LIMITLESS TROUBLE

The Endless Nightmare

Chapter 3: The Endless Nightmare

The sky above Jason darkened with a looming sense of dread as he stood, breathless, staring at the sight unfolding before him. What had once been a peaceful town, buzzing with the excitement of a meteorite, was now a scene of sheer chaos and destruction. Above him, the horizon was filled with glowing objects—meteoroids streaking down from the heavens, burning with a fierce intensity. But Jason knew now, these were no ordinary meteors.

They were the first wave of an alien invasion.

The ground shook with each impact as the fiery orbs crashed into the earth, sending shockwaves that rattled the very air. Around him, people screamed and ran, desperate to escape the destruction raining down from the sky. Panic was spreading like wildfire as military aircraft roared overhead, launching counterattacks against the approaching alien ships. Explosions lit up the sky, both human and alien forces locked in battle, but Jason could see it was already too late—the aliens had reached Earth.

They were here.

Jason’s heart pounded in his chest, and he felt the familiar rush of fear gripping his entire being. His mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. He had been standing right here, in this very spot, only moments ago—or was it hours? He couldn’t tell anymore. The timeline seemed fractured, distorted. One moment he was in the cave with the bear, and the next, thrust into this nightmare again.

This time, however, it felt different. More real.

The alien ships that hung ominously in the sky now seemed to multiply, their dark metallic surfaces reflecting the fire and chaos below. More meteoroids streaked through the atmosphere, but Jason knew they weren’t meteors at all. They were escape pods or landing crafts, bringing the invaders down to Earth.

Suddenly, the ground not far from where Jason stood exploded with a deafening roar. Dirt and debris shot into the air as a massive pod crashed into the earth, embedding itself deep into the soil. A few moments later, the door of the pod hissed open, and through the steam and dust, Jason saw them.

The aliens.

They were tall, towering figures clad in sleek, dark armor, their skin a pale greenish-gray, covered in strange tattoos or markings that pulsed with an eerie glow. Their eyes were cold and expressionless, as if they viewed humanity as nothing more than insects to be crushed beneath their boots.

Jason stumbled backward, his breath caught in his throat. The people around him screamed as the aliens stepped out of their pods, raising strange weapons that glowed with a sickly green light. Without hesitation, they began to fire. Beams of energy shot from their weapons, hitting people, buildings, and vehicles, disintegrating everything in their path.

Chaos reigned.

Suddenly, Jason heard a voice calling his name.

"Jason! Get down!"

He spun around, just in time to see his grandfather rushing toward him, a look of sheer terror on his face. His grandfather was an older man, but he had the strength of someone who had worked with his hands all his life. He had always been protective of Jason, even after his father had passed away. And now, in the midst of this madness, his instincts kicked in.

Jason’s heart leapt into his throat. "Grandpa!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar of battle. His grandfather reached him just as one of the aliens approached, weapon raised, the cold gaze of the creature locking onto them.

Jason’s grandfather stood in front of him, trying to shield Jason with his body. “Stay behind me!” he yelled, his voice firm despite the fear in his eyes.

But it was too late.

The alien raised its weapon, and before Jason could react, a flash of green light shot through the air. The energy beam hit his grandfather square in the chest.

“No!” Jason screamed, reaching out, but it was as though time had slowed. His grandfather’s body jerked violently as the energy tore through him, and he crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

Jason froze, his mind going blank as he stared at the lifeless form of his grandfather lying in front of him. The world seemed to spin, the sounds of war fading into the background. No. This couldn’t be happening.

But it was.

The alien turned its cold eyes toward Jason, its weapon still glowing. Jason’s survival instincts kicked in, and he tried to run, his legs feeling like lead as he scrambled to get away. He could feel the creature’s gaze burning into his back as he ran, stumbling over debris, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Then he felt it—the searing heat of the beam as it struck him.

His world went dark.

---

Jason’s eyes snapped open, and he gasped, his body jerking upright. He was back. Back at the same place. The sky above him was still dark, still filled with streaking meteoroids, still alive with the roar of alien ships and military forces in battle. The ground beneath him still trembled with explosions.

But his grandfather... he wasn’t there.

