Chapter 40: The Thirty-Second Big Mistake
Chapter 40 - The Thirty-Second Big Mistake
The battle was over.
The storm had passed.
And for the first time in countless lifetimes—
Time was moving forward.
Step Four Hundred and Twenty-Seven: Face the Unknown.
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Step Four Hundred and Twenty-Eight: Salem's Silence
Salem stood frozen.
The rage was gone.
The hatred was gone.
All that remained—
Was shock.
She had spent centuries believing she was unstoppable.
That Ozpin's death was inevitable.
That the world would always repeat.
But now?
The loop was broken.
Step Four Hundred and Twenty-Nine: She Doesn't Know What to Do.
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Step Four Hundred and Thirty: The Shift
For the first time—
She felt the weight of time again.
A creeping, distant sensation.
Something she hadn't felt in thousands of years.
Something long forgotten.
Mortality.
Step Four Hundred and Thirty-One: The Curse Is Weakening.
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Step Four Hundred and Thirty-Two: Ozpin's Choice
Ozpin stood across from her, watching.
There was no gloating.
No mockery.
No final blow.
He had won.
But victory was never the goal.
Step Four Hundred and Thirty-Three: The War Ends Here.
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Step Four Hundred and Thirty-Four: Salem's Last Question
She staggered back.
"You…" she whispered. "You knew this would happen."
Ozpin shook his head. "No. I didn't."
Step Four Hundred and Thirty-Five: He Had No Plan for This.
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Step Four Hundred and Thirty-Six: The Last Words Between Them
Salem's eyes burned.
Not with rage.
But with something else.
Something far more painful.
"Then why?"
Ozpin exhaled.
"Because someone had to stop playing the game."
Step Four Hundred and Thirty-Seven: He Set Them Both Free.
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Step Four Hundred and Thirty-Eight: The Parting
The air felt different.
The world was new.
And in the stillness, Ozpin turned away.
Leaving Salem alone.
For the first time.
With no war.
With no enemy.
With nothing left but herself.
Step Four Hundred and Thirty-Nine: Let Her Decide Her Own Future.