Reality came crashing down on him like a collapsing sky. Thandor — no, Carl, no, whatever name he had decided to use — stood frozen in the shadow of his own mistake. He had been a fool to think his presence wouldn't shift the flow of destiny. He only wanted to see Sophia again, but because of him, Olivia was dead.
She wasn't just Sophia's closest companion; she was his friend.
The thought hollowed him out from the inside. As the bus rumbled back from the royal tour, laughter and chatter filled the air, but his mind was far away — drifting through memories of the girl who used to smile even at beggars, who once insisted on feeding a stray cat in the rain. Olivia had always been that kind of person: too kind for her own good, too bright for this world.
Now she was gone.
Every time his gaze drifted toward the princesses, he saw it — that same sadness hiding behind their eyes. Especially Yvonne's. In this timeline, she was the eldest princess. In the last, it had been Olivia. Fate really had played its hand.
The Royal Family had handled it just like before — quiet, controlled, ruthless. The palace walls hid grief well. No one outside even whispered her name. He'd asked around the city, but it was as if Princess Olivia had never existed. Not a single soul knew her.
He clenched his jaw, anger simmering beneath his calm mask. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath, voice barely audible. If he hadn't interfered, if he'd stayed out of history's path... maybe she'd still be alive.
But regret was a luxury he couldn't afford.
When the tour ended and the students began filing back onto the bus, Thandor slipped away, blending into the crowd like smoke. His body moved on instinct — silent, precise, confident. Night fell, draping the palace in a cool blue haze. The guards patrolled as always, but to him they were nothing more than pawns moving in slow motion.
He slipped through the shadows, crossed the courtyard, scaled the familiar walls. Every step he took reminded him of how deeply he knew this place — every corner, every hidden passage. I've walked these halls before, he thought bitterly. Just not in this lifetime.
He reached Sophia's room and gave a soft, polite knock before quietly opening the door.
But it wasn't Sophia inside.
It was Yvonne.
For a heartbeat, he froze. Then realization struck — this was the eldest princess's room now. In this twisted version of fate, Olivia's place had shifted to Yvonne.
Yvonne looked up, eyes wide, but there was no fear — only surprise. Then, softly, she spoke.
"I heard the questions you were asking… about Olivia." Her voice trembled slightly. "I don't know what she meant to you, but… she's gone."
Her composure broke. Tears welled up, then spilled freely as she sank to her knees.
For some unknown reason, Thandor felt the need to comfort her. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was the echo of the life that had been erased. Either way, he moved closer and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. When she didn't resist, he drew her softly against his chest — strong, warm, steady.
She wept quietly for a while, her tears staining his shirt.
When her sobs finally slowed, she looked up at him — or rather, at his mask. Her face flushed instantly, and she turned away, struggling to find her voice. "W-who are you really?" she asked, forcing herself to sound composed.
"A friend," he said simply. "Olivia's friend."
Her eyes softened. "How did you meet her?"
He smiled faintly beneath the mask. "She bumped into me once — on the street. I wasn't paying attention, but she still apologized. That was just… who she was."
Yvonne nodded, lips trembling as she remembered the sister who used to fill the palace with laughter. She asked more questions, searching for pieces of Olivia through him — how she smiled, what she liked, what she dreamed of. And he answered each one carefully, weaving fragments of truth with restraint.
Finally, she hesitated. "Take off the mask," she said quietly. "Please."
He didn't move at first. The request hung in the air like a test. But after a long pause, he sighed and removed it.
For a second, the world seemed to stop. Yvonne's breath caught. His face — sharp, calm, impossibly flawless — stunned her into silence. Every feature looked sculpted, unreal, yet alive. He frowned slightly, uncomfortable under her gaze, but somehow that only deepened his allure.
Then slap — a sound broke the spell.
He'd pulled the mask back on, annoyed by the strange tension. The sound snapped Yvonne out of her trance. She blinked rapidly, words tumbling out in panic. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to stare, I—"
He waved it off with a small smile. "It's fine. I'm leaving."
He turned to go, but before he could step away, she grabbed his wrist. Their eyes met — hers uncertain, his steady — and before either could think, she moved closer. Maybe it was grief, or impulse, or both. She kissed him softly on the only part of his face the mask didn't cover — his lips.
The world held its breath.
When she pulled back, she was crimson with embarrassment, heart racing. "I— I don't know why I—"
He said nothing. Just smiled faintly, turned, and walked out into the night.
Once outside, the cool air helped him breathe again. "This is getting complicated," he muttered to himself. He liked Sophia — always had. But now Yvonne's feelings were tangled in the mix. The web of fate was twisting again, and it was all because of him.
He shook his head, forcing the thought away. "Later," he whispered. "That can wait."
Right now, there were more important things to do.
As the moonlight spilled across the empty courtyard, Thandor's expression hardened. His mind shifted back to his purpose, to the promise that still burned like fire in his soul. He'd already changed history once — for worse. Next time, he'd change it for the better.
He looked up at the stars, eyes gleaming with quiet resolve.
"It's time," he said softly. "Time to start my very first business."
A small smile crept onto his face.
"Nanobotics." This chapter is before nanobotics! there was a mixup!