Chapter 3: Ten Years Wasted

Tessa, like me, is a strategy player. She moves her pieces with precision, always a step ahead.

The difference is, she received her mission from the Time-Space Bureau, while I don’t even know how I ended up here. The uncertainty gnaws at me, leaving me restless.

And she seems unaware of the Book of Fate’s existence. Her confidence is unshaken, her path clear.

The Time-Space Bureau never had anything like the Book of Fate. I wonder if she ever feels lost the way I do.

I was confused, my thoughts swirling with questions I couldn’t answer.

After many questions, Tessa impatiently explained the plot to me. Her words were clipped, her eyes rolling as if she was tired of repeating herself.

“You should go find my official partner Caleb Monroe now, instead of staying by Marcus’s side.”

“I’m Marcus’s salvation.”

“You really stole my spotlight, sis.” Her tone was teasing, but the edge in her voice made my cheeks burn.

Her words made my face burn with embarrassment. I could feel my ears go hot, and I looked away, wishing I could disappear.

Only then did I finally understand. I’d picked up the wrong person from the start, wasting ten whole years on Marcus. The realization hit me like a punch, and the room seemed to blur around the edges.

Besides, in the month I’d been away, Marcus and Tessa seemed to have gotten close very quickly. Their laughter echoed in the halls, their secrets shared behind closed doors.

Marcus, always cold and ruthless, had repeatedly shown mercy to Tessa in the training hall. The memory stung, and my heart pounded in my chest, each beat a reminder of wasted effort.

In ten years, he’d never let me into his room. Today, he let Tessa in. The boundaries I’d never crossed fell for her in a matter of weeks.

The suggestive red marks on Tessa’s neck and her unsteady steps seemed to mock my ten years of effort. Every glance, every giggle, every careless touch was a slap in the face.

Realizing this, I felt a strange mix of defeat, shame, and anger. My surroundings blurred, and my heart pounded so loudly I could barely hear my own thoughts.

But fortunately, he wasn’t the one I needed to pursue. The bitterness faded, replaced by a shaky sense of hope.

This difficult, thankless villain was Tessa’s responsibility to save now. I let go, my hands trembling, and told myself to focus on the future.

I could only hope that the genius swordsman Caleb Monroe, as described in the novel, was truly as easygoing as the book claimed. Maybe, just maybe, I could finally find my way home.

A bitter laugh escaped me as I thought about all the years spent trying to fix someone who was never mine to fix. The urge to call my mom, to hear her say "Honey, some people just aren't meant to be saved," pressed at my chest, but I shoved it down. I had new marching orders now. Caleb Monroe. Silver Hollow. Maybe this time I'd finally get it right.