Chapter 1

The air in the mortal world always felt thin, almost sharp, on Halloween night.

It was the one night the Rift between our Shadowlands and their realm stayed open late, a messy, shimmering tear in reality.

Now, it was shrinking fast.

Spirits scrambled, a panicked mob of translucent figures, desperate to get back before dawn.

Dawn in the mortal world meant oblivion for any of us caught out.

But Chloe stood at the Rift' s edge, her hands outstretched, Ectoplasmic Flame roaring from her palms.

The fire, a brilliant, ghostly green, pushed back against the closing portal, holding it open.

She was buying time.

For him. Liam.

My gut twisted. Not with concern, not anymore.

This was how it began last time. Her devotion to Liam, my destruction.

I remembered it all, every detail of my previous existence, my past life.

Chloe, my girlfriend then, leading the Enforcers to me, right when I was about to ascend to Arch-Spirit.

Her screams, accusing me of causing Liam' s end.

The Enforcers didn't care for truth, only for a scapegoat.

They tore me apart.

Now, I was back. Reborn to this exact moment, this exact choice.

A low-ranking Patroller, that' s what they all saw. That' s what Chloe saw.

Good.

"Chloe, you have to let it close!" a spirit shrieked near her, his form flickering.

"He' s almost here! I can feel it!" Chloe yelled back, her voice strained, the green flames wavering but holding.

Other spirits groaned, some cursed her.

I stepped forward, my Patroller' s uniform plain, unremarkable.

"She' s right to wait," I said, my voice calm, projecting just enough for those nearby to hear.

The spirits near me stared, aghast.

"Ethan, are you insane?" one of them, a nervous fellow named Pip, whispered. "We' ll all be dust!"

Chloe glanced at me, a flicker of surprise, maybe even gratitude, in her eyes.

She probably thought I was still the same loyal fool.

"He understands," she said, turning back to her desperate task.

I understood, alright. I understood I had a new plan.

This time, they would pay. Not just Liam. Chloe too.

The Rift groaned, a sound like tearing fabric, and shrank another foot.

The raw energy of it buffeted us.

Chloe' s flames intensified, a desperate, beautiful display of her rare power.

She was strong, I' d give her that. Misguided, but strong.

I watched her, my face carefully neutral.

Inside, I was counting down.

Let her wait. Let him come.

Let them seal their own fate.