Kieran's POV
I saw him the moment I stepped through the Academy gates.
Cassian Thorne stood in the center courtyard, golden hair gleaming in the sunlight like some kind of angel. Divine marks glowed slightly on his neck—proof of the goddess's blessing. Students crowded around him, laughing at his jokes, desperate for his attention.
My future killer.
Shadow magic surged inside me, cold and angry. It wanted out. Wanted to wrap around Cassian's throat and squeeze until those blue eyes went dark forever.
Not yet, I told myself. Patience.
My fingers dug into my palms hard enough to hurt. The pain helped me focus. Helped me remember the plan.
I couldn't just kill Cassian. Not here, not now, not in front of hundreds of witnesses. I needed to be smart. Needed to expose him first, destroy his image, make sure everyone saw what kind of monster hid behind that blessed smile.
Then I'd kill him.
"Impressive, isn't he?"
A boy next to me spoke. Marcus Kane— I recognized him instantly. Future betrayer. The friend who'd witness against me for gold coins.
"Very impressive," I lied, pushing my voice to sound normal. Friendly, even.
Marcus grinned. "I heard he killed a demon at age twelve. Can you imagine? The goddess truly blessed him."
The goddess. High Priestess Lyanna. The whole crooked system that destroyed my life.
I wanted to tell Marcus the truth—that Cassian was a puppet, that the blessing was a leash, that heroes were just tools for old evil. But Marcus wouldn't believe me. Not yet. He was still dazzled by the golden boy's shine.
"Come on," Marcus said, already moving toward Cassian's group. "Let's introduce ourselves. Maybe we can join his party!"
Join his party. In the original scenario, that's exactly what I did. Befriended Cassian. Trusted him. Helped him on trips. Then watched him use everything I taught him to destroy me.
Not this time.
"I think I'll explore the Academy first," I said. "Get familiar with the grounds."
Marcus shrugged. "Suit yourself. More glory for me!"
He rushed off toward Cassian like a moth to flame. I watched him go, feeling nothing. In ten years, Marcus would stand beside Cassian at my hanging. Would count his reward money while I burned.
Let him have his moment now. I'd deal with him later.
I turned away from the courtyard, going toward the library wing. I needed to find the restricted part, figure out where they kept records about—
Someone grabbed my wrist.
The grip was strong, almost painful. I spun around, shadow magic already pooling in my free hand, ready to protect myself.
A boy stared at me with wide, frightened eyes.
Dark hair. Sharp features. About my age, maybe younger. He wore trade clothes—expensive but not noble.
I'd never seen him before in my life.
But something about his face made my heart stop.
"Don't approach Cassian Thorne," the boy whispered anxiously. His voice shook. "Stay away from dungeon adventures with the hero party. Don't trust the High Priestess. And whatever happens, don't sacrifice yourself for—"
He cut off suddenly, like he'd caught himself saying too much.
My mind went blank with shock.
This stranger just mentioned Cassian by name. Warned me about basement expeditions—expeditions that wouldn't happen until second year. Told me not to trust the High Priestess—something I didn't learn until much later in the original reality.
And that last part. Don't sacrifice yourself.
How could he possibly know I had a habit of giving myself for others?
Unless...
"How do you know those things?" I demanded, pulling my wrist from his grip.
The boy's expression shuttered closed instantly, like a door slamming. But not before I saw the flash of fear in his eyes.
"Lucky guesses," he said quickly. Too quickly. "I just... I've heard stories. About Cassian Thorne. About how dangerous he is. You seem smart, so I thought I'd warn you."
Liar.
I studied his face more carefully. The way his hands shook slightly. The way he kept looking around like he expected an attack. The troubled look in his eyes that I'd seen in my own mirror every morning since waking up fifteen years old again.
The look of someone who'd died and come back.
"Who are you?" I asked quietly.
"Adrian Vale." He said it like the name should mean something to me.
Adrian Vale.
The name hit me like a physical blow.
My Adrian. The boy I'd meet two years from now at a merchant fair. The boy I'd fall in love with. The boy who died in my arms.
