5. Cycle
1578 Words
Cycle 3
Rivan ran through the ruins of the houses. His breathing was ragged and his eyes darted around frantically as he searched for his family.
His whole body froze, caught between heavy breaths and sheer terror.
"Ahhh...!" A scream of anger and despair mingled with the Echoes' growls and delighted roars.
Red blood slowly trickled through the cracks of a fallen wall and dripped to the ground. Beyond the rubble, black-scaled monsters with gleaming red eyes and grotesque shapes feasted.
The wind blew softly, clearing the dust and revealing the gruesome scene before him. Six Echoes growled in delight, celebrating their fresh meal.
Rage flared in his reddening eyes. Rivan sprinted forward, gripping tightly onto an iron rod he had picked up from the ground.
"Why?! Why do you keep taking them from me?!" he shouted, swinging the rod.
BANG!
Rivan’s body flew backward and crashed hard into the rubble. He coughed up blood. His pajamas were filthy with dust and cement and smeared with red stains.
A few Echoes growled at him, saliva dripping from their fangs. They howled, baring their sharp teeth.
Rivan slowly got back up and snatched another piece of metal. His arm trembled violently, a bone jutting out.
Each breath burned his throat. He couldn’t hold back a cough. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, blinking hard.
He clenched his teeth, turning the pain into fuel for his fury.
Without hesitation, Rivan charged. The rod slammed into the Echo’s body. He staggered, his arm twisting unnaturally. Rivan glanced at the broken iron rod in his hand.
“Damn it! Why did you come earlier this time?!" he screamed, tears streaming down his face.
His legs shook violently as pain seared through his arm. His pupils constricted as the Echo's claw slashed toward him, tearing his body apart.
The sun glimmered faintly behind the clouds. The wind hissed as a dying heart beat its last beats.
...
Cycle 8
“We have to hide—now!” Rivan's voice cracked with panic.
His family exchanged worried and confused looks. His mother reached out and gently took his trembling hand.
"Riv, breathe," she said softly, tightening her grip.
Rivan didn’t listen. He pulled her hand and hurried outside. His father and Elena followed behind him, concerned.
“Riv, wait!” his mother gasped, struggling to keep up with his frantic pace.
“Rivan!”
His father grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to turn around. All of his anger vanished when he saw his son’s terrified face. Rivan's breath came in sharp gasps, and his red eyes trembled.
“Calm down. What’s going on with you?” his father asked.
“We have to run now, Dad!” Rivan shouted, his voice breaking.
“Calm yourself! Breathe!” his father said firmly.
Rivan froze and began to breathe slowly. He rubbed his face roughly. "I'm sorry, Dad. I just—"
His words were cut off by a low, grating roar, like metal being dragged across stone.
The ground trembled. Dozens of pairs of red eyes ignited the sky from behind the clouds. The sound of flapping wings creaked through the air.
Rivan’s hands clenched and his gaze locked on them. Their black scales reflected the dim sunlight.
A grasshopper-like creature shrieked, shattering the morning calm with its high-pitched scream.
Rivan stood frozen in place. Screams and cries for help echoed all around him.
People ran in terror, both inside and outside the houses.
"Come on, Rivan!" Elena yelled, tugging his hand frantically.
Rivan snapped out of it and ran with her. He could feel her fear, and he swore that this time he would save them.
But humans often overestimate their strength, believing they can conquer anything.
Once again in this cycle, Rivan was forced to swallow the bitter truth: He had failed.
This time, he was the first to die.
...
Cycle 15
Rivan swung his knife, slicing at the Echo’s neck. The monster, shaped like a kangaroo, leapt nimbly aside.
"Grrrthhh..." the creature growled with delight.
After fifteen deaths, Rivan had learned the Echoes' every move. He gripped his knife tighter and circled the kangaroo-like beast. During his eleventh death, he’d noticed that this type of Echo froze whenever something spun.
For some strange reason, an Echo of the wolf type had once stabbed the kangaroo-type through the chest. This time, Rivan risked his life to confirm this weakness.
He darted forward, his knife dimly gleaming as it plunged toward the Echo’s hardened chest.
Rolling to the side, he barely dodged its claws. He took a deep breath to steady himself. He kept moving, taking cover behind shattered rooftops.
