As soon as I woke up back inside my room on the mansion, confusion engulfed me as I checked the calendar that was on the shelf before checking through my phone.'First Day of School!'It was the same.Panic gripped me; this regression wasn't exactly as I anticipated. Cursing my predicament, I held my head in frustration. "Why had I been thrust back to the beginning?" There were no answers, and the disorienting return only fueled my anxiety.Contemplating various possibilities, I considered the absurd idea of being poisoned. However, logic swiftly dismissed it – Miss Olivia, who shared the meal, wouldn't endanger herself nor her boyfriend. She wasn't that reckless or suicidal.Desperation led my mind to entertain wild theories. Had my father sent assassins? A notion swiftly dismissed, recognizing the improbability... Although there is still a possibility, I knew his personality. The mind raced, concocting and discarding scenarios, each more implausible than the last.Tok Tok—!The ca
At the auditorium.The three of us took our seats together. Kiyona, the vibrant and talkative girl, claimed the center. Kim sat on the left, and I occupied the right."There are so many people here!" Kiyona exclaimed, rising suddenly and letting out a loud "woo hoo!" This drew surprised glances from the students in front of us."Stop it... You're only embarrassing us," Kim chided her, shaking his head slightly before turning to me."I hope you're not uncomfortable with this girl... She's a bit eccentric, to say the least."Well, I can see that... I thought, glancing up at Kiyona, who was smiling wholeheartedly. Despite her eccentricities, there was something likable about her that I couldn't quite pinpoint."Hey, Kim! The principal is making her appearance!" Kiyona pointed excitedly to the center of the stadium.She added, "She looks young and beautiful! How old is she again?" Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the principal. I rolled my eyes and snorted.Indeed, appearances could be d
"You're Vallen, aren't you?"I turned my head in Alicia's direction, casting her a weary glance before refocusing on the front of the classroom."Don't ignore me!"Alicia slammed her hands on my table, causing me to shrink back into my chair... I'm getting annoyed."Hey, I'm asking you—?!"Kiyona's hands intervened, cutting off Alicia's words. She looked at me with a frown. "You know this girl?" she inquired, squinting."...Nope. Never seen her before," I responded sarcastically, rolling my eyes towards the window.Although I didn't admit it outright, the lie was evident from my expression and tone. Strangely, Kiyona appeared to buy into it....Is she an idiot?"Pfft!" Kim couldn't contain a sound, swiftly covering his mouth. Our eyes met, his expression stiffening before he looked away.Alicia, seemingly unfazed by our silent exchange, voiced her annoyance."How are you able to see...?" she asked curiously, crossing her arms."How do you think? It's because I have eyes." I pointed tw
"....""...."Tapping my index finger on the table, my eyes shifted between Aerial and the mysterious numbers sprawled across the paper she was holding. How in the world could she decipher this cryptic language?"....Mmm." I closed my eyes, pondering. If it were just ordinary numbers, she wouldn't bother, unless these papers concealed a hidden message—a Morse code of sorts.".....""....ugh."Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she placed the folders down, meticulously arranging them on the table. Glancing my way, she closed her eyes and inquired, "...what do you want?""....!!"Clearing my throat, I put on a smile and replied, "Ah... Well, I want to join this club." She abruptly halted, processing my unexpected announcement.Turning her head slightly, she contemplated before asking, "Why do you want to join?" Her scrutinizing gaze moved from top to bottom."It's because... ah?""You know what, zip it." Before I could elaborate, she handed me a paper—an application for the club
"This..."Staring at the intricate equations sprawled across the fifteen papers and the detailed drawing of the portal along with its required components that I was holding, I sighed in frustration and let my head drop to the table....I never expected it to be this perplexing. I mean, it was genuinely confusing, with the numbers outnumbering the alphabets!I was on the verge of placing the papers back on the table when something caught my attention."...This thing requires someone as a test subject, right?"Turning toward Aerial's direction, I stood up from my seat."Can I be the one to do that?"Thanks to my looping ability, if something goes wrong, I can just regress back to the first day and make the necessary adjustments to the machine until it works....Playing scientist again this round... Why does it feels weird?"...Why?" She asked, pulling me back to reality. Her face showed a confused express
Entering the apartment building, I was immediately greeted by Miss Olivia, her warm demeanor a stark contrast to the unsettling events of the day.Earlier, I had borrowed Aerial's phone to make a call, seeking refuge in their home. Jack, the owner of the apartment, agreed almost immediately upon hearing my situation.Aerial's surprise was palpable when she learned that I was practically homeless after running away from home. By the time I hung up and said my thanks, she immediately asked about what happened.Since I have nothing to lose anyway, I decided to tell her the truth.... Not the regression part, of course.Her reactions were somehow expected; she sympathize with me, and thus, diverted the topic back to our work.Anyways—"Vallen is finally here," Olivia informed Jack, who nonchalantly continued watching a horror movie, the flickering images casting an eerie glow across the room."You're here already?" he said, h
As we were entering the school, I accidentally heard some rumours spreading about what happened yesterday.According to the rumour, a student from this school had helped on preventing two accidents... Hmm.. Fortunately, thanks to my sweater, none of them seem to have recognized me last night.I can probably rest easy for now...Kim's sudden pause drew our attention, his gaze fixed on my face with an inexplicable expression...What's with him anyway? He's been acting weird since this morning.... Wait, isn't he and Kiyona already weird since the very beginning?With a silent nod to myself, we continued toward the classroom, Kim still recovering from his apparent shock."....?"As we approached, a group of students gathered by the door caught my eye. Curiosity piqued, I approached them to inquire about the commotion."Hey, what's going on?" I asked one of the students.-Ah... Well, do you remember the Arto
I could hear the voice of the system resonating inside my head."Please... stop. I can't bear losing anyone else..." I pleaded, my head bowed in despair.Before me stood the withered man, his grin stretching wider as he loomed over me.'Why was I even brought into this world? Just to endure unending suffering...?' I pounded the ground weakly with my fist, tears streaming down my face.'Why am I so feeble and detached? How did everything I held dear only end up shrouded in agony, slipping away?'His voice sliced through the air, a chilling whisper that pierced my soul. "Look at yourself... Has the toll of each loss, each setback, finally shattered you?""As I told you from the start, surrender. Abandon this struggle. Let THAT curse consume you. Cast aside your facade and embrace your true nature."With a grasp