But I wasn't supposed to meet him until second year. We weren't supposed to cross paths for another two years. And when we did meet, he was meant to be cheerful and trusting—not scared and desperate like this.
"You're lying," I said. Not about his name. About the chance guesses.
Adrian's jaw stiffened. "I'm trying to help you."
"By warning me about events that haven't happened yet?"
His face went pale. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do." I stepped closer, dropping my voice so no one else could hear. "Dungeon adventures with the hero party don't start until second year. High Priestess Lyanna doesn't visit the Academy until next month. And I haven't sacrificed myself for anyone—yet."
The yet hung in the air between us.
Adrian's breathing got faster. His eyes darted around, looking for escape routes.
"You remember," I breathed, the truth falling over me. "You died in my arms. Cassian killed you. You've been reborn too."
"Stop." Adrian's voice cracked. "Please stop talking."
But I couldn't stop. Everything suddenly made sense—his desperate grip on my wrist, his urgent warnings, his terrified face.
"How long?" I asked. "How long have you been back? Did you wake up the same day I did? Have you been planning this? Is that why you're here at the Academy early? You're trying to change things too, aren't you?"
"You don't understand," Adrian whispered. He looked like he might cry. Or run. Or both.
"Then explain it to me!" My voice came out rougher than I meant. "We're on the same side, Adrian. We both remember. We can work together. Change everything together."
"No." Adrian shook his head fiercely. "No, we can't."
"Why not?"
"Because—" He stopped himself again, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood.
I grabbed his shoulders, making him look at me. "Adrian, if you know something I don't, you have to tell me. We can save everyone. We can stop Cassian. We can—"
"I've tried that already!" The words burst out of him like he couldn't hold them back anymore. "I've tried working with you! I've tried warning you! I've tried everything, and it never works! Every time you know about the return, every time we work together, you die anyway! Sometimes faster! Sometimes worse! But you always die!"
My hands dropped from his shoulders.
Every time?
"What do you mean, every time?" I asked slowly.
Adrian's expression turned horrified, like he'd just shared something terrible. "I need to go."
"Wait—"
But he was already pulling away, stumbling backward.
"Just trust me," Adrian said desperately. "Stay away from Cassian Thorne. Stay safe. Please, just stay safe."
Then he turned and ran.
I stood frozen in the middle of the courtyard, my mind running.
Every time. He'd said every time.
That meant multiple tries. Multiple rebirths. Multiple times watching me die.
How many times had Adrian lived through this? How many times had he tried to save me? And why did working together always end with my death?
"Kieran Ashford?"
I turned to find a girl with blonde hair smiling at me. She wore the Academy attire with a healer's badge pinned to her chest.
"I'm sorry to bother you," she said happily. "But High Priestess Lyanna would like to speak with you in her office. She makes a point of welcoming all the new kids personally."
My blood turned to ice.
High Priestess Lyanna. Here. Now. Wanting to speak with me directly.
In the original schedule, she hadn't called for me until second month. And when she did, it was the beginning of her manipulation—planting seeds of doubt in my mind, setting up the trap that would finally destroy me.
Why was she calling for me so early?
Unless she knew.
Unless somehow, impossibly, she knew I'd been reborn.
The girl waited calmly for my answer, still smiling. But now that I looked closer, her eyes seemed empty. Almost like she wasn't really there. Like something else was looking out through her face.
"Of course," I heard myself say. "I'd be honored."
The girl's smile widened. "Wonderful. Follow me."
As I walked behind her toward the administrative building, I looked back at the courtyard one last time.
Adrian stood in the darkness near the gate, watching me. Even from this distance, I could see the fear on his face.
He shook his head slowly. A clear warning: Don't go.
But I had no choice. Refusing the High Priestess would make me suspicious. Would mark me as a target even faster than before.
So I followed the empty-eyed girl into the building, my shadow magic stirring restlessly beneath my skin.
Behind me, I didn't see Adrian pull out a small knife from his pocket. Didn't see him stare at it with hollow eyes. Didn't hear him whisper: "Not again. Please, not again. I can't watch him die a fifth time."
The knife trembled in his hand as he made a choice that would change everything.