Reliving the same day twice feels like the universe is giving me a second chance. But second chances aren’t gifts. They’re tests. The question is, will I pass this time?

It’s rather unsettling how reality sometimes feels like a loop, running over the same scenes again and again until you’re on the edge of losing it. That’s exactly where I found myself, edging toward the town, eager as anything to dive headfirst into this strange day. I needed answers. The only way to get them was to redo my steps, hoping to catch those key moments from the day before.

Three events that took place in town stood out in my memory. If they repeated in the same way and order, then I’d know this wasn’t just a crazy dream or some freakish hallucination. The world couldn’t be that predictable and eerie by chance. It had to be magic or some sort of divine intervention.

I stood outside my house. The morning air was brisk against my skin. I felt a subtle provocation urging me to be alert. It was in this moment of lucidity that deeper questions burst within me. Was this some higher power way of granting me a second chance at life just to see if I would screw it up again? Why me, of all people? What made Alex Stormbourne so special? Why didn’t my siblings or any other member of the Stormbourne family get this chance? Did it mean I was different in some way, or was I merely a cosmic pawn in a larger scheme of things? If that were the case, what were the odds of me actually succeeding?

I started walking, the gravel beneath my feet crunching in the familiar way it always did. Whatever version of reality this was, I was definitely in it. If today was truly yesterday all over again, then what the hell was I supposed to do differently? Yesterday, well, I couldn’t say yesterday, more like the previous version of ‘today,’ I couldn’t even save my family. What did these higher beings think I could do to save everyone this time around? But I also couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. There had to be a way to change things, to alter events and save my house from the approaching catastrophe.

Then it hit me out of nowhere. What if this was my destiny, to relive this ‘today’ until I got it right? Or perhaps I was just losing my mind, spiraling into madness one repeated day at a time—

Nah, that couldn’t be. How in the hell was I to stop this madness within a day? And alone at that too? If the attack was in a few days’ time, maybe I had a shot. I could get some real help, like Uncle Dane. A message to him and he would ride here with his forces to stop Catherine and her soldiers by noon tomorrow. Uncle Dane would surely trust me. I bet my life he would. But the reality was that I only had until this evening to solve this difficult situation. Darn it. Why did it have to be so close?

Whoever brought me back never thought of bringing me at least a day earlier. My father would be around. If he didn’t believe my story, my mom would at least back me up, telling him that maybe I received a sort of premonition or something similar. I might bring Alice to my side just so my father would listen to me.

I halted and took a deep breath. The estate grounds, a place where so many memories had been created by my family, now felt like the setting of a tragic play whose story I couldn’t change. Even the trees and trimmed hedges, not to mention the buildings that stood so proudly on the estate, seemed tainted by the encroaching menace. I tried to shake away the feeling of growing concern, telling myself I had been in danger before. This… this felt different.

About to resume my path, I paused again and twisted around. Something was not right. There, a few yards away, was Aiden, staring at me in disbelief. He must have used some skill to hide his presence, thinking he could come up on me unnoticed. Sorry, Aiden, it’s not that your skill is weak, but I knew our meeting beforehand.

I almost threw my arms around him the way I had done with Alistair, but then I thought better of it. Aiden was alive when Catherine killed me. And besides, in some small way, I believed the crisis at hand was partially his fault for ever becoming engaged to that scheming woman in the first place. Why couldn’t he just have picked a nice noble lady from some other house? Surely the choices were many. He was charming and handsome, though not as much as me. But still, which lady would be stupid enough to turn him down?

What did he really see in that crazy woman? Oh! That skimpy dress she wore on the rooftop. No wonder he found her irresistible. She was undoubtedly attractive, a hazardous kind of allurement that could bring any guy down. Even I had felt sexually aroused… I mean distracted. But the punch to the groin and any kind of attraction I felt vanished like smoke. She was indeed a viper. Her temptation was just one of her traps.

“Alex,” Aiden called out, snapping me back to reality. “About—”

I raised my hand to stop him from continuing further. “I know, I know. I’m sorry I didn’t show up for the farewell gathering last night. I got wasted in town and lost track of time. I don’t even remember coming back.” I paused. “And yes, I know that—” Shoot, I almost let slip ‘sexy bitch,’ out of my lips. Seriously, I needed to get the image of her in that outfit out of my head. “—that your fiancée Catherine is coming. And I’ll try to be present at the lunch reception and be more friendly with her.” My mind screamed against attending that function, knowing what would happen, but I couldn’t let this conversation drag on.

Aiden appeared surprised, clearly caught off guard that I knew so much. “Did Alistair fill you in on all this?” he asked, squinting his eyes at me.

“Uh-huh,” I lied again. “Look, I need to make a trip into town for some personal matter. I’ll be back before lunch.”

Aiden nodded, still looking bemused. “Sure thing, Alex. Thanks.”

With that, I spun on my heels and continued walking to the estate gate. Now for the thing that mattered most. I had to think of a plan, and fast, to stop the attack on the estate. I couldn’t expect Uncle Dane’s help; that wasn’t workable. There had to be something more immediate that I could do. Maybe while in town, I could learn more about Catherine’s plans. Or perhaps find someone who would listen to this mess. Jitters might inspire me to think of a few possible ways to solve this difficult problem. He understood my thinking and was the only trusted ally I could depend upon, even though he was a cat.

To begin with, I had to find out if today was going to be a repeat of yesterday. At least that’s how it felt. Like I’d been plunked down in the middle of a script, and my job was to identify all the repeat scenes.

First up was the old man at the market, engaged in a stubborn tug-of-war with his mule. The mule seemed as gritty to ruin the old man’s morning as the old man was to get it moving. I just stood there, trying to gauge how much of yesterday’s routine would replay itself.

Don’t worry, old man. If today’s a repeat, your grandson will come and help. As soon as I thought that, a young boy came, clutching a handful of oats. The mule’s ears perked up at the sight, and after a moment of sniffing, it relented and started scampering along obediently. The old man ruffled the boy’s hair, and that occasioned a fit of giggles. They walked together, the mule now willing.

I passed through the touching scene. I couldn’t afford to waste time enjoying the small victories. At the next spot, a middle-aged merchant struggled with a stack of crates on a rickety cart. Negotiating a turn, the top box swayed dangerously before falling onto the ground. Apples rolled in every direction. But wait for it, and before long, a group of kids came charging in. They swarmed the apples, gathering them up and tossing them back into the crate. Two down, one to go.

I paced toward the last location where the next scene would unfold. On cue, a small scrappy dog darted through the streets, chasing a pack of laughing children. An elderly woman carrying a basket of eggs was directly in the dog’s path. Don’t worry, ma’am, your eggs will be safe.

Before I could blink, the dog was upon the lady and nearly bowled her over. She cursed at the tiny troublemaker, shaking a bony fist at him. But the dog was oblivious to his near-creation of a disaster. He just kept on running, ears a-flapping, as he re-entered the chase after the children.

Three for three. Everything confirmed. It was really turning out to be that kind of day. Now I just had one more task. My meeting with Jitters. I made my way toward my last stop. I needed his encouragement, or at the very least, his company. With the day recounting like a rerun, every bit of help was crucial as I steered through this inexplicable reality.