Selene staggered back from the memory fragment, her chest tight with the weight of E’s words. “You caused the unraveling.”

Her mind raced. “How can I be responsible for something that hasn’t happened yet?”

“The Seam doesn’t see time the way we do,” E said, his tone calm but grave. “Every decision, every action, every hesitation—these create ripples that echo forward and backward. Sometimes, the act of trying to prevent something is what causes it.”

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Selene’s legs felt weak, but she forced herself to stand tall. “Then what do I do? If every choice I make could unravel this place, how can I possibly fix it?”

E stepped closer, his presence steadying. “By understanding what brought you here, Selene. The Seam responds to intention. If you want to stop the unraveling, you must first know why it began.”

His words hung in the air, heavy with implication. Selene’s mind drifted to the diary, the letters, the whispers in the woods. All of it had been pulling her toward this moment—but why?

“What if I make it worse?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

E’s gaze softened. “You won’t.”

But the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes told her even he wasn’t sure.