The second day without Sara began at 4:00 AM, just like the others, triggered by the weight of nightmares.
This time, it was the 67th cycle. I was forced to watch my mother die in a pirate raid all over again. The metallic scent of blood. Her final words: "I am proud of you."
I woke up gasping for air, drenched in a cold sweat.
"The same dream again?" Mordain's voice echoed softly in my mind.
"The same one."
"Five days remaining."
"I know."
Training helped. It always did. Physical pain acted as a reliable anchor, drowning out the mental agony.
When I arrived at the underground training complex—a privilege granted by Oldrik—Celeste and Luna were already waiting. This place was far superior to the old grounds: reinforced walls, proper equipment, and protective barriers that kept magical fallout contained.
"You look like hell," Celeste said flatly.
"Thanks for the honesty. It's very refreshing at four in the morning."
"I'm just saying, maybe you need more sleep..."
"I need Sara to come back. Until then, this is my state." I summoned my swords. "Warm-ups. Standard drills. Then we start something new."
"Something new?" Luna asked, her form looking sharper and more defined today. "Like what?"
"Combat against overwhelming odds. Because when Azkaros arrives, we won't have the luxury of a fair fight."
I spent the next two hours throwing increasingly difficult scenarios at them. Multiple opponents at once. Ambush tactics. Environmental hazards. Everything designed to drag them kicking and screaming out of their "comfort zones."
By 6:00 AM, they were spent.
"I hate you," Celeste wheezed, lying flat on the floor to catch her breath.
"You say that every day. Yet, here you are."
"Masochism. It's the only logical explanation."
Luna sat on the sidelines, looking pensive. "You aren't preparing us for Academy exams, Markus. You're training us for a war."
"There are seven years until Azkaros. That isn't much time to turn a student into a soldier."
"We're still teenagers," Celeste muttered.
"I was too. Many times. It never stopped me from having to fight." I dismissed my swords. "The Academy will teach you theory, control, and proper technique. I am teaching you survival. There is a difference."
"What if we don't want to be soldiers?" Celeste asked in a low voice.
"Then don't be. I won't force anyone. But if you want to survive the coming storm, you must be able to fight. Or at the very least, you must know how to run effectively."
Silence followed for a long time. Then: "The demon attack is in six months. The creature Luna warned us about. Do you really think your training will change anything?"
"I think it gives you a chance. A chance is the only thing anyone is ever truly given." I reached out and helped her up. "But yes. I believe you'll survive. You're stubborn and you learn fast. Those are the most vital traits for staying alive."
"High praise coming from a man who has died 127 times."
"I'm an expert on survival. And on dying. Mostly on dying."
The Sixth Night
A routine formed over the next four days.
The sixth night without Sara. The silence in my room was so heavy it felt like it was obstructing my breathing. It was past 2:00 AM. Moonlight spilled through the window, casting long, distorted shadows across the floor.
The dreams were waiting again. The smell of smoke and blood.
A soft knock at the door broke my train of thought. I knew who it was at this hour. Only one other person suffered from the same insomnia and was chained to my curse.
"Come in," I said, raising my voice slightly.
Raven entered. she was wearing a black silk robe, her hair was down, and her eyes looked deeper than usual. She stood for a moment, looking at the mess in the room—the piles of books on the desk—and then at my exhausted face.
"Still not sleeping, Markus?" she asked softly.
"Whenever I sleep, I have to talk to the dead. I'd rather stay awake."
Raven came over and sat on the edge of my bed. Her proximity brought a strange warmth. Even though our curse linked us, this wasn't just magic. It was a familiarity that spanned decades and worlds.
"I remember Portland," she said suddenly, looking toward the window. "You were like this back then, too. Stubborn Mark, carrying everything on his shoulders."
"The world was simpler then, Rey."
"Simpler... but not for me." She turned to me, her gaze locking with mine. "Did you have any idea how much I loved you in high school?"
I froze. In 127 cycles, I had seen a lot, but this confession caught me completely off guard.
"Rey..."
"You didn't know. Because I was a shadow. While you were joking around with Jake and Mira, I was watching you from the sidelines. Then the accident happened. I thought I lost you on that street, but in reality, we were just being tied together."
She went silent for a moment, then gave a smile that was part bitter, part humorous.
"To be honest, I'm a little jealous of Sara. She became your 'anchor' in this world. Even though I've known you for seventeen years and hundreds of cycles, she was the one who filled that void inside you that I couldn't reach."
"Sara... she's different," I whispered.
"I know. She loves you as a whole. And me? I am condemned to see only your fragments."
Raven moved closer. I could feel her breath on my face.
"Markus, let me stay here tonight. Just... in the same room. Your proximity lessens the pressure of the curse. And you'll sleep more soundly, too."
I hesitated. I remembered the promise I made to Sara before she left. Loyalty was the last sacred thing for a man who had lost everything like me.
"Rey, I promised Sara..."
"I know, you idiot," she laughed lightly, though there was a sadness in her eyes. "I'm not trying to share your bed. I'm just afraid of being alone. This night is weighing heavily on both of us."
I let out a long sigh and moved to one edge of the bed. I left Sara's usual spot—the left side—empty.
"Lie down here," I said seriously, but with warmth in my voice. "Just don't cross the line."
Raven looked at me in surprise, then carefully lay down in Sara's place. She moved as if she were touching something precious.
"You're giving me Sara's spot?" she whispered.
"It's not a betrayal," I said with a touch of irony. "Think of it as a 'temporary sublet.' If she were here right now and saw the state you're in, she would have put you here herself. She's kinder than I am."
Raven laughed. She rested her head on the pillow and closed her eyes.
"Thanks, Mark."
Strangely, with her beside me, the dark shadows seemed to recede. Her steady breathing and the faint scent of mana emanating from her calmed me. For the first time in days, I felt sleep finally pulling me under.
"Raven?" I said, my eyes drifting shut.
"Hmm?"
"I liked you too. I just thought it was as a friend. Maybe I was just a massive idiot back then."
She didn't answer, but her hand brushed against mine for a split second. It wasn't just a friendly touch; it was two souls, lost between worlds, finding each other.
That night, I didn't dream of fire. I dreamed of rainy Portland streets and a shadow walking beside me.
Finally, I slept.