The night sky over Rivenfold turned dark red. Bells rang across the city. It was not a normal night.
Harvie sat near a window, looking out. He had not slept since using [Chrono Fang]. His body felt heavy. His mind was tired. But something inside him warned, "Tonight is not safe."
He stood up. Just then, the ground shook.
BOOM.
Screams followed.
Harvie rushed outside. Red-cloaked figures jumped over the academy walls. The Red Dagger had come.
---
"Harvie!" Edna ran to him, dressed in her battle gear. Her eyes glowed with fire magic.
"They're after you," she said. "We have to stop them here."
Harvie nodded. "I'll protect everyone." But inside, he knew. He would need to die again.
---
The battle started.
Harvie fought through the Red Dagger soldiers. He used [Crimson Barrier] to block one attack. Then [Memory Pierce] to stab a dagger-wielding woman. Her memory flashed into him.
She killed five Seal bearers in cold blood.
He shivered but kept going. He had no time to feel.
---
Edna led the students. Her flames lit up the night. Fire wings spread behind her as she shouted orders. She was strong—but she looked back at Harvie again and again.
He smiled at her once. But then he saw the Dagger leader.
---
A tall man in black-red armor stood at the center of the battle. He held two long blades and had a strange eye on his chest.
"You... the Mirrored Anomaly," the man said. "You are the key. You will be ours."
Harvie ran toward him.
Their fight was fast. Too fast for others to see. Harvie died once—stabbed through the stomach.
[System Rewinding...]
He came back.
He died again—this time crushed by a time bomb.
[System Rewinding...]
He came back again.
On the fourth try, he used [Chrono Fang] + [Crimson Barrier]. It worked. He dodged perfectly, landed a hit, and copied a new skill:
[Soulflame Rend] – A corrupted flame blade, born of sacrifice. Burns soul and body.
The leader screamed. The Soulflame cut him down. He burned, and the rest of the Red Dagger retreated.
---
The battle was over.
Rivenfold was saved.
But Harvie stood alone in the middle of the courtyard. Smoke around him. Blood on his hands. His cloak torn.
Edna walked toward him. Her hands shook. She held a bloodied piece of clothing. His cloak—from one of the timelines where he had died.
"You knew this would happen," she said. "How many times have you watched us die, Harvie?"
Harvie looked down.
He couldn't lie anymore.
His voice was low. "As many as it took to save you."
Edna didn't speak. Her eyes filled with tears.
Harvie stepped back, afraid she would hate him. But she didn't move. She just stood there, burning with sadness and something deeper.
---
The world was safe—for now. But cracks were starting to show.
Harvie's secret was almost out.
And the corrupted system... was watching.