As Eli glanced to the side, his heart clenched, and he froze in place. There, standing just outside the washroom in the dimly lit corridor, was Alex. His presence felt almost unnatural, as if the air around him had thickened with an unspoken tension. Alex's face was shadowed, his expression unreadable, but the weight of his gaze bore down on Eli like a silent demand. The unease coiled tightly in Eli's chest, the dread of what this could mean flooding his mind.
His first thought was panic—the loop hadn't started again yet, had it? His heart raced, his mind jumping to every possibility, but after a quick check of his surroundings, he calmed just enough to take a breath. No, it hadn't started. Not yet, at least. But that didn't explain why Alex was standing there, waiting in the silence, his presence heavy with something Eli couldn't quite place.
Before Eli could even find his voice to ask why Alex was here, the silence was broken. Alex spoke first, his tone deep and serious, leaving no room for argument.
"Let's go somewhere quiet," he said, his voice low but firm, almost commanding. The tone sent a shiver down Eli's spine, as if refusing wasn't even an option. Without waiting for a response, Alex turned and began walking toward the staircase at the end of the hall, his footsteps echoing in the otherwise empty space.
Eli stood frozen for a moment, trying to grasp what was happening. What did Alex want? Why now? The dread, though somewhat contained, still pulsed in the back of his mind. There was something off about all of this. Still, Eli nodded slowly, more out of habit than agreement, and began following behind.
Each step felt heavier than the last, as if he was being led toward something inevitable. His thoughts raced, turning over the possibilities. Was Alex onto something? Could he have figured it out? Eli's mind spun through every encounter they'd had recently, trying to pinpoint anything that could have given him away. Or was this something else entirely? The unknown gnawed at him.
The quietness of the school only heightened the tension. Eli could feel his heartbeat in his ears, his palms growing slightly damp. As they ascended the stairs, he mentally prepared himself for whatever might come next, trying to steel his nerves. But no amount of preparation would ease the discomfort building inside him. He had learned from experience that, in situations like this, nothing ever went as expected. The unpredictability of Alex's demeanor didn't help.
Still, there was no turning back now. Eli couldn't help but wonder what exactly awaited him as they reached the end of the stairs.
Alex led Eli towards the edge of the rooftop, his gaze fixed on the sky as if lost in deep thought. The wind was gentle, carrying a sense of calm, but Eli couldn't shake the unease creeping up inside him. He waited for a few seconds, expecting Alex to speak, but the silence lingered.
Finally, trying to keep his voice steady, Eli broke the silence. "What's up? Why did you bring me here? Ten minutes have already passed, and we should go eat our lunch."
Alex turned to face Eli, his expression serious but not answering the question directly. What he said next hit Eli like a brick, shocking him into silence.
"So, we're inside a loop."
Eli blinked, utterly confused. His heart skipped a beat as he tried to process what Alex had just said. How could Alex know? Eli was sure the loop hadn't restarted. The world around them felt unchanged. His mind raced as he stared at Alex, who seemed dead serious.
Seeing Eli's confusion, Alex sighed, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he released some tension. His face softened, slipping back into his usual demeanor. "I really thought we were in a time loop," he said with a hint of relief, "but judging from your expression, it seems I jumped to an absurd conclusion."
Eli stood there, even more confused, but slowly the pieces began to fit together. Alex had considered the possibility of a time loop but hadn't been fully convinced of his own theory.
Eli quickly tried to play it off, adopting a playful tone to mask his nerves. "What makes you think we're in a time loop? That's just… absurd."
Alex glanced at Eli, clearly not amused by the attempt at humor. His eyes narrowed slightly as he replied, "Well, when you asked Leo about Class D, which doesn't exist, it got me thinking. Both the first and third years have four classes, from A to D. Yet, our second year only has three. We even have an empty classroom. Don't you think that's odd?"
Eli's breath caught in his throat. He swallowed hard, trying to maintain his composure as Alex continued.
"And when you started talking about your... 'game,'" Alex said, his eyes locking onto Eli's, "I seriously thought we were stuck in a time loop."
Eli's heart pounded in his chest. Just from those small details, Alex had pieced together what had taken Eli three whole loops to grasp. His palms grew clammy as the weight of the situation pressed down on him. How close had Alex come to uncovering the truth?
He forced himself to smile, his mind racing to come up with something that would shift Alex's attention. "A time loop, huh? That's pretty far-fetched, even for you, Alex."
But inside, Eli knew that this moment had brought them dangerously close to the truth, and the fact that Alex had noticed something off meant that things were getting more complicated than Eli had anticipated.
