before Viktor rushed forward, wrapping his arms around you tightly. The sheer warmth of it, the way he held you as if afraid to let go, broke something inside you. You clung to him, burying your face in his shoulder as sobs wracked your body. "I'm so sorry," You choked out, your voice muffled against him.

Viktor hushed you gently, pressing a comforting kiss to the side of your head. "Shh, we're just glad you're back."

Then Klaus joined in, all teary-eyed and sniffling as he draped himself over both of you. His cheek rested against the top of your head, and despite the lingering pain in your body, you couldn't help but feel safe. "Oh, baby sis," Klaus murmured. "Don't ever scare us like that again, okay?" He let out a watery chuckle before pressing a kiss to your forehead. "It was torture fighting you, and not just because I stink at combat."

Viktor and Klaus slowly pulled away, and that's when you noticed Diego stepping forward. His arms were crossed, but there was no hostility left in his gaze—only exhaustion and something resembling relief. "I forgive you," he said gruffly. Then, after a pause, he added, "For stabbing me."

A small laugh bubbled up despite the tears still on your cheeks. "I forgive you too for cutting me."

Suddenly, a blur of motion came from the side before you felt someone crash into you with enough force to make you stumble back. Arms wrapped tightly around you, squeezing the air from your lungs as a familiar voice filled your ears.

"Oh, how I've missed my favorite!" Lila's voice was thick with dramatic flair, but the way she clung to you told a different story—one of genuine relief. "It was absolute torture spending these past few days with your boyfriend without you. Seriously, I'm so sick of his face." You let out a breathy laugh as you tried to steady yourself from her enthusiastic grip.

"I'm standing right here, Lila." Five interjected flatly, arms crossed over his chest.

Lila didn't even look at him and was still latched onto you. "Yeah, yeah, I know, and yet my suffering continues." She muttered dramatically before finally releasing you, stepping back with a smirk.

As soon as she moved, your gaze drifted past her—past Luther, past Diego—until it landed on him. Ben. He stood a short distance away, shoulders slightly hunched, his weight shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. Unlike the others, he made no move to rush forward. Instead, his eyes remained downcast, his expression heavy with something you recognized all too well.

Guilt.

His hands curled into tight fists inside his jacket pockets, his knuckles going white. His lips parted slightly as if trying to form words, but nothing came out at first. He swallowed hard, finally managing to speak, though his voice was quieter than usual. "I... I'm sorry, (Y/n)," Ben said, his gaze still fixed on the ground. "I should have never... this wouldn't have happened if..." His voice trailed off, thick with regret.

You offered him a soft smile, cutting him off before he could fall deeper into guilt. "I know, Ben." That was all you needed to say. Ben's lips pressed into a thin line, but his shoulders eased just a little.

Finally, your gaze shifted to Allison, who stood a little farther away from the others. Her posture was tense, and her arms crossed tightly over her chest as if unsure what to do with them. She hadn't moved, hadn't said a word, and wasn't looking at you. Your heart clenched painfully at the sight. Her hesitance was clear, and the weight of everything between you two lingering like a shadow.

And then you remembered. You had taken her voice. With a flick of your wrist, a subtle pulse of energy rippled through the air. The magic that had once silenced her unraveled, threading its way back into the void from which it came. Allison gasped softly as her throat tightened, and instinctively, she touched it, her fingers trembling against her skin. She looked up at you, her lips parting in astonishment.

"(Y/n)..."

"Allison..."

Your voices overlapped, shaky, and thick with emotion. You took a step forward, then another, before finally closing the distance between you. Without hesitation, you threw your arms around her, your body colliding with hers in a desperate embrace. Allison sucked in a breath, her body going rigid for a brief moment before she crumbled into your hold.

Allison's lips quivered as a sob broke past them, and she clung to you as if afraid you would disappear again. "(Y/n), I am so, so, so sorry." Allison choked out, her voice cracking with each word. "I've felt awful for so long, and I know—I know you can't forgive me, not now, maybe not ever. I just..." She inhaled shakily, trying to steady herself, but the dam had already broken. "I just wanted to hug you. I just—" Her grip tightened, fingers digging into the fabric of your clothes. "I'm just so glad you're back."

Tears welled in your eyes as you leaned further into her embrace, letting the warmth of her hold soothe the ache in your chest. "I missed you too, Allison..."

But before the moment could fully settle, the ground beneath you trembled violently. A deafening crack split through the air, and suddenly, a massive chunk of the world collapsed into the void, swallowed by the abyss. The sky flickered erratically, splitting apart like shattered glass. The ground beneath your feet groaned, unstable, as the remnants of this broken reality threatened to fall apart completely.

Everyone stumbled, grasping at each other for balance, their relieved expressions morphing into ones of grim realization. You turned, heart pounding, and took in the full devastation around you. The world was crumbling, unraveling before your eyes. It was too far gone. No matter how much you wanted to fix it, no matter how much you wished to undo the damage your other self had done—you couldn't.

Then, your gaze landed on him.

Reginald stood a short distance away, exactly where his wife had once been before she vanished. His expression was unreadable and cold as ever, yet something was lurking beneath the surface—a quiet intensity in the way his gaze locked onto yours.

"Now that you're back," He spoke, his voice cutting through the chaos like a knife, drawing the attention of everyone around. His tone was eerily calm, even as the world collapsed around him. "What do you propose to fix the abomination you have caused?"

-•-°-•-°-☆

Four more chapters!

Also, the first chapter of this book was made back in 2022 as a deleted scene for the third book, then was made into an official chapter for this book in 2023, and then i published it around July 2024 :)