Chapter 2: Someone Else Knows

The tower stairs creaked beneath my boots as I climbed. The air inside was dusty and still, like time hadn’t touched this place in years. Maybe it hadn’t. Maybe I was the only one even moving through it.

Every morning for the last three loops, I’d walked past this tower. Ignored it. Told myself it was pointless. But today, something felt… different. Like the air around me was whispering, “Go. Now.”

I reached the top floor. Old wooden door. Brass handle.

No one ever came here — not even teachers.

But when I placed my hand on the knob, I felt warmth.

I froze.

That wasn’t right.

This door should’ve been cold like always. Empty like always. But this time, it felt like someone had touched it recently.

Slowly, I pushed the door open.

The room was dim, sunlight peeking through broken blinds. Books were stacked high on the shelves, and strange papers were spread across a desk. Symbols. Diagrams. Timelines.

And then…

A voice.

“You’re not supposed to be here. Yet.”

I turned fast.

A boy stood in the shadowed corner. Lean, tall, black uniform jacket half off his shoulder like he couldn’t care less. His hair was messy — that kind of perfect messy — and his eyes? They weren’t surprised to see me.

In fact, they looked like they’d been waiting.

“Who are you?” I asked, stepping back.

He didn’t move. “I’m someone like you.”

My fingers curled around the watch under my robe. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

“It does,” he said quietly. “You’re looping. I can see it in your eyes.”

My heart skipped. “You… remember?”

He nodded once. “I’ve been stuck here too. Longer than you.”

I couldn’t speak. My chest tightened, and for a second, I wasn’t scared — I was just relieved. I wasn’t alone. Someone else knew. Someone else understood.

He stepped into the light now. His eyes were grey. Cold and sharp like steel, but not cruel. Just tired. Like me.

“You’re Lyra Alden,” he said. “You got the watch four days ago. You’ve tried to break the loop three different ways. None of them worked.”

I narrowed my eyes. “How do you know that?”

“Because I’ve seen it,” he said. “Many, many times.”

I didn’t want to believe it. But deep down, I did. I had felt alone for so long. Even if it was just four days… reliving the same one over and over made time feel endless.

He pointed to the desk. “There’s more to that watch than you think. Your grandmother gave it to you for a reason.”

“You knew her?”

“No,” he said. “But I knew someone like her. And I’ve been looking for someone like you.”

I stepped closer, heart racing. “What do you mean?”

He looked at me, serious now. “If you really want to break the loop, Lyra… you’ll have to stop following the script.”

“What script?”

He smiled faintly. “The one time wants you to follow.”

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