THE SHOT THAT ENDED IT ALL
BANG!
The bullet pierced through Mark's hand.
His gun clattered to the floor.
Mark screamed, clutching his bleeding hand in pain.
Alexander stood tall, a smirk curling on his lips. His gun still smoked.
"Surprised, Mr. Alberton?" he chuckled.
Mark's eyes widened in shock and rage. "Impossible... YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!"
Alexander tilted his head mockingly. "Oh, Mark. Did you really think it would be that easy to kill me?"
Mark gritted his teeth, his body trembling in pain.
"HOW?! I SHOT YOU! YOU FELL FROM THE ROOFTOP! I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES!"
Alexander laughed.
"Let me educate you, Grim Reaper."
He paced around the room, casually spinning his gun in his fingers.
"The blood you saw on the ground? Fake. I had it prepared beforehand. I knew you'd shoot me, so I wore a bulletproof jacket under my suit. The fall?" He shrugged. "Simple. Parkour. I've been trained for situations like that. I used the ledges and pipes to break my fall."
Mark stared in disbelief.
"But why wait a whole week? Why not come back immediately?"
Alexander grinned cruelly.
"Because I didn't want to kill the Grim Reaper. I wanted to kill Mark Alberton."
Mark's breathing became ragged.
Alexander's eyes darkened.
"This whole time, you've been playing a game. But I made sure that in the end, you'd be the one to lose."
THE BEATING
Without another word, Alexander launched forward.
His fist smashed into Mark's jaw.
Mark staggered back, but Alexander didn't stop.
A punch to the stomach.
A knee to the ribs.
A swift kick to the side of the head.
Mark collapsed onto the floor, blood dripping from his mouth.
Alexander stood over him, his eyes filled with cold amusement.
"Not so powerful now, are you, Reaper?"
Mark tried to get up.
CRACK!
Alexander stomped on his chest, pinning him down.
Mark gasped in pain.
Alexander aimed his gun at Mark's head.
His voice was emotionless.
"The Grim Reaper's ideology says to eliminate weaklings."
He leaned closer, his smirk widening.
"And here among us, you are the weakling, Mark Alberton."
Mark's eyes widened in horror.
"I hope you don't even get to enter Hell."
BANG!
The bullet pierced through Mark's skull.
BANG!
Another bullet straight through his heart.
Mark jerked violently for a brief second—then his body went still.
The Grim Reaper was no more.
Alexander stood up, exhaling slowly.
It was over.
ROSE'S BREAKDOWN
Suddenly—
A blur rushed towards him.
Rose.
She slammed into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest.
Tears streamed down her face, her body trembling.
"You're back… you're really back…!" she whispered against his chest, her voice breaking.
Her grip tightened.
She buried her face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I thought I lost you. I thought you were gone forever…!"
Her whole body shook.
She refused to let go.
She feared that if she did—he would disappear again.
Alexander smiled softly.
His arms wrapped around her.
"I'm here, Rose. I'm not going anywhere."
She cried harder.
Holding onto him like he was her entire world.
And for the first time in a long time—
Alexander Bluestone felt at peace.