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 fell

was

stood motionless, staring at

he was dead, but

then heard footsteps approaching

see Remy emerging from

on his face, Remy picked Alyssa

Taylors have arrived on the island." Without even a glance at Jameson, Remy's voice dripped with

is leaving you

have no objections, right,

motionless, his face

impeccably dressed, he looked like a man who had been thoroughly used

of all his worth—now thrown

the statue of the goddess closed

scoffed, laughing

has been

could finish, the deafening roar of a helicopter overhead

casting its

with

shards rained down, cutting Jameson's neck, cheeks,