Chapter 49: The Other Orion

Orion gasped, clutching his head as the visions faded. He was back in the void, but everything felt wrong.

Lyra was nowhere to be seen. Nyxara was gone. Even the labyrinth had vanished.

Instead, he stood on a celestial battlefield, the stars flickering like dying embers.

And before him stood his duplicate.

This Orion was taller, stronger, his aura crackling with an unnatural energy. His golden eyes glowed with a terrible knowledge.

Seraphina stood beside him, her gaze unreadable. "You weren't meant to be the ruler of time, Orion. He was."

The golden-eyed Orion chuckled, stepping forward. "I am what you could have been. What you should have been."

Orion clenched his fists. "What the hell are you?"

The duplicate smirked. "I am the paradox perfected. The true heir to time's throne." His eyes flashed. "And you? You're the mistake."

Before Orion could react, his duplicate lunged.

The last thing he saw was golden light engulfing him—

And then everything went dark.

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Chapter 50: The Knife in the Dark

Pain.

Orion gasped as his consciousness returned, his vision swimming in golden light. His body felt heavy, as if gravity itself had turned against him.

Slowly, he forced himself up—only to find his own sword pressed against his throat.

Holding it was Lyra.

His breath hitched. "Lyra…?"

Her blue eyes, once filled with warmth, were now cold. Unreadable.

"You should've never come this far, Orion."

His heart pounded. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Lyra tightened her grip on the sword. "You were never meant to win."

The words shattered him.

He had trusted her—through every battle, every impossible challenge, every moment when the universe tried to break him. And now…

She was the one holding the blade.