BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The loud, piercing sound of Chrono's alarm blared from his phone, joined by its relentless vibration against the bedside table. It cut through the silence of the room like a knife.
Chrono rose slowly, not even bothering to silence the alarm. An invisible weight pressed heavily on his body, pinning him down with crushing exhaustion. He stared blankly into space, clutching his head as a sharp, throbbing headache pulsed behind his eyes.
His heart hammered violently in his chest. His breathing grew ragged and uneven as the horrifying events of the loop flooded back into his mind.
March brutally killing both Iris and Talia.
The deafening hum he heard in the park.
The piles of corpses scattered everywhere.
The rotting girl.
The bodies of his parents in their room.
The suffocating fog.
His hand flew to his mouth. His eyes widened in raw terror as the memories flashed through his head on an endless, merciless repeat. The sickening taste on his tongue made his stomach churn violently, forcing him to gag.
What the hell…?
Chrono's hollow eyes darted slowly around the room before locking onto the book resting atop the table. He stood up unsteadily and made his way toward it, grabbing the book with shaking hands. He squeezed it tightly, gritting his teeth, before abruptly dropping it.
He couldn't find it in himself to feel anger—not in this overwhelming state of confusion and sorrow.
Just like the book, Chrono collapsed to the floor, dropping hard onto his knees. He stared down at it, his gaze fixed and distant.
"What a joke…" Chrono's voice came out as a breathless whisper. He clutched his shirt over his chest, feeling his heart pounding wildly against his ribs.
I need…
I need to make sense of it all…
Make sense…
Of it all…
But every time he recalled the events, the same nauseating wave of horror crashed over him. His stomach twisted painfully. His hand flew back to his mouth as he fought down another gag. The grotesque scenery was simply too much—far too overwhelming—for him to handle, no matter how desperately he tried to make sense of it.
But…
This just… None of this makes sense.
None of this adds up…
Chrono stood up again, his entire body shaking violently from head to toe. His hand remained clamped over his mouth, his gaze still locked on the book.
There has to be something…
Something that makes sense.
Something that makes sense…
Something…
That… makes sense…?
If I need to… find something that makes sense…
I have to…
Have to…
Understand the situation…
But…
Where do I even start?
Chrono slowly grabbed fistfuls of his hair in growing frustration, biting down hard on his lip until a thin line of blood trickled down his chin.
"There's just so much to think about…" Chrono said, his voice low and hollow—a stark contrast to the storm of turmoil twisting his face and the frantic energy in his trembling hands.
Before I can get to the hum, the bodies, the girl, and the fog, I have to think about what happened with May and March.
This is just too much for me to handle…
Damn it.
I just… I just…
I just don't want to think.
I don't want to rationalize.
None of this makes sense.
It never did from the start. Why am I only realizing this now?
A challenge? A book? A figure? This is just fantasy nonsense.
And that girl…
Chrono let out a deep, guttural groan of frustration. It echoed loudly through the room, raw and broken, loud enough to disturb anyone still asleep nearby.
This…
This fantasy.
This impossible situation.
Is my reality.
No matter how ridiculous it is…
No matter how much it makes no sense…
I have to accept it as reality.
But…
This…
This is just too much.
How the hell am I supposed to make sense of this?
Why is this happening?
Chrono slowly dragged himself back to his bed and sat down heavily. The mattress sank beneath his weight.
I have to at least…
I have to at least come up with a solution.
For everything.
That way everything can be a little clearer.
And maybe… Maybe this weight will be lifted.
Chrono let out a shaky sigh—the kind that usually helped him steady himself—but this time it did nothing. His face remained twisted in deep confusion and unease. The constant trembling of his body betrayed any attempt at composure.
I'll start with March…
Who or what exactly is he…
The instant March crossed his mind, the brutal memories slammed into him: March ripping Iris' head off, punching a gaping hole through Talia's chest. They replayed like a nightmare on an endless loop. Chrono grabbed his head with both hands, squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth until they ached.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I need to… I need to think, why can't I think…!?
Why can't I…?
Why can't I think?
Think… I need to…
Damn it…
Damn it…
I… I need to…
I need to move on to something else.
The… the hum in the park… yeah.
The hum and the voice of the girl.
The hum…
And… the girl…
Hum…
Girl…
Voice…
Maybe they're linked somehow. The hum comes from the girl?
But… it didn't sound like her at all.
It sounded like multiple…
Multiple… people.
Condensed into a singular voice.
Suddenly, Chrono's eyes shot wide open as a horrifying realization struck him.
The voices are from… the corpses.
The corpses…?
The corpses…
Mom and dad.
Mom and dad?
Those were all…
Chrono clutched his head even tighter. The grotesque images of scattered and piled bodies, along with the brutal state of his parents' dead forms, flooded his mind endlessly on repeat.
