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Annalisa 42
42ANNALISEI stood in the doorway of my father’s study, unsure of how to begin. My heart felt heavy with the weight of everything that had happened. Adrian and I had broken up. The man who had stood by me, saved me, even reversed time for me, was no longer a part of my life. But the sting of his absence wasn’t what gnawed at me the most. It was Spencer—his twisted manipulations, his cruelty, and the way he continued to move through life, unscathed. I had this growing need to expose him, to bring his evil into the light. I knew I had to do something. But where could I even start?I stepped into the room, my footsteps barely making a sound on the soft rug. My father sat by the window, He looked peaceful, as if the world wasn’t closing in on me.“Father, I need to talk to you.” The words felt stiff in my throat, but I forced them out. He turned his head toward me, his eyes soft but knowing. He always seemed to know when something was weighing on me.He motioned for me to sit, and I lowe
Annalisa 43
43ANNALISETIME LOOPThe night air was cold and thick with silence, a stillness that only heightened the tension gripping my chest. I stood watch over the tower, the village below asleep and unaware of the dangers lurking beyond. The moon cast a ghostly glow over the trees, and every shadow seemed to shift and slither like a predator waiting for its moment. I couldn’t shake the unease that crawled up my spine.Spencer was supposed to meet me here tonight. I’d felt a strange urgency when we planned to meet, like something terrible was brewing. My hand tightened around the hilt of the dagger hidden beneath my cloak. Where was he?I closed my eyes for a moment, reaching out with my senses. The pulse of the forest felt off. Something dark was stirring, something ancient. The scent of damp earth and moss filled my lungs, but beneath it, I caught the faintest whiff of something else. Incense—sharp and foreign—whispering through the air. A cold dread settled over me. I’d only ever encounter
Annalisa 44
44ANNALISEI woke up gasping for breath, my heart racing as if I had been running for hours. The nightmare again. The same one that had haunted my sleep for as long as I could remember. But this time, the faces were clearer, the betrayal more vivid. A name lingered on my lips—Spencer—though I couldn’t recall why. My body trembled, drenched in sweat, as I tried to piece together the fragments of what I had just seen.But the dream slipped away like water through my fingers, leaving me with nothing but a lingering dread. I sat up and glanced around, disoriented. Where was I?The room was dimly lit, filled with strange shadows cast by objects that looked older than time itself. Shelves were lined with trinkets, dusty relics, and books bound in faded leather. The air smelled of old wood and incense, a combination that felt both calming and unsettling at the same time.An antique shop.I stood on shaky legs, my limbs heavy and weak. My head throbbed as if it had been smashed against a wal
Annalisa 45
45ANNALISEThe strange connection between Adrian and me was undeniable. It lingered in the air between us like a soft hum, always present, always pulling us closer. At first, I couldn’t explain it. I barely knew him, yet something deep inside me felt drawn to him, as if our fates were intertwined long before I’d stumbled into his antique shop.Adrian had been kind to me, patient even. He didn’t pressure me to remember my past, but I could see the questions in his eyes every time he glanced my way. I’d been in his care for days now, maybe even weeks, helping him around the shop as I regained my strength. The more time we spent together, the more comfortable I felt in his presence, yet there was always a flicker of doubt in the back of my mind. Who was I? Why had I lost my memory? And why was I so hesitant to trust him completely?I found myself waking up each morning with the same strange dreams and flashbacks, warning me of betrayal, of a loved one who would turn against me. The face
Annalisa 46
46ANNALISEThe moment those young men barged into Adrian’s shop, I felt a chill in the air. They looked dangerous—wild eyes, rough voices, and an arrogance that clung to them like smoke. Adrian stood between them and his antique shelves, his hands up in a gesture of peace. I could see the tension in his jaw, the way his muscles tensed, ready for a fight.“We’re not here to talk,” one of them growled, pushing Adrian back. “We want the materials. The old stuff.”“You can’t just take whatever you want,” Adrian’s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. He wasn’t going to back down easily.“Move!” Another one stepped forward, shoving Adrian harder. He stumbled, and before I could react, they started hitting him. One blow after another, fists connecting with his body until Adrian collapsed on the floor, groaning.Something inside me snapped. I didn’t even think. I stepped forward, my voice steady despite the anger building in my chest. “Stop. Drop the items and leave.”One of the men
Annalisa 47
47ANNALISEAdrian sat across from me, the old leather-bound book spread open between us. His fingers traced the worn pages with a reverence I hadn’t seen in him before. The room was dimly lit, with only a flickering candle casting shadows on the walls. I could sense his excitement, but I could also feel the tension in the air. Something about what he had discovered weighed heavily on him.“Annalise,” he began, his voice calm but serious, “this is more than just a fight for survival. It’s… it’s part of something bigger.”I glanced at him, my heart beating faster. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of confusion, discoveries, and unsettling realizations. I didn’t know who I really was, not fully. And every time I thought I was close to understanding, something new appeared to pull me deeper into this mystery.He pointed to a passage in the book, the text written in an ancient script. “There’s a prophecy. It talks about a guardian, a woman, who must defeat her enemies to break a cyc
Annalisa 48
48ANNALISEFLASHBACKThe scent of incense filled the air, sweet and calming, but there was an odd tension underneath it. I sat across from Spencer in his small study, watching the smoke curl and dance around him like a living thing. He had taken to burning incense lately, a habit I hadn’t noticed before. It wasn’t just the smell—it was how he seemed different when he was around it. His eyes would glaze over slightly, his focus elsewhere, like he was drifting between worlds.“You’ve been using a lot of these lately,” I said, eyeing the small burner on the table between us. “What’s the reason?”Spencer looked at me, a slight smile playing on his lips. His dark eyes, usually so sharp and intense, softened as the smoke swirled around him. “I’ve been reading about how different incenses can help clear the mind, make it easier to store knowledge. With all the history I’m tasked with remembering, it helps.”His explanation was casual, but something about it didn’t sit right with me. Spencer
Annalisa 49
49ANNALISEThe evening light filtered through the old, dusty windows of Adrian’s shop. I could feel the weight of my past pressing against my chest, memories I had long tried to bury. Adrian stood nearby, his eyes filled with concern, waiting for me to speak. The silence between us grew thick as I fought to find the words.“I trusted him,” I began, my voice barely above a whisper. “Spencer… he was everything to me at one point. A part of me even believed we could share something beyond this realm, that we were bound in some way. But it was all a lie.”Adrian shifted closer, his gaze unwavering, silently encouraging me to continue. I sighed and crossed my arms, pacing the room as I felt the emotions swirling inside me, a storm I could barely contain.“Spencer was clever. He knew how to gain my trust, how to make me feel like he understood me better than anyone else. For a time, I thought I loved him. We would spend hours together, talking about the realms, about history, about everyth
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