The winds of the Shattered Expanse howled with a mournful cry.
Harvie tightened the straps of his secondhand gauntlet, eyes scanning the frostbitten terrain. Crystals jutted from the ground like broken teeth. The rest of Squad 9 walked ahead—five rookies and two senior guards who didn't think much of him.
Except for her.
"Watch your footing," Edna called out, brushing snow from her shoulder. Her blade gleamed faintly in the light of the setting sun. "Shardbeasts like to hide in crevices."
Harvie gave a short nod. "Got it."
He knew exactly where they'd come from. And when.
He had died here. Twice.
Not that anyone would believe it.
They passed the stone obelisk—a marker left by old hunters. Harvie's heartbeat grew heavier with every step. Thirty seconds now.
Twenty.
He looked to Edna. Her brows were furrowed, lips parted slightly, like she felt something too.
Then—
A cry.
A small child, barely older than ten, stumbled out from the crystal brush. "P-please! Help! My brother—he's still—!"
Edna didn't hesitate.
She sprinted toward the voice, sword already drawn. "Stay close!" she shouted.
But Harvie knew better.
That child… was bait.
"Edna—wait!"
Too late.
The ground split. Crystal vines erupted upward. Six shardbeasts materialized—jagged, insectoid creatures with glowing blue cores inside their chests. The child vanished like smoke.
A trap. Just like before.
Harvie surged forward. He activated the only skill he had copied:
[Temporal Echo – Level 1]
Accelerate time around yourself for 1.5 seconds. Cooldown: 15 seconds.
The world slowed as he moved.
Edna swung wildly, cutting through the first shardbeast. A second lunged from the side.
She turned—but too slow.
Its claw plunged into her side.
"No—!" Harvie screamed.
Blood stained the snow. Her blade dropped.
Just like before.
Something inside him cracked.
He didn't hesitate.
He threw himself into the horde, screaming.
A claw struck his chest. Another sliced his leg.
Then—
Pain. Cold. Silence.
[Unlamented has activated.]
Reviving...
Penalty: Sanity -2. Body restored. Returning to checkpoint: 1 day prior.
---
Harvie sat upright with a gasp, drenched in sweat.
He was back.
His team hadn't even left the outpost yet.
"Third time," he muttered, clutching his chest. "I'll get it right this time."
---
By the time Squad 9 marched again, Harvie's eyes burned with quiet focus.
He memorized every step, every breath.
When the child appeared, he didn't hesitate.
He shouted, "It's an illusion! Stay back!"
Edna flinched, surprised. "What—?"
Harvie ran ahead first, drawing their attention. He used [Temporal Echo] mid-sprint to get behind the beasts.
"Over here, crystal freaks!"
They turned. His copied skill didn't last long—but it was enough.
Edna joined him moments later, still confused, but she moved with precision. Her blade danced through the beasts. Two went down. Three.
A fourth lunged—Harvie tackled Edna aside, taking the blow to his shoulder.
The last one screeched and fell, pierced by her sword.
Silence returned.
Steam rose from Harvie's wounds as he panted on the frozen ground.
Edna dropped beside him, her breathing uneven.
"You…" she started. "You knew."
He didn't answer. Just stared at the sky.
"I didn't hear a cry until a second ago," she whispered. "But you… how did you know?"
Harvie turned his head, eyes half-lidded. "Lucky guess."
But even he knew it sounded hollow.
She stared at him for a long time.
Then, quietly, she said: "If you're hiding something, Harv… I hope it's not something that'll kill you."
Harvie didn't respond.
Not because he didn't want to.
But because he wasn't sure he had the strength left to lie.