My heart pounds so hard I swear it's trying to break out of my chest. The sound fills my ears, drowning out the voices around me. The director places a firm hand on my shoulder.
"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice steady yet laced with concern.
But I can't answer. I stumble back, shaking his hand off as my mind replays the horrors I'd just experienced—or imagined? No, it was too vivid. I felt the pain, the fear, the suffocating dread.
Turbo's voice cuts through the chaos in my head. "Your Majesty, your adrenaline levels are rising astronomically fast. Is everything all right?"
I clench my fists, my voice trembling as I respond, "You can see my memories, right? Look into them. What did you see?"
Turbo hums for a moment, his orb-like form flickering faintly. "I just scanned your memories. There's nothing out of the ordinary."
My breathing quickens. No one else seems to remember what happened—or maybe they never experienced it at all. Was I losing my mind?
The voices of my companions swirl around me like a storm, their words jumbled and indistinct. I can't focus. My pulse thunders in my ears, and I feel like I'm being pulled underwater.
"Kael!" Ren's voice breaks through the haze. He grabs my arm, dragging me toward the SUV.
The motion snaps me out of my thoughts just enough to realize we're already in the car, the engine humming as the director drives us down the dark city streets. The towering buildings blur past us, their lights glinting like stars in the night.
I glance out the window, and my stomach drops. My voice shakes as I speak. "Director, don't go that way. I, uh… I heard on the news that the road's blocked off—something about a water pipe bursting."
The director frowns but nods. "All right. We'll take another route."
He turns the car around, and the knot in my chest loosens just slightly. But my heart refuses to calm down.
"Director," I say hesitantly, breaking the tense silence. "Can you use magic?"
He chuckles lightly, his tone surprisingly casual. "Yeah, of course. I'm not just some rookie."
Before I can press him for more answers, the car slows to a stop. We've arrived.
The Ramen shop is small and unassuming, tucked away in a quiet corner of the city. As we pile out of the SUV, I can't shake the unease clawing at my gut. The director pats my shoulder reassuringly as we step inside.
The shop smells warm and inviting, the savory aroma of broth filling the air. A couple sits at a table to the left, and an old man nurses a bowl at the bar. The atmosphere feels normal. Too normal.
We take our seats, the others chatting casually as the chef prepares our orders behind the counter. I try to focus on the present, to convince myself that everything is fine.
But my gut screams otherwise.
Suddenly, pain explodes in my face. My vision blurs, and I scream as I clutch my eye. Something sharp—a chopstick?—has been jammed into it.
I tumble backward onto the floor, writhing in agony. "What the hell is going on?!"
Before anyone can react, the old man at the bar moves with inhuman speed. He grabs the director by the head and slams him against the counter. The couple by the door stands, blocking the exit.
Panic erupts.
Ixtli and Ren draw their guns, firing at the couple, while the three girls rush to help the director. The old man leaps over the counter, tackling the chef to the ground.
But it's not over.
The sound of heavy footsteps echoes through the room, and my blood turns to ice. I know those footsteps.
"No… no, no, no…" I mutter, my voice barely audible over the chaos.
The director's voice cuts through the commotion. "RUN!"
But before we can move, he's gone.
A single punch from the red-eyed man reduces the director to a smear of blood and bone against the wall.
I scream, grabbing Ixtli and Ren with one hand while reaching out for someone—anyone—with the other. But it's too late. The red-eyed man grabs my arm, his grip crushing.
"GO!" Ren yells, pulling me with all his strength. The force rips my arm clean off, and I collapse to the floor, screaming in pain.
I watch in horror as the red-eyed man uses my severed arm to slaughter my roommates and the three girls. Blood splatters across the walls as their lifeless bodies fall.
Ixtli and Ren drag me toward the back exit, but my strength is fading fast. The pain is unbearable, and my vision swims.
We barely make it to the door before the red-eyed man appears in front of us, blocking our path. His smile is wide and cruel.
I collapse, my legs giving out beneath me. The loss of blood is too much.
"Kael, get up!" Ixtli yells, shaking me.
But I can't. I watch helplessly as the red-eyed man grabs my two friends, smashing their heads together with a sickening crunch.
Their bodies drop to the ground, lifeless.
The man turns to me, his piercing red eyes locking onto mine. He laughs—a deep, guttural sound that sends shivers down my spine.
Then he kicks me, and I feel my ribs shatter. The world spins, and I know this is it.
I'm going to die. Again.
[Crow sounds]
I bolt upright, screaming, my chest heaving as I clutch at the pain spreading across my ribs.
