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

Adrian's fingers hovered over the map, his gaze tracing the inked formations. The positions, the strategies—they should have been infallible. But he had seen them fail before. Over and over.

A dull throb settled in his skull, an ache born not of fatigue, but of repetition.

Kael leaned against the wooden table beside him, arms crossed. He was watching Adrian closely, as he always did now. Assessing him.

"You hesitated today," Kael said at last.

Adrian's jaw tightened. "No, I didn't."

Kael's expression didn't change. "You did."

The candlelight flickered between them, stretching shadows across Kael's sharp features. His stance was casual, but there was an edge to him now—a quiet tension.

Adrian exhaled, slow and controlled. "The men are remembering."

Kael gave a slow nod. "It's accelerating."

The words pressed against Adrian like a vice. He had felt it in the way the soldiers moved, in the way their gazes lingered just a little too long, their hands tightening on their weapons as if they were bracing for something unseen. They knew.

A long silence stretched between them before Kael spoke again. "What happens when they remember everything?"

Adrian met his gaze, forcing steel into his voice. "We lose control."

Kael studied him for a moment longer. Then, tilting his head slightly, he asked, "So what's the plan?"

For the first time, Adrian didn't have an answer.

Flashback: A Past Life's Warning

A storm. Rain pelting the earth in furious sheets. Adrian stood over a body. His own.

A whisper in his mind. "You have to let go."

He turned, but there was no one there. Only darkness creeping at the edges of his vision.

Adrian inhaled sharply, gripping the edge of the table. The vision had been clearer this time. More real.

He swallowed hard and looked at Kael. "We need to find out what's causing this."

Kael nodded. "Before it finds us first."

Chapter 16: Fractures in the Pattern