The attack happened before dawn.
Evelyn woke to the sound of steel.
She sat upright.
For a second, she didn’t understand where she was.
Then the carriage shook.
Someone shouted outside.
Another voice screamed.
Evelyn grabbed the dagger beneath her pillow.
The door opened.
Lucien appeared.
“Stay inside.”
“What happened?”
“We’re under attack.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
He closed the door.
Evelyn waited.
Three seconds.
Five.
Ten.
Then another explosion shook the carriage.
She ignored Lucien’s order.
She stepped outside.
The road was chaos.
Two horses had been killed.
Three guards were down.
Figures wearing black surrounded the convoy.
The Black Order.
Evelyn recognized them immediately.
One assassin turned toward her.
His eyes widened.
“The duchess.”
He raised his weapon.
Lucien moved faster.
Steel flashed.
The assassin fell.
Evelyn froze.
Lucien turned.
“Get back.”
She didn’t move.
Another attacker came from behind him.
Evelyn shouted.
“Behind you!”
Lucien turned and blocked the strike.
The battle continued.
Evelyn stayed near the carriage.
She wanted to help.
She didn’t know how.
Then she saw him.
One of the assassins wasn’t fighting.
He stood farther away, watching.
His mask was different.
Silver instead of black.
Evelyn recognized it.
Not from the novel.
From the book.
The Black Order had a commander.
A man called the Silver Crow.
He was supposed to appear much later.
During the war.
He was supposed to kill the emperor.
That meant something was terribly wrong.
Evelyn ran.
The Silver Crow saw her.
He smiled.
“You really don’t remember me.”
Evelyn stopped.
“What?”
He removed his mask.
She didn’t know his face.
But his eyes…
She had seen them before.
In her dreams.
The same eyes from the burning city.
The same voice.
You’re too late.
“You were there,” Evelyn whispered.
He smiled.
“Finally.”
Lucien appeared between them.
“Who are you?”
The man laughed.
“You still don’t know?”
Lucien raised his sword.
“Answer.”
The man looked at Evelyn.
“Ask your wife.”
Then he disappeared into the forest.
Lucien stared after him.
Evelyn couldn’t move.
“Do you know him?”
“No.”
“Then why did he say that?”
“I don’t know.”
But Evelyn did.
Or at least, she thought she did.
The dreams.
The book.
The letters.
The strange messages.
Someone had been following her across timelines.
If Adrian knew.
If Lucien knew.
If the Silver Crow knew.
Then the story was not simply a novel.
It was something else.
Lucien returned to her.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
He examined her anyway.
“You’re bleeding.”
She looked down.
A shallow cut crossed her palm.
“I didn’t notice.”
Lucien took her hand.
He wrapped it carefully.
His fingers were steady.
Evelyn watched him.
“Lucien.”
“Yes?”
“If I die…”
He looked up.
“Don’t.”
She smiled faintly.
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
“If the story tries to kill me…”
His expression hardened.
“It won’t.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“I can.”
“How?”
He looked directly into her eyes.
“Because this time, I know.”
Evelyn’s heart skipped.
This time.
Those words felt important.
She squeezed his hand.
“Then let’s change it.”
He nodded.
Together, they looked toward the forest.
The enemy had escaped.
But they had left something behind.
A small black book.
Lucien picked it up.
Evelyn recognized the cover.
It was identical to hers.
He opened it.
The first page contained a single sentence.
Chapter Ten: Evelyn Valemont dies.
Evelyn stared.
Then turned the page.
Nothing.
Another.
Nothing.
She looked at Lucien.
“I’m alive.”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
She turned another page.
A new sentence appeared.
The story has changed.
Evelyn’s heart began pounding.
Below it, another line slowly formed.
Now someone must pay for the change.
The final line appeared beneath it.
And they have chosen Lucien.