"Ah... I'm so tired of this."
"I failed... I failed again."
"No matter what I do, the outcome is still the same."
"Why do I have to go through all of this..."
"I just really..."
"Want this to end."
Elijah's eyes fluttered open.
Loop Twenty-Seven.
By now, he had stopped counting the hours, the days, the weeks.
The weight of time had long crushed any remaining hope or despair.
Instead of a frown, a smile crept onto his lips—and empty, hollow smile.
"Right about now…"
Right on cue as Elijah expected, the door burst open.
Marjorie stood there, slack-jawed, the metal bucket in her hands slipping as her body stiffened in shock.
Clatter.
The bucket hit the floor.
Like a broken record, this scene repeated—again, again, and again.
"Can we just skip this part?"
Before Marjorie could regained her expression and call upon Aliyah, Elijah immediately cut her off.
"M'lady, the Young Master has awakened," he recited, imitating the tone of the voice. Is that what you were about to say?"
Marjorie faltered, momentarily speechless.
"After hearing it twenty times, how could I not memorize it?"
"Pardon…?"
"I forgot. You're just an NPC. Of course, you wouldn't understand."
Elijah stood from the bed and stretched his arms.
"Ah I wanted to change clothes, can you step outside for a bit?"
"Of course young master"
Once the door clicked shut, he pulled back the blankets.
Nestled beneath the folds was a small glass bottle.
Its once-clear surface had fogged over with time, and faint traces of pale, chalky powder stuck to its insides. Elijah held it up against the morning dew, watching the substance shift sluggishly within.
He rolled it between his fingers.
"Good thing I brought it with me."
*****
11:24 PM — Dae-hyun's Room
The room smelled of damp wood and dust, corners swallowed by cobwebs. Every step on the floorboards was met with a creaking sound of wood.
Dae-hyun struck a match. With a flickering flame licked at the tip before he brought it to the lamp.
A dull glow settled over the desk, illuminating the scattered supplies:
1: A torchlight, nearly spent.
2: A rusted box of matches—just a few sticks left.
3: His sword, still stained with dried monster blood.
And lastly...
4: A gold pouch, half-empty.
For Dae-hyun, it was frustrating how a village this remote lacked even the most basic of medicinal supplies.
No potions, no proper treatments—just herbs and manual healing, probably because in this village, Mahika users are rare.
'Well, it's fine. As long as I take care of myself, surely nothing will go bad.'
His gaze drifted toward the window. As expected, it was snowing.
A blizzard in the middle of spring.
Unnatural, yet not unheard of.
For others... it was just a mahika phenomenon.
Sudden shifts in nature's change, unexplainable yet never questioned. But if left unchecked, it could last forever.
The only solution? Find the source. Eliminate it.
This only made him more determined to go to the dungeon.
As he reached for his cloak, ready to leave— a sudden knock interrupted his thoughts.
Knock. Knock.
"Who is it?" His hand hovered over his sword before he sighed and approached the door. With a creak, it swung open.
Elijah.
Dae-hyun blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Elijah balanced a tray in his hands, with a scent of tea and warm cookies drifting into the cold air. "Can a friend not visit?"
"Ah—no, no! I'm definitely happy!" Dae-hyun chuckled, eyeing the tray with amusement. "Hehehe...Did… you miss me, brother-in-law?"
At that moment Elijah visibly stiffened, looking flaggerbasted. "Brother-in-law?"
"I was worried you hit your head too hard. You never do these kinds of things. But judging by your disgust, it seems you're still you."
Elijah exhaled deep. "You're truly a good person."
"Eh? You think so? Oh right, come in."
"Yeah, I mean it. Your face makes me guilty," Elijah murmured as he set the tray down on the dusty desk. His gaze turned toward the torchlight and the sword—signs of travel plans. Are you leaving?"
"Ah—n-no, not really," Dae-hyun denied, rubbing the back of his neck.
Elijah tilted his head slightly as if contemplating something. "You know… you and Aliyah once told me to rely on both of you. I hope you'll do the same."
"We did?"
"Well... somewhere, yes." Elijah turned toward the window, watching the snow swirl outside. "I hate cold nights, but I prefer them over summer."- he immediately shifted the topic.
" I preferred spring though. I despise winter." Dae-hyun answered, expressing his opinions.
"Spring is nice, but not summer. I can't endure the heat. I'd rather tuck myself into a worn-down blanket and sleep through the cold."
Dae-hyun huffed a laugh. "I never knew that. I always thought you liked warm light."
Elijah's lips curled slightly. "Well, there's a lot you don't know about 'me.' Want to know more secret?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Actually, I... transmi—"
Before Elijah could finish his words, a sudden gust of wind howled through the room, rattling the window before slamming it shut with a violent force.
The door groaned as if the wood itself was protesting the storm outside.
It made Dae-hyun startled, glancing at the window before turning back. "Sorry, did you said something?"
Elijah's gaze darkened slightly. His lips parted, then pressed into a thin line. "On second thought... forget about it."
Silence stretched between them, as the blizzard raged on outside, with the candlelight flickering under its pressure.
Elijah sat unmoving, eyes distant as he stared into the depths of his untouched tea.
While Dae-hyun shifted, as the awkwardness bothered him. Finally, he sighed and reached for his cup.
He took a sip.
And then—
A slow, creeping wrongness spread through his veins.
His breath hitched. His grip on the cup faltered. Something curled around his throat—tight, burning, itching.
Vision blurred, and then his body felt unbearably heavy.
"W-wait a minute... Eli…" His words slurred as he stood abruptly, only to stumble, his balance betraying him. "I think... I need to go toilet"
'Strange... why does my body feel heavy? Why does my throat feel itchy...?'
He barely managed to brace himself against the cabinet, as his fingers clawed at the wood. Was he… sick? No, that didn't make sense. It was too sudden, too unnatural.
Somewhere in the haze of his consciousness, he heard Elijah mutter something.
"The poison isn't working fast enough, huh..."
'...Poison?'
"H-huh…?"
Slick.
Then... a sharp, cold pressure sank into the side of his throat.
A knife.
Not deep enough to kill instantly. It was a bit clumsy attempt, slowly digging deep inside.
Dae-hyun choked as warmth spilled from the wound, coating his hands in slick, sticky crimson.
His breaths came out in ragged with wet gurgles.
"...El…i…?"
He tried to turn. Tried to see his friend.
But before he could—darkness swallowed him whole.
His body collapsed, twitching for a moment before going completely still.
Blood pooled beneath him, seeping into the wooden floorboards.
Elijah tilted his head, staring down at the lifeless corpse.
His expression didn't change.
His hands weren't trembling. His heart wasn't racing. There was no remorse, no hesitation.
Just quiet, eerie indifference.
"... I'm sorry"