He Has Your Face

He looked me dead in the eye, his self-righteousness terrifyingly calm.

Go ahead. I know you have Axis. I know you can respawn.

When the crash happened, Kade didn't hesitate. He shoved me into the path of the oncoming semi-truck to save her. His childhood obsession.

As the grill of the out-of-control semi-truck filled my vision, I squeezed my eyes shut. A final, desperate resignation.

You didn't know, Kade

That was my last attempt.

If I die this time, I don't come back.

Chapter 1

We were screaming at each other on the sidewalk the second before the truck jumped the curb.

Two years. Thats how long wed been together. Tonight was supposed to be the celebration. Our anniversary. Instead, Kade showed up two hours late.

And he wasn't alone. Hed been busy playing knight in shining armor for his "one that got away"his first love.

God, Kaia, do you have to be so petty?

Kade stood by the curb, looking at me like a disappointed parent. Or worsea burden.

Sasha grew up with me. Shes got no one else back here in the States. Was I supposed to just leave her at the airport? Seriously?

So thats the plan? I shot back, my voice tight. A romantic anniversary dinner for three?

Kade choked on his excuse. But Sasha stepped up. Her eyes darted between us, wide and glistening.

Kaia, please don't be mad.

Her voice wobbled, pitch-perfect fragility. Kade just felt bad for me. He only offered to bring me along so I wouldn't be alone.

Tears pooled in her lash line, threatening to spill. She looked like a flower trembling in a storm.

If you don't want me here, Ill just go.

She turned, feigning a retreat.

Kade moved fast. He grabbed her arm, anchoring her in place. Then he whipped his head around, glaring at me. The warning in his tone was sharp enough to cut glass.

Kaia. If you keep acting this crazy, were done. I mean it. Well break up right now.

I froze.

Over the last two years, this had become his favorite weapon. The second I stepped out of linethe second I wasn't the perfect, compliant girlfriendhe dangled the relationship over a cliff.

Beep.

The mechanical voice of Axis echoed in my skull.

[Warning. Relationship termination equals Mission Failure.]

[Failure penalty: Immediate Eradication.]

Silence.

When I didn't fight back, the tension drained from Kades shoulders. A satisfied smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He stepped closer, reaching for my hand.

There. See? We don't need to break up, Kaia.

His thumb brushed my knuckles.

We'll just grab a bite, drop her off, and be done. Okay?

My fingernails dug into my palms, biting into the soft flesh until it stung. I forced my facial muscles into a smile.

Okay.

Thinking he had me under his thumb put Kade in a fantastic mood. As we walked, his arm snaked around my waist, pulling me flush against his side. He leaned down, his breath hot against my ear.

Kaia, you're so good when you listen. So obedient.

Behind us, the color drained from Sasha's face.

I ignored her. My mind was racing, replaying the data I had collected before I started this mission.

The Kade in the files was mature. Steady. Grounded. He wasn't this child. He didn't use breakups as leverage to get his way.

Something was wrong.

Glitch in the matrix level wrong.

Chapter 2

My thoughts were shattered by a deafening blast.

HOOOONK!

I snapped my head around. A massive semi-truck had jumped the curb. It was barreling down the sidewalk, straight for us.

Panic erupted. Screams tore through the air as the crowd scrambled.

Kade's first instinct was to grab me. To run.

But then he looked back.

Sasha was frozen. Rooted to the spot like a deer in headlights. She was already sobbing, a perfect picture of fragility.

Kade help I don't want to die!

Fear seized him. He didn't just let go of my hand. He flung it away.

I was in high heels. My balance was already precarious. The force of his shove sent me sprawling onto the concrete.

Crack.

My ankle twisted. Pain shot up my leg, paralyzing me.

Kade!

I screamed at his back. He faltered. Just for a split second.

But he didn't turn around.

He bolted toward Sasha, grabbing her and tackling her toward the safety of a storefront alcove.

The grill of the truck loomed large. A wall of metal blocking out the sun. Everyone else had fled.

I was alone.

CRUNCH.

Tires screeched against the pavement. My world dissolved into a symphony of agony. I knew, with terrifying clarity

I am dying.

The tearing pain vanished, replaced by a blinding white light. When I regained consciousness, I was floating. Weightless. Hovering above the wreckage.

Axis let out a heavy, digital sigh.

You died again, Kaia.

Again.

That word hung in the void. Because this wasn't my first rodeo. In my mission to capture Kade's heart, I had already died twice.

First, the drowning incident. It was a choice between me and her. Kade chose Sasha.

