The car rolled to a smooth stop at the edge of Rue de Vaugirard.
A black luxury sedan. Paris sunlight reflected off its polished exterior. The back door opened, and a boy stepped out.
He was dressed in a sharp blazer over a loose white shirt, his hair slightly tousled by the flight from New York. His eyes were the kind that always seemed to be thinking ten steps ahead—quiet, unreadable, but never unobservant.
Thorne Vale. Seventeen. Son of Alexander and Helena Vale—two of the most influential business moguls in North America.
"Your school orientation is tomorrow," his mother reminded from the passenger seat, sunglasses poised like a shield. "You'll have time to explore until then."
Thorne nodded absently. "I'll walk."
Paris was warmer than he expected. Narrower streets. Older buildings. Everything felt strangely intentional.
He wandered aimlessly, hands in his pockets, taking in the subtle rhythm of the city.
Until he stopped.
The scent hit him first—warm sugar and vanilla, the comforting aroma of fresh bread. Then the pink awning.
"Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie."
The name. The colors. The window displays.
The world lurched.
He staggered slightly, his breath catching.
No.
His heart thudded in his chest. A pulse, a hum—like something clicking into place.
He had been here before.
Not in this life. Not in any life that made logical sense. But he knew this street. That window. The little bell over the door. And the girl who would always be running late…
His hand trembled. Then he closed his eyes.
And the memories returned.
Ladybug.Chat Noir.Hawk Moth.Akumas.Miraculous.Master Fu.Chloe.Luka. Kagami. Felix. Lila.Monarch. Gabriel Agreste.The finale. The heartbreak. The loops. The losses.
Thorne gasped, leaning against the wall for support.
It wasn't a dream.
He had watched everything. Obsessively. From the very first akuma to the final transformation. He had cried when Marinette broke down. Raged when secrets tore them apart. Celebrated the victories and mourned the mistakes.
And now… somehow…
He was here. Before it all began.
A notification chimed on his phone. Just a news app update. Nothing unusual.
But in two days, the first akuma would strike.
Stoneheart.
He looked at the bakery again.
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," he whispered. "Ladybug."
And Adrien Agreste… Chat Noir.And his father… the man behind the mask.
Thorne's fingers clenched.
He had no kwami. No superpowers. No allies.
But he had everything else.
"I can't stop fate.""But maybe… I can guide it."