The sun was setting over the cold mountains. Soft orange light touched the snow-covered stones, and the wind whispered through the cracks of the old Skyglass Temple.
Harvie sat alone near the edge of the ruins. His hands were shaking. His mind felt tired. He had died many times. Too many times. And each time, he came back… just to see her die again.
His clothes were ripped. Blood stained his shirt. It wasn't all his. Some belonged to the beast. Some belonged to others. He couldn't tell anymore.
He closed his eyes and whispered, "Why do I keep doing this?"
The answer didn't come.
But footsteps did.
Crunch. Crunch.
He turned his head. Edna was walking toward him, her long red coat waving in the wind. Her fire-colored hair glowed in the fading light.
She looked serious.
"I've been watching you," she said, stopping in front of him.
Harvie stayed quiet.
"You're… always ahead of everyone," she continued. "You move like you already know the danger. You act like you've already seen it all."
He looked away. His heart started to beat faster.
She crouched down beside him, eyes sharp. "And the way you look at me… sometimes, it feels like you've seen me die."
His breath caught in his throat.
He wanted to tell her everything.
How many times she died.
How many times he died.
How many timelines, how many regrets, how many lives.
But just as he opened his mouth, his vision flickered.
[Warning: Unauthorized Disclosure Detected]
[Auto-Wipe Countdown Initiated – 10… 9…]
A sharp pain pierced behind his eyes. His head spun. A red screen flashed faintly before him. No one else could see it. Only him.
> "No... not now."
He bit his lip, hard. Blood filled his mouth. The pain grounded him.
"I…" he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I care. That's all."
Edna blinked. "That's all?"
"I care about you," he said. "Even if I don't say much. Even if I act strange. It's because I don't want to lose you."
She stared at him. Her face softened, just a little. "I still don't get you."
"You don't need to," he said. "Just… stay alive. Please."
She stood up, looking down at him.
"I don't know what your secret is," she said. "But thank you—for saving me again."
Then she walked away.
Harvie sat still.
The warning in his vision faded.
The system stayed quiet now.
But his heart… it was loud.
He looked at the sky, wondering how long he could keep lying.
And how long he could keep losing pieces of himself… just to protect someone he couldn't even tell the truth.