Echoes Across Time

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER ONE: THE LAST ENCORE

THIRD PERSON POV

The lights of the Manila skyline sparkled like a sea of stars as the sound of cheering fans echoed through the grand stadium. Stella Cruz stood in the heart of it all, her glittering dress catching the spotlight as she waved to the crowd, her smile hiding the exhaustion that gnawed at her bones. The roar of adoration was deafening, but inside, she felt a hollow emptiness. The glamour, the fame, the endless cycle of performances—it had taken its toll.

As the final notes of her latest hit faded away, Stella took a deep breath, soaking in the adoration of thousands of fans. The closing chords reverberated through the stadium, but her mind was elsewhere. It was on him. Knox David. The enigmatic superstar who had captured the hearts of millions, including her own, long before she had ever stepped onto a stage.

Stella had been just another girl in a small town when Knox David’s music had first filled her life. She remembered the day vividly—a rainy afternoon, a broken leg, and a lonely room. The accident had crushed her dreams of becoming a dancer, but the radio had brought her solace. Knox's voice had been a lifeline, his songs a beacon of hope in her darkest days.

As the curtains fell and the audience's cheers turned into a distant hum, Stella made her way backstage. Her manager, Marco, was waiting with a clipboard, rattling off her upcoming commitments. Photoshoots, interviews, rehearsals—it never ended. She nodded absentmindedly, her thoughts drifting to the news she had received just hours before.

Knox David, the man whose music had saved her, was dead.

The headline had hit her like a truck. A tragic accident, they said. A life cut short at the height of his career. Stella had felt the world shift beneath her feet, the ground suddenly unstable. She had lost many things in her life, but this felt different. This felt like losing a piece of her soul.

Marco’s voice broke through her reverie. "Stella, are you listening?"

"Yeah, sorry," she replied, forcing a smile. "Just a bit tired."

"Well, you deserve a break after that performance. We have a week off before the next gig in Seoul. Use the time to rest."

Rest. The word sounded foreign to her. For years, her life had been a relentless grind, and now, with the news of Knox’s death, rest seemed even more elusive. But she nodded, more for Marco's benefit than her own. She needed to be alone, to process, to grieve.

Later that night, in the quiet of her penthouse suite, Stella sat by the window, staring out at the city lights. She clutched an old, worn-out CD—Knox David's first album. She remembered how she had saved up her allowance to buy it, how she had listened to it on repeat, finding comfort in every note, every lyric.

The tears came unbidden, and she let them fall. For the boy she had never met, for the man who had never known how much he had meant to her. Knox's music had been her sanctuary, and now it felt like she had lost a friend.

"Why did you have to go?" she whispered into the night, her voice breaking.

The answer came not in words, but in a wave of exhaustion that pulled her under. As sleep claimed her, Stella's last thoughts were of Knox, of his smile, his voice, and the ache of a love that could never be.

---

Stella awoke to the sound of birds chirping. Disoriented, she blinked against the sunlight streaming through the window. This wasn’t her penthouse. She was in a small, familiar room, the walls adorned with posters of Knox David. She sat up, heart pounding. This was her old bedroom, the one she had left behind years ago.

“What the…?” she muttered, looking around in bewilderment.

Her reflection in the mirror caught her eye. She looked younger, much younger. Panic set in as she scrambled to find her phone, but it was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she found an old flip phone, one she hadn't seen in years.

With trembling hands, she opened the calendar. The date read May 29, 2010.

“No way,” she whispered. “This can’t be real.”

But it was. Somehow, inexplicably, she had been transported back fourteen years into her past. She was seventeen again, on the cusp of her senior year of high school. And Knox David… Knox was still alive.

The realization hit her like a tidal wave. She had a chance, a miraculous second chance. She could save him. But how? What could she, a teenage girl, possibly do to change the future?

She had no answers, but she knew she had to try. Driven by an unyielding determination, Stella vowed to find Knox David, to warn him, to protect him. She didn’t know how she would do it, but she had to try. For him. For herself.

---

The bustling corridors of North Ridge High School were a stark contrast to the life Stella had left behind. Gone were the screaming fans and flashing cameras, replaced by the familiar sounds of lockers slamming and students chattering. Stella walked through the hallways in a daze, the enormity of her situation weighing heavily on her.

She spotted her best friend, Mia, by her locker. Mia looked exactly as Stella remembered—energetic, bubbly, and always ready with a smile. Seeing her friend brought a rush of emotions, and Stella had to blink back tears.

"Hey, Stella!" Mia called, waving her over. "You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Stella replied, forcing a smile. "Just a rough morning."

Mia frowned. "You sure? You seem... different."

Different. If only she knew. Stella managed a laugh. "Just tired, I guess. Long night studying."

Mia rolled her eyes. "Typical Stella. Come on, we’re going to be late for homeroom."

As they walked together, Stella’s mind was racing. She needed to find Knox, but she had no idea how to start. She knew he was a senior at Eastwood High, the school across town. It was only a short bus ride away, but skipping school would raise too many questions. She had to find another way.

The day dragged on, each class a blur as Stella plotted her next move. By lunchtime, she had a plan. She would visit Eastwood High after school, find Knox, and figure out what to do next. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

The final bell rang, and Stella hurried out of the building, making her way to the bus stop. The ride to Eastwood High felt interminable, her nerves growing with each passing minute. When she finally arrived, the sight of the school brought a pang of nostalgia. She had never been a student here, but she had visited often enough, back when she had dreamed of being a dancer.

She wandered the campus, feeling out of place among the sea of unfamiliar faces. It wasn’t until she reached the music room that she heard it—a familiar melody, played on the piano. Her heart skipped a beat. She followed the sound, peering through the window of the door.

There he was. Knox David, eighteen years old, with the same tousled hair and intense expression she remembered. He was lost in his music, oblivious to the world around him. For a moment, Stella just watched, overwhelmed by the sight of him alive and well.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open. Knox looked up, startled. "Hey, who are you?" he asked, his voice wary.

Stella’s mind raced. What could she say? How could she explain?

"I'm Stella," she began, her voice trembling. "I... I’m a huge fan. Your music means a lot to me."

Knox raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, but how did you get in here?"

Stella hesitated, then decided to take a leap of faith. "I need to talk to you. It’s important. Can we go somewhere private?"

Knox frowned, but something in her expression must have convinced him. He nodded, standing up. "Okay. Let’s go to the courtyard."

They walked in silence, Stella’s heart pounding. When they reached the courtyard, Knox turned to her, his eyes curious and cautious. "So, what’s this about?"

Stella took a deep breath. "This is going to sound crazy, but you have to believe me. I’m from the future. Fourteen years from now. And you... you’re going to die."

Knox stared at her, stunned. "What? Are you messing with me?"

"No," Stella insisted, tears welling up. "I know it sounds insane, but it’s true. I don’t know how, but I’ve been sent back to save you."

Knox shook his head, looking bewildered. "This is ridiculous. Why should I believe you?"

"Because," Stella said, her voice breaking, "I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. Your music saved me when I was at my lowest. And now, I have a chance to save you."

For a long moment, Knox just looked at her, searching her eyes for any hint of deception. Finally, he sighed. "I don’t know what to think, but if you’re telling the truth, we need to figure this out."

Relief flooded through Stella. She had taken the first step. Now, she just had to find a way to change the future, to save the man who had given her so much.