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 just

motionless, staring at

if he was dead, but deep down, he was

footsteps

to see Remy

emotionless look on his face, Remy

arrived on the island." Without even a glance at

you to clean

sure you have no objections, right,

motionless, his

impeccably dressed, he looked like a man who

all his worth—now thrown

statue of

scoffed, laughing

Schmidt, your life has been a big

could finish, the deafening

casting its shadow

and with that, the seemingly

down, cutting Jameson's neck, cheeks, and