Kade Thorne's POV
I ripped the IV from my arm and stumbled out of bed.
"Kade, no!" Maven tried to stop me. "You just had surgery—"
"She's signing her life away to that snake!" I shoved past her, ignoring the fire in my shoulder. "I won't let Sera destroy herself to save me."
My legs barely held me up. Blood seeped through my hospital gown. But I didn't care.
I'd come back four years in time to save people. Starting with Seraphine Vale. And I'd be damned if I let Morgana Hax win.
I made it to the elevator just as the doors closed. Through the small window, I saw Sera's face—pale, determined, holding that pen above Morgana's contract.
"No," I whispered. Then louder: "SERA, DON'T!"
The elevator descended. Gone.
Maven caught up to me. "We need a plan. You can't just—"
"Call my lawyer. Now." I grabbed her phone since mine was still in the hospital room. "Tell him to get to the police station in ten minutes. Whatever Morgana's offering, we'll counter it."
"With what? She has fake evidence, fake witnesses, and ten years of planning!" Maven's voice cracked. "We have nothing!"
"We have the truth."
"The truth doesn't matter if no one believes it!"
She was right. I hated that she was right.
My phone—Maven's phone—buzzed. A text from an unknown number: Rooftop. Come alone. You have five minutes. —S
S for Seraphine.
"It's a trap," Maven said immediately.
"Probably." I headed for the stairs. "Stay here."
"You're bleeding and can barely walk!"
"Then I'll crawl if I have to."
I climbed six flights of stairs. Each step felt like knives in my shoulder. By the time I reached the rooftop door, I was sweating and dizzy.
But Sera was there, standing at the edge, looking out at the city lights.
She'd escaped somehow. No handcuffs. No police.
"How did you—" I started.
"I didn't sign." She turned to face me. "Not yet. I told Morgana I needed to use the bathroom. Climbed out the window."
Relief flooded through me. "Good. Then we run. Right now. I have money hidden in—"
"We can't run forever, Kade." Her violet eyes were so tired. "Morgana will hunt us. She'll hurt Echo. She'll tell Lyric I'm his mother and destroy his career. She's thought of everything."
"Then we fight her. Together."
"How? She time-traveled just like us. She knows our moves before we make them." Sera's hands clenched into fists. "In my first timeline, I signed with her because I was weak and stupid. This time, I thought I was smarter. But she's still ten steps ahead."
I walked closer, ignoring the pain. "What happened to the woman who shot Cassisus? Who saved her best friend? Who sang like she'd already died once?"
"That woman is tired." Tears slid down Sera's cheeks. "I'm twenty-two but I feel a hundred years old. I thought coming back would fix everything. Instead, I'm making new mistakes."
"That's not true—"
"I got you shot! Echo almost died! And now my son—my son who doesn't know I exist—just texted asking why my voice sounds familiar." She laughed bitterly. "Morgana was right. I can't save everyone. I can barely save myself."
I grabbed her shoulders. "Listen to me. In my first timeline, I watched you die. I read about it online—'Washed-Up Singer Dies Alone.' And I couldn't save you because I didn't know you needed saving."
"Kade—"
"But now I know. Now I'm here. And I'm not letting you give up." I pulled out my wallet with my good hand and found my business card. "Obsidian Records. Sign with me instead. Real contract. Fair terms. We fight Morgana together."
Sera looked at the card like it might bite her. "Why do you care so much? You barely know me."
"Because your voice haunted me for four years. Because you deserved better than dying on a bar stage. Because—" I stopped, surprised by my own honesty. "Because when I heard you sing 'Phoenix Protocol,' something in my chest broke open. Something I thought died with my mother."
Her eyes widened. "What?"
"Hope," I said simply. "You gave me hope that maybe we can actually change things. Save people. Build something better than the corrupt industry that destroyed our first lives."
Sera stared at me for a long moment. Then she took the card.
"I'll think about it," she whispered.
Before I could respond, my phone rang. Maven's voice screamed through the speaker: "KADE! Get back here NOW! Echo's missing!"
My blood froze. "What?"
"She was at my apartment. I left for ten minutes to get food. When I came back, the door was open and she was gone!" Maven was crying. "There's blood on the floor. And a note."
"What does it say?"
"'I told you the real game starts tomorrow. Come find your friend at the place where phoenixes burn. You have two hours. —M'"
Morgana had taken Echo.
I looked at Sera. Her face had gone white as death.
"The place where phoenixes burn," she repeated. "Oh God. I know where that is."
"Where?"
"The old Starlight Theater. It burned down three years ago—in both timelines. Five people died in the fire." Her voice shook. "In my first life, that fire was ruled an accident. But I always suspected arson. Morgana owned the theater. She collected the insurance money."
Understanding hit me like ice water. "She's going to burn it again. With Echo inside."
"To frame us for murder." Sera's hands trembled. "We show up to save Echo, the building explodes, and Morgana tells everyone we're terrorists who killed our own friend to cover our crimes."
"That's insane—"
"That's Morgana." Sera grabbed my arm. "We can't go. It's a trap. We'll die and she'll win everything."
She was right. Walking into that theater was suicide.
But Echo was there. Scared. Alone. Waiting for us to save her.
"I'm going," I said.
"Then you're an idiot." Sera's eyes blazed. "You'll get yourself killed—"
"Maybe. But I didn't come back in time to let innocent people burn." I started toward the stairs. "Stay here. Call the fire department. Tell them—"
"I'm coming with you."
"Sera, no—"
"She's my best friend!" Her voice cracked. "In my first timeline, I found Echo's body after Cassius destroyed her. I held her and screamed and promised I'd get revenge. Well, this is revenge. Saving her. Even if it kills me."
I looked at this woman—barely more than a girl, really—who'd lived thirty-eight years and come back to fix her mistakes. Who'd shot a predator to save her friend. Who carried more scars than anyone should have to bear.
And I realized I'd fallen in love with her somewhere between the audition and now.
"Okay," I said. "Together."
We ran.
Down the stairs. Out of the hospital. Into my car that Maven had parked outside.
I drove like hell itself chased us. Maybe it did.
The old Starlight Theater loomed ahead—burned shell, broken windows, condemned signs everywhere.
And standing in front of it, smiling that poisonous smile, was Morgana Hax.
"Right on time," she called out. "Echo's on the top floor. East wing. You have ninety seconds before the building explodes."
"You're insane!" I yelled.
"I'm thorough." Morgana held up a phone. "I have cameras everywhere. The moment you two enter that building, I press this button. Boom. Everyone dies. But the evidence I've planted will prove you set the bomb. Poor, violent criminals who murdered their friend rather than face justice."
Sera stepped forward. "What do you really want, Morgana?"
"I already told you. Sign my contract. Give me seven years." Morgana's eyes glittered. "Do it now, and I'll let Echo go. You'll be mine, but your friends will live."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then I press the button. Echo burns. You both burn trying to save her. And I become the tragic victim who tried to stop you." She shrugged. "Either way, I win."
Sera looked at me. I saw the decision in her eyes.
"Don't," I begged. "Please, Sera, don't—"
"I love you," she said suddenly. "I know that's crazy. We just met. But I loved you in my first timeline too—I just never told you. You were the only person who tried to warn me about Morgana. The only one who saw me as more than a pretty voice."
My heart shattered. "Sera—"
She kissed me. Quick. Fierce. Final.
Then she ran into the burning building.
"NO!" I screamed.
Morgana laughed and pressed the button.
The theater exploded in flames.