That night, insects clicked and chirped like they were tearing at my ears, while raindrops tapped the window of my room. By the dim glow of my desk lamp, I—C—sat frozen. My notebook was a mess of frantic scribbles, like a scientist gone mad. My hand raced across the pages, drafting strategies to counter every threat:
"No… Ivansia's house would be ashes if I force this plan," I growled, crossing out a full line with rough strokes. My pen hovered, then wrote a new option: "I can handle those two high-ranking cops on my own. But what about the thugs surrounding Ivansia's home in… episode seven?" I tilted my head back and stared at the ceiling. My pen tapped my temple, the rhythm speeding up until it felt chaotic.
Suddenly, my eyes flashed. "Theo… maybe I can use him. He seems to be warming up to Ivansia." A thin smile spread across my face. "Yes! That's the key. But I still need a secret weapon for those dirty cops… and a gun." I opened my banking app on my phone. My balance was enough for supplies. "Good thing Luna taught me freelance tricks to earn money," I murmured, my expression hardening.
"Now… Luna's biggest next enemy…" My breath hitched, and my right hand clenched into a trembling fist. "Neil Arkes. Her own fiancé. That blonde, tanned psychopath who's tried to kill me hundreds of times." Even saying his name set my blood on fire. "He's behind Luna's kidnapping. I need a perfect plan to destroy him."
I turned to the window. Dawn was creeping in. Orange-red streaks bled across the dark sky. Without realizing it, my feet moved me toward the window. The cold morning air hit me—but I couldn't look away from the horizon's shifting colors. "So beautiful… and I've been staring for… thirty minutes?!" I gasped.
---
My head felt heavy, and my steps wobbled like a zombie's. I still wore my school uniform, but dark circles under my eyes stole all my focus.
"C! Good morni— Huh?!" Luna, walking ahead of me, spun around with a pale face. "What happened to your eyes?!" She reached out, her warm fingers brushing the bruises beneath my lids.
"My eyes?" I pressed my hand to my face. My skin felt hot.
"Look!" She pushed her phone screen in front of me. The reflection showed two thick, black bags—like pandas. "Did you cry all night… or are you sick?" Her voice trembled with concern.
"I just pulled an all-nighter," I lied, turning away. "Studying for next month's exam."
"Don't push yourself, C…" she said softly. "Do you want me to get you some ointment or medicine?"
Since when did she care so much? I wondered suspiciously. Is she remembering things from… past loops again?
"No, I'm fine. Let's go, we're going to be late." I quickened my pace—but from the corner of my eye, I saw Luna still staring at me with disbelief.
In class, everything had changed. Luna now sat right behind me, while Theo and Ivansia whispered together in the back row. "At least they're getting along now" I thought. I opened my notebook and on the last page sketched our class Rep Mia, with white hair, dark circles under her eyes, and an antique whistle necklace—a Death Whistle. The whistle name still sent chills down my spine.
This is the first time the plot has felt so unpredictable, I thought, staring up at the ceiling. Neil Arkes, corrupt cop, thug, and now…
----
The lunch bell roared like an angry beast. Luna vanished from the classroom before I even had time to blink—only a flicker of her blonde hair at the doorway remained. "Why was she in such a hurry?" I wondered for a moment, then shrugged it off.
The rooftop was empty yesterday, i need to hurry. I opened my lunch box—plain rice and instant noodles—and forced a bitter smile. I can eat again. My spoon trembled as I lifted the noodles. The warm broth touched my lips, and for a moment, the world felt complete. But my stomach growled, reminding me I was still hungry, so I hurried through the hallway. Too quickly.
It seemed that after I changed Luna's fate, I could finally feel hunger again. I even cried tears of joy when I realized it—after thousands of loops, I could taste food.
I sprinted down the corridor, racing toward the rooftop.
"Ah—!"
My shoulder hit something light. Books tumbled to the floor, and I collapsed onto the cold tiles.
"Are you okay?"
That voice. Chilling, precise. Before I could push myself up, a small hand gripped my arm and hauled me to my feet with surprising strength. She stood before me:
White hair like soiled snow. Dark, tired circles under her eyes. A battered whistle hanging at her throat—the Death Whistle.
Mia Tiara.
"Hallways aren't race tracks," she whispered. Her fingers brushed dust off my uniform. "Be more careful next time."
I glanced around. Only blurred silhouettes of faceless students drifted through the hallway like ghosts.
"Sorry, Mia. I didn't see you walk—"
She nodded and began to turn away. "Then, Ca▄▂—"
KRZZZT!
A crackling sound ripped from her lips, sharper than any scream. My blood froze. That name. A name no "Main Character" had ever spoken in this loop. A name I never knew.
"W-Wait!" I seized her wrist, fingertips nearly digging into her skin. "How do you know that name?!"
Mia looked back slowly. Her eyes—black as a void—held no light.
"You told me yourself, didn't you?" she said.
"When?"