Second, the earthquake. A choice between me and her. Kade chose Sasha.

And now, the truck. Kade chose Sasha.

I advised you to switch targets, Axis said, its voice flat. I told you the probability rates were abysmal. Do you regret it now?

No, I said.

Static filled the silence for a few seconds. Then, Axis snapped. The usually cool electronic voice cracked with something resembling human frustration.

Subject Kaia, do you realize what you've done? That was your last attempt. The final reset. Do you understand?

I understood.

It meant no more respawns. No more second chances. But I truly didn't regret it.

We had a contract, Axis continued coldly. Success yields a wish. Failure yields a penalty.

I know.

What is the penalty? I asked.

Your soul is now tethered to Kade. Permanently. You are bound to him.

Before I could process the words, a force slammed into me, dragging me down from the white void. The wind roared in my spectral ears, pulling me back to the scene of the crash.

Axis's voice faded, bitter and accusing, echoing in the turbulence.

What is so special about him, Kaia? Why is he worth wasting every single life? If I knew you were this obsessedthis blind to the red flagsI would have left you to rot in the system!

My eyes felt heavy with phantom tears. I stared at the chaotic scene below.

Yeah, I whispered into the wind. Maybe you should have.

Chapter 3

Axis couldn't process the data. It couldn't compute my obsession with Kade. After a string of glitchy, frustrated insults, it simply shut down. It went dormant.

I perched on the crumpled roof of the semi-truck, chin in hand, watching the chaos unfold below like a bored spectator at a coliseum.

My eyes locked onto them instantly. Sasha was tugging at the hem of Kade's shirt, her mouth moving rapidly.

He didn't hear a word. He was catatonic.

His gaze was fixed on one thing: the mangled mess of flesh and fabric under the truck's wheels. My broken body.

The world seemed to lag, frame by frame.

Then, he snapped.

He shoved Sasha away violently and scrambled toward "me." He moved like a drunk, stumbling over debris, crashing onto his hands and knees. His palms scraped against the asphalt, leaving bloody smears, but he didn't flinch.

My body was destroyed. Unrecognizable. He took one look and had to turn away, retching.

I watched him from my perch. His lips were moving. A frantic, silent prayer. Curiosity pulled me down. I floated closer, hovering right beside his ear.

When I heard what he was whispering, the shock hit me harder than the truck had.

Kaia, you're going to be fine. I know you have a System. I know you can respawn.

His voice was shaking, bordering on manic.

You've died twice before. You always come back. This is just like the other times, right?

He sucked in a jagged breath, wiping grime and sweat from his face, forcing a terrifyingly hopeful smile.

I'll wait for you. Just come back.

I froze.

Oh, my God. The realization crashed into me.

That explains everything. That explains why he was so fearless with his cruelty. Why he used "breaking up" as a weapon to control me.

He knew.

He knew I was a player in a game. He thought I was immortal. He didn't know the fine print. He didn't know the rules had changed.

Kade, you idiot I can't come back.

Sirens wailed. Police cruisers and an ambulance screeched to a halt. When the paramedics tried to load my body onto the stretcher, Kade lost it. He threw himself between them and the body bag.

No! Don't touch her! She's not dead! She just needs a few days. She'll wake up!

The crowd went silent. The paramedics exchanged worried glances.

A doctor stepped forward, voice calm and practiced.

Sir, I know you're in shock. But she's gone. You need to let us do our job and take care of yourself.

The word gone triggered him.

Kade grabbed the doctor's lapels, slamming him back. The veins in his neck bulged, purple and throbbing.

Shut up! Kaia isn't dead! How could she be dead? She has

Prick.

A nurse moved fast, plunging a needle into his arm. A sedative. Kade hissed in pain, stumbling back, clutching his bicep.

His eyes rolled back. His knees buckled. He collapsed onto the gurney next to mine.

The atmosphere inside the ambulance was suffocating. Silence, broken only by the hum of the engine and the beep of monitors.

Then, the nurse cleaning Kade's scraped hands gasped.

Look.

The other EMTs followed her gaze.

Kade was crying. He was deep in a chemically induced sleep, his mind dark, but his body was betraying him. A steady stream of tears leaked from the corners of his closed eyes, soaking the dark fabric of the stretcher.

They must have been deeply in love, the nurse whispered, wiping his cheek.

Yeah. What a tragedy.

Hovering above them, I let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

Love?

If they had seen the way he looked at me an hour ago, theyd know the truth. Theyd know how much he actually hated me.

Chapter 4

The year I met Kade was the year my life bottomed out.

