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

there was

stood motionless, staring at the fallen

dead, but

then heard footsteps approaching from

see Remy emerging

on his face, Remy

the island." Without even a glance at

is leaving you

you have

Jameson stood motionless,

looked like a man who had been thoroughly used and

been drained of all

statue of the

scoffed, laughing at

has

exists..." Before he could finish, the deafening roar

above, casting its shadow

with that, the seemingly indestructible

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