The Glitch

That night, a storm rolled in.

The wind howled around the cottage, rattling the windowpanes. Jax lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Maya was asleep beside him, her breathing steady and deep.

Jax felt a vibration. A low, thrumming hum.

At first, he thought it was the wind. But then the sound changed. It became a high-pitched whine. An electronic beep.

*Beep. Beep. Beep.*

It sounded like the security alarm in the penthouse.

The room flickered. For a second, the floral wallpaper dissolved into grey slate. The warmth of the duvet turned into the cold slickness of leather.

"No," Jax whispered. He grabbed Maya’s hand. It felt solid.

Then it flickered. Her hand turned into mist, then back to flesh.

The dream was ending. The timeline was correcting itself.

"Maya!" Jax shook her. "Maya, wake up!"

Maya stirred, sleepy and warm. "Jax? What’s wrong?"

"I'm losing it," Jax said, panic clawing at his throat. "I'm slipping. Maya, listen to me. I'm not... I'm not the man you think I am."

Maya sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"No, this is the dream!" Jax shouted. Tears streamed down his face. "This life. You. Leo. It’s all a dream. I’m still back there. In the tower. I’m the asshole who called you boring. I’m the guy who drinks alone."

The beeping got louder. The walls of the cottage were becoming translucent, revealing the neon lights of the LA skyline behind them.

"I don't deserve this," Jax sobbed. "I’m selfish. I’m broken. I can't be a father. I can't be a husband."

Maya didn't look at the dissolving walls. She looked at him. Her gaze was steady, anchoring him even as the world fell apart.

She grabbed his face with both hands.

"Stop it," she commanded. Her voice echoed, layering over itself. "You aren't him anymore. You chose this."

"I haven't chosen it yet!" Jax cried. "I don't know if I can!"

"You can," Maya said fiercely. "You just have to make the choice. It’s not a big gesture, Jax. It’s just breakfast. It’s just asking me to stay."

The white light of the penthouse began to bleed through the floorboards. The smell of cinnamon was being replaced by the smell of stale vodka.

"I don't want to go back," Jax whispered, clinging to her wrists. "It’s so cold there."

"Then bring the warmth with you," Maya said. She leaned in, her forehead resting against his. "Find me, Jax. I’m right there. I’ve always been right there."

"Maya—"

"Wake up, Jax," she whispered. "Wake up and ask me."

The world dissolved into blinding white static.

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