Chương 31: 031

I jumped back, barely avoiding his grasp as adrenaline flooded my veins. I couldn't let this happen. I wouldn't.

"You won't get this power," I snarled. My fingers closed around a fallen soldier's sword, steel cold and slick with blood. Silas watched me sway, unimpressed.

"Come now, Nikolas," he said lightly.

"You can barely stand. You must know you can't beat me." I ignored him and pressed the blade to my throat. His smile vanished. A vicious, bitter satisfaction bloomed in my chest as I swallowed past the knot tightening there.

"You're right," I said hoarsely.

"I can't beat you. But I can make sure you never lay your filthy hands on this power." I didn't want to die. But I wouldn't be used to butcher the future either. Karma's face flashed through my mind—her last plea, her faith in me—but I shoved it down. If you can hear me… I'm sorry. I didn't know how much damage the resistance's fall would do to the timeline, but if I could at least keep Fast Forward out of his hands, maybe Time could find someone else to fix things. I pressed the blade harder.

A sting bit into my throat, and warm blood slid down my skin. Silas hissed.

"Now, now. Don't do anything rash. You'll regret it if you do."

"If this keeps the power from you," I said, meeting his glare, "there's not a damn thing I'll regret about killing myself." I'd already messed up in every possible way. If taking myself out of the equation was the only way to prevent worse…so be it. His eyes flicked past me.

"Two can play that game," he murmured. Before I could react, he turned sharply.

"Maya. Pick up your Adan's sword. Put it to your throat." Her body moved without her consent. Her eyes went wide as the blade rose in her trembling hands. Silas faced me again, brows lifting.

"If you kill yourself, do so with the knowledge that you're also killing her." The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. A laugh tore out of me, raw, hysterical, and broken. Of course. I couldn't catch one fucking break. Silas stepped closer, palm lifting once more.

"Now that you're properly restrained, let's finish this." Instinct screamed at me to move, to run, to fight. If he took control of me, he'd drown Nexus in blood—and it would be my fault. But Maya's tear-streaked face locked me in place. After everything I'd cost her, I couldn't be the reason she died too. Save thousands and kill a child… or spare the child and risk countless more. The choice split me down the middle, nausea churning the longer I stood there.

His hand drew closer, heat brushing my skin as my heart pounded itself raw. I was out of options and out of time. Wait. Out of… Time. Hope flared, desperate, reckless, and burning. Time should have been here by now. I'd barely tried to reach him, too afraid of his reaction to… everything to put in real effort. No more. Maya would survive this. One way or another. I met Silas's eyes and screamed, forcing the words out, willing them into his head.

"Time! I know you can hear me, you fuck! Get down here and help me!" Was it wise to curse a primordial spirit? Probably not. But exhaustion burned through me, my shoulder screamed, and I was done. If he killed me for it, fine. As long as Silas died too, I'd go with a smile. Silas laughed, then stopped. His hand froze inches from my face.

"You truly believe Time himself will bother to-." He froze, mouth open and eyes unblinking. Everything around us halted, from Dominicus steady breathing to the tears rolling down Maya's cheeks. The air charged with raw power and the hair on my arm stood to attention. Magic built, blanketing the area until my teeth ached from the pressure. Just as it felt like my head would explode, a figure appeared in a swirl of sand and the crushing power eased. But only enough for me to breathe.

A man stood before us, arms crossed, expression carved from stone. Long black hair framed a face cut with ruthless precision. When his gaze found mine, ice flooded my veins. His eyes were dark like Karma's but they lacked her warmth and life. His stare promised pain, suffering, and death to any who crossed him. And I'd just cussed him out. Ignoring the urge to hide or run, I sucked in a breath.

"You came," I said, relief shaking my voice. Time tilted his head, studying me like an insect pinned to glass.

"Yes," he said coolly.

"Out of curiosity, if nothing else. Mortals rarely attempt to summon me." His gaze sharpened.

"Least of all with such disrespect." A chill worked down my spine but I forced it aside, speaking my case before he could do anything drastic.

"Sorry, but as you can see, things are a bit of a clusterfuck right now. I'm not exactly concerned with propriety and manners." Some of the weight lifted. Time hummed, eyes sliding to Silas, then Maya.

"Indeed." His gaze returned to me, narrowing.

"Still, I do not take Chosens because I do not want to be summoned." He squinted and made a low noise of understanding.

"You bare the essence of my wife, Karma. You must be her Chosen. The boy she was so set on adopting." He pressed the sword at my throat down with a single finger.

"You are not my son," he said flatly.

"Nor will you ever be. That was our agreement." His eyes hardened.

"So why summon me instead of her?" A bark of laughter burst from me, sharp and unhinged, past the irrational sting his words left.

"What do you think I've been doing the past day?! She hasn't answered and–" The sword fell and the world lurched. Suddenly I was airborne, Time's fist twisted in my shirt as he hauled me nose-to-nose. Old memories surged. Hands, the flash of a belt buckle, pain, the basement. Half of me screamed to flee. The other half burned to strike first. Through it all, one thought rang clear. I knew this was going to end badly for me.