He shouldn't have talked to her.
Every rule, every warning, every nightmare that kept him awake told him that.
But the moment he saw Rina again — really saw her — the world tilted. The pulse inside his chest had gone wild, pounding like the ruins beneath the field were calling his name through her heartbeat.
Now, walking across the edge of campus at dusk, he could still feel it.
A low vibration under his skin. Ancient. Demanding.
He stopped near the old stadium fence, where the ground sloped down toward the restricted area. Most students thought it was just an abandoned construction site, but he knew better. The metal gate hummed faintly as he approached, the sound blending with the wind like a whisper.
"You're losing control again."
Niklaus turned.
BJ stood a few feet behind him, eyes wary.
"I told you to stay away from her," BJ said quietly. "If she's the one the pulse is reacting to, you're only going to make it worse."
Niklaus clenched his fists. "She doesn't know anything."
"That's the problem," BJ snapped. "If she starts remembering—"
"She won't."
BJ stared at him for a long moment. "You think you can stop it this time?"
Niklaus didn't answer. The last time, he'd thought the same thing.
The last time, it had ended in fire.
BJ sighed. "You can't protect her from what she is, Nik."
Niklaus turned toward the fence again, his jaw tight. "Maybe not. But I can protect her from them."
BJ's expression hardened. "They'll find out soon. The moment the pulse hit, I knew they'd feel it too. The Keepers never miss the signal."
"I'll handle it."
"You always say that," BJ muttered. "And it always goes wrong."
Niklaus ignored him, stepping closer to the fence. He pressed his palm against the metal — and the hum surged. The air shimmered faintly around his hand, the faintest trace of gold light bleeding through his skin.
A voice echoed from somewhere beneath the ground. Faint, distorted, ancient.
She's awake again.
Niklaus's heart stopped.
BJ froze. "You heard that too?"
He nodded slowly, pulling his hand back. The glow faded, but the fear didn't.
"Then it's real," BJ whispered. "It's starting again."
Niklaus looked toward the dark line of the forest, his thoughts spiraling back to Rina — her startled eyes, the tremor in her voice, the way the world had reacted to her presence.
He exhaled, the name tasting like a promise he shouldn't make.
"Not this time," he said softly. "I'll save her. Even if it kills me."