Chapter 84: Loopers

  When I woke up and recognized the grass beneath me, I wasn't sure how to react.

  A part of me wanted to explode on Chronos—tell him exactly how I felt, accuse him of abandoning me and my world for what felt like an eternity.

  But then I realized I couldn’t really do that. He was dealing with his own struggles—the loss of Goren most of all—and considering I’d been conspiring with his enemy, I wasn’t in any position to judge him.

  Now, sure, I only ever acted whenever I met Dolos, and never intended to actually do anything he asked me, but that didn’t change the fact that I’d kept it secret…and still planned to keep doing so until I learned more.

  When I lifted my head and saw Chronos, all my anger evaporated. I’d been right to hold it back.

  He looked awful. Not as bad as Theo Vorrick, but frighteningly close. The most jarring thing was his left arm—it was entirely blackened, as if carved out of coal.

  “What happened to you?” I blurted out worriedly, pointing at his charcoal-black arm.

  Chronos glanced at it lazily, frowned, and muttered, “Wow. I hadn’t even noticed that…”

  I stared at him, thrown completely off by how casually he reacted. “I thought you were getting better. How did things get this bad?”

  “I was getting better. And this has nothing to do with Erebus’ blight,” Chronos said. He closed his eyes and winced as he moved the arm out of sight. “This has happened after Pixelle and Balthor left with Aureon to get Goren.”

  “They found him?” I asked, then paused. “Wait. Who’s Aureon?”

  “An acquaintance of ours,” Chronos replied. “And yes—they found him. In Pandemonium, of all places.”

  “Pandemonium.”

  Chronos sighed, as if regretting he even brought it up. “I’ll spare you the boring details. It’s the realm of chaos. They are also the direct patrons of Dolos.”

  “So Dolos had a hand in Goren’s disappearance,” I said, connecting the dots.

  I tried to recall details from my meetings with Dolos—something that would’ve helped me figure this out earlier, but nothing came to mind.

  Chronos nodded. “There was never any doubt in my mind that he was somehow involved. He’s trying to weaken me. Pixelle and Balthor going to Pandemonium…that’s probably part of his plan too. But I couldn’t stop them. Not physically. Not morally. I’ve neglected Goren’s struggle to fit in for far too long.”

  He exhaled again—heavier this time—and lifted the charred arm again. Only now did I notice it was pinching something between its fingers: a thin, almost-invisible thread.

  “Once they get Goren, I’ll pull this thread and retrieve them. It’s the only way to escape Pandemonium.” He shook his head weakly. “That’s why I had to stay behind.”

  I swallowed hard, realizing now what he meant when he said the arm wasn’t Erebus’ fault.

  Chronos coughed violently, dragging my attention back to him. “Sorry I’m not much help right now. As you can understand, things are…difficult on this end. But it’ll get better once they’re back.” He managed a thin smile. “Now, tell me. How’s it going for you? Have you found anything new?”

  “Are you still blind to Solvane?” I asked, hoping for good news.

  “There’s an improvement, but the short answer is…yes,” Chronos said weakly, as if ashamed that was the case. “I also think that Dolos had somehow made you especially hard to trace in Solvane. I’m not sure how he’s doing it, but I’m convinced that it’s his fault. Every time you’re down there and I try to focus on you specifically, it’s like you’re shining brighter than any crystal in Solvane.”

  I had a hunch why that might be happening—Dolos’ assistance so far: the tungsten, the broken photograph, his meddling with the Déjà vu System—but kept my expression neutral.

  Still trying to digest everything he’d just told me, I changed the subject. “I found out who Crow Thirteen is. He’s actually the dead brother of Prime Security.”

  Chronos lifted an eyebrow in pure confusion. “Your world should not have Undead.”

  Unfamiliar with the term, I rushed to explain: the Crow killing me thirteen runs in a row, and everything Valdemar and I figured out this run, including what he told me about Dolos’ pieces in Solvane and the part about the wishes.

  “Damn it,” Chronos muttered, expression twisting in anger. “For Dolos to grant three wishes to four different individuals means he’s staked everything on this Battle. He likely bargained his entire existence with Urthran.”

  Seeing my expression, he elaborated.

  “Urthran is Chaos incarnate. A goddess in everything but official title. She once tried to force her way into the Divine Pantheon, but she was denied—also by force.”

  Chronos rubbed his chin with his healthy hand. “Maybe that’s what this is about. She wants to try again so she pushed all of Dolos’ buttons.”

  “Why?” I asked, genuinely confused. “She already sounds powerful. Would officially becoming a god even change anything for her?”

  “No,” Chronos said. “And she knows that. She doesn’t need the title. She only wants to sow chaos—that’s her purpose. She’s meddled with mortal realms since the beginning of time—granting wishes to humans and then taking away their souls in exchange. The Pantheon was the only place she could never reach.” He paused, more thoughtful than before. “I need to warn Themis and the rest.”

