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.

and he

there was

stood motionless, staring at the

was dead, but deep down, he

footsteps approaching

Remy emerging

an emotionless look on his face,

even a glance at Jameson, Remy's voice dripped with barely concealed

is leaving you to clean

sure you have no objections,

stood motionless,

man who had

of all

statue of the goddess closed back up

laughing at himself

has been a

Before he could finish, the deafening roar of a

casting its shadow

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

rained down, cutting