Jason’s hands trembled as he looked around, the chaos unfolding in the exact same way it had moments before—or had it been hours? Days? Time didn’t seem to make sense anymore. What was happening to him?

Hadn’t he just been shot? Hadn’t he just watched his grandfather die in front of him?

His mind spun with confusion and fear, but there was no time to think. The same scene was unfolding again. People were running, screaming, as more and more alien pods crashed to the earth. The alien soldiers emerged, cold and methodical, firing their weapons without hesitation.

Jason’s heart pounded in his chest as the terrifying sense of déjà vu washed over him. This had already happened. He had already lived through this moment. He had seen his grandfather die, he had felt the burning beam of the alien’s weapon as it struck him. He had died.

But now, here he was. Alive. Again.

Jason’s breath came in quick, shallow gasps as he tried to understand. This time, he was more alert, more aware of the details. The sounds of explosions, the way the aliens moved, the panic in the people’s voices—it was all the same. Everything was happening exactly the same way.

Then, once again, he heard his grandfather’s voice. “Jason! Get down!”

Jason spun around, his heart leaping into his throat. His grandfather was running toward him, just like before, his face etched with fear and determination. Jason’s mind screamed in protest. This already happened! This can’t happen again!

“No, Grandpa, stop!” Jason shouted, panic rising in his chest. He already knew what was going to happen, and he couldn’t bear to see it again. “Don’t come here! Stay away!”

But his grandfather didn’t stop. Just like before, he reached Jason, positioning himself in front of him, trying to protect him from the approaching alien. The alien raised its weapon, just as it had before.

“No! Not again!” Jason screamed, but it was no use.

The flash of green light shot through the air, and once again, Jason watched helplessly as his grandfather collapsed, the energy beam taking his life.

Jason’s scream caught in his throat, the pain of loss crashing over him in waves. He tried to run again, just as he had before, but the alien’s cold gaze followed him. He knew what was coming.

The searing heat of the alien weapon hit him, and darkness consumed him.

---

Jason’s eyes snapped open.

He was back. Again.

The sky was the same. The meteoroids, the alien ships, the chaos—it was all the same. But now, Jason’s heart was pounding not just with fear, but with a strange, growing awareness.

This had happened to him before. More than once.

Jason stood, his body shaking. He didn’t understand why, but somehow, he was trapped in this nightmare, repeating the same horrific events over and over again. He had died. He had felt the alien weapon tear through his body, had felt his life slip away. But each time, he woke up, right back where he had started.

And each time, his grandfather died.

He stood there, frozen, as the same sequence of events unfolded before his eyes. The alien pods crashing to Earth, the military forces launching their counterattacks, the people screaming in terror—it was all happening, again and again.

But this time, Jason didn’t wait.

This time, he knew what was coming.

As soon as he saw his grandfather rushing toward him, Jason ran. He sprinted away from the scene, forcing his legs to move, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn’t bear to watch it happen again. He couldn’t bear to see his grandfather die.

But even as he ran, he knew, deep down, that no matter how fast he ran, no matter how far he tried to escape, the nightmare would come for him again.

And it did.

---

Time after time, Jason was thrust back into the same moment. Each time, the aliens invaded, his grandfather died, and he, too, was killed by the same alien weapon. And each time, he awoke in the same place, his heart pounding, his mind reeling, trapped in the unending cycle of death and destruction.

But with each repetition, Jason grew more aware. He began to notice things he hadn’t before—the patterns of the alien attacks, the movements of the people, the exact moment when his grandfather rushed to his side. He was learning, understanding the situation better and better with every loop.

And yet, no matter what he did, he couldn’t escape the cycle.

He was trapped, doomed to relive the

invasion over and over again.

---

Jason stood in the middle of the chaos, his breath coming in shallow gasps, his mind spinning. How many times had this happened? How many times had he died? It was all blurring together now, the nightmare repeating endlessly.

But this time, something felt different.

This time, Jason’s mind was sharper. He wasn’t just reacting to the chaos. He was observing, learning, understanding.

He had to find a way out. There had to be a way to break this cycle.

And he was determined to find it.

---

End of Chapter 3