The Time Leaper (Chapter 13)

Chapter 13: Cycle

I've traveled back in time again... Just like every other time, I found myself lying in my apartment, staring blankly at the ceiling, my body heavy with exhaustion.

I could still hear Yue's voice from the previous timeline, her final words repeating in my mind like a cruel melody.

"Every power comes with a price... and ours is our own life."

She knew. She had always known.

But it didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was that I wanted to be with her. No matter how many times I had to do this, no matter the cost, I would not let her go.

I traveled back over and over again. It wasn't just twice, or three times, or ten. I had long since lost count, but I knew one thing for certain-every single time, she died. It was as if fate itself was mocking me, no matter how hard I fought against it.

The 5th leap-sickness took her again. I thought I could prevent it by getting her into the hospital sooner, by making sure she took every prescription, every treatment. But she still died in my arms, her frail hand squeezing mine before it went limp.

The 12th leap-an accident. A car crash. I held her in the wreckage, blood trickling from her lips as she whispered, "Horace... please... stop this." I told her I wouldn't. I couldn't.

The 20th leap-murder. A home invasion. I got there too late, her body sprawled on the floor, her eyes still open but lifeless. I spent the whole night cradling her, whispering apologies. The next morning, I traveled back again.

I'm starting to lose my mind... How many times should I see this? How long can I continue? How much more should I suffer... I already want to give up, but I can't... And I never will... For my Yue...

The 31st leap-a fire. She suffocated in her sleep. I barely managed to pull her out, but it was too late. Her body was covered in burns, and I couldn't even recognize her face. I screamed, I begged for her to wake up, but she never did.

The 40th leap-she was pushed off a building. I ran to catch her, but I was too slow. Her eyes locked onto mine mid-fall, a silent plea, but all I could do was watch as she hit the pavement below. The impact shattered something inside me, but not enough to make me stop.

And every time, my body felt weaker. I noticed the changes, but I ignored them. My reflection became unfamiliar-sunken cheeks, pale skin, dark circles under my eyes. My hands trembled even when I wasn't moving, my breath came in shallow gasps, and my chest ached constantly.

One day, I coughed into my hand, only to see specks of red staining my palm. I stared at it, detached, and let out a weak chuckle. "My body is failing me, huh?" I muttered to myself.

Yue saw it once. She walked in on me kneeling on the bathroom floor, coughing violently, my sleeve soaked in blood. She froze. And then she broke.

"Stop this, Horace! Look at yourself!" She sobbed, gripping my shoulders. "You're dying!"

I wiped the blood from my lips, forcing a smile. "It doesn't matter, Yue. As long as I can still see you, it's worth it."

She shook her head, her entire body trembling. "You're an idiot... a complete idiot..." Her voice cracked as she covered her face with her hands. "I don't want this! I don't want you to suffer because of me!"

But it wasn't suffering. Not to me.

I kept going. Again. And again. And again.

The cycle continued, and no matter how much I endured, the pain never lessened. Each time I lost her, another part of me crumbled away. I was running out of time. I could feel it in the way my heartbeat slowed, in the way my body refused to move as it once did.

I traveled back in time, again and again, despite the toll it took on my body. Each time, I felt weaker, my limbs slower, my breath shorter. My skin had become pale, my eyes sunken, dark circles permanently etched under them. My hands trembled, my body ached, and every step felt heavier than the last. But I ignored it all. As long as I could still move, as long as I could still speak, I would keep trying.

And this time... it was my 49th time.

I opened my eyes and, just like always, I woke up lying on my bed inside my apartment. The moment I tried to stand, my vision blurred. My knees buckled, and I barely managed to catch myself on the edge of the bed. My chest ached with every breath, my fingertips numb. I let out a bitter laugh, my breath shaky. "I guess death is catching up to me too, huh?" My voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

I reached for the nightstand, gripping it for support as I forced myself up. My legs felt like lead, my body sluggish as if it no longer belonged to me. A violent cough tore through my throat, and when I pulled my hand away from my mouth, I saw it-blood. A deep crimson smeared across my palm, warm and sticky. I wiped it away, pretending it wasn't there. Pretending it didn't mean what I already knew.

But I forced myself up. I had to see her. One more time.

After pushing through the pain of a shower and dressing up, I hailed a cab to Yue's house. The journey felt longer than usual, the streetlights outside the window blurring together as my headache worsened. Every thud of my heartbeat was slow, strained, as if my body itself was resisting me. But none of that mattered. Not when I was so close to seeing her again.

I pressed the doorbell, my fingers weak against the button. Then, I heard it. Her voice.

"Who's there?"

The door swung open, and the moment she saw me, she froze. Her eyes widened, her lips parting in shock as tears welled up almost instantly. "You... you used it again, didn't you?"

I couldn't hold back anymore. The moment she threw herself into my arms, I broke. Tears streamed down my face as I buried my head in her shoulder, inhaling the scent of her, feeling the warmth of her against my chest. "I'm back, Yue."

She sobbed into my chest, her fingers gripping my shirt tightly. "Why... why do you keep doing this?" Her voice cracked as she pulled away just enough to look up at me, her hands trembling as they traced my face. "You're thinner... your skin is pale... your hands are so cold... this isn't what I saw in my vision. You're killing yourself, Horace."

I forced a weak smile, wiping her tears away with shaking fingers. "It doesn't matter anymore, Yue. I love you. That's all that matters. And now, we can start over again."

She shook her head, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks. "You idiot... no matter how many times you try, I will still die... Why can't you just accept that? Why can't you let me go?"

Because I couldn't...

I don't want to...

And just like the other times... she died in my arms again.

This time, it was an accident. A speeding car, a moment of distraction, a second too late. I knelt in the middle of the street, her blood soaking into my clothes, her eyes fluttering weakly as she struggled to stay conscious. "Horace... please..." she whispered, her hand reaching for mine, her grip frail.

"Don't talk. Don't move. Help is coming," I choked out, pressing my forehead to hers, tears blurring my vision.

She smiled softly. "You... you have to let me go."

I shook my head violently, sobbing as I held her closer. "No. No, I can't. I won't. I'll fix this, Yue. I swear. I'll go back and-"

"Horace..." She weakly lifted a hand to my face, wiping away my tears. "This isn't life. Not for me... not for you. Please... just-"

Her breath hitched, her body shuddered, and then... she was gone.

The cycle continued, and no matter how much I endured, the pain never lessened. Each time I lost her, another part of me crumbled away. My body was breaking, my mind fracturing, my heart barely beating. I could feel it-the end creeping closer. I was running out of time. I could feel it in the way my heartbeat slowed, in the way my body refused to move as it once did.

But still... I refused to stop.

Not yet.

"Wait for me, Yue..." I uttered with a broken smile as a single tear fall from my eyes...

"Time leap..."