For the first time since Silas revealed the truth of my actions, hope bloomed in my chest and I grasped onto it with everything in me.

Thinking of how powerful Time was–not to mention the possibility of other, equally terrifying spirits existing alongside him–nearly fried my brain, so I shoved the topic aside to pick up later, when I could rock myself in a corner over the terror of it all.

Instead, I focused on him and the offer he seemed to be extending. “So you can…bring us back to when I first landed here?”

Time nodded. “Yes, though rewinding the entirety of Nexus will be…draining.”

Okay, so it was possible, but not necessarily easy for him. Whatever others there were like him probably had similar limitations. That was oddly reassuring. Even spirits couldn't pull such massive feats without paying for it.

Time grimaced and shot me a reproachful look. “Yes, and pay for it I shall. I can only use my powers on this scale once per year, and afterward, I'll need to rest.” He glanced at the carnage around us. “Given your lack of knowledge led to our current predicament, I will take human form for my rest and travel with you to ensure nothing like this happens again.”

Heat inched up my neck, and I grumbled, “I don't need a babysitter.” It wasn't like I would find another lying asshole of a king to be fooled by. After this, I'd be more careful. More cautious in who I trusted. I didn't need someone constantly over my shoulder.

Time hummed. “Arguable, but there's no other course of action. Besides, we are still uncertain how this king's plans led to even the spirits being extinguished. We can investigate that more later.”

I perked up, happy to have some information on that front, even if it wasn't as much as I'd like. “The only thing I found out was that he's been summoning ‘otherworlders’ for a while now. They all have powers he wants, and if they don't join him willingly, he takes control of their mind like the bat guy over there.” I gestured to Dominicus, and Time tipped his head, considering that.

“Perhaps the one he summoned is the culprate or even one of those he summoned in the past…” He shook himself. “We need more information. That will come later. First, I will rewind Nexus. During this, you will be placed somewhere else, otherwise your memories will be altered. Once I finish with my work, I will bring you back into Nexus, into the very moment you arrived. When you land, kill the king immediately with Fast Forward. Afterward, I will remove it from your spells.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Hold up, he wanted me to what?!

“I think I need to clean out my ears. Can you please run that by me again?

You want me to use the power that removed my arm and killed an army?” My heart hammered and vivid flashes of my arm crumbling in on itself soured my stomach.

Time shrugged, as if he were asking me to get him a snack, not potentially kill myself.

“Your unease is well-founded. Usually, I would never allow a human to have such power precisely because of how difficult it is to control, but I don't have the energy to give you another on top of rewinding. He can control you, so the best course of action is to take him out before he can do so.”

It sounded so cut and dry when he said it like that. Shaking my head, I looked away from him. “I'm a doctor. I didn't come here to kill.”

That sure didn't stop you from wiping out an army.

I winced and shoved the venomous voice to the farthest reaches of my mind. I did not have time for it today.

Time cut in, thankfully redirecting my thoughts before they spiraled. “And when I use my power, you won't have taken any lives. The army will stand again.”

I gestured to Silas. “He's a slime, but he still qualifies as living.”

Steady dark eyes locked on mine, and I resisted the urge to squirm under his stare. He wasn't angry or disapproving, but the sheer weight of the years he'd lived made me feel as helpless as a newborn.

He blinked, breaking the suffocating tension. “The king has imprisoned and beaten down thousands, the girl you're trying to save included. If he's left alive, he will continue his plans, summoning more people with powers. This cannot continue. Any one of them could be the catalyst, so he must be stopped. Permanently.”

The weight of his gaze lightened, if only a bit. “Hesitating to take a life is a good trait; one should never be hasty with such things. But his death could save millions.”

I bit back a hiss of frustration before it could wrangle its way out. Getting pissy with Time was not only counterproductive, but also stupid. He was offering to use a lot of power to fix my mistake, and I should be grateful for that. But…

“Why don't you do it if it's that important?” None of my irritation bled into the question, only bone-deep exhaustion, and Time raised an eyebrow.

“You have seen firsthand how protective I am of my wife. This king is a potent threat to her. Do you truly think that, if I could dispatch the king, I wouldn't have already done so?”

That…was a valid point, and he continued with a grim nod. “Spirits are not capable of taking a life. Even Death only shepherds those who have already passed. It has to be you.”

He raised his arms, cutting off any response I might have had. Crushing pressure filled the room again, pure magic pouring in until my head threatened to explode from the force.

Silas, Dominicus, and Maya stayed frozen as Time rose in the air, his eyes glowing bright enough to slice through the darkness of night. Then, I heard his voice in my head, its ethereal echo adding to the painful headache building behind my eyes.

“Show me my wife wasn't wrong to choose you.” Then, everything disappeared.