened a vortex and dropped them back on the roof, half-dead from terror. Then I—as both Cain and Gerard—walked calmly to the elevator, pretending to use my cane with my white eyes wide open.
As I took the lift down, I thought to myself: I want to use this power to rule the world and start a ranch, haha. Or at least, that's what I thought then, though reality had other plans. So, that's how I got my powers. Now, let's start my story at age seventeen because at that age I began to see the world, where I met my three soulmates and began using my power to terrorize the world. Or so I thought, until I realized everything in this world was the polar opposite of Earth or Xendia.