Misunderstood Hero: My Family Are All Villains

Their world rewound.

The first thing heard by the realm was fire, the crackling of black flames shrinking, pulling back into Malik's palm like a breath inhaled.

His body reassembled itself, burns fading, charred skin smoothing over, light returning to his eyes.

Huda stood across from him, whole again, her pink eyes blinking like she was waking from a dream.

The cuts from her wind sealed themselves shut, blood flowing back into his veins.

Between them, Safira's burned corpse un-burned.

Black fire peeled away from her skin, revealing fresh flesh beneath, and her heart began to beat again.

Flames inhaled themselves, shrinking into nothing, the air going cold again.

Eventually, her life returned.

All three of them stood in the corridor, fully healed and whole.

Their bodies straightened, feet lifting off the ground, and they walked backward, three puppets on invisible strings called time.

Time was unmaking itself here.

"Hhh—mmh—rrhhh—!"

Huda's voice came out in reverse.

"Malik—no—"

Safira's words sucked back into her throat.

"—hu…!"

Malik's grunt followed suit.

Even speech went backwards, words retreating like water down a drain.

Every motion snapped in reverse as they walked back through the corridor, passing through arches of tangled wood, stepping over cracks that sealed themselves beneath their feet.

None of them were the wiser.

Or rather, only two weren't.

One saw everything clearly.

Malik.

He watched the world rewind around him. Saw Huda's wind retreat into her palms. Saw Safira's force collapse back into her fists. Saw his own dark fire return to his chest, his life force refilling, his Soul knitting itself back together.

He remembered everything.

The rage. The killing. The burning.

He remembered holding Huda as they died together, staring into her eyes, seeing nothing but hatred.

But he couldn't stop it.

Malik couldn't do anything; his body practically moved on its own, a passenger in his own flesh, watching a replay of a life he'd already lived.

Thump!

Everything resumed.

They stood again before the start of the corridor.

Massive black roots surrounded them, same as before.

The dull glow pulsed through the cracks, ever so constant.

Nothing looked different.

Nothing should have been different.

And yet...

"…is this really what the sixth layer is like?"

Huda asked a question she hadn't asked before.

The words and tone were different, making Malik's eyes widen slightly.

"Of course."

Safira replied automatically, walking at the back.

"The deeper we go, the closer we are to Corruption."

"Hm. This place feels really… wrong."

Behind her, Malik continued the scene.

"Do not touch the walls."

His body was on autopilot, speaking lines from time's script.

"Wonderful!"

Huda flicked her hair at him.

"I... I can't. This can't be a repeat of last time!"

Safira sighed.

"Stop arguing; let's just move."

Yes, this was a familiar conversation.

But not quite the same one, not quite.

Similar words, similar cadence, but not identical.

Malik hammered those words into his mind.

He wasn't dead.

This wasn't a dream.

This wasn't déjà vu.

Not a moment when he remembered his last moments

It wasn't that at all.

No. It was new.

A chance to understand what the Hell happened!

Malik barely managed to stop himself from ruining it.

His eyes darted left and right, slowly widening.

He looked at the two women like they were ghosts.

'...I killed them.'

The thought sounded small, even inside his own head.

'I killed my disciple and my little sister.'

He swallowed hard.

'What am I supposed to do now?'

Were they trapped in a loop?

Was this even the sixth layer anymore?

What controlled them—the tree, the corridor, or something else entirely?

'Do I remember because I'm an Angel? Is whoever's controlling us too weak to fully dominate my Soul?'

Or maybe his mind was sharp enough to catch the seams of something that shouldn't exist.

Or maybe it was his Golden Throne, letting him see past the unseen.

Either way, he remembered.

Otherwise, all three of them would've stayed lost in this loop of life and death forever, killing each other over and over until whatever lurked behind it got what it wanted.

Malik needed to end the cycle.

'Quickly.'

And he couldn't do that without his cohort.

"We've already done this."

The two turned to him.

"What?"

Huda and Safira blinked in unison.

"Are you okay, Stranger?"

Malik shook his head, his jaw tightening.

"We've been through here already. This corridor. We walked it until we killed each other. Something influenced us."

They stared at him, confused.

Huda snickered first.

"You're not funny, old man."

"I am not joking."

He stepped closer.

"Huda, I burned you. Safira was killed by you—"

"Alright, Stranger, that's enough."

Safira held up both hands, patient but firm.

She was willing to entertain most things from him, but Huda killing her?

There was no way that happened.

"Did you hit your head or something? Should we take a break while you—"

Malik tilted his head, an unreadable expression crossing his face.

"You asked if it's a joke. What's the punchline supposed to be?"

Huda turned to him, confusion back on her face.

"How about you ask yourself that?"

Malik sighed and resumed walking.

'They won't believe me.'

He looked down the corridor, his eyes narrowing.

'Rewound world, huh.'

Despite the seriousness of it all, his thoughts stayed unbothered, almost detached.

A puzzle.

That was what this had become.

Malik needed to break the influence without killing either of them.

He needed to find whatever controlled this place and destroy it.

But first, he had to survive long enough to figure out how.

Thus, he fell into the quagmire of his thoughts until eventually...

'Ah.'

He blinked, shaking himself out of the spiral, and realized the tension had already returned.

More than that.

The rage had returned.

"Stop being so annoyed; we can't—YOU NEED TO FOCUS."

Huda scoffed at Safira's shout.

"Oh, I'm focused alright!"

She took a stance, wind gathering around her fists.

Malik sighed.

"Here we go again."

"Stay out of it, old man!"

Malik didn't listen.

"I'll force you to stop."

"You—!"

Using Goliath's Fall and Ember's Touch together, he socked her right in the face.

His fist connected with her jaw, hard and fast, and Huda crashed to the ground, her wind dissipating around her.

"Urgh!"

She spat blood, glaring up at him.

"W-Why the Hell did you do that?!"

Malik looked down at her calmly.

"I'm only trying to save you."

"Save me? Please."

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"You should save yourself from whatever you're doing right now."

Before Malik could respond, he felt movement behind him.

Safira.

He dodged sideways with a blast of fire, her fist passing inches from his face.

The shockwave shot down the corridor and slammed into Huda, crushing her against the wall.

Safira paused for just a moment, realizing Huda hadn't been her target after all.

That moment was enough.

Malik struck back.

His fist hit her cheek—weaker than the blow he'd landed on Huda, but enough to send her stumbling.

She hit the ground, looking up at him with stunned eyes.

He was already burning himself.

Dark flame spread across his body, consuming him.

Once more, he didn't even flinch as he walked towards his target.

This time it was his disciple, Safira.

His arms were open, inviting her to a warm embrace.

"You've already killed her."

Safira raised her hands to push him back—

Malik dropped onto her, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his burning body against hers.

The black fire leapt from him to her, and for one moment, their eyes met.

The light in his eyes dimmed.

The world...

"We must reset."

Blinked.

"Again."