Chapter 1: No Longer Your Savior

For the seventh time, I tried to save Julian Hayes from his own self-loathing, and for the seventh time, he threw himself off a rooftop.

Before he died, he meticulously arranged everything to ensure everyone was taken care of—even the people who had tormented him. Julian specifically left behind letters absolving his bullies, making sure they wouldn't face any backlash or online harassment after he was gone. Just like the previous seven lifetimes, Julian departed gently, shouldering everyone's burdens right up until the very end.

At his funeral, everyone mourned him with profound, heartbroken regret.

Everyone except me.

Because this time, I was pregnant. I had fallen to my knees, begging Julian not to give up, pleading with him not to abandon me and our unborn child. But Julian had only offered a sad, fragile smile and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Then I lost my husband, and my child lost their father.

I asked The Construct, "Can I stop trying to redeem him?"

The Construct ignored my plea and immediately initiated the eighth reset.

I opened my eyes to find myself back in my high school classroom. Across the room, I saw Julian, a wretched figure drenched in dirty water by his bullies. I stood up, feeling the subtle weight of his expectant gaze, and stepped right past him. Walking straight toward the stepbrother who was tormenting him, I met the boy's malicious stare.

"Kill me," I said. "Or take me away."

Tristan Vance's expression froze for a second before exploding into exaggerated laughter. "Maya Brooks, did you hit your head during nap time? Kill me? What are you, some kind of emo chick?"

I didn't answer, just watched him in absolute silence. Gradually, Tristan's laughter died down. He met my eyes for a moment before sharply looking away.

"Damn, this is creepy," he muttered.

I kept staring, stubborn and unblinking, because I knew Tristan was capable of it. In the future, Julian's younger stepbrother would become a murderer. For now, still just an angry high schooler, Tristan kicked the mop bucket out of his friend's hand.

"God damn it, this sucks. Everyone, scram! Get lost!"

Before storming off, Tristan shot a few more uneasy glances in my direction. He frowned, looking as though he wanted to say something but ultimately holding back.

In the corner of the room, a solitary figure remained curled up on the floor. Julian was incredibly thin in high school; his lean frame was practically swallowed by his soaked jersey, making him look even more fragile. Dirty water dripped from his hair, sliding down his sharp cheekbones to pool on the linoleum. He just looked at me, his wet, brown eyes fixed on me without wavering. His pupils contracted slightly, as if caught in a sudden beam of light.

A tide of memories washed over me in that instant. I remembered how every previous reset had started exactly like this. I would immediately rush over, throw my arms wide, and shield Julian. I would berate Tristan and his friends, screaming at them to leave him alone.

"Pfft—Maya Brooks, playing the white knight again?" Tristan's mocking voice would always follow. "Hey Julian, is that all you've got? Hiding behind a girl?"

And when I finally managed to chase them off and turned back around, Julian would always be looking up at me with those same brown eyes, like a stray puppy drenched in a sudden downpour. It always made my heart ache and swell with fierce protectiveness. Then I would carefully help him to his feet, soothe him with soft words, and take him to the sink to wash away the grime.

But this time, things were different.

My gaze lingered on Julian's dark eyes for barely half a second. I could see the hope he hadn't yet managed to hide, the confusion about what was happening, and a trace of broken light left in the wake of the bullying.

Then, I lifted my foot and stepped around him. Without a single pause, I walked straight back to my desk and sat down. I pulled out the textbook for my next class and spread it neatly across my desk. I didn't look back.

Finally, the warning bell rang out across the campus. The figure in the corner shifted. Julian's lifted head lowered, bit by bit.