Unforgiving times

"Felix, you have the power to go back in time, though not more than 7 times total."

The figure announced my abilities. It seemed quite happy at this development, nodding sagely.

'What? I can repeat everything?'

The figure continued to talk to the others about whatever their abilities were, but all the sounds were drowned out by my own thoughts.

Finally, I could save my family and be a hero for once. I could prevent that horrible situation...

'How do I use it?' My thoughts were erratic, already giddy with anticipation and excitement.

Divine energy ran through me as I tried to activate the ability, thinking back to 4 years earlier. Back to when everything started, when that man caused my life to turn out like this...

My gaze drifts toward him. Erebus, they called him. The similarity between them was uncanny, they even had the same name. Whatever, it wouldn't matter anyway after I fix everything.

'4 years earlier ' I tried to activate the ability, the divinity in my body was running through my blood.

"Rejected. Try again."

Huh? A mechanical voice rang in my head, blocking the divinity within me. The figure turned a gaze at me slightly, perhaps curious, then returned to explaining the abilities of the others.

'4 years earlier' I tried to activate it once more.

"Rejected. Be specific." The voice rang again, this time telling me more helpful information.

'4 years earlier, March' I retried.

" Rejected."

'4 years earlier, 12 March'

"Rejected."

What the hell? A slight dizziness, along with some fatigue overcame me for a few seconds before it faded.

'4 years earlier...'

"Rejected. More specific." It rang again.

The back and forth continued a few more turns before I finally got it right.

'4 years earlier, 12 March at noon. Roseberry high school, 4th classroom.'

"... Accepted."

The divinity in my blood ran unobstructed. I turned towards Erebus as I felt myself slipping away from this time.

"Screw you!" I shouted at him, lifting my middle finger.

I blinked, and the next thing I knew I was at the back of my sister's classroom. No one had seen me yet. The time was 12:00 midday.

Sitting on the desk in front of me was my sister, heavily engrossed in writing something, with airpods in her ears. She didn't appear to be listening to the lecture. She would always give the excuse that she was a genius anyway.

The next minute, a red dot appeared on the side of her head, right above her ear.

' Time to act.' I dived towards her, trying to knock her way from the bullet.

"Six chances remain." The voice from earlier interrupted at the worst time. It was so loud that I lose focus and completely fail.

The sound of a window breaking reverberated around the classroom, and for a few seconds, there was silence.

""Aeaaaahhh"" They screamed. Chaos ensued as learners scrambled over each other to get out. The sounds of doors and chairs knocking wildly was drowned out by the sound of screaming kids.

By the time I could force my body up from the fall, I was alone in the classroom, with only the sound of blood gurgling to accompany me.

"No, nonono" I rushed over to her table.

She had a wound in her head. Her eyes were shaking unsteadily and a distinct metallic smell permeated from her.

"No, after all this time..." I held her in my hands, unaware of the blood on my hands. Her body twitched once, and her eyes scanned around tiredly.

Seeing her die in front of me, knowing I could have saved her. The rage in me was overpowered only by the anguish.

" Maybe..." I said, hoping she could still hear me, hoping she was still alive. The hope vanished as her body got colder.

With her head aside, what she was writing was quickly covered red by her blood, but I managed to read the first few words. The page was decorated with multicolored hearts.

"I'm sorry, brother, for..." It reads.

My eyes turned hazy with tears before I can read more. The blood caused it to become further unreadable.

' Why her...what did she do to deserve this?' I could barely think straight.

"Six chances remaining." The voice sounded in my head like a saviour, preventing me from falling deeper into despair. I was reminded that I now had the power to prevent what just happened.

' 10 minutes earlier' I tried to activate it.

"Rejected. Be specific."

" Damn you." I said with frustration.

" ...Rejected. More specific."

'10 minutes earlier, same location as of currently.'

"Accepted."

Once again, some light headedness overtakes me, and I feel the world around me shifting.

"Five chances remaining." The voice rings.

When I come to, I'm in the same class, albeit a few minutes earlier than before.

Checking the time, it will happen in about five minutes.

I bolted out the class. Some students and teachers saw me down the hallway, but other than a few shouts and calls, none bothered to stop me.

I burst through the front door when I reached it, running towards the roof where that light came from.

" Four minutes." I said to myself.

Running faster than I ever had in my life, I reached my destination with two minutes to spar. On the roof, I found a man preparing his equipment while taking a phone call.

" Any reason why it has to be her, boss?" He asked, putting the phone on loud speaker so that he can multitask better. He was standing close to the edge of the roof, looking for better aim.

