PROLOGUE

...“The first time I died… no one noticed.”...

...Finn’s voice was calm. Too calm for someone who had just watched the world end....

...The sky above Ashbourne had turned into something unnatural—dark, heavy, like it was collapsing in on itself. A ring of black swallowed the sun slowly, leaving behind a faint, burning outline....

...An eclipse....

...But not a normal one....

...This one felt… alive....

...Finn stood in the middle of an empty road, his chest rising and falling unevenly. His hands trembled—not from fear, but from something far worse....

...Exhaustion....

...He looked down at them. They were shaking again....

...“Not again…” he whispered....

...A loud crack split the air....

...Somewhere behind him, glass shattered....

...A scream followed....

...Finn closed his eyes....

...He already knew who it was....

...Rowan....

...Of course it was Rowan....

...It was always Rowan....

...Finn turned slowly, like he was forcing himself to relive a nightmare he had already memorized....

...There, across the street, Rowan collapsed to his knees....

...Blood....

...Too much blood....

...It stained his shirt, his hands, the ground beneath him....

...“No…” Finn’s voice broke—but only slightly....

...Because this wasn’t new....

...Nothing about this was new....

...Rowan looked up, his eyes searching, confused… scared....

...“Finn…?” he whispered....

...That one word hit harder than anything else....

...Finn took a step forward....

...Then another....

...But his feet felt heavy. Like the world was pulling him back, refusing to let him reach him in time....

...Just like always....

...“I tried,” Finn muttered under his breath. “I tried this time…”...

...But it didn’t matter....

...It never did....

...Behind Rowan, electricity sparked violently through the air....

...Sienna....

...Her powers were out of control again....

...Lightning struck the ground beside her, cracking the pavement open. She was screaming, her body shaking, her eyes glowing with something unstable—something dangerous....

...“I can’t stop it!” she cried....

...Jaxon was holding her shoulders, trying to steady her—but even he looked panicked....

...“Elara, stay back!” he shouted....

...Too late....

...Elara was already in the air, hovering, her expression filled with fear as she looked between all of them....

...“What’s happening?” she asked, her voice trembling....

...Dorian stood at a distance, silent as always....

...Watching....

...He always watched....

...And that was the problem....

...He knew something....

...Finn knew he did....

...But every time Finn tried to change things… to stop this moment…...

...Something shifted....

...Something broke....

...And they ended up here....

...Again....

...Rowan coughed, blood spilling from his lips....

...Finn’s chest tightened....

...This was the part he hated the most....

...The moment where he had to choose....

...Again....

...Save him…...

...Or fix everything else....

...Because he couldn’t do both....

...He never could....

...Finn clenched his fists....

...Time slowed around him....

...The air stilled....

...The screams faded into silence....

...Everything froze....

...Except him....

...Finn walked forward, his footsteps echoing in the unnatural stillness....

...He stopped in front of Rowan....

...Up close, it was worse....

...Rowan looked so… fragile....

...So human....

...Finn reached out—but his hand stopped just inches away from his face....

...His fingers trembled....

...“I can fix this,” he whispered....

...He had said those words so many times before....

...And every single time…...

...They turned into a lie....

...Finn shut his eyes tightly....

...Think....

...Think....

...There had to be a way....

...There had to be a version of this where no one died....

...Where Rowan survived....

...Where everything didn’t fall apart....

...Right?...

...Right…?...

...His breathing became uneven....

...No....

...He already knew the answer....

...There wasn’t one....

...Because in every timeline…...

...Something had to break....

...And it was always him....

...Finn exhaled slowly....

...Then—...

...He snapped his fingers....

...Time shattered....

...Everything around him twisted violently, like reality itself was being ripped apart....

...The sky rewound....

...The eclipse reversed....

...The blood disappeared....

...The screams echoed backward....

...And Rowan—...

...Rowan stood up again....

...Alive....

...Unhurt....

...Unaware....

...Finn opened his eyes....

...Everything was normal again....

...Peaceful....

...Like nothing had happened....

...Like none of it was real....

...But Finn knew better....

...Because he remembered....

...He always remembered....

...He looked at Rowan from a distance....

...Laughing....

...Alive....

...Safe....

...Finn smiled faintly....

...A broken, tired smile....

...“Yeah…” he whispered....

...“I fixed it.”...

...But his voice didn’t sound convinced....

...Because deep down—...

...He knew....

...This wasn’t over....

...It never was....

...And next time…...

...He might not be able to fix it again....

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