  He tried to rise from his place, but his gaze shifted to the thread held by his blackened hand and the realization hit him in the same moment I saw it cross his face.

  “FUCK! I can’t leave…”

  He fell back into his seat, jaw clenched, then turned to me. “If they don’t return by the next run…I may need to send you in my place.”

  Before I could reject the idea, he abruptly changed the subject.

  “Anyway, you need to be careful from here on out. Erebus finally reached a strong hold of Solvane. Until now your main struggle was identifying the second looper and countering their schemes to the best of your ability. You didn’t really need to worry about Erebus directly.” He inhaled shakily. “That changes starting next loop. You said you wanted to go to the Foundry, but I suggest you visit Skyhaven first. Spend a few more loops there—flatten the variance of your last runs.”

  I nodded slowly. I didn’t like it, but it made sense. It was the same tactic we successfully used before.

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  Then another thought surfaced—the thing I’d noticed right before Valdemar killed me.

  “There seem to be two people besides me who are aware of the time loop,” I said. “I don’t know if the third person had achieved this using the method you mentioned to me in the past, or if Dolos somehow has two loopers, but I’m almost certain of it.”

  Chronos narrowed his eyes. “Explain.”

  I told him everything I remembered about Valdemar. He was a looper for sure. But not was he only able to retain his memories, he also seemed to understand the extents of the Déjà vu System. That’s why he killed me the first time—to trigger Checkpoint.

  But…Casten Vorrick also had knowledge of the time loop.

  If he were a simple pawn of Dolos, he wouldn’t retain memories. But Theo Vorrick’s reaction—the genuine shock when my bluff worked and he realized his identity had been exposed prior to his arrival—and the things he said afterward pointed to something else entirely. When Theo referred to his accomplice—his brother, the Prime—he muttered “he would’ve told me.” The only way Casten Vorrick could know his brother’s identity as the second Crow Thirteen was exposed and warn Theo was if he also remembered previous loops.

  Maybe it was just some mumbling by a crazy corpse-man, but for some reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling I was right about this.

  “There’s a chance he was lying,” Chronos said, though he didn’t sound convinced.

  “He was a walking corpse,” I countered. “I don’t think he’s that good at improvising. And besides, he looked like a scared child for most of the exchange.”

  Chronos fell silent again, thoughtful.

  “Could it be a wish?” I asked, curious. “To become aware of the time loop?”

  Chronos shook his head. “No. It’s not something a wish could’ve achieved. At least not without me feeling it.”

  “What about Valdemar pulling out items from thin air like I do with my Inventory? Could that be a wish?” I asked, still wondering about the limits. “Or the way he can use magic without a COG?”

  Chronos rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “It’s…possible. Just like Dolos has his own System for his Champions, he could—theoretically—gift different powers to anyone.” Chronos’s eyes darkened as he recalled something. “He once gifted a mortal man a portion of his magic so he could reproduce and start a whole tribe of magic-users.”

  So, after all, and despite everything, Valdemar was not necessarily the second looper.

  I sighed. “I guess I’ll get some confirmation at the start of the next loop. If Crow Thirteen doesn’t show up—or if it’s Casten Vorrick inside the suit this time around—then that should be enough to prove that both of them are aware of the loop.”

  Chronos nodded. “That’s a sound plan.” He lifted a finger. “Remember—spend the next three loops in Skyhaven. Same as we did last time. Loop 37 is when you leave for the Foundry. And be careful. Erebus’ agents may hunt you down at the simplest change you make. Act as naturally as you would if you weren’t involved with me and the loop.”

  I let out a tired, humorless chuckle. “Sure. That’s really easy.”

  Chronos smiled warmly before sending me away.

  ***

  I woke up in a holding cell in Orlinth.

  Was released at noon.

  Checked every possible thing in the Inventory.

  Remembering my plan with Chronos, I headed to the Divine in Skyhaven.

  ***

  [Déjà vu System: Level 21]

  [Loop Count: 34]

  I sighed in relief just as I was about to step into the Divine.

  The Crow didn’t show up. That meant my deduction was right—Casten Vorrick realized he couldn’t use Theo anymore and changed tactics.

  To what? Great question…

  Passing the security check at the entrance, I entered the Divine and immediately froze.

  Dozens of people on the first floor carried Erebus’ mark of Darkness. It was easier to count those who weren’t marked.

  My skin prickled as I took it in. Inventors, staff members, security—just going about their business, completely unaware that they were now tagged and monitored by Erebus.

  Chronos had already warned me about Erebus’ capabilities starting this run, and seeing so many people marked, I realized my margin of error just shrunk even more.

  Keeping my head down—classic Viktor behavior—I climbed the stairs, hoping to find Trent unmarked.

  I stopped dead on the second floor.

  Standing beside a beautiful, blonde-haired young woman assembling her invention was none other than Prime Security himself.