"Stop! Just stop!" Chrono screamed, his voice echoing desperately through the room. He swiped his hand frantically through the air, as if trying to bat away the visions themselves.
Why can't I think?
I can't understand if I don't.
So why?
Why can't I push past this and just think!?
Why the hell can't I do it!?
Why why why why why!?
"This is impossible…" Chrono's voice came out low and shaky. He pressed a hand hard against his forehead, fingers digging deep into his hair until his scalp ached.
This is what the figure wants, isn't it?
To have me all confused…
It wants me to despair…
"Despair…?" Chrono murmured to himself. His thoughts clung to the word, turning it over as if it were something newly discovered and dangerous.
This is…
The figure's trap…
The figure's… trap?
Is that really it?
Either way…
It doesn't matter whose trap this is…
It doesn't matter if it's my fault or not…
What matters is…
I…
I can't let this slow me down…
"I won't lose… not like this." Chrono still trembled, but this time a thin thread of resolve ran through his voice. His jaw tightened as he forced the words out.
Alright… I need to look at this from the very beginning.
The start of this loop…
Chrono drew a deep, shuddering breath. His hands dropped to his knees and clenched them tightly, knuckles whitening. His breathing gradually slowed. His gaze sharpened with forced concentration.
This loop has been very strange from the start.
May suddenly was a member of my school, and my class. A desk that was never even there prior was suddenly there right beside mine.
It's clear this loop had been altered heavily.
Whether it was by May herself or by the figure is beyond me, but what matters is there's something or someone altering the loops.
After that, Iris started to suspect May, even after I tried to convince her it was dangerous.
That's what led to her memories being altered, and why she thought March was her brother.
I don't understand though…
Why go that far to alter Iris' memories?
The loop would reset and she'd forget everything.
So even if she had figured out something was wrong with May, there's no way she'd ever retain that information beyond that loop.
It doesn't add up.
Iris' memories get altered, Talia and I met her and March at the park, which led to me calling him out, and the events that happened unfolded after that…
But where does Iris play a role in this?
Why her?
Why was she such an integral part of the plan succeeding?
Chrono exhaled sharply through his nose and brought a hand to his chin, eyes narrowing as he sank deeper into thought. His brow furrowed hard, the muscles in his face twitching with the effort of trying to force the pieces together.
"I don't get what May is thinking at all…" he muttered, a note of sharp annoyance cutting through the confusion.
It's pretty clear this entire loop was orchestrated by May…
There's no doubt about it.
It gets proven by our confrontation in the café, where she forces me to trigger Veritas Law…
And the appearance of March…
It's clear that her goal is to make me trigger another law of sorts…
And in order to reach that goal…
She needed Iris…
Damn it…
I'll…
I'll set that aside for now…
No, wait…
Maybe the answer resides in March's goal… or it'd lead me toward it…
March claimed he was May's shield, and did everything in his power to kill Talia…
Kill… Talia…?
Chrono's expression darkened instantly. His chest began to heave. His grip on his knees tightened until his fingers dug into the fabric of his pants. He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting the surge of memory with everything he had.
Calm down…
Calm down…
Calm down…
Calm down…
Calm down…
Calm down…
Even if…
Even if killing Talia was May's goal that she projected onto March…
It still doesn't explain why Iris was so important…
There's…
There's just not much for me to work with here…
I really got outdone, huh?
Damn it…
His grip on his knees tightened further. A low, frustrated sound escaped his throat.
There's nothing much I can work with to answer any of the questions I have…
March brutally killing both Iris and Talia.
The deafening hum I heard in the park.
The piles of corpses scattered everywhere.
The rotting girl.
The bodies of my parents in their room.
The suffocating fog.
I can't answer any of these…
I don't know anything…
Damn it…
Damn it…
DAMN IT!
Chrono began slamming his fists against his knees over and over, each impact sharp and desperate. Grunts of pure frustration tore from his throat with every blow. His face twisted, eyes burning.
I don't know…
I don't know why any of this is happening.
I can't understand what's going on…
It's impossible…
I have to go against opponents that…
That are gifted with information…
While I'm here, ignorant.
It's… It's not fair…
Not fair…?
It's not fair…?
Is that true?
Is it really unfair?
Is it…?
I mean, if… If I didn't hand May the book then…
If I…
I…
If…
If I…
I…
…
Chrono's eyes began to widen in pure horror. The words of the rotting girl slammed back into him with crushing force.
"You… you are the cause of all of this. Do you think you can just avoid all of this?"
Those were the exact words she had said to him outside his parents' room.
Is… Is this what she meant?
This is what she meant… when she said it was my fault…?
…
I really… I really caused the death of millions?
Talia?
Iris?
My parents?
It's… It's really my fault?
It's…
It's my fault?
My…
…Fault?
A broken, breathless chuckle escaped him. He leaned forward, one hand pressed hard against his forehead while his elbow dug into his knee. His shoulders shook.
