Can’t Win Me Back

Jasper felt a pain unlike any he had ever known.

It wasn't a physical agony like having flesh torn away, but a slow, excruciating torture akin to being slowly sliced by a blunt blade.

It was a hundred times worse than dying instantly.

His mind raced through a chaotic sequence of images, like a black- and-white movie playing backward.

He saw people retreating and leaving —Javier, Anne, Newton, Landon, Lauren, Jonah, Axel...

He reached out desperately, trying to grasp any of them, but they were slipping away, one by one.

Finally, the image settled on Alyssa's radiant face.

"Lyse...

Don't go..." Tears streaming down his face, he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her.

But she dissolved into golden dust, vanishing into the frigid air.

"No! iy A beep sounded in his ear as if everything had been reset.

him, and he

there was just

motionless, staring at

wasn't sure if he was dead, but deep down, he

then heard footsteps approaching from

see Remy emerging from the

an emotionless look on his face,

have arrived on the island." Without even a glance at Jameson,

leaving you

sure you have no objections, right,

motionless, his face

man who had

of all his

statue of

laughing

life has been a big

he could finish, the deafening roar of a helicopter overhead drowned out his

its shadow over the glass

thunderous crash, and with that, the seemingly indestructible glass shed was

cutting Jameson's neck, cheeks,