I want to take a moment to apologize for the state of today’s chapter. It was released in a half-edited, half–rough draft condition, and that is not the quality I want to give any of you. You deserve better than that, and I’m genuinely sorry.

  The last few weeks have been extremely demanding. I have worked three seventy-hour weeks in a row, on top of normal day-to-day life and family responsibilities. I thought I could push through, finish the edits in time, and keep everything on schedule. Instead, I ended up completely exhausted. I sat down to take a short break before finishing the chapter and ended up passing out. When I woke up, the release timer had already triggered, and the chapter had gone live as it was.

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  That is entirely my fault.

  I should have adjusted the release schedule, or at the very least communicated the delay ahead of time. I never want to release something that feels unfinished or sloppy, especially when so many of you have been so patient and supportive throughout the rewrite process.

  I will be fully editing the chapter and re-releasing the proper version tomorrow at 10 AM EST. The corrected version will replace the one currently posted, and it will reflect the quality I expect of myself.

  Thank you for your understanding, and thank you for sticking with the story even when life hits harder than expected. Your support means more than I can express.