Blackdemon720

Adrian Voss, a brilliant strategist, is killed by betrayal and wakes up in the past, reliving the moments before his downfall. With memories of his previous life intact, he must navigate a mysterious loop where enemies and allies alike are not what they seem. As he battles fate itself, Adrian faces a sacrifice that will change everything.

Haunted by cryptic whispers and a strange symbol, Adrian realizes his second chance may be part of a larger, unseen game. With each decision, the stakes grow higher, and the boundaries of time itself begin to blur. To break the cycle, he must outsmart not only his enemies but also the very forces that control his fate.

Alight, that is my first time doing this, so don't expect it to be perfect. XD

The Eternal Strategist

The first horn shattered the uneasy silence of dawn. Then the second. Then the third. The battle had begun.

Adrian rode forward, his black cloak whipping behind him. His soldiers formed into their practiced formations, their armor glinting beneath the rising sun. They moved with precision, but Adrian could see it now—their hesitations, the flickers of doubt.

The enemy forces crested the hill, their banners dark against the sky. The battlefield stretched between them, and for the first time, Adrian realized he recognized every face on the other side.

His stomach turned. They had fought these men before. Killed them before.

A sharp whistle cut through the air. Arrows rained down. Adrian lifted his sword, signaling the charge. His soldiers surged forward, their battle cries merging with the pounding of hooves and the clash of steel.

Adrian moved through the fray with practiced ease. His sword found flesh, his mind calculating each movement. But something gnawed at him—a wrongness that went deeper than the battle itself.

A soldier—a young man in battered armor—stood frozen, his eyes wide. Adrian recognized him.

The soldier's lips parted, and in that moment, Adrian knew what he was about to say.

Adrian's sword halted mid-swing. The battlefield blurred.

It was spreading faster.

Something crashed into his side, throwing him to the ground. A warhammer. Pain erupted through his ribs, but Adrian barely registered it.

He turned his head and saw Kael, fighting through the chaos toward him, his expression grim.

The loop was breaking.

Flashback: A Glimpse of Madness

Blood pooled at his feet. His hands trembled.

The bodies surrounded him—soldiers, enemies, all with the same expression frozen on their faces. Recognition. They had remembered.

Then the whisper came. "End it."

Adrian pushed himself to his feet, shaking off the vision. His sword was heavy in his grip, but his mind was heavier.

Kael reached him, panting. "You saw it, didn't you?"

Adrian's voice was hoarse. "It's happening too fast."

Kael wiped blood from his cheek. "Then we need to figure out why—before there's no one left to forget."

The battle raged around them, but Adrian knew—

This wasn't just a fight.

Chapter 17: The Bloodstained Cycle