A New Season

The Academy Elders were confused. The Mirror Lake had boiled over, the genius student had nearly mutated, and then... everything had just stopped.

They chalked it up to "youthful instability."

A week later, Linnea and Kai walked along the chain bridge connecting the dormitories. The cherry blossoms were falling again.

Kai was different. The arrogance was still there—he was still Kai, after all—but the brittleness was gone. He walked with a quiet confidence.

"So," Kai said, glancing at her sideways. "In this future... was I handsome?"

Linnea rolled her eyes. "You were scarred and terrifying."

"But handsome?"

"Yes. Annoyingly so."

Kai smirked. "Good."

He stopped in the middle of the bridge. He turned to face her.

"Linnea."

"Yes?"

"You don't have to save me anymore," Kai said seriously. "I know the path now. I know what happens if I let the pride take over."

He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"From now on, I save you. That is the new timeline."

Linnea looked at him. The shadow of the Tyrant was gone. In his place was a young man with a second chance.

"I'll hold you to that," she said.

"And Linnea?"

"Hm?"

"I am definitely going to be stronger than that old version of me," Kai added, his eyes twinkling with the old competitive spark. "Just so you know. I'm going to win."

Linnea laughed, a bright, free sound that carried over the floating islands.

"You already won, Kai."

They walked on, hand in hand, leaving the ghosts of the future behind them, ready to write a history that didn't end in fire.