The decision had been made.
Evernight would not wait for the Hollow Legion to strike. The rebellion would move first.
But a war wasn't won by charging blindly into battle. They needed strategy, numbers, and—most importantly—time.
Caius wasn't sure if he could give them that last one.
He stood at the edge of the underground war room, listening as Elias and the tacticians argued over where to strike first. Garran, arms crossed, wanted to rally every rebel and hit Evernight Castle head-on. Lyra countered that they should cut off supply chains first, forcing the Hollow Legion into a weakened state.
Selene, as always, wanted blood immediately.
"We hit their generals," she said, spinning a dagger in her fingers. "No commanders, no army. Simple."
"It's not that simple," Elias said, shaking his head. "Even without their commanders, they still have the numbers."
Caius listened, but his mind was elsewhere.
The vision haunted him. Every second that passed, the memory of it burned in his skull—the fire, the bodies, the Hollow King's voice.
"You cannot stop what has already begun, Timeborn."
His grip tightened.
We'll see about that.
Hours later, Caius found himself above ground, standing in the cold shadow of Evernight's ruined streets.
Elias had sent him, Selene, and two scouts into the city to gather information. If they were going to strike, they needed to know where the Hollow Legion was weakest.
The air was thick with smoke and the scent of iron and rot. The once-great capital was now a husk of what it had been.
Caius pulled his hood lower, trying to ignore the way his chest tightened at the sight of the city. This had been his home once.
Now, it was a graveyard waiting to be filled.
Selene nudged him. "You're too tense."
Caius shot her a look. "We're sneaking into a city occupied by an army. Sorry if I'm not relaxed."
She smirked. "If you keep looking like you're about to kill someone, we'll get caught before we learn anything."
He rolled his eyes but forced himself to breathe slower. She wasn't wrong.
The group moved through the back alleys, avoiding the patrols of armored soldiers marked by the Hollow sigil—a black sun with a missing center.
Even in broad daylight, the city felt like night.
Shadows clung to the buildings, and the people that remained walked with empty expressions. No one spoke. No one even looked at each other.
The Hollow Legion had turned Evernight into a city of ghosts.
The group stopped near a ruined tavern. One of the scouts, Dain, motioned for them to wait. "We've got movement ahead," he whispered.
Caius peered around the corner. A group of black-armored soldiers stood near the remnants of a merchant stall, speaking in low voices.
One of them—a captain, by the look of his blood-red cloak—was holding a parchment, reading aloud.
"…the Hollow King moves soon. All forces must be prepared."
Caius's heart pounded. This is it. This is the war beginning.
Selene glanced at him. "We need that paper."
Caius nodded. "I can—"
A scream tore through the air.
A civilian.
A young woman had fallen to her knees near the soldiers, her face twisted in terror. One of the Legion's men grabbed her by the hair, dragging her forward.
"What did I tell you?" the captain growled. "No one leaves the city without permission."
The woman sobbed. "Please—I have a child—"
The captain didn't care. He lifted his sword.
Caius moved without thinking.
Before anyone could stop him, he stepped from the shadows, pulling his hood back.
"Let her go."
The soldiers froze.
Then, their eyes locked onto him, widening.
"The Timeborn."
The moment stretched. Caius reached for time—
And it didn't move.
Panic shot through him. Why—?
Then he realized. The captain's blade was already falling.
He'd been too slow.
Caius threw himself forward. He couldn't rewind, couldn't stop it—so he did the only thing he could.
He blocked the strike with his arm.
Pain exploded through him as the blade bit deep into his forearm.
The woman scrambled away, and Selene was suddenly there, a dagger to the captain's throat.
The other rebels rushed in, slaughtering the rest of the squad before they could raise an alarm.
Caius barely registered the fight. His breath came in sharp gasps, blood dripping from his arm.
Selene cursed. "What the hell was that? You just ran in?"
Caius looked at his trembling hand. The wound was deep, but that wasn't what scared him.
His power hadn't worked.
Not here. Not in this moment.
Why?
Selene tore a strip of cloth from her sleeve, wrapping it around his arm. "You're an idiot."
Caius didn't argue. He was too busy wondering what had changed.
Had the Hollow King done something to time itself?
Had he sealed Caius's power?
And if that was the case…
How was Caius supposed to fight a war without it?
Later, in the safety of the hideout, Caius sat with Elias, Garran, and Selene. The parchment they had stolen lay on the table, its contents scrawled in dark ink.
Elias read it aloud:
"The Hollow King moves upon Evernight in two weeks. The city will be sealed. All who resist will burn."
Silence.
Caius clenched his fists.
Two weeks.
That was all the time they had.
Selene leaned forward. "Then we hit them first."
Elias met Caius's gaze. "Can you see anything else?"
Caius hesitated.
He didn't tell them.
Didn't tell them that his power hadn't worked.
Didn't tell them that the future he saw was still unchanging.
Instead, he forced himself to nod. "I'll try."
Because no matter what was happening to him—
He wouldn't let Evernight fall.