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

was

staring at

wasn't sure if he was dead, but deep

footsteps approaching from

turned to see Remy emerging from the underground

look on his face, Remy picked Alyssa up

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

you to clean

sure you have no

motionless,

he looked like a man who had

all his worth—now

the statue of the goddess closed back

scoffed, laughing

life has been

finish, the deafening roar of a

hovered above, casting its shadow over the glass

with that, the seemingly indestructible

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