Kazuki sat on a worn blanket spread across the grass near the lake, the cool morning air brushing against his face. Luna sat beside him, her eyes watching the water ripple under the soft light. There was something peaceful about moments like this—a rare escape from the chaos of everything else.
"You know," Kazuki said with a grin, "for someone who spends a lot of time alone, you're surprisingly fun to talk to."
Luna blinked, a small smile curling at her lips. "I didn't think I'd ever hear that."
"Seriously," Kazuki chuckled. "You've got a way with words, even if you don't say much. Plus, you've got this mysterious, artistic vibe going on—"
Luna shook her head, cutting him off with a laugh. "You're such a strange boy."
They continued talking, their conversation light and easy—discussing favorite things, little stories from their past, and dreams they never dared to share with anyone else. For once, Luna felt… normal.
But then, her laughter faded. Her smile dimmed, and her gaze dropped to the ground.
"Luna?" Kazuki asked, tilting his head. "What's wrong?"
There was a long pause, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them. Finally, Luna took a deep breath.
"... I think I can trust you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You've been kind to me, even when you didn't have to."
Kazuki frowned, sensing something serious was coming. "Of course you can trust me."
Luna's eyes met his—soft but filled with an unsettling sadness. "This village… it's not what it seems."
Kazuki blinked, confusion settling on his face. "What do you mean?"
Luna hesitated, her fingers curling into the fabric of her dress. "We're… stuck in a time loop. Everything here repeats. Day after day, the same events happen. Over and over again."
Kazuki froze, his heart skipping a beat. "A… time loop?"
Luna nodded, her voice trembling. "And I'm the only one who knows. The villagers—every single one of them—they don't realize it. They're trapped. Just like me."
The air seemed to thicken around them as the weight of her words sank in. Kazuki's mind reeled, piecing together everything he'd noticed since arriving.
And then, silence.
The world felt still, holding its breath as Kazuki stared at her in shock.
"A samsara cycle… a time loop," Luna said softly, her voice barely louder than the breeze. "That's what's happening in Greenfall Village. No one here knows it but me."
Kazuki's mind raced as he tried to make sense of it all. "But… there has to be a way to break it, right? There has to be a way to save everyone." His eyes were filled with determination. "Tell me how. I'll find a way—I'll save them."
Luna shook her head, her green-and-white hair falling gently over her shoulders. Her expression was calm, but her eyes carried a deep sorrow. "You can't," she whispered. "They're just shadows of the past. Fragments of a time that no longer exists. The past needs to stay in the past."
Kazuki clenched his fists, refusing to accept her words. "No… that's not true. You're here, right? You're real. If you're real, then you can be saved."
He reached for her hand, his fingers trembling as he held hers gently. "I won't let this place keep you trapped forever. I'll save you, Luna. I'll find a way to break this cycle, no matter what it takes."
Luna's lips curled into a small, sad smile. "You're so stubborn," she said, her voice barely holding back a soft chuckle. "But… it's okay. I've already accepted it. I've lived the same day over and over for so long. I've forgotten what it feels like to hope for something different. Until you showed up."
Her gaze softened, filled with something warm and bittersweet. "For once, I felt like I wasn't alone. At least… I got to meet you, someone who truly cared about me, even if it was just for a little while."
Kazuki tightened his grip on her hand, his eyes fierce. "I don't care how long we have. I'll still fight for you."
Luna's eyes glistened as she smiled again, this time with genuine warmth. "Then let's enjoy the moment we have," she whispered. "There's beauty in fleeting things, after all."
Kazuki met her gaze, his resolve stronger than ever. "I'll show you how beautiful fireworks are," he promised. "I'll bring you to a place where time isn't frozen, and we'll watch them together."
For a moment, everything felt still—just the two of them in a world out of time. And despite the weight of the truth hanging in the air, Luna felt something she hadn't in centuries: a spark of hope.