"You're sure about this?" Kael asked, brushing her hair behind her ear as they sat on the edge of the bed.
Aira nodded slowly, though her heart thundered in her chest. "If I go deep enough into the past, maybe I can finally understand why we're bound together—why I remember loving you before I even met you."
He swallowed, his jaw tensing. "You'll only have fifteen minutes. Not a second more."
"I'll come back," she whispered.
Kael took both her hands in his, warm and steady. "And if you don't—"
"You'll bring me back."
Aira offered a weak smile, masking her fear. "Kiss me before the clock runs out. Maybe that connection can pull me through."
Kael didn't smile. "If this goes wrong…"
She leaned in, pressed her forehead to his. "Then let me go knowing I tried."
With a deep breath, she tightened her grip on his hands and let herself fall into the memory.
The world around her melted.
The crackle of fire was replaced by distant thunder. The scent of pine turned to smoke and blood.
She stood in a war-torn hall of white marble and ruby-streaked banners. Arrows littered the floor. Ash swirled through the air. At the center of it all—he lay there.
Rynan. Kael's past self.
Bleeding. Dying. His sword broken beside him.
"Aira…" he rasped, looking up at her with the same eyes, just younger—brighter.
She ran to him, dropped to her knees, cradling him in trembling arms. "No. No, not again—"
"I broke the world for you," he whispered, blood wetting his lips. "I chose you over time. That's why they curse us. Again. And again."
She sobbed, burying her face in his neck.
The palace shook violently.
Cracks split through the air—time shattering.
And in the real world—
Kael watched the timer.
14:45… 14:50…
She hadn't moved.
"Come on, Aira…"
14:55…
He crushed his lips to hers.
It wasn't just a kiss—it was desperation, tethering her to now. His soul reaching into the abyss.
Suddenly, she gasped—
Choking, coughing, eyes flying open.
"I saw you die," she sobbed, clinging to him.
Kael held her tighter than ever.
"And you brought me back," he whispered. "Just in time."