Eli waited for Alex to say something, but Alex just stared at him, unblinking, with an intensity that made the minutes feel like an eternity. Just when Eli was about to lose his composure, Alex finally broke the silence.
"Something is really wrong," Alex said slowly, his voice low. "I can tell that much, Eli. But I can also tell you can't say anything about it... at least, not directly. Is someone threatening you?"
Without thinking, Eli replied, "No!" The response was too quick—too forced. He immediately realized how unconvincing he must have sounded.
Alex's brows furrowed deeper. "So someone is threatening you?"
Eli's mind raced, scrambling for a way to dispel the misunderstanding without revealing the truth about the time loop. Then, an idea struck him. Why am I trying to fix this misunderstanding? he thought. I can use this to my advantage.
After a pause, Eli spoke again, his voice hesitant, giving the impression of vulnerability. "Something did happen." It wasn't a lie—something had indeed happened. How Alex chose to interpret it would be up to him.
Alex's frown deepened, and his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Who?" It was just one word, but Eli could feel the weight behind it. He knew Alex was prepared to fight anyone who hurt him.
Eli sighed, touched by his friend's protective instinct, but brute force wasn't the solution here. If it were that simple, the previous looper wouldn't have failed. And even after failing, she would have chosen Alex over him, but she hadn't.
Eli quickly thought of a way to handle the situation. After a moment, he spoke carefully. "I need some time to think. How about we talk about this after school?" He hoped that by then Alex would forget everything but he also knew Alex wasn't someone who would just let this go.
The loop would reset at 6 PM if Eli's guess was right. At that point even if Alex find out the truth it won't be much of a problem and this entire conversation would become irrelevant. And if it didn't reset, well, he could always think of a way to misguide Alex later. It wasn't the first time they'd lied to each other to mess around.
Alex was quiet for a while, clearly weighing his options, then finally nodded. "Okay."
Before leaving, he met Eli's eyes one last time, his expression softening. "Whatever's happening, just remember—I'm here for you. Same goes for Leo."
Eli blinked, swallowing hard to push back the tears welling up in his eyes. He wanted to tell Alex everything—about the loop, the vanishing people, the crushing weight of responsibility. But he couldn't. It was impossible. Instead, he forced a smile and whispered, "Can you go first? I need some time to think."
Alex gave a final nod before turning around. As he reached the door to the rooftop, he glanced back one last time, as if silently offering reassurance, then disappeared down the stairs.
Eli stood alone, his emotions swirling. As much as he appreciated Alex's concern, there was no easy way out of this. The weight of the loop still rested squarely on his shoulders.
"I was really careless," Eli thought in frustration. He rubbed his temples, trying to ease the tension building up. I was so focused on Leo solving the problem that I completely forgot how sharp Alex is.
The encounter with Alex had been too close. Eli could feel the pressure mounting, knowing that Alex had already started piecing things together. I have to drop the game now, he thought grimly. I can't give him any more clues, or else the loop might restart prematurely. He let out a slow, frustrated breath. It was clear by now that he wouldn't be able to finish everything within this restart. He needed more time.
Although the thought of people disappearing weighed heavily on him, Eli shook his head, trying to push away the guilt. There's nothing I can do about it. It's not my fault we're trapped here. He repeated the thought to himself, hoping it would ease the burden, but the guilt clung stubbornly, refusing to let go.
The previous looper must have left something—some way to bring everyone back, Eli reasoned, hoping that was true. The memory of the past looper, their desperation, and their failure loomed over him like a shadow. But that didn't mean he would fail too. There has to be a way.
Still, the fear gnawed at him. He just hoped, above all else, that none of his close friends would disappear before he found a solution. The thought of losing Alex, Leo, or anyone he cared about was unbearable.
Eli sighed, knowing he had to focus on the bigger picture, but the creeping dread wouldn't leave him. There was too much at stake.
Eli considered heading to the canteen for lunch, but quickly dismissed the idea. More than 20 minutes had already passed—there was no way he could make it there, eat, and return before the next class started. Even if he could, he wasn't in the mood for food. His mind was racing, tangled with the conversation with Alex, the time loop, and everything that had gone wrong so far.
No point rushing down there, he thought. I'll just stay here for 10 more minutes.
He leaned against the rooftop railing, the cool breeze brushing against his skin as he closed his eyes, trying to organize his thoughts. He needed to calm down, to figure out his next steps. His plan had already started to unravel, and with each loop, the pressure grew. I have to keep my head straight.
But the weight of the situation was pressing in on him. The feeling of being trapped, of watching people disappear while he scrambled to find answers—it was suffocating. I need more time. The thought echoed in his head like a desperate prayer.
Still, this is really odd, Eli thought, narrowing his eyes. In the previous loop, just telling Mia about Rose—along with revealing the loop—had been enough to trigger a restart. Yet this time, even though Alex had deduced the entire class D had disappeared, which they really had, the loop didn't restart. What's the difference?
He thought back to the situations and quickly found a possible explanation. Mia's been friends with Rose for almost five years, he reasoned. Knowing about Rose's existence probably made her question her memory, filling in the gaps. Maybe that's why the loop triggered—it caused too much cognitive dissonance. Alex, on the other hand, didn't even have friends in their class aside from Eli and Leo, let alone anyone from class D. Without any deep connections or emotional ties, there probably weren't enough gaps for him to notice. He ultimately didn't trust his own suspicions, brushing them off as absurd.
This is weirder than I thought, Eli mused. I assumed that when people vanished, everyone's memories were fully altered to erase them. But that's not it. The memories are mostly intact—just missing the person themselves. It's as if, until I bring it up, people don't focus on the inconsistencies.
He rubbed his temple, the complexity of the loop becoming clearer but more frustrating. So, it's not just erasing them from existence. It's messing with our perception, keeping us from noticing what's gone until someone forces us to look closer. That meant the game he was playing with this loop was even more dangerous than he had realized.
That begged the question—why hadn't Mia or Leo figured it out like Alex? Eli thought, quickly finding the answer. They didn't take things seriously. Although Eli wasn't too thrilled about not being taken seriously, in this case, it was a good thing. Unlike Alex, Leo had a lot of friends in the class—his buddy from the soccer club was in class D, after all. If Leo had taken him seriously, the loop would have restarted immediately. He was probably too focused on the upcoming exam. As for Mia, Eli had already seen what happened to her in the previous loop.
Eli then replayed his conversation with Alex. For him to jump to the conclusion that I'm being threatened like that... I wonder why. He suddenly realized he didn't know much about Alex's past, which was strange considering how close they were.
He shook his head, clearing away the curiosity. I'll ask him after the loop ends, he thought, shelving it for later.
His mind drifted back to the game. In the next loop, I have to act normal from the start, make sure no one suspects it's anything more than a game. That was crucial. Letting the game slip again might be too dangerous.
Eli spent a few more minutes pondering different things, organizing his thoughts. When he felt enough time had passed, he stood up, took a deep breath, and started heading back to class.
As Eli left the rooftop, something caught his eye—a crow sitting silently on the very spot of the railing he'd been leaning on. He paused for a moment, surprised that he hadn't noticed the bird earlier. It sat still, its dark eyes glinting as it observed him.
How long had it been there? Eli wondered, shaking his head in disbelief. He'd been so focused on the loop, the strange events unfolding around him, that he'd completely missed the bird's presence. Good thing it didn't decide to take a dump on me, he thought with a wry smile.
With that, Eli dismissed the crow and made his way downstairs, ready to face whatever awaited him next.
As Eli hurried toward class, he noticed Mr. Jenkins, his history teacher, already entering the room. Panic surged through him—he had taken too long on the rooftop. Without wasting time, Eli ran toward the door, slipping inside just after Mr. Jenkins had positioned himself at the front.
"Good afternoon, sir," Eli echoed along with the rest of the class.
Mr. Jenkins, with his usual stoic expression, turned his gaze toward Eli. "You are late, Mr. Croft."
Of course, he's using my last name, Eli thought, inwardly cursing himself. Whenever Mr. Jenkins addressed students by their last names, it usually meant a lecture was about to follow. Quickly, Eli scrambled for an excuse, knowing it would likely do little to save him from the reprimand. "Sir, I had a sick stomach," he blurted out.
To his surprise, Mr. Jenkins simply nodded. "You can go back."
That was it. No lecture. No stern reminders of punctuality. Just a nod. Eli stood there for a moment, dumbstruck. This is odd. Did something happen to him? Or maybe... is he even Mr. Jenkins? Eli's mind raced, searching for explanations. Or is it the loop doing something?
Shaking off his confusion, Eli returned to his seat. As soon as he sat down, Leo leaned over and asked, "What took you so long? I didn't see you or Alex in the canteen."
Before Eli could respond, Alex smoothly interjected, "We were talking about a problem of mine on the rooftop. Eli had an upset stomach, so he came back late."
Eli was quietly impressed by Alex's ability to lie so easily, weaving the story together without hesitation.
Leo, though interested, simply nodded. "What were you guys talking about?"
"Later," Alex replied, cutting the conversation short with a tone that brooked no argument.
Leo grumbled but didn't press further, leaving the topic to rest. And so, the last class of the day dragged on, with Eli's mind entirely preoccupied with how he would misguide Alex and keep him from digging too deep. Every passing minute seemed to intensify the pressure of the loop, and Eli could feel the weight of time ticking away, threatening to collapse the delicate balance he was trying to maintain.
Finally, the bell rang, marking the end of the last class. The usual flurry of students packing up filled the room, but Eli's focus was on one thing: Alex. He stood, preparing to approach him and deliver the carefully constructed lie that he had spent most of the class crafting. He was determined to mislead Alex just enough to prevent him from asking more questions, keeping the truth of the loop hidden for now.
But as soon as he neared Alex's desk, his friend unexpectedly stood up and wrapped his arms around Eli, pulling him into a firm hug.
Eli stiffened, momentarily taken aback. Before he could react, he felt something soft and crinkly pressed between them. Confetti? Eli's mind raced. Wait, what...?
Before he could piece it together, the entire classroom suddenly burst into cheers.
"Happy birthday, Eli!"
Eli's eyes widened in surprise. For a moment, he was completely caught off guard. It wasn't the celebration itself that shocked him—he had already experienced this in the first loop, before everything had spiraled out of control. No, what truly stunned him was how he had forgotten about it. My birthday.
The stress of the loop, the constant dread of people disappearing, and the weight of keeping everything secret had consumed him so entirely that the fact that today was his birthday had completely slipped his mind. He could hardly believe it, standing there surrounded by friends, with everyone cheering and smiling at him. For a moment, guilt flickered in his chest. How could he have forgotten?
But that feeling didn't last long. As he took in the scene around him, a genuine smile finally broke through the tension on his face. Despite everything that had happened, despite all the worry and fear, there was a sense of warmth in seeing his friends celebrate like this. They had no idea of the time loop or the strange events plaguing him, yet here they were, unknowingly providing him a brief moment of respite from the chaos. No wonder Mr Jenkins did say anything Eli mused.
The birthday celebration unfolded much like it had the first time around. There was cake, laughter, and the usual jokes that only close friends could share. The familiarity of it all brought a strange comfort to Eli, though he noticed some subtle differences this time around.
Alex, in particular, seemed even more quieter than usual. Eli wondered if Alex was still worried about their earlier conversation on the rooftop. The notion gnawed at him, but he pushed it aside for now, deciding not to let it cloud the moment. There would be time to deal with Alex later.
Finally, the time for gift-giving arrived, and Eli instinctively braced himself. He already knew what was coming—this part had played out in the previous loop, too. Yet, despite that knowledge, the moment still felt significant.
Mia stepped forward, holding out a neatly wrapped box. The bright blue ribbon tied around it stood out against the plain wrapping paper, and Eli couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu. It was the exact same gift she had given him before.
With a slight nod of thanks, he took the box from her, feeling its surprising weight in his hands. The heft of it felt a bit unusual for a birthday present, but he knew what it was without even opening it.
"Go on, open it already!" Leo called from behind, leaning forward eagerly, a wide grin on his face.
Eli smiled and shook his head at Leo's enthusiasm. Some things never change.
Slowly, he began untying the ribbon, savoring the brief normalcy of the moment. He pulled apart the paper to reveal the gift inside: a sleek leather journal, just as it had been in the first loop. The smooth texture of the leather under his fingertips felt familiar, almost comforting in a way. His initials, "E.C.," were embossed in small, elegant gold letters on the front cover, adding a personal touch that Eli had appreciated last time as well.
He opened the journal, flipping through the thick, pristine pages. The feel of the paper, the fresh smell of leather—it was all exactly as he remembered. He found himself smiling softly, grateful for the thoughtfulness of the gift. Even though the weight of the loop still pressed on him, this moment of normalcy felt like a small breath of fresh air in the midst of chaos.
But then, as Eli absentmindedly turned through the pages, something caught his eye.
About halfway through the journal, there was writing on one of the pages.
His breath caught in his throat.
Wait…
He hadn't written anything in the journal yet. No one should have. He stared at the page, his eyes narrowing in confusion. Then, curiosity got the better of him, and he leaned in closer to read the words.
"I must collect all five diaries."
Eli's heart nearly stopped.
His pulse quickened as he scanned the words again, disbelief washing over him. The message itself was cryptic and bizarre, but that wasn't what froze him in place.
No, it was something far worse.
The handwriting.
It was unmistakably his own.