As my consciousness set into this familiar yet alien body, I realized that I wasn’t experiencing any disorientation or confusion; I simply knew what I needed to do.

  I twisted my body to the side, narrowly avoiding the arrow that was about to pierce my skull.

  "How did you...?"

  Maya stared at me, her hand still raised and ready to pull me to safety, I could tell she was stunned.

  "Maya," I interrupted softly, meeting her gaze.

  The memory of her being buried under a mountain of ice-covered stone was still fresh, still raw.

  "I’m so sorry."

  "Tomas?" Maya looked concerned. "Are you—"

  "Raiders!" Henrik yelled as he approached us. "They’re busting through the east gate!"

  I watched him approach us with the same determination etched in his features.

  In a few hours, he would charge the Skybound with an axe, dying in a futile attempt to buy others time to escape. Just like last time. Just like every time.

  Maya thrust the rusty sword at me — that same old sword. "Try not to hurt yourself with it."

  I took the sword without thinking, muscle memory from two previous loops helping me to move quickly and smoothly. "Maya, I...” The words caught in my throat. What do you say to someone who won’t remember you, who has died twice already in front of you?

  "The Seventh Band will try to break in through the south wall," I said instead, the warning automatic by now. "Get people there before—”

  “How did you know that?” Maya’s eyes narrowed. “What’s happening with you today, Tomas?”

  I turned away, unable to look at her. “I’m sorry,” I said once more, then I sprinted for the edges of the village.

  “Tomas!” Maya called out as I ran, “Where are you—”

  Her words were cut short by the raiders’ first wave crashing into the barricades, forcing her to redirect her attention to defending the village.

  “Master,” Azure said with a note of concern as I ran, “are you sure of this?”

  “No,” I admitted, leaping over a toppled cart. “But we can’t save them, Azure. Not yet. Not without more power.” I hated saying that, but it was true. “We’ve tried twice now. All we accomplished was to delay the inevitable by a little bit.”

  “You make sense,” he agreed, “though I note a great amount of emotional distress in your vital signs.”

  I laughed harshly, ducking into an alleyway I remembered from last time. “Emotional distress? I am leaving people to die. People I know. People who believe in me.” I paused at the end of the alley, looking for raiders. “Regardless of whether this is a time loop, regardless of whether they will be ‘fine’ next time...it feels wrong.”

  “Can you detect the Skybound?” I asked, attempting to focus on survival rather than how wrong it felt to abandon these people to their fate.

  “I don’t detect any notable spiritual signatures,” Azure told me. “Although, considering how well the Skybound has demonstrated it can hide its existence...”

  “Yeah.” I picked up speed as best I could with this body’s limited endurance, racing towards the treeline. “We just need to hope we can get away before it shows up. Last time it appeared immediately after the Sun-Touched began to transform.”

  As I pushed through the last row of structures, my legs trembled.

  This mortal body wasn’t built for running.

  Sweat dripped through my clothing as I struggled to keep moving, counting down the seemingly endless distance.

  Seventy yards. Fifty. Thirty. Ten.

  “I did it?” I gasped as I finally reached the treeline, doubled over to catch my breath.

  My legs felt like jelly, and my heart was pounding so hard I worried it would explode.

  Yet, miraculously, I’d done it.

  I turned and looked back at the village, guilt waging war with practicality in my chest.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “I’ll be back,” I whispered to the distant figures continuing to battle at the walls. “I’ll find a way to save you. For good. But first, I need to be stronger.”

  “Master…” Azure’s warning came just as I turned back towards the woods.

  My heart almost quit on me.

  The Skybound hung suspended in front of me, its frosted robes fluttering in a non-existent breeze. That same ethereal chill emanated from its being, causing the air around us to crystallize.

  “You... you’re afraid?” it said, staring at me with those blazing eyes.

  I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice even.

  “Who wouldn’t be terrified of seeing a frost-robed figure hovering in front of them?”

  The Skybound shook its head, as if dismissing my response. “You’re wasting your time pretending. I sensed you the moment I arrived. Though I must admit, you shouldn’t be here at all.”

  Was it remembering me from the previous loops? I cursed myself for assuming I was the only person retaining memories between loops. And yet, why hadn’t it identified me during either of the previous cycles?

  “It’s very impressive that you managed to escape the academy,” it said. “I’m curious, who is your master? Elder Alric perhaps? Or maybe you’re one of Elder Kaelin’s students.”

  The Skybound continued naming individuals I’d never heard of, then paused, cocking its head. “I must admit, your control is surprisingly... crude. You’re not even attempting to conceal your fluctuating core — that’s a simple oversight, especially for someone skilled enough to escape the academy.”