"It's… It's a domino effect… That's what it is…" Chrono said, the words coming out as if he had finally grasped a concept he had been failing for far too long.
Handing May the book is like… the first domino…
And everything after that is a result of the first domino, even if it didn't directly cause it to fall…
If the first domino didn't fall…
Then…
The rest wouldn't.
The chain reaction of events would never take place.
Even if… I didn't directly kill those people…
…Talia or Iris…
It's my… my actions that ultimately caused everything…
That's… that's what that girl was trying to tell me…
But why…?
How the hell am I supposed to accept that…?
How the hell am I supposed to live with this?
Is everything… is everything just against me?
Why the hell does it have to be this way?
Why…?
Why…?
I didn't mean to…
I didn't mean to cause all this…
So…
Why?
I don't get it…
I DON'T GET IT, DAMN IT!
"You want entertainment, huh!? That's what you want, huh!?" Chrono stood up slowly, head tilting back toward the ceiling as if the figure itself were watching from above. His eyes were wide, bloodshot, burning with a mix of fury and exhaustion. His mouth twisted into a bitter, trembling snarl.
"My emotions… what I feel… isn't something I'm going to let you toy around with…"
His voice cracked, then rose again, louder, sharper. "I'm not a test subject… I'm not a character… I'm human! And I refuse to be used by the likes of you. For your stupid-ass cosmic boredom."
He slashed a hand through the air, fingers splayed, as if trying to strike something invisible. His face flushed with heat. Veins stood out along his neck. "I'm done playing your game! Kill me for all I care… I won't let you do this to me any longer."
His chest heaved. He clutched at his shirt over his heart, knuckles white, trying and failing to hold back the tears that already blurred his vision. "This is… this is my act of rebellion. Go… go find someone else… to mess with…" His voice dropped, raw and fraying at the edges. Tears spilled over, tracking hot paths down his cheeks. He didn't wipe them away.
"I'll defy you for as long as possible… even if I pay with my life…"
He swallowed hard, throat working. "Failure is death, huh? Fine then. I accept. I've already died twice… dying from failing this stupid challenge won't faze me…" His shoulders shook. He took a staggering step forward, voice climbing again into something almost frantic.
"You hear that!? I… I quit. I quit! This is what you should've expected when all you wanted me to do was suffer."
"I quit… I quit… I…"
His strength drained out of him mid-sentence.
"…I quit…"
Silence.
Chrono collapsed backward onto the bed. His mouth hung open as he dragged in shallow, uneven breaths through it. Sweat slicked his forehead and temples. His chest rose and fell in harsh, irregular waves. His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, unfocused, glassy with unshed tears.
Is this…
Is this really the right thing to do…?
To… give up?
Give up because it's too hard?
His brows drew together. A muscle in his jaw twitched.
…
I don't know…
I said that and I don't even know if it's the right thing to do.
Is giving up and dying… the right thing to do?
His hands curled into fists against the sheets.
This is…
This is frustrating…
I hate this…
I hate this so much.
I don't want to do this anymore.
His face tightened, eyes squeezing shut for a moment.
But…
I'm not even sure about that myself.
It's just… so… so, so frustrating.
"Keep moving forward." Chrono said the words aloud, teeth gritted so hard the muscles in his cheeks stood out. His voice was low, strained, almost a growl.
That's what Talia wrote… with her own blood… before she died.
Giving up would be a dishonor to her death…
Her dying wish was for me to move forward…
His expression twisted—pain, confusion, and something close to betrayal all fighting for space across his face.
But…
Is that a blessing, or a curse?
Can I really move forward in this situation?
Is it even possible?
His lips parted. His eyes shone with fresh tears.
Talia… do you even know…Did she… did she even understand…?
"Damn it…"
"Damn it…"
A guttural scream tore out of him. He flung an arm across his eyes, pressing the crook of his elbow hard against them as the tears broke free in earnest, soaking into his skin. His whole body trembled with the force of the sobs he tried and failed to contain.
"Why do you want me to keep pushing, damn it?" His voice cracked completely.
Did you… see through this all, Talia?
Did you…
Did you realize giving up is a loss…?
What did you see, Talia?
Tell me, please…
I need to know…
Why you want me to continue living in this hellhole…
This unfair challenge…
Why do you want me to continue?
His free hand clutched at the sheets, twisting them.
Tell me…
I…
I need to know, Talia…
Please…
Please tell me…
Please…
Answer me…
Please…
I…
I need to…
A low, broken chuckle slipped out of him. It grew, trembling at first, then louder, wilder—rising into a hysterical, breathless laugh that scraped against the walls of the room. Tears still streamed down his face, mixing with the sound until the two became inseparable. His shoulders shook violently. His mouth stretched wide in a grimace that was half laughter, half pure anguish. It was the sound of someone who had nowhere left to turn.
He was truly at an impasse.