He clicked his tongue in frustration—his arm was twisted. Rivan peeked out and tore part of his shirt to tie his trembling arm and secure his grip on the knife.
Sweat poured down his face as he watched the Echo sniff the ground angrily. His mind raced. He grabbed a few metal rods and tied them together into a loose ring.
He moved quietly through the rubble and threw the ring forward. The Echo froze, mesmerized by the spinning metal.
Rivan dashed forward. His knife slashed across both of its eyes, and then he plunged it deep into its heart.
Purple blood sprayed everywhere, splattering across Rivan’s face. The monster let out a hoarse, dying roar.
"Hahaha..." Rivan’s shoulders shook with laughter.
Elena cowered in their mother’s arms, trembling as her brother’s mad laughter echoed through the air.
"Dad... Rivan..." she whispered.
Her father’s face was grim. He studied his son’s movements; he never imagined that Rivan could kill a monster like that. But what worried him more was the empty, unhinged look that flickered across his son’s face.
In his fifteenth rebirth, Rivan had killed his first Echo. But his triumph was short-lived. The others noticed, and with a few swipes, they tore him apart.
...
Cycle 36
Rivan wiped the purple blood from his face; his hand was still tightly gripping the knife. He turned to face his family, who were staring at him in fear.
"Who are you?" his father asked cautiously. His body was tense, like a drawn bowstring. Elena and their mother also watched warily behind him.
Of course they’d ask that. Before his first death, Rivan Aster could never have killed so brutally.
Rivan smiled bitterly, his lips pressed tight. His heart ached at their fear. His voice was rough and hoarse as he murmured, "It's me, Father. Your son—Rivan Aster.”
He took a step forward but stopped when they backed away. He bit his lip hard, lowered his head, and exhaled heavily.
"Mother, get down!" Rivan suddenly shouted.
Behind them, an Echo resembling a mantis swung its claws, slicing his mother and Elena in half. Even his father was torn apart.
The sound of metal ripping flesh filled the air, followed by a deafening crash that shook the ground beneath Rivan.
Perhaps Rivan had killed an Echo this time, but the most important thing had still been shredded before his eyes.
"What have I done? They still died..." he whispered.
The knife slipped from his hand. He closed his eyes, his shoulders trembling slightly. There were no more tears — only emptiness.
"Next time, I'll get it right."
...
Cycle 59
"Why are you all so afraid?" he asked flatly.
Elena swallowed hard and glanced at the pile of monster corpses behind her brother. She stared at Rivan’s calm face and faint smile. "My brother never smiled like that. Who are you?"
When his empty eyes turned toward her, she hid behind their father, trembling. The mischievous brother she once knew was long gone, replaced by something terrifying.
Rivan tilted his head slightly and his expression remained blank. “Why do you always forget my name?”
"I'm Rivan Aster," he said quietly.
"You are Rivan...and yet you're not," their mother said softly.
Rivan said nothing, only watching as she stepped closer. Her fingers brushed his cheek. He closed his eyes and felt the warmth of her touch dampened by tears.
After fifty-eight deaths, he had finally saved them. But, as always, peace never lasted long.
The Echo’s roar shook the air again. Rivan brushed off his mother’s hand and turned toward the creature with a sharp growl. He lowered his body, clenched his jaw, and his eyes blazed.
"Movement is forbidden here," a man's voice rang out.
Rivan looked up instinctively. A man with black hair stood atop the ruins, his dark eyes cold.
Rivan froze, alert. He wanted to tighten his grip on the knife, but his body wouldn't move.
The man leapt down and landed between Rivan and the Echo. "Good. No casualties this time. Sorry I’m late,” he said calmly.
No one spoke. This man had never appeared in any of the fifty-eight previous deaths.
“My name is Nathan Leonce. Aegis Division.” He gave a polite bow.
Rivan could hear his family’s sighs of relief and realized he had let out one, too.
Nathan turned, and a sword materialized in his hand. With a single swing, he cleaved the Echo apart.
Rivan's body went limp. His vision blurred. He staggered forward and collapsed to the ground.
Exhaustion, tension, and endless fear crashed over him like waves. As he closed his eyes, he exhaled softly. For the first time, his family was safe.
“RIVAN!”
“Don’t worry, ma’am. He's just unconscious."
- Writer
