Out of all people, why am I the ntred protagonist

"So this pussy-ass, pretty-boy son of a bitch is Steven?" TJ scoffs, arms crossed, looking me up and down like I'm some kind of disappointment.

Marky, still shaking out his fist, lets out a sigh. "Yeah… despite looking like he just got run over by life itself, that's definitely him."

"Still not buyin' it," TJ mutters.

"He did call us by name," Marky points out.

TJ clicks his tongue. "Fine, fine. I'll believe it. For now."

Then, without warning, he jabs a finger straight at me, his crimson eyes burning with frustration.

"And you," he growls, "what the hell were you just doing?!"

"Did you really think dying was your way out of this?" TJ's voice is sharp, laced with frustration, but beneath it—something else. Something raw.

"N-No…" I stutter, guilt tightening its grip around my throat.

"Then why the hell were you about to do it again?!" His voice cracks, fists clenched at his sides. "Do you know how we felt?"

Marky steps forward, his usual goofy demeanor nowhere to be found. "We were devastated, man." His voice is quieter, but the weight in it is heavier than any shadow in this place. "When we heard the news… that you got hit by a truck…"

TJ grits his teeth. "We ditched class. Ran all the way to the hospital, just to see you."

Marky exhales shakily. "But we were too late. By the time we got there… all we saw was your body on that hospital bed."

"We were completely devastated," TJ mutters, his voice thick with emotion. "And now you wanna pull this crap? Right in front of us?"

"Thank God Marky punched you," he adds, crossing his arms. "If it were me, you'd be out cold."

I feel my chest tighten, my vision blurring as tears well up. "I… I miss you guys," I choke out.

Marky lets out a shaky breath. "We miss you too, you son of a bitch."

I don't hesitate. I run to them, throwing my arms around them, clinging like they might disappear.

And for the first time since I woke up in this nightmare… I finally feel warm.

"We've had enough of this drama," TJ says, cracking his knuckles. "Time to deal with these bastards." He nods toward the writhing shadows behind me.

Marky squints. "Wait… is that supposed to be me?" He takes a step closer, then recoils. "God, that's disgusting. No way that's me."

TJ glances at his own shadowy doppelgänger and scoffs. "Agreed. They really couldn't capture my handsomeness? What a joke."

I chuckle despite myself. Their ridiculous banter—it's just like before. "It's good to have you guys back."

Both of them grin.

"Well, Marky," TJ smirks, reaching behind him. "Let's light up this dump—it's too damn dark in here."

With a flourish, he pulls out a machine gun from seemingly nowhere, the metallic click of the chamber loading echoing through the air.

Marky grins as a crimson-barreled sniper rifle materializes in his hands. "Hell yeah. I've been dying to test this thing out."

The air shifts. The shadows hiss.

The shadows surge forward, an overwhelming tide of darkness closing in.

"Oh, hell no." TJ grins, pulling the trigger. A hail of bullets tears through the writhing mass, ripping apart a dozen shadows in an instant. "Stay back, freaks!"

"Tch. You're not hogging all the glory." Marky raises his crimson-barreled sniper rifle, taking careful aim.

A single shot.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion erupts, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. The blast engulfs a swarm of shadows, vaporizing them instantly.

TJ stares, wide-eyed. "OI! That's cheating! Since when do snipers cause explosions?!"

Marky smirks, casually blowing imaginary smoke off his rifle. "Did I ever say it was a sniper?"

The look on TJ's face is priceless.

I can't help but laugh. This—this—is what I've missed.

The battle ends as quickly as it began. The last of the shadows dissolve into nothingness, leaving only the eerie, mirrored landscape behind.

"Whew, this baby really packs a punch!" Marky grins, patting his oversized sniper—or whatever the hell it actually is.

TJ scoffs. "Cheating hacker."

Marky smirks. "Why, thank you for the compliment."

TJ sighs, shaking his head. "Well, we've done our job. It won't be long before we're gone."

I freeze. "What do you mean? And how did you even get here?"

