Chapter 16 · No Exit at the End

The terminal smelled like burnt copper and something else. Something that made Elara's teeth ache.

Kane was three steps ahead, his hand already on the access panel. He didn't look back. Didn't check if she was still following.

She was. She hated that she was.

"You're going to have to trust me." His voice was flat. Not asking. Stating.

"That's hilarious." Elara kept her hand on the emergency spell charm in her pocket. The metal was warm. Too warm. "Last time I trusted you, you put a blade through my ribs."

"Seventh reset." Kane punched in a code. The panel beeped twice, angry red. "And it worked. The core collapsed before it could expand."

Her stomach turned. "You remember that?"

"I remember all of them."

The panel finally went green. The door started sliding open, slow and grinding, like it hadn't moved in years.

Elara grabbed his arm. "Wait."

He stopped. Looked at her hand on his sleeve, then at her face.

"All of them?" she said.

Kane's jaw tightened. For a second she thought he wouldn't answer. Then he pulled his arm free and turned to face her fully.

"Twelve times," he said. "I killed you twelve times.