" I don't know, maybe they offended someone. Whatever it is, just do your job and get paid." A cold, familiar yet foreign voice sounded over the phone.

It was a weird feeling. At this time, I wouldn't have met Erebus yet, so his voice is a bit foreign to me. But since I remember it, it was also very familiar to me.

The sniper sighed, placing on the last pieces of equipment. Before he could shoot, I rann to him, prayed, and striked him hard. He collapsed onto the ground beneath, falling with a thud. Luckily, there was no one to see it.

'Is he dead?' I thought.

For a moment, I'm overcome with happiness at my success, then reality dawned on me. My thoughts are interrupted by a voice on the phone, and I realise he didn't end the call yet.

" What happened?" Erebus asked over the phone.

Trying my best to mimic the sniper, I reply.

" Nothing, just finished the job, boss."

A few seconds of silence lingers In the air before he answers.

" Good, come back later to get your payment." He said.

He ends the call before I can say anything, much to my relief.

Looking downwards, I look at the sniper, who's lying dead on the ground below.

" Shit." I exclaim with horror.

I ran back to my sister's class, leaving all of the sniper's equipment behind. It was only a matter of time before they found that body. I needed to get her out of here before Erebus found out about this.

I burst through through the door again, and came out a few minutes later with my sister in hand. She was failing to keep pace, and behind us were security.

I don't know whether why they didn't shoot was because they recognised me or because they did not want to harm a student, but I took the chance and made a run for it.

Outside the school, I ran with her towards a place no one had known it had any connection to us yet, not even Erebus. It was an old house a few miles from here, but it was the best place I knew for hiding.

" Where are we going?" She asked breathless.

Too stressed out to answer her, I kept running with her in hand and stopped a taxi to take us there. We arrived an hour later...

" What is this place?" She asked, creeping the door open to an old, abandoned house.

" Grandma's old house." I said, " We'll be staying here for a while"

" Why?" She asked innocently.

I sigh, and begin telling her the story of why she must remain safe.

" You see, there's this man named Erebus..."

***

A few days passed in worry about being caught. My sister, Anna, was currently painting, humming a tune with every stroke of her brush.

I felt bad for the lie I told her, but it was worth it not having her worry about her life every second of the day as I did.

For some reason, the rest of my family's assassinations hadn't happened. Maybe it was because I saved the first victim, and Erebus was probably still looking for her.

Perhaps fortunately, we had no methods of communication with the outside world. I had only left a few times to get food. My bank balance must have been crying in debt.

It was all worth it seeing her safe though. My gaze turned to her, she was still painting, unaware of the danger she was in.

All I needed to do is just wait out the time until--*Bang*

The door broke down. Erebus stood at the door, facing me with a steely look and a pistol in hand.

"You're tricky, boy" he said. " I almost failed a request because of you."

He didn't give me a chance to talk before shooting at my sister. Her horrified expression and screams were frozen in time as the bullet went through her heart.

" Nooooo!" I ran to her, forgetting about the madman behind me.

As the first tear rolled down my cheek, a bullet went through my chest as well, and I collapse next to her.

" W-why?" I managed to squeeze out.

" Business." He said coldly.

It doesn't take long before everything fades to black

"Emergency revive activated. Processing..." The voice in my head seemed distant.

" Success. You will be taken back three minutes before you died. Four chances remain." That's the last thing I heard before it all goes black.

I was not sure how long it had been before I opened my eyes again, but I found myself at the time right before Erebus pulled his trigger the first time.

" You're tric--" I interrupted him by lunging at him, trying to end him once and for all. It was a fatal mistake, as another shot rang out from behind him, and impaled my skull.

For the second time, reality faded away, leaving me with only the voice.

"Success. You will be taken back three minutes before you died. Three chances remain."

' Fine, I have a plan now.' I thought to myself, before I awoke again.

This time when I come to, it's right before Erebus bursts through the door. I quickly take stance and wait for him behind the door.

Just as it was about to open, a lasso appeared through a portal, and entangled me within it. My powers were nullified as I was pulled back through the portal. My sister didn't notice, too absorbed in her work to hear.

I disappeared from this timeline again, and returned to the reality where I failed everything. Before me were five people I had forgotten about, one excluded.

" You're a monster..." I said to the current version of Erebus, my voice trembling slightly. I was quickly overcome by fatigue and collapsed. I felt the lasso loosening around me, and the entity shouted something, but I'm too tired to hear anything.

Once again, the world went black around me, and I lost track of my surroundings as I collapsed to the white floor beneath.