The director sighs from across the room, his tone annoyed. "Fine. But if you're coming, you're squeezing into the car with everyone else."
"What the hell is going on?!" I scream, stumbling back against the kitchen counter. My chest tightens as if it's being crushed, and I drop to one knee, gasping for air.
The director's voice softens slightly. "Are you okay?"
But I can't answer. The pain, the fear, the memories—they're all too real. Too vivid. My hands tremble as I try to steady myself.
What the hell is happening to me?
My heart pounds so hard it feels like it's about to rip through my chest. The only thing I can hear is the drumming of my pulse in my ears. My breath is ragged, my body trembling. It happened again. It wasn't a nightmare. It was too vivid. Too visceral. I felt every shred of agony, the hopeless terror, the overwhelming helplessness.
The director's voice breaks through my haze, calm and matter-of-fact, as if he's oblivious to the storm raging inside me. "Are you okay?" he asks, placing a hand on my shoulder.
I recoil as if burned, stumbling back until my hip hits the counter. "Wait… stop," I whisper, my voice shaking. My mind races to make sense of it all. Every detail, every image—red eyes, the monster, my friends' screams—it all plays on a loop in my head. The carnage. The laughter. The pain. I shudder.
Turbo, my AI companion, chimes in, his voice steady but laced with concern. "Your Majesty, your adrenaline levels are spiking dangerously. Is everything all right?"
I clutch at the counter to keep from collapsing. "Turbo… you can see my memories, right? Tell me. Tell me this isn't just me losing my mind."
Turbo's response comes after a pause, his tone hesitant. "I scanned your memories. There's nothing abnormal recorded. No external anomalies detected."
His words make my stomach churn. I feel like I'm losing my grip on reality. "How? How can you say that?" My voice rises, raw and panicked. "I died. I died, Turbo. It happened again. Everyone… everyone was slaughtered."
The others start to notice. Xolotl is the first to step closer. His broad frame casts a shadow as he kneels beside me, his usual cocky smirk replaced with worry. "Kael, man, you're sweating buckets. Are you okay?"
I shake my head, gripping his sleeve as if it's the only thing tethering me to sanity. My voice is barely above a whisper. "Don't go to the restaurant. We can't go there. Please."
Xolotl glances at the director, confusion etched on his face. The director sighs again, leaning against the counter. "Look, Kael, if you've got something to say, just say it. We're all on edge here, but we don't have time for games."
My head snaps up, and I meet his gaze with wild eyes. "It's not a game! Don't you get it? If we go there, we're all going to die!" My voice cracks, raw with desperation.
The director exchanges a skeptical look with the others. He rubs his temple like I'm an inconvenience. "Fine. We'll skip the ramen shop. Happy now?"
I exhale shakily, but the reprieve is short-lived. My mind reels again, fragments of the past loop flashing like a slideshow. There's no escaping it, is there? Even if we avoid the restaurant, that monster will find us. He always does.
The director glances at me in the his brow furrowing. "You've been quiet since we left. Aren't you going to say something?"
I try to force words out, but all I can think about is buying time. I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. "We… we should get to know each other. Before we, uh, move on to the next world." My words tumble out too quickly, my voice pitched with panic.
The car falls silent. Everyone exchanges awkward glances. Solis, the first to break the tension, tucks a strand of her snowy white hair behind her ear and gives me a soft smile. "Well, I guess Kael is right. We barely know each other." Her rosy pink eyes sparkle with curiosity. "Let's start with three facts about ourselves. I'll go first."
She straightens in her seat, her tone lighthearted despite the tension. "One: My hair is naturally white, and my eyes are naturally pink. Two: I'm trained in just about every fighting style you can think of—taekwondo, karate, judo, you name it. And three…" She leans closer, her tone teasing. "I hate chocolate. There. Your turn, Ixtli."
Ixtli Xolotl rolls his eyes but humors her. "Fine. Three facts, huh? Let's see. One: I've known Kael the longest. Two: I always keep a gun on me. And three…" He smirks. "I make the best grilled cheese sandwiches. Don't even try to argue."
The lighthearted introductions continue, Haneul Seo spoke next, her voice soft and slightly hesitant. "Well, I guess I'm just gonna say three things about me. I'm really shy—well, that doesn't count as one," she added with a nervous smile. "My first one is that my hair is naturally purple. My second one is that I love to read. And my third one… I aspire to be a physicist or engineer one day. Maybe on the side, I'd like to be a writer because I enjoy writing and learning new things."
I couldn't help but notice the beauty mark on her chin. She looked breathtakingly beautiful.