My parents finalized their divorce. Neither wanted custody. I was the leftover baggage. Then, the one person in this world who actually gave a damn about me died in the dead of winter.

I was spiraling. Diagnosed with severe clinical depression.

I was sitting alone in my room, gripping an X-Acto knife, the tip pressing against the skin of my stomach, ready to carve an exit, when Axis found me.

It offered a deal. Complete the mission. Hit the target. Get a reward.

My eyelids fluttered, heavy with exhaustion.

Can you bring the dead back?

Axis didn't hesitate. Guaranteed.

It gave me a few days to select my target. I scrolled through profiles, feeling nothing. Numb.

Until I wandered into the Veterans Memorial Park.

Kade was sitting on the long, concrete steps. A fine spring drizzle was plastering his dark hair to his forehead. He wasn't speaking. He wasn't crying. He was just existing. A statue of grief.

The wind whipped through the willow branches. I stood a few feet away, transfixed by the small mole beneath the corner of his eye.

I stared for a long time. Then, I whispered, I choose him.

Axis paused.

That's a High-Risk target. Hard Mode. Just so you know, Axis warned, multiple Players have flatlined trying to crack him. They were erased. Are you sure?

I nodded.

Axis couldn't talk me out of it. As a concession to the difficulty level, it filed the paperwork for three respawns. Three lives to win one heart.

From that day on, I observed him. I studied the data. Kade was polite, humble, the perfect gentleman to everyone he met.

Everyone except me.

The first time we actually spoke, the mask didn't just slipit shattered. He looked me up and down, a sneer curling his lip.

Let's hear it. What's the play this time? Fake sprained ankle? Or are you just going to throw yourself at me?

I froze.

He narrowed his eyes, letting out a dark, mocking laugh.

Don't play dumb. Women like you could strip naked right here, and I wouldn't feel a thing.

Back then, I didn't understand the hostility. Now, it makes sense. He clocked me as a Player from day one. No wonder he looked at me like I was a virus.

Despite the red flags, I stayed in his orbit. Close enough to be useful, far enough to survive.

Then came the setup.

His friend texted me: Kade's sick. Stomach cramps. Bad. Bring meds.

I rushed over. It was a lie. Kade was lounging on the sofa in the middle of a party, looking healthy and hostile.

You again? He groaned. You're like a cockroach. You just won't go away.

I bit the inside of my cheek, staying silent. I held out the medicine box.

He ignored it. Instead, he leaned forward, invading my personal space.

Since you're already here have a drink.

Splash.

My vision blurred crimson. He poured the entire glass of red wine over my head.

The cold liquid drenched my hair, ran down my face, and soaked the front of my shirt. It was summer. My clothes were thin. The wine made the fabric translucent, clinging to my skin, exposing everything.

Kade scanned my soaked chest. There was no desire in his eyes, only contempt.

Look at you, he scoffed. Humiliated in front of everyone, and you just take it. Do you have zero self-respect, Kaia?

I slowly wiped the wine from my eyes and looked up at him.

Chapter 5

Strobe lights cut across his face, casting sharp, rhythmic shadows. That small mole under the corner of his eye looked like a permanent teardrop, trembling on the edge of falling.

My throat worked, but no sound came out. Looking back, its insane that a man like this ever agreed to call me his girlfriend.

It started with a race. An illegal underground circuit.

Kade sent me an invite. That alone was a red flag. When I arrived, the air smelled of burnt rubber and high-octane fuel. Kade was already on the podium, flanked by two models in bikinis that left nothing to the imagination.

He locked eyes with me through the crowd. Then he smirked. A cruel, jagged twist of his lips.

Slowly, deliberately, holding my gaze the entire time, he leaned over and kissed one of the girls. Then the other.

You said you wanted to be with me, he said later, hopping off the podium. Still want me now?

I reached up and thumbed a smear of bright red lipstick from the corner of his mouth.

Yes.

He stared at me. His eyes went dark, unreadable.

Suddenly, he gripped my wrist. His fingers dug into my pulse point as he jerked his chin toward two modified cars idling on the track.

Game of Chicken. Right now.

His voice was low, dangerous.

You win, and I'm yours.

The rules of Chicken are simple and psychotic. Two cars. Head-on collision course. The first person to swerve or brake loses.

The crowd went silent. The music died down. A few girls nearby whispered, horrified.

Is he serious? Kaia has never raced. Thats suicide. He's actually trying to kill her.

Kade didn't flinch. He just watched me, waiting for the fear to crack my mask. I tilted my head back, meeting his stare.

