I followed Kiera through the endless wilderness, my legs aching and my stomach growling.

She moved like she was born here—silent, confident, and fast. Meanwhile, I tripped over every jagged shard on the ground, my makeshift bandage coming loose as I limped along.

“Can we… slow down?” I panted, clutching my side.

Kiera didn’t stop. “If you want to slow down, do it. I’m not dragging your corpse with me.”

“Wow,” I muttered under my breath. “Friendly.”

“What was that?” she asked, finally glancing back at me. Her sharp green eyes locked onto mine, and I swallowed hard.

“Nothing,” I said quickly.

She rolled her eyes. “Look, newbie. The only reason you’re still alive is because I decided not to let you die. So don’t push your luck.”

I bit back a retort and kept walking. The ground felt like it was tilting under me, each step heavier than the last.

We came across a small stream, its water sparkling faintly in the dim light.

“Drink,” Kiera said curtly, kneeling by the edge. She dipped her hands into the water and brought it to her mouth without hesitation.

I hesitated. The water looked clean, but this world didn’t exactly scream “trustworthy.”

“Do you want to die of thirst?” she snapped, noticing my hesitation.

“I just… What if it’s poisoned or something?”

She snorted. “If it is, we’ll know soon enough. Better to risk it than waste energy wondering.”

Reluctantly, I knelt beside her and cupped my hands in the water. It was cold—colder than I expected—and tasted oddly metallic.

Kiera leaned back, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. “Here’s a tip: you’re not going to survive long if you overthink everything. Trust your instincts, and don’t hesitate.”

“Right. Instincts,” I muttered, glancing down at my trembling hands. I wasn’t sure I had any instincts worth trusting.

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We didn’t make it far before the next attack.

The creature was massive, easily twice the size of the ones I’d seen before. Its body was covered in thick, chitinous armor that gleamed in the dim light, and its four glowing eyes fixed on us with unrelenting focus.

“Stay back,” Kiera ordered, drawing her sword.

I froze, clutching my shard of glass. My heart pounded in my chest as the creature let out a low, rumbling growl.

It charged without warning, its massive claws tearing through the ground as it barreled toward us.

Kiera dodged to the side, her sword flashing as she struck at its legs. The blade glanced off its armor, barely leaving a scratch.

“Damn it,” she muttered, circling the beast. “Its weak point’s not exposed. We’ll have to—”

She didn’t finish. The creature lunged again, faster than I thought possible, and slammed into her with enough force to knock her off her feet.

“Kiera!” I shouted, but I couldn’t move. My legs were rooted to the ground, my body frozen with fear.

The beast turned its attention to me, its glowing eyes narrowing.

The creature charged, and I panicked.

I stumbled backward, raising my shard of glass as if it could do anything against that thing.

The impact was blinding. Its claws raked across my chest, and pain exploded through me. I hit the ground hard, blood pooling beneath me.

I was dying. I could feel it.

No.

The thought surged through me like a jolt of electricity. The faint glow appeared in the corner of my vision:

[REWIND ACTIVATED.]

The world blurred and twisted, pulling me backward through time. My body moved without moving, my mind folding in on itself.

When the distortion stopped, I was standing again. The beast was back where it had been moments before, its glowing eyes fixed on Kiera.

I staggered, clutching my chest. The pain was gone, but my hands still trembled.

“What just—?” Kiera began, glancing at me sharply.

“No time!” I shouted.

This time, I didn’t hesitate. I rushed forward, ignoring the fear screaming in the back of my mind. The beast lunged at Kiera, but I threw myself at its exposed flank, driving the shard into the soft joint between its armor.

The creature howled, twisting in pain, and Kiera took advantage of the opening. Her blade struck true, slicing cleanly through its neck.

The beast collapsed, its body twitching before going still.

For a long moment, neither of us moved. The only sound was my ragged breathing, the adrenaline fading as my legs gave out beneath me.

Kiera turned to me, her expression unreadable. “What the hell was that?”

“I…” My voice faltered. How could I explain something I didn’t understand myself?

“I saw you die,” she said flatly. “And now you’re standing there like nothing happened.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it again.

She stepped closer, her green eyes narrowing. “What did you do?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I just… It’s like time rewound. I don’t know how I did it, or why.”

Her gaze lingered on me for a moment before she sighed, sliding her sword back into its sheath.

“Whatever it is, it saved my life. But don’t think I trust you.”

I nodded weakly, my hands still trembling.

“Get up,” she said, her tone sharp again. “If you can cheat death, you might actually be useful.”

I struggled to my feet, my legs shaking beneath me. Kiera turned away, already moving.

For now, she wasn’t asking questions. But I could feel the weight of her suspicion, heavy and unrelenting.

And honestly? I couldn’t blame her.