Marky shrugs. "Beats me. We're not exactly supposed to be part of this. Maybe... just maybe... you missed us so much that we materialized here to, I don't know, help you?"

"Ugh, sucky party poopers!" My other self sneers from within the mirror, his wicked grin plastered across his reflection.

Marky frowns. "Wait... is that thing talking?"

"Yeah." I nod.

Marky takes a step back. "Creepy as hell."

"We were just about to get to the good part," my other self sneers from the mirror, his voice dripping with disappointment. "Then you idiots had to show up."

Marky cracks his knuckles. "Should I just blast this thing?"

"Be my guest," I say, crossing my arms.

Without hesitation, Marky raises his crimson-barreled sniper and pulls the trigger.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion rocks the area, forcing me to cover my ears. The shockwave kicks up a thick cloud of smoke, obscuring our vision.

"Ain't that a bit overkill?" TJ groans, rubbing his ears.

"Gotta make sure it stays down," Marky replies smugly, blowing imaginary smoke off his sniper barrel.

As the dust settles, we stare in disbelief.

The mirror still stands—untouched, not even a single crack.

Then, from within the glass, my other self chuckles darkly.

"If I were you," he says, his grin widening, "I'd stop now."

"Y'all are lucky I'm stuck here," my other self sneers from within the mirror. "Who knows what would happen if I got out?"

I narrow my eyes. "Then all hell would break loose," I reply.

His wicked grin widens. "You're pretty smart, aren't ya?"

Before I can respond, the sky begins to shift. The eclipsed sun slowly pulls away from the moon, restoring the natural balance of light and dark.

"I guess it's time," Marky mutters, glancing at the fading twilight.

Panic wells up in my chest. "Wait—! I have so many questions!"

"Make it quick," TJ says, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"My parents… How are they?"

Marky's expression softens. "They were devastated too," he admits. "But they're slowly recovering. You don't have to worry."

I exhale a shaky breath of relief.

"Remember—bros before hoes," TJ smirks, trying to lighten the mood.

"And don't give up," Marky adds. "Your story doesn't end here."

TJ grins. "Oh, and if you ever think about offing yourself again—call us first. We'll gladly take you up on that offer."

I chuckle, shaking my head. They were always like this—never letting me drown in my own misery.

"Goodbye, bros," I say, extending my fist.

They bump theirs against mine, grinning.

"Goodbye. And forever bros, as always," they say in unison.

Then, just like that, their forms dissolve into golden particles, drifting into the endless sky.

"Now it's just you and me," my other self exclaims, his voice dripping with amusement.

I remain still, watching him carefully, waiting for whatever trick he has up his sleeve.

He tilts his head, mirroring my stance. "Were you expecting something?"

"Yeah," I say bluntly. "I bet you're up to no good."

He chuckles. "Nah, I'm done. And congratulations—you passed the trial."

"Passed?" I echo, narrowing my eyes.

Without a word, he raises a hand and points behind me.

I turn, and there it is—a glowing door, radiating an ethereal light, something that wasn't there before.

"Go," he says. "I know how much you want to leave this place."

Something about his tone is… different. Off. Almost resigned.

I glance back at him, studying his expression. "This isn't like you. Did you change?"

"Go before I change my mind," he mutters, looking away.

I hesitate for a moment longer before nodding. "Alright… well… goodbye."

With cautious steps, I approach the glowing door, its light growing stronger with each step.

I reach for the handle. The moment I touch it—

Darkness.

My consciousness fades once more.

.

.

.

I watch as the successor steps through the glowing door, his form slowly dissolving into the light.

For 900 years, I have waited.

Countless others have come before him, each claiming to be the true heir. Yet, they all shared the same fate—driven by greed, consumed by their own desires. And in the end, the shadows devoured them.

I watched it happen. Every single time. Not that I had a choice.

But this time… this time is different.

I let out a long, weary sigh. "Finally…"

My time here is coming to an end.

Whether the world flourishes or burns—it is no longer my burden to bear.

Everything now rests in the hands of the successor.

Good or evil… only time will tell.