The soft, almost haunting rustle of pages turning in the wind filled the air as Espurr sat on the worn, moss-covered steps of their library. The Memory Book was open on their lap, the crinkled pages filled with hastily written notes—scribbles of past loops, forgotten memories, and lost fragments of who they once were.

Their purple eyes scanned the latest entry, the ink slowly fading under the dim light of dusk. A gentle breeze blew in from the open door, carrying with it the faint scent of lilacs, and for a moment, it was like they could almost forget everything—the pain, the nightmares, the curse that bound them. For a moment, everything felt... peaceful.

But the memories returned, crashing in like a storm. The voices, the endless loop, the egg. They were all waiting. And Espurr couldn’t run from it anymore. Not this time.

Espurr shut the book gently, setting it aside, their eyes lingering on the flowers outside their window, the faint glow of twilight making them seem like small stars in the garden. They closed their eyes, trying to calm their racing thoughts.

“Maybe I’ve gotten too close to the edge... again,” they muttered softly to themselves. “But it’s too late to turn back. The past is... just another dream, and I can’t wake up from it.”

They stood slowly, stepping out into the garden. The cool night air wrapped around them, and for a moment, Espurr almost forgot about the weight they carried. Almost.

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet trembled, a distant rumble echoing through the earth. Espurr’s hand instinctively went to their sword, the enchanted netherite vibrating softly as if aware of the approaching danger.

“I wonder... who’s coming this time?” Espurr said, their voice barely above a whisper as they stepped forward into the unknown. “Guess we’ll find out...”