>>Enya

"You will be my performer?" I stared at Hael in disbelief, "Really?"

He nodded, "But I am not doing this for you. I'm doing this for myself."

"Doesn't matter," I replied. I'm doing this for selfish reasons too. But I'm still surprised he agreed.

Einar has a weak body. He couldn't do many things like normal people but he was always a sweet soul. That is why he's always hell bent on helping people out.

I looked at both of them standing by each other.

Looks like he succeeded this time too but how did he manage to persuade him?

"There are consequences to performing taboos." The Oracle said as we all stood in Hael's room. They say, all Oracles are blind, it allows them to see the world as it truly is. They look into souls, they see what's inside, they know you for who you really are.

I glanced around the room. I have to say it was a mess. Considering how many bottles of alcohol I'm seeing, no wonders Hael is a mess too.

It all must be a lot harder than it shows on him.

"I am well aware," Hael replied

!!

"What consequences?" I asked. I had not read about the consequences in detail. The book did mention severe punishments, but I never got to read the page that mentioned it.

"The performer dies when the loop is complete." She answered

...

"What?" I froze.

Einar has a lot of magic power but his magic isn't the normal kind. When I told him I wanted to turn back time, he said he'd be my performer but he couldn't do it

The magic required to perform a taboo, Einar's magic and his body's condition didn't match. And I was really glad for that. He always had a weak body. I didn't want to put him through more trauma.

"Wait ... what?" I was horrified, "I didn't know that!" A wave of guilt and Shame crossed over me.

"I-I" I know I was desperate but I won't ask for someone's life for this! "We don't-"

"We're doing it." Hael cut me off, "I've made up my mind."

My heartbeat rose.

No!

I looked at my twin brother. Einar's weak body didn't allow him to grow tall. He was 5'8, only an inch taller than me, and he was conscious of all the tall men around him.

"Einar," I called his name in horror but he avoided looking at me, "How could you?"

The reason that I never got to read about the punishment was because Einar ripped the page of consequences before I got to read it and offered to become my performer.

I know I'm selfish but I'm not a cruel person

I pursed my lips in horror.

"Einar," I was beyond baffled.

"Master Hael," Rosie looked at the Tower Master, "That's too big of a punishment."

"I'm ready to risk it." He replied, "For her," He was referring to his lover.

Rosie's shoulders slumped. We all had seen what Hael had become without his beloved.

"Your punishment will be different." The Oracle said as she looked at me

"How?" I was full of guilt. Why didn't I think that performing a taboo would end up in death? Shit! And I can't believe Einar was ready to die for me!!

God!

No wait

This still doesn't add up.

"You'll find out on your own." She passed me a smile, "All I can say to you is, be patient,"

....

"Okay..." I looked at Hael, "Are you absolutely sure?" He will die once the loop is complete.

"I am," He looked more confident than before. Calmer too. The dead look in his eyes was lifted now that he had decided to go back to his lover.

I pursed my lips.

God damnit...

Hael turned to look at Delphi, the Oracle, "What you told me, is it really true?"

Delphi nodded, "Yes, Corvina was reincarnated and is living another life."

Delphi told Hael how Corvina was happy in that life and was nothing like the person she was here.

"Then," Hael made a suggestion,I"'ll give my memory retention over to her." Hael said

"Why?" I asked

"I want to take the chance." His eyes dropped, "I want to give her another chance."

"Wouldn't it be better to have your memories retained? You can change stuff?" Delphi asked

"No," Hael answered softly, "She was the reason it happened. I want to see what she'll do if she's given a chance again."

We all looked at him but no one argued further.

"We'll need to come with with a plan. There won't be a point to this whole thing if the world still gets infested with Miasma and then ends." Einar said

That was the moment we all heard it.

It was a hypnotizing voice, it made us all turn our heads and look outside the open windows.

"What is that?" I asked

We all heard singing in the distance and looking outside, beyond the shield, we saw some weird movement. Of something huge.

"We're out of time." Delphi said, "We have to get to work."

"I want to help." Rosie stepped forward with a determined expression.

It was a surprise. She's usually so timid, but she's being assertive for the first time.

I don't know what it was, but I liked that she had gained some confidence.

>>Rosie

I don't want to be useless. I've lived my whole life wanting to be more.

I had the power to help people but I'm a coward.

I don't want to be a coward anymore.

"Simply sending you back won't do anything. Your powers wake up too late." Hael replied, "The thing with reverting time is that only our consciousness goes back, never the physical bodies."

Oh...

So even if we do go back. I'd still be useless.

"Is there no way I can help?" I looked down in defeat, "I'll do anything."

"Hmm, we can send your powers back but-" Delphi sighed, "I don't if that's possible." She looked at the Tower Master and then the rest of us looked at him too.

He folded his arms and thought about it.

Then he turned to look at the door that led to his lab.

"It is possible." Hael answered, "We can extract your power and send it back. But if we extract your power, there will be no 'you' left"

His words made everyone go silent and still.

"So you mean to say, I'll cease to exist?" I asked

"Normally there are two ways of doing it. Simply extracting your power and separating it from you or extracting all of you and turning you into something small enough that can be sent back in time." He looked at me, "But an innate power can not be extracted without consequences. Especially that of a saint. So the only option we have is to extract all of you."

"If her power is extracted, and sent back, that means someone has to take it." Einar said, "Right?"

Hael nodded.

