Game over[edited]

"Ahh… so close, just a bit more and I can leave this shitshow behind." Sera muttered to herself, her breath still coming in ragged gasps. Every inch of her body screamed in protest as she moved, but she was close now. Just behind those doors stood the final piece in this nightmare. The end. Just a few more steps.

She pushed open the doors, the creak of the heavy metal echoing through the silent room. There he was, sitting behind his massive desk, as if he hadn't just witnessed the massacre that unfolded mere moments ago. Markus, her boss, leaned back in his chair, puffing lazily on a cigar. His face was a picture of resignation, his expression flat as he exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"Huff... looks like this is the end of the road, huh, Sera?" he said, his tone calm, almost bored. "So, what the fuck are you waiting for? Go on, shoot me."

Sera narrowed her eyes, her hand tightening around the grip of her gun. Markus had been untouchable for so long, but now, here he was—just another man, vulnerable, mortal.

A tense silence stretched between them, the room thick with unspoken tension. Markus looked at her, his lips twitching into a faint smirk. "Well? You've come this far. Might as well finish it."

The air crackled with a kind of dangerous energy, both of them knowing how this was going to end but still dancing around it.

Bang.

Sera's shot was precise, each bullet tearing through Markus' arms. The cigar slipped from his fingers as he cried out in pain, slumping forward in his chair. Blood pooled beneath him, his breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps. "Fuck! Ahhh! Why the hell would you shoot my arms, you crazy bitch?"

Sera moved closer, her footsteps deliberate and slow, until she stood right in front of him. She pressed the hot muzzle of her gun against the side of his head, the metal still hot from the shots. Markus winced, his body tensing under the heat.

"The fuck?" Markus winced, his voice strained as the searing pain pressed against his temple.

"Open the safe," Sera demanded, her voice cold and flat.

Markus blinked through the pain, looking up at her in confusion. "What safe?" he rasped.

Sera's eyes narrowed in frustration. She'd always heard that bosses—especially corrupt ones like Markus—had safes hidden somewhere. "The company safe, asshole," she spat. "You really expect me to believe you don't have one?"

Markus snorted, despite the pain. "Safe's not here, you idiot. It's on the floor above us. Take the stairs." He gave a weak laugh, wincing again as his bloody arms twitched.

Sera's gun didn't move, her gaze unflinching. "Lead the way," she said, giving him a hard nudge. Markus grimaced but stood up slowly, stumbling as he made his way to the stairs, blood still dripping from his arms.

As they ascended, Markus kept his voice low, almost contemplative. "You really thought it'd come to this, huh? All this time, all that anger... you've wasted so much."

Sera didn't reply. Her mind was singularly focused, a cold, calm determination settling over her. She was past the point of caring about Markus' pathetic attempts at conversation.

They reached the floor above, and Markus motioned weakly toward a painting hanging on the wall. "The chip," he muttered, barely able to lift his hand. "Insert it into the port behind the painting."

Sera stepped forward, pulling the chip from her pocket and sliding it into the port. With a faint click, the painting shifted, revealing a small safe embedded into the wall. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. There it is.

The safe opened with a quiet whirr, revealing rows of neatly stacked files, data drives, and a few bundles of LMC credits as well as a button. She stared at it for a moment, the weight of everything that had led to this point settling on her shoulders. So, this is what it all boils down to.

Markus leaned against the wall, barely able to stand. "There you go," he said through gritted teeth. "Take what you need."

But Sera wasn't done. She nudged Markus hard, forcing him toward the balcony. He stumbled, blood still dripping from his ruined arms as he walked toward the edge. The city sprawled out below them, the lights twinkling like stars against the dark, night sky.

"You know what's coming next, right?" Sera asked, her voice low, almost casual now. She raised her gun again, the muzzle pressed into his back. "Time's up, Markus."

He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Yeah, I know. You've always been a stubborn one, Sera."

Without another word, Sera pulled the trigger.

Bang.

Markus' body jerked forward, a clean hole punched through his chest. He didn't scream this time, didn't have time to. He simply fell, his body toppling over the edge of the balcony, plummeting down, down, until it hit the pavement below with a sickening splat. Another disfigured corpse, another life snuffed out in the chaos of the night.

And that was it.

There was no congratulations, no flashing screen to say "Good job." Just an empty heart beating in her chest, a void where her rage used to be. She had gotten her revenge, but it felt... hollow. The police wouldn't let her walk away from this, not after everything she'd done. Not after the bloodbath she'd left behind.

Sera stood on the balcony, inhaling deeply as the cool night breeze washed over her. It soothed her tired, aching body, the wind carrying away the stench of blood and smoke. She closed her eyes, her mind strangely quiet for the first time in what felt like years.

But even as the city lights sparkled beneath her, even as the breeze cooled her skin, she knew this wasn't the end. The blood on her hands would never wash away.

The alarms still blared in the distance, a constant reminder of what she had done. But for now, just for a moment, she allowed herself to breathe.