  I stared at it, baffled, and suddenly pieces fell into place. It could sense the red sun core within me, and was likely mistakenly identifying me as a junior student from whatever organization it represented.

  The Skybound seemed to interpret my silence as defiance.

  “It doesn’t matter,” it shook its head. “I will handle the village, and then I will escort you back to the academy. Your master can decide your punishment.”

  I had less than a heartbeat to decide what to do.

  I could continue playing dumb, but that would only delay the inevitable; I’d be revealed as an impostor as soon as we reached their academy. On the other hand, the Skybound hadn’t attempted to kill me yet this cycle, possibly due to sensing the red core. Maybe...

  “I’m not from your academy,” I said cautiously, keeping a watchful eye on the Skybound for any signs of aggression. “I’m simply a villager who... transformed.”

  The Skybound became completely silent, those fiery eyes intently scrutinizing me.

  The silence lingered for what felt like an eternity, although, according to Azure, it lasted only 12.3 seconds.

  Then it laughed. The sound resembled ice cracking.

  “Fascinating,” the Skybound said, drifting closer to me. “You’re telling the truth.” Frost patterns began to appear on the ground beneath it. “Actually, this is perfect. I have been low on contribution points, and recruiting a natural awakening... yes, this will be excellent.”

  I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

  Honesty was a gamble, but it seemed to have paid off.

  "Let's go," it said, already moving toward the village. "We must save your people before it's too late."

  I blinked. "What do you mean?"

  "Save the village," it repeated, as if explaining to a particularly dim-witted person. "If we don't hurry, nothing will remain to save."

  It descended to almost-ground level, clearly anticipating that I would follow. I did, my mind spinning from this unexpected reversal of fortune. The same individual who had killed everyone twice before was now suggesting we save them?

  "You appear to be confused," it said as we walked toward the noise of battle. "I am not doing this out of compassion. I am sparing them because of you."

  "Because of me?"

  There was a smile in its voice when it replied, "When an initiate completes their studies, they are sent to sacrifice their village. It is a tradition established by the noble families."

  My stomach dropped at the detached manner in which it spoke of mass slaughter.

  The Skybound laughed coldly at my reaction.

  "That's understandable," it told me. "All common folk respond that way initially. After a couple of years...you will crave to do it."

  I did not argue with it. Today the villagers would live; that is what mattered.

  As to whether I would still be in this world in a couple of years, that was a completely different story.

  "The raiders are almost through the eastern gate," I stated instead, shifting my focus to current problems. "And the Seventh Band is attempting to flank through the southern wall."

  "You know their movements fairly well for someone who was running away," it said.

  "I have...seen them raid previously," I said cautiously. It was not even a lie, per se.

  The Skybound nodded. "Excellent. You will require tactical awareness at the academy."

  The village was in chaos when we returned.

  Sun-touched warriors had shattered through the eastern barricade, their crystalline bodies shining with crimson light as they ripped through the defensive lines. I could see Henrik attempting to coordinate a retreat while Maya ordered archers from the rooftops.

  "Tomas?" One of the villagers noticed me first, then his eyes widened with terror as he saw who was accompanying me. "SKYBOUND!"

  The warning spread rapidly throughout the village.

  Defenders fled their posts, running from the frost-robed figure hovering beside me.

  "Tomas, get away from it!" Maya yelled from her position, drawing her bow half-way. The fear in her voice struck home; she thought she was witnessing me walking to my death.

  The Skybound seemed to find amusement in their reactions.

  "Show me what you can do," it said, pointing at the nearest Sun-touched warrior.

  The transformation had warped its human form into something grotesque.

  It was nearly eight feet tall, with crystalline protrusions sprouting from its shoulders and arms. Crimson tattoos throbbed across its body in sync with the red sun overhead, and its eyes glowed with unthinking savagery.

  I reached into my inner world, and touched the crimson sphere nestled in the Genesis Seed. Energy surged into my body, red lines tracing paths across my skin as they followed the channels of my meridians. The rush of power was exhilarating after being trapped in a mortal body.

  Status Update:

  Soul Essence: 103

  Spiritual Essence: 0/35

  Physical Essence: 12/22 (Amplified by the Red Core)

  Special Notes: The Red Core is activated, and will remain active for one minute.

  I grimaced at the readings.

  My physical essence was less than what you would expect from someone at first stage Qi Condensation levels. I wished I had taken the time to properly build up the foundations of this body using the Tri-Essence Harmony technique before I activated the red core... but there was no use dwelling on what ifs.

  It was time to fight.

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