"That means we need to think of someone who can take her power and become a saint." Delphi answered

"But who will take it?" I asked and everyone went silent.

"Rosie," Enya held my hand, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

I looked back at her, then nodded. I haven't amounted to much in life. But if my sacrifice helps everyone else, then I'm happy.

"I want Corvina to take it." Hael said

"Are you sure?" Enya asked, "Will it work out? You're not even keeping your memories."

"The original spell allows someone else to be nominated for memory retention, but I'll add in a spell of my own. A trigger."

"I'll perform a spell." Delphi said, "The spell will allow Rosie to only be found by Hael." She looked at the Tower Master, "And he'll only want to give it to the person he holds the dearest."

***

I sat there in the secret lab, next to the giant machine in the center.

It was massive, looming like a reminder of everything I had to face. My heart pounded in my chest, not from fear of the machine, but from the weight of my decision. Einar sat beside me, his presence warm, calm, and grounding.

"Are you really sure about your decision?" Einar's voice was soft, but it carried the concern that made my chest tighten. His green eyes met mine, filled with a gentleness I wasn't used to.

I swallowed, forcing myself to look down. "I am," I whispered, but my voice trembled.

"You look scared," He said and that caught me off guard.

I feel like Einar's emotional intelligence is off the charts.

"I am scared..."

I clenched my fists, trying to will away the doubts, the years of feeling like I wasn't enough. Even after awakening as a Saint, I hadn't felt strong. If anything, it had only exposed my weaknesses more cruelly. The humiliation, the whispers, the disappointment from others... it was all too fresh, and it stung deep.

Without a word, I felt Einar's hand cover mine, his touch so gentle it almost made me pull away—almost. Instead, I froze, feeling the warmth of his palm against my cold skin. Slowly, carefully, he intertwined his fingers with mine. The gesture was so simple, yet it made my heart skip a beat.

"Rosie..." His voice was barely above a whisper, but it was filled with sincerity. "It's okay to be scared."

I looked up at him, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. The way he was looking at me—like I wasn't just some failure, like I mattered—was something I wasn't used to. My cheeks started to burn, and I quickly glanced away, feeling suddenly exposed under his gaze.

"I don't know if I can do this," I admitted, my voice barely audible.

"You can." His response was immediate, firm but still soft. He squeezed my hand gently, making me look back at him. "You're so much stronger than you think, Rosie."

My heart fluttered at the way he said my name, like it was something precious. "I don't feel strong..."

Einar leaned in slightly, his shoulder brushing against mine as he spoke. "That's okay. Strength isn't about not being scared. It's about moving forward even when you are."

I bit my lip, trying to keep the tears at bay. How could he see me like this? How could he believe in me when I couldn't even believe in myself? But the way he was holding my hand, the way he was here beside me—it made me want to believe him.

I chose to do this

I shouldn't be consumed by doubts now

"You're not alone in this, Rosie. You never have to be." He said, "I'm here if you want my help."

I blinked at him, my heart pounding in my ears. He had only known me for a few days, yet he was saying things no one had ever said to me. Not with this much kindness, not with this much faith.

"Why are you so nice to me?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

Einar chuckled softly, and the sound made my cheeks burn even more. "Why not?" He asked, "You're nice to me,"

I could feel the heat rising to my face, and I quickly looked down, hoping he wouldn't notice how flustered I was. But he didn't let go of my hand.

"You don't... you don't even know me that well," I muttered, trying to sound indifferent, but the shakiness in my voice betrayed me.

"I know enough," He said softly. "I know that you're kind, that you care about others more than yourself, and that you're trying your best, even when it feels like no one else notices."

"How can you say that?"

"Because of the decision you made," He answered, "You're ready to sacrifice yourself for the world. What could be more brave and kinder than that?"

I swallowed hard, blinking rapidly as tears threatened to spill.

No one had ever spoken to me like this before.

Not ever.

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears that were now blurring my vision. His words were so simple, yet they hit me harder than anything I'd ever heard.

"Thank you," I whispered, barely able to get the words out.

Einar smiled, that warm, soft smile that made my heart do strange flips in my chest.

"Anytime," He whispered back, his voice low and comforting.

***

We heard the singing again, then soon those bonewraiths attacked the city shield and it began to break.

The short conversation I shared with Einar provided me with enough courage to step inside the machine when Hael came and turned it on.

He stood by the podium, the machine hummed to life

Enya, Einar and Delphi came to see me off.

It was a weird feeling. I felt like I made friends, but I wasn't sure. We never really had the time to actually spend together like normal friends.

And neither were we in good times.

But some part of me was still glad that when I was leaving, I had someone to say goodbye to.

I waved at them as I walked to the machine. I had to climb on the lower half and went to sit in the middle, right under the inverted flower. Bringing my knees next to my chest, I wrapped my arms around my legs.

Hael started his spell and I looked back at the other three.

My eyes staying on Einar.

He noticed, then passed me a smile. He brought up both of his hands to wave at me and I brought my right hand up to wave back.

There was a loud shattering sound in the distance. But we didn't have to look to see that the shields had broken. The singing became more audible.

The city had been breached but Hael had already assured us that all the mages were going to work on keeping the tower safe for as long as possible. So our work won't be hindered.

"We're out of time," Delphi said

The petals of the machine opened up and Hael walked over and stood by everyone else to look at me.

The machine swallowed me whole. I closed my eyes as I felt it start doing its thing and the final thing I heard was Hael and Delhi talking.

"Let's start the spell."