The air was cold. Too quiet. Even the fire from Edna's hands didn't warm the silence.
Harvie stood beside her, staring at the sky. Clouds were moving too slowly. Something was wrong again.
They had just left the mirror dungeon, barely alive. Harvie's body still burned with the god-sigil on his chest. His eyes kept flicking to the side, like he was hearing voices that weren't there.
Edna held his hand.
"Harvie... are you okay?"
"I'm not sure," he answered, voice hoarse. "Lucan is coming. We don't have time."
Just then, a scream echoed.
It came from the nearby camp—a voice they knew well.
"Riko!" Edna cried.
Riko was a rising hero, a friend of Edna's. Young, bright, and full of hope. But now, he was kneeling, blood pouring from his chest.
Lucan stood in front of him, holding a long silver blade. His body was covered in strange armor, and a black mark floated behind his head like a crown.
"You're in my way," Lucan said simply.
Harvie rushed forward. "Don't touch him!"
Lucan looked at Harvie. He smiled, but it was cold.
"Ah, the timeline thief. You should not exist."
Harvie reached for [Echo Bind]—but it didn't activate.
> [ERROR: TIME LIMIT BREACHED.]
Lucan walked toward Riko. Harvie screamed and used [False Resurrection]. A puppet of himself jumped in front of Riko to take the hit.
But Lucan stabbed the puppet, then stabbed again.
This time, the real Riko.
Edna screamed.
"No!"
Riko fell to the ground. Still. Silent. Dead.
Harvie ran forward, already calling for the rewind.
> [REWIND INITIATED…]
The world bent. Light flashed—
But it didn't go back.
Instead, Lucan appeared inside the rewind field. He looked around calmly.
"Not this time," he said. Then he pulled something from his coat.
It looked like a shard of flame, glowing with a strange power.
Harvie's body shook. Pain exploded in his chest.
> [WARNING: BURIED GOD FRAGMENT DESTROYED. REWIND BLOCKED.]
He fell to his knees, coughing blood.
Edna rushed to him.
"Harvie! What's happening?!"
"I… I can't reset… Riko's really… dead…"
His vision blurred. The world spun.
Lucan stared down at him. "Each time you rewind, you feed something far worse than me. Did you really think there would be no price?"
Harvie tried to stand, but his legs failed.
Riko's body didn't move.
This was a death that stayed.
And Harvie… he felt it deep inside.
The cost of playing god.
---
That night, Edna stayed by Harvie's side. He didn't speak. He just stared into the fire.
"Harvie," she whispered. "Please… don't break."
He didn't answer. Blood stained the corner of his lips.
He was fading.
But his eyes—his eyes still burned with something strong.
Vengeance.
And sorrow.