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.

enveloped him, and he fell

there was

staring at

wasn't sure if he was dead, but deep

then heard footsteps approaching from

to see Remy emerging from the underground

face, Remy picked Alyssa up ina princess

Without even a glance at Jameson, Remy's voice dripped

you to

sure you have no

motionless, his

dressed, he looked like a man who

drained of all his worth—now thrown away like

in the statue of the goddess closed back

laughing at

Schmidt, your life has been

finish, the deafening roar of a helicopter overhead drowned out

casting its shadow over the

a thunderous crash, and with that,

shards rained down, cutting Jameson's