Deal.

His pupils blew wide. For a split second, something flickered behind the arrogance. Shock? Fear? I couldn't tell.

We got in the cars. Engines roared. Tires smoked. We floored it.

The asphalt blurred. The other car rushed toward me, a metal projectile screaming for impact. My foot hovered over the gas. I didn't blink. I didn't breathe.

Screech.

Smoke billowed. He slammed on the brakes first.

I won.

I stumbled out of the car, my legs turning to jelly. The adrenaline dump hit me all at once. I fell to my knees, dry heaving onto the tarmac.

Crash.

Kade slammed his helmet into the ground. It shattered. He marched over, grabbed me by the shoulders, and hauled me up. His face was twisted in a snarl.

Do you have a death wish? Are you insane?

I steadied myself, looking calmly into his furious, red-rimmed eyes.

So, I rasped. Are we together now?

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He just stared at me, chest heaving.

That was how we started. Two years of "dating."

To the outside world, I was the girl obsessed with Kade. The girl who loved him too much. But whenever someone mentioned my "love" in front of him, Kade would just laugh. A cold, hollow sound.

Love?

Hed look at me with pure disdain.

Women like her are the best liars. She doesn't love me.

I never argued. I just looked down at my hands.

After that night, he ramped up the cruelty. He brought women home while I was there. He pushed every button, crossed every line, threatened to break up with me over burnt toast or the wrong shirt.

Then Sasha came back.

Three times, the universe presented a choice: Her or Me.

Three times, Kade chose her.

Three times, I died. And every time I died, the world reset.

Until I used up the last life.

Floating there, looking at my own corpse, it finally clicked. I was an idiot. Why would a target ever fall for the Player?

He knew what I was. He knew about Axis. He knew I was just completing a checklist to win a prize.

Of course he didn't care. To him, my love was just a game mechanic.

And he was tired of playing.

Chapter 6

I was bored, drifting through the sterile air of the hospital room like a restless poltergeist, when Kade finally woke up.

The door swung open. Sasha rushed in, eyes red and puffy. She grabbed his hand, squeezing tight, her voice dripping with performed concern.

Kade, are you okay? You scared me to death earlier.

She was talking about his breakdown at the crash sitethe part where he screamed that I would wake up. Kade didn't even look at her.

He sat up, wincing, and snatched his phone from the bedside table. The screen lit up his face. His eyes widened. Panic, raw and immediate.

Two hours? It's been two hours?

Sasha blinked, confused by his tone.

Yeah so what?

Kade's hand started to shake. The phone rattled against the plastic case.

Impossible, he whispered, his voice cracking. Thats impossible.

Sasha stepped back, unnerved by the wild look in his eyes. She didn't get it.

I did.

The first two times I died, the world reset within thirty minutes. Like a glitched video game reloading a save file.

But two hours? Two hours meant the server was still running. Two hours meant I was actually gone.

Kade moved like a trapped animal. He swung his legs over the side of the bed.

He didn't wait for a nurse. He gripped the IV line taped to his hand and ripped it out. Blood welled up, dripping onto the linoleum, but he didn't flinch. He bolted for the door.

Kade! Sasha yelled, scrambling to follow him.

I floated in their wake, curious. He drove like a maniac. When he screeched to a halt, I recognized the building immediately.

My apartment.

He didn't have a key. He didn't care. One hard kick fractured the jamb. Another shattered the lock. He burst inside, chest heaving, eyes darting around the room.

Kaia! he roared. I know you're here! Stop hiding!

Living room. Empty.

Kitchen. Empty.

Study. Empty.

He reached the bedroom door and shoved it open. Then, he stopped. It was like hed hit an invisible wall. The breath left his lungs in a sharp hiss.

The walls. Every inch of white plaster was covered in photos. Hundreds of them.

Kade walked in, trancelike. He scanned the images. His eyes grew hot, rimmed with red.

There were pictures of a man and a womanme and himcooking, laughing, hugging. Intimate moments frozen in time.

Sasha appeared in the doorway behind him. Her face twisted, jealousy cutting through her concern.

Kade you took all these with her? We've known each other for over a decade, and you never even

She cut herself off.

Kade wasn't listening. He was staring at a close-up of the mans face in the center of the collage. The color drained from his skin, leaving him ghostly pale.

He choked out four words, his voice barely a whisper.

Thats not me.

I floated near the ceiling, looking down at the photos. I looked at the man with the gentle smile and the warm eyes. I smiled, a sad, ghostly curve of my lips