MEMELAND

The campsite had finally gone quiet.

Bandits lay scattered across the ground.

Some groaning.

Most unconscious.

Andrew casually tossed a coil of rope toward Kai.

"Catch."

Kai caught it instinctively.

Andrew stretched lazily.

"Mind tying them up?"

Kai looked at the pile of unconscious criminals.

"...Why me?"

Andrew shrugged.

"Because I did all the punching."

"...Fair."

Kai sighed.

Then began dragging bandits into one place.

One by one.

Wrists tied.

Ankles tied.

Some received extra knots just in case.

Andrew wandered around collecting discarded weapons.

Occasionally humming to himself.

Kai glanced toward him.

"..."

Can I beat him?

He pictured it.

A duel.

Just the two of them.

His memories offered dozens of techniques.

His body immediately rejected the idea.

...He'd kick my ass.

Kai quietly accepted reality.

"...Yeah."

"...Definitely."

As he tied another bandit—

A groan escaped nearby.

One of them was waking up.

"...Mgh..."

The bandit's eyes slowly opened.

He blinked once.

Saw Kai.

Kai smiled politely.

"Morning."

"...Huh?"

THUD.

Kai punched him square across the face.

The bandit immediately went limp again.

"...Go back to sleep."

Andrew looked over.

"...Efficient."

"I try."

Kai stood.

Then—

Pain exploded through his skull.

"...Gh!"

He grabbed his head.

The world blurred.

White swallowed everything.

Cold.

Heavy.

A ruined street.

Bodies littered the ground.

Buildings burned in the distance.

Kai stood in the middle of it.

Every breath hurt.

His clothes were torn.

Blood covered almost every inch of him.

His left arm barely moved.

Across from him—

Andrew.

Just as wounded.

One eye swollen shut.

His sleeveless hoodie shredded.

Blood dripped steadily from countless cuts.

His scythe rested against one shoulder.

Neither of them could properly stand anymore.

Kai laughed weakly.

"...Let's call it..."

"...a draw."

Andrew stared at him for several seconds.

Then nodded once.

"...Fine."

Kai smiled.

"...Good."

He turned around.

Slowly walking away.

As he lowered his hand—

A familiar mark became visible.

The symbol of Azathoth.

Burned into the back of his hand.

A cultist.

Andrew quietly watched him leave.

"..."

Kai took another step.

Then another.

Behind him—

Metal clicked.

Kai's smile disappeared.

He slowly looked over one shoulder.

Andrew had drawn the massive pistol from his holster.

"...Really?"

Andrew answered calmly.

"You thought I'd let you walk away?"

Bang.

The shot struck Kai in the back.

His knees buckled.

He collapsed forward.

Blood spread beneath him.

"...You..."

Kai coughed violently.

"...You fucking..."

"...bastard..."

Andrew slowly walked closer.

"...You really thought..."

"...that was my last bullet?"

He stopped beside Kai.

Raised the pistol again.

"This ends here."

Kai looked up.

For the first time—

Fear crossed his face.

"...ANDREW—!"

Bang.

The world snapped back.

His knees almost gave out.

Cold sweat covered his body.

His breathing became ragged.

"..."

"..."

"...Kai?"

Andrew stood a few meters away.

Hands in his pockets.

Looking genuinely confused.

"...Yo."

"What's the hold up?"

Kai slowly looked toward him.

Alive.

Relaxed.

Completely different.

No burning city.

No rain.

No gun pointed at him.

"..."

Andrew tilted his head.

"...You good?"

Kai swallowed.

"...Yeah."

"...Just..."

"...thought about something."

Andrew shrugged.

"Happens."

He continued tying another bandit.

Kai remained frozen.

His heartbeat refused to slow.

...I died.

The thought echoed inside his mind.

Not almost.

Not nearly.

Not maybe.

He had died.

In another timeline.

At Andrew's hands.

Kai slowly looked at the man humming while tying up unconscious criminals.

Andrew noticed him staring.

"...What?"

Kai immediately looked away.

"...Nothing."

But the memory lingered.

Sharp.

Clear.

Painfully real.

And for the first time—

Kai wondered...

How many different ways...

Had he already died?