Rain fell.
It was black—not like water, but like ink.
Solistra was breaking apart.
Smoke filled the sky. Fire danced on the streets. Screams echoed across the kingdom. The Hero Order had come.
Harvie stood on the castle wall, his eyes dark and tired. His hands shook. His rewind power—it didn't work here. Not fully. Every time he tried, things just got worse.
Queen Aureline's voice rang in his head.
> "This world is outside the loop. Time here is wild. Even your powers bend."
Edna stood beside him, her sword drawn. Her eyes burned with fire. "Harvie," she said softly, "we can't win this. We need to run."
He didn't answer.
His mind was stuck on the words Lucan had spoken earlier that day.
> "You are a bug. A curse. You were never meant to be born.
You don't belong in this story."
Lucan, the shining leader of the Hero Order. The one people once loved. Now revealed as something worse—a failed god fragment wearing a human mask.
Harvie clenched his teeth. "The people… they think I'm a monster."
Edna reached out. She grabbed his hand. "Then be a monster who survives."
Boom!
A shockwave tore through the palace gates. A Hero had arrived—wearing golden armor, his spear glowing blue.
"He's here," Edna whispered. "That's General Vael."
Harvie didn't speak. Instead, he opened the system.
[Skill Copy: Active]
Target: General Vael
But the moment he tried to copy…
> [ERROR. Connection failed. Event too unstable.]
"Damn it," Harvie growled. "I need time. Just give me one chance."
He reached into his skill list and found it—something he got during a past fight.
[Fate Split] – Temporary Clone (10 seconds)
"Go," he said.
His clone appeared, a blur of light.
The real Harvie grabbed Edna. "We're heading to the eastern wall. Now!"
Together, they ran through the smoke-filled halls.
Behind them, his clone met Vael with a blast of power. It only bought 10 seconds—but it was enough.
---
They reached the tower stairs. Soldiers of Solistra were already fighting. Queen Aureline was nowhere to be seen.
But at the top—there it was.
The Timelost Gate.
It shimmered like glass filled with stars.
"This is it," Edna said. "Our way out."
But just before they reached it—
Lucan appeared.
His sword was black. His eyes were silver.
"Leaving already?" he smiled. "What a shame."
Harvie raised his hands, ready to fight.
But his strength was low. Too low.
Edna stepped forward. "I'll hold him off."
"No," Harvie said, grabbing her shoulder. "We go together."
He opened the system again. There was one skill he hadn't used yet.
[Event Loop Lock] – Freeze one event per day.
He looked at Lucan.
He locked eyes with the moment right before Lucan could strike.
> [Event Loop Lock: Activated.]
Target: Lucan – Attack Motion (Frozen for 24 hours)
Lucan's blade stopped mid-air. His body froze—stuck in that single second.
Edna gasped. "You… froze him."
Harvie coughed blood. "Just for today."
They rushed to the gate.
At the center of the gate stood Queen Aureline. Her body was glowing—fading.
"No—!" Harvie shouted. "You can still come!"
She smiled gently.
"I'm old," she said. "Too old. My time already passed long ago."
She raised a hand—and the gate opened wide.
"To survive," she whispered, "you must go where time can't reach. The next Seal… isn't in this world."
She touched Harvie's chest.
> "It's inside you."
The light swallowed them.
The Queen stayed behind.
The gate shattered.
---
Silence.
When Harvie opened his eyes again, they were somewhere else.
A gray forest. A strange wind. No system alerts.
They had escaped—but barely.
He looked at Edna. She was pale, breathing hard. Her flame pact still burned, faintly.
Harvie clenched his fists.
Lucan, the Heroes, the lies… the world hated him now.
But he was still alive.
And the next battle would be worse.