  They were chatting. Smiling. Both unmarked by Darkness.

  Has he always been here? Or did he come specifically for me?

  Oh, don’t be silly, Viktor. Of course he’s here for you.

  I tried to slip past them quietly, but that was practically impossible—the woman’s exhibition was set right beside the staircase.

  “You’re here,” Casten Vorrick said without even turning.

  His voice alone rooted me to the spot.

  The young woman turned toward me. Her smile brightened, then faltered into something politely awkward. “Oh, hello.” She nudged Vorrick with her elbow. “Well? Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

  Vorrick laughed and finally faced me. “Of course.” He gestured between us. “Viktor, this is Alice. Alice, this is Viktor Halegrim—the inventor of the Chrono Quill you’ve been dying to meet.”

  She covered her face with one hand, and punched him playfully with the other. “You didn’t have to make it sound so embarrassing.”

  Then she beamed at me, offering her hand. “I’m Alice Verldson. It’s so nice to finally meet you. When the Expo line-up was published, your invention fascinated me. I’ve been hoping we could collaborate.”

  …What?

  Was this how things normally played out? There were only subtle flickers of Déjà vu—nothing too concrete.

  She kept going, cheerful as ever. “So when Casten told me he knows you personally and would introduce us – “

  Okay. That definitely wasn’t normal. And another point toward Vorrick being a looper. But what was his plan now?

  Vorrick cleared his throat loudly, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  Alice’s hand was still hanging in the air. I stared at it, unsure if shaking it would land me straight into whatever trap this was.

  Vorrick chuckled as he placed a friendly hand on my shoulder. “Oh, come on, Viktor. You’re making me look bad.”

  He glanced at her. “Don’t mind him, Alice. It’s actually my fault—I didn’t warn him he’d be meeting you. Looks like he’s as starstruck as you are. Well, Viktor is one of the most timid people I know.”

  “Is that so?” she said, clearly unconvinced as she withdrew her hand.

  I tried to pull my shoulder away from him, but Vorrick’s grip tightened.

  “I don’t – “

  “Yes,” he told her, casually cutting me off. Then, he turned to me. “Let me talk to him privately for a moment. Come on, Viktor.”

  He nudged me forward—not enough to draw attention, but enough to make me uncomfortable—and steered me toward a side room.

  Midway there, I decided I was having none of it. I stopped dead in my tracks.

  “Whatever you plan is, it’s not going to work,” I said firmly. “I’ve exposed your brother already. You’re not fooling me.”

  “This,” he replied calmly, “is exactly what I want to discuss.” He exhaled slowly. “I rarely admit being wrong. But this time, I must. It’s time to change plans. Instead of killing you to stay on the safe side…I want you to help me.”

  “You’re insane if you think I’d help you,” I replied almost immediately, anger rising. “You beat Thea half to death—a teenage girl!”

  People glanced our way, but a single nod from Vorrick made every head turn obediently back to their work.

  “You’re right,” he said quietly. “That was despicable of me. And when the time comes, I’d be the first to ask for punishment for my sins. But until then—to save this world—I can’t afford to shy away from being despicable.”

  “To save this world?” I snapped, lowering my voice but not my anger, carefully trying to get an admission of knowledge out of him. “You killed my mother and beat Thea long before Erebus came to our world.”

  “But Erebus is not Solvane’s greatest threat. He is just the final stage,” he answered calmly, admitting knowing about him. “The title of the greatest threat belongs to the one your Déjà vu System keeps making you forget.” He sighed, as if disgusted by the name he was about to say. “It belongs to Valdemar.”

  His response was enough to confirm my fears and raise even more confusion.

  “I know you’re lost,” he continued. “Losing most of your memory between runs sounds terrible. I’d probably look even worse if I was in your place. So let me make it simple for you.” He straightened slightly. “Despite what you might’ve believed, I am Dolos’ Champion.”

  My mouth opened, but he didn’t let me speak.

  “I figured out that dirtbag’s plans years ago when he approached me first. Since then, I’ve been working non-stop to sabotage his plans so I could save Solvane on this exact day—loop day.” He paused, letting his words sink. “I know you don’t trust me. But I have all the proof with me—right now. Come with me and I’ll show you. I’ll even show you the real truth behind the crystals.”

  I turned toward him slowly.

  The audacity on this guy…To think that I’d actually trust him after everything I knew he'd done was borderline delusional. But before I could send him to jump from Skyhaven’s edge head first, he sensed my rejection forming and fired his final shot.

  “You want proof I’m on your side first? Fine,” he said, voice calm. “You want to know where’s your sister? What if I told you she’s here right now? Always was.”

  My eyes widened. “What?”

  “Yes.” He nodded. “She is here. At this very Expo. Hiding in plain sight as one of the inventors.” He paused, then chuckled softly. "At least one of your past-selves had surely met her already."