I was staring at something.
And that something… was my own grave.
The stone stood silent beneath the dim glow of the moon, my name carved into it with cruel precision. The letters were sharp, freshly etched — as if whoever buried me wanted the world to remember.
Or maybe to forget.
The graveyard was empty. Too empty.
Ceolara's skyline shimmered in the distance, lanterns flickering like weak stars against the horizon. It was beautiful — painfully beautiful — the kind of city people dreamed of protecting.
The kind of city I had sworn to protect.
A cold wind brushed past me.
I traced the engraved name with my eyes but did not touch it. I wasn't sure what would happen if I did.
Had I done more than I was meant to?
Had I crossed a line that even I was never supposed to cross?
The questions circled my mind like vultures.
I knew how to fix this.
That was the worst part.
There was a way.
A method.
A correction.
And yet… something inside me resisted it.
A sharp ache bloomed in my chest. I staggered, falling to one knee as I pressed my palm against my heart. The pain felt deeper than flesh — like something unseen was pulling at threads buried within me.
The wind grew stronger.
Clouds gathered without warning, swallowing the moonlight. The calm sky above Ceolara twisted into dark spirals, thunder murmuring at the edge of the world.
The storm wasn't natural.
It never was.
The air trembled faintly around me, as if reality itself was uncertain of my presence.
I closed my eyes.
If I return now, everything changes.
If I don't… everything ends.
Footsteps crunched softly over gravel behind me.
"What are you doing here this late at night?"
The voice was familiar.
Too familiar.
I turned slowly.
Jessica stood a few steps away, hands tucked into her coat, watching me with that same calm expression she'd always worn when I was overthinking something.
For a moment, relief washed over me.
"You shouldn't be here," I said quietly.
She tilted her head. "I could say the same to you."
Her gaze shifted past me — to the grave.
And then back to my face.
"You're staring at it again."
Again.
The word felt wrong.
"I made a mistake," I replied. "A few days ago. I know how to undo it. I know what it would cost."
I hesitated.
"But something in me refuses."
Jessica stepped closer, stopping beside me. She didn't look at the grave this time. She looked at me.
"That's not like you," she said softly. "You've always done what needs to be done. That's why we trust you."
Trust.
The word echoed strangely in my ears.
The thunder rolled louder overhead.
"You built everything for a reason," she continued. "Just do your job. Things will fall into place. We've got your back. There will always be someone you can rely on."
She placed a hand on my shoulder.
It felt warm.
Real.
"Go back to base," she said. "Get some rest. When you wake up, come see me. We'll figure out what needs to be done."
She smiled.
And for a moment… I almost believed her.
Almost.
The storm paused.
Not faded.
Paused.
As if waiting.
"Jessica," I said carefully, "what day is it?"
She frowned slightly. "You really need sleep."
That wasn't an answer.
The ache in my chest intensified. I looked back at the grave.
The engraving shimmered faintly.
The date beneath my name was yesterday.
The wind stopped completely.
When I turned back—
Jessica was gone.
No footsteps.
No sound.
Just the empty cemetery and the rising storm.
My breath came out slow.
This wasn't the future.
This wasn't the present.
And it certainly wasn't the past.
A faint whisper brushed against my mind.
You've grown…
The darkness deepened at the edges of my vision.
The grave cracked down the center.
And I woke up.
However, what I saw was it a dream or was it not.