Ren Kagetsu followed, leaning back casually. "Well, everybody, since we're sharing, I'll join in. Three things about me… I got my ears pierced when I was twelve, for one. Second, I'm a pretty good guitarist, though that might just be my biased opinion." He chuckled lightly. "And third, I really love a nice bowl of soup. Oh, and since no one is mentioning height, I'm 181 cm. I've known Kael and Xolotl the longest—we go way back."
Yuzuki Nozomi jumped in, her energy bubbling over. "Wow, I guess it's my turn! Honestly, I didn't really know what to say, but, uh… okay! So, I know the red-haired chick and the silver-haired one—like, everyone at school talks about them! They're all, 'Oh, they're so pretty, oh, they're so cute,' and I'm like, yeah, they're fine and stuff." She gestured dramatically before continuing. "I also know most of you from school—except for Kael. I thought he was older, but turns out he's a super idol? That's insane!"
She took a deep breath, clearly energized by the topic. "Three things about me? My hair's natural, even though people always think I get it done. I've never touched dye! Second, I'm really into fashion. Like, I love leopard print and the whole 2000s vibe. I even try to rock the Gyaru aesthetic sometimes, though I switch it up a lot. And third, I've got a big sweet tooth—give me all the sweets! Oh, and I'm pretty good at soccer!"
The director stepped in with a wry smile. "Well, I guess I'll join in too. Three things about me? Let's see… My favorite foods are tomato and cheese. Second, I love vacations, especially by the ocean. And third, I'm only 26 years old."
Ametsuchi Tenshihara's turn came, her striking red hair catching the light. She looked almost like a doll, ethereal and poised. "I don't really know what to say… Um, I just moved here and go to the same academy as all of you. That's one thing, I guess. The second is that I work part-time at a convenience store. And the third… I'm really shy and introverted. There's nothing special about me, really."
Before anyone could respond, the petite girl with gunmetal hair chimed in with a mischievous grin. "Well, I'm Tenshihara's best friend—or sister, depending on how you look at it. She's really special, though she'd never admit it. She's multi-talented, and she loves to cook. And let's be real, look at that rack! I wish I was blessed like that."
Nozomi cut in with a laugh, "For real! Me too—I wish I had that going on."
Inari-no-Yami continued, unfazed. "Anyway, my name's Inari-no-Yami. Three things about me? I'm unique, I guess. Not great at academics, but I kill it in physical sports. And I love movies. Honestly, there's not much else to say about me." She stuck out her tongue playfully, a devilish charm in her expression.
but I barely register their words. My mind is elsewhere, piecing together fragments of the horror I've seen. Red eyes. The monster. Every time we die, it's the same. Why? Why does this keep happening?
When it's my turn, I stumble through a rushed introduction, hoping they don't notice the tremble in my voice. "I'm Kaerith Fetuoval Sulemoranis, but you can call me Kael. I… I used to train at Citlali's dojo as a kid. And I…" My voice falters. "I don't know. Let's just move on."
The director sighs. "You're not making sense, Kael. If you're not going to explain what's going on, then let's drop this and move on."
A sudden knock at the door makes everyone jump. My blood turns to ice. I know what's coming. My voice is a strangled whisper. "Turbo… can you protect us?"
Before Turbo can respond, the door bursts open. It's him. The monster with red eyes. The room erupts into chaos as he tears through us like paper.
"No… no… NO!" I scream, backing into the corner. I watch as he crushes my friends, one by one. Blood paints the walls, the floor. The sound of bones shattering, screams cutting off mid-cry—it's all too much. My stomach churns, and I double over, vomiting.
The monster's laughter is deep, guttural, venomous. He towers over me, his crimson eyes boring into my soul. His voice is a low growl, each word dripping with malice. "Go to sleep forever, Majesty."
His hand closes around my throat. Pain explodes in my body as my vision fades to black.
[Crow sounds]
I jolt awake. The kitchen. The director is across the room, sighing impatiently. "Fine. But if you're coming, you're squeezing into the car with everyone else."
My heart races. My hands tremble. I stagger back, clutching the counter for support. It's the same. Again. My breaths come in shallow gasps as Xolotl steps into the room, concern etched on his face.
"You okay, Kael? You look like hell."
I look up at him, tears streaming down my face. "Xolotl… I don't know what to do." My voice cracks. "We're going to die. Again and again and again. I can't stop it."
He kneels beside me, his voice steady. "Then tell me what we're up against, and we'll fight. Together."
But deep down, I know the truth. No matter how hard we fight, the loop will always reset. And he'll come for us again.