Chapter 4
[Beep! 100th death confirmed. Reward issued. Host will now be transported back to the prime reality!]
“Nina!”
As my vision faded, I saw Damian burst through the door, his face a mask of horror as he lunged for my body.
But this time, no one would answer his call.
Damian stared at Nina, lifeless in a pool of her own blood, and a terrifying panic seized him. He knew, he knew she could be resurr-
ected, that she would always come back to him.
And yet, he couldn’t stop himself. He stormed into the room, shouting at his men to restrain the killer.
“Nina, wake up! Wake up!”
Before, it only ever took five minutes for Nina to open her eyes. But this time, no matter how desperately he called her name, woman in his arms remained silent and still. Her body grew colder with every passing second.
Damian knew what this meant. He knew, with a certainty that shattered him, that she was truly dead.
But he refused to believe it. How could Nina leave him? He’d promised to marry her. They were supposed to be together forever.
the
He had to admit it now. He had fallen in love with her long ago. His cold, guarded nature had forced him to use Sarah as a shield, a tool to test Nina’s devotion over and over again. He needed the reassurance of her constant return. Only then could he feel secure.
After so much time, he had finally come to believe in her love.
So why? Why now, when he was finally ready to accept her with his whole heart, had she died for good?
Damian’s arms tightened around Nina’s body. He lifted her, cradling her against him.
“You’re not dead,” he whispered, his voice a raw, broken thing. “There has to be a way. I’ll save you. I will save you!”
His expression was a terrifying mixture of obsession and madness. He didn’t even notice Sarah as she rushed into the room.
“Damian,” she gasped. “Is Nina… dead?”
He shot her a look so venomous it made her stumble back and fall to the floor.
“She is NOT dead!” he roared, his voice low and guttural, as if trying to convince himself. “I will
bring her back! I will!”
I slowly opened my eyes, finding myself in a warm, gentle space. Jean was sitting by my bed,
awake, he smiled and handed me a glass of warm honey water.
“You’re finally awake,” he said softly. “I made dinner. Should I bring a tray up for you?”
That familiar, tender voice… I looked at him, my mind struggling to believe it. It was Jean. Alive. Real.
a book. When he saw I was
wracked my body se !
phantom of my broken
Sobs wracked my body as I threw my arms around him, clinging to him, desperately confirming he wasn’t a phantom of my broken mind. “Jean,” I choked out, “I’ve waited so, so long for you!”
He must have thought I’d had a nightmare. He stroked my hair gently. “Hey, it was just dinner. Are you really that moved? If I cook for you every day, are you going to cry every day?”
I pulled back, letting him wipe the tears from my cheeks. “It’s not about the food, you big goof!”
“Alright, alright,” he chuckled, his tone full of affection. “So, are you ready to eat now?”
It took me a while to realize where–and when–I was. In this timeline, the car crash never happened. We had gone to his parents‘ house, gotten their blessing, and were planning to get our marriage license next month.
This was the life I had dreamed of. The life I had suffered for.
Jean had no idea what I had been through, but it didn’t matter. From this day forward, every day would be beautiful.
We were married in the spring, when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and settled down in a small, quiet town. Sometimes, flashes of my past life would haunt me, but waking up to find Jean beside me always chased the shadows away.
A year later, we were expecting.
Jean pressed his ear to my stomach, his eyes filling with tears of joy.
“You can’t hear anything yet, you know,” I laughed, playfully calling him a fool.
He caught my hand and pressed it to his heart. “Nina, I will love you, and I will love our child.”
“I believe you,” I whispered. I had believed him ever since the day of the crash, when he had thrown himself in front of me without a
second’s hesitation.
My pregnancy filled our days with a growing warmth and peace. I had almost forgotten my time in that other world.
Until one day, the cold, electronic voice of the System echoed in my mind again.
[Host, we have a problem. After your departure, the world Damian inhabits is on the verge of collapse. His emotional state is too unstable. He has discovered my existence and is demanding I bring you back.]
The color drained from my face. [I will never go back.]
[I know. I only need you to see him one last time. Once his emotions have stabilized, I will reinforce the barrier between worlds and bring you back immediately.]
I bit my lip, my mind in turmoil for the rest of the day.
At dinner, Jean took my hand, his face etched with worry. “Nina, what’s wrong?”
I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I told him everything. There could be no secrets between us.
He listened intently, his expression shifting from confusion to horror to heartbreak. When I finished, he pulled me into his arms, and
I felt his tears soak into my shoulder. “Nina,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “Why were you so foolish?”
I hugged him back tightly. “For you, it was all worth it. I’ve made up my mind. I have to go back. Otherwise, I’ll never have peace.” “I’ll go with you!”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. I looked at him, my gaze gentle but firm. “I can do this. I’m not afraid anymore. Because I have you,
and I know I’ll be back soon.”
I agreed to the System’s request. I gently touched my belly, a fresh wave of courage washing over me.
15
When I opened my eyes angin the
