The first rays of dawn barely broke through the window when Kazuki began stirring. Quietly, he slipped out of bed and grabbed his coat, preparing to sneak out once again. He glanced back at his sleeping companions—Lumi bundled in a blanket, still lost in her dreams. For a moment, he hesitated, but the thought of meeting Luna pushed him forward.
Just as he reached for the door, a sudden weight hit him from behind.
"Gotcha!" Sonnet grinned mischievously, holding Kazuki down while Andreas expertly tied his hands with a length of rope.
"What the—?! What are you two doing?" Kazuki struggled, his voice barely above a whisper to avoid waking Lumi.
"Intervention," Andreas said calmly, tightening the knot. "We've been watching you, Kazuki. You've been sneaking off every morning without a word. It's time to spill the truth."
Sonnet crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, who is she? A mysterious girl you're meeting every day by the lake? Come on, tell us!"
Realizing he had no choice, Kazuki sighed. "Fine. I'll explain everything… but you have to promise not to freak out."
Sonnet and Andreas exchanged glances before nodding.
"There's a girl in this village named Luna," Kazuki began. "She told me the village is stuck in a samsara cycle—a time loop. Everyone here is repeating the same day, over and over."
He paused, expecting shock or disbelief. Instead, Sonnet just blinked, unimpressed.
"Oh, that's it? We already know," she said casually.
Kazuki stared at them, stunned. "W-what? You knew?"
Andreas leaned back, his arms folded. "I noticed something strange the first day we arrived. People were acting… off. Saying the same things, doing the same actions. It didn't take long to figure it out."
Kazuki shook his head in disbelief. "And you didn't think to tell me?"
Sonnet smirked. "We wanted to be sure. Plus, we thought it'd be more fun to let you figure it out on your own."
Kazuki sighed heavily. "Unbelievable. Well, now that we're on the same page, we need to figure out how to break this cycle and save the villagers."
Andreas's expression grew serious. "But how? We've got no clues, no idea how this loop even started."
For a moment, silence hung in the air. The weight of the situation settled heavily on them.
"We can't give up," Kazuki said firmly. "There has to be a way."
Sonnet nodded, her playful tone replaced with determination. "Then we'll find it. We'll figure this out together."
Andreas glanced at Lumi, still peacefully asleep. "When she wakes up, we'll tell her everything too. No more secrets."
They all looked at each other, a spark of hope igniting in their eyes despite the overwhelming odds. The loop may have trapped the villagers, but together, they were determined to find a way out.
"Andreas… come on, untie me already!" Kazuki pleaded, squirming in his seat as the rope around his wrists remained stubbornly tight.
Andreas smirked, taking his time. "Alright, alright. But no more sneaking off without telling us, got it?"
As Andreas worked on the knot, Lumi stirred from her sleep, stretching and rubbing her eyes. Her gaze fell on the group gathered around Kazuki, their expressions tense.
"What's going on?" she asked, her voice still groggy.
Kazuki stood up, rubbing his wrists. He exchanged a quick glance with Sonnet and Andreas before speaking. "Lumi… we need to tell you something. It's about Luna… and this village."
The group took turns explaining everything—the eerie repetition in Greenfall Village, Luna's awareness of the time loop, and how the villagers accused her of being a witch because she was the only one who seemed out of place.
Lumi listened quietly, her sharp eyes narrowing as the pieces began to fall into place. When they finished, she let out a deep sigh, her expression surprisingly calm.
"Well, that explains a lot," Lumi said, folding her arms. "I'm not surprised. There's no way a time loop like this is a natural occurrence. It's most likely corruption… something left behind from the war."
"But…" Kazuki leaned in, sensing there was more. "You don't think that's the only reason, do you?"
Lumi shook her head. "No. Corruption alone wouldn't be enough to create an eternal time loop. It's far too complex and powerful for that. The only force capable of manipulating time on this scale would be…" She paused, her gaze darkening. "The Primis of Time."
A heavy silence fell over the group.
"The Primis of Time was deeply involved in the war," Lumi continued. "But we don't know everything that happened back then. If the Primis was involved in creating this loop… there's a reason we don't understand yet."
"So… the war might be connected to all of this?" Sonnet asked, her voice quiet.
Lumi nodded. "Most likely. But if that's true, then breaking this loop won't be easy. We're dealing with something far beyond just corruption."
Kazuki clenched his fists. "Then we'll figure it out. We'll find out what happened and how to stop it."
Andreas crossed his arms. "We'll need more information first. Something doesn't add up here… if the Primis of Time had a hand in this, there has to be a reason why."
Lumi looked at Kazuki, her usual confident expression replaced by something softer—concern. "Be careful, Kazuki. If you get too involved in this… you might not be able to get out."
Kazuki's eyes were steady, filled with resolve. "I've already made my choice. I'm not turning back now. Luna and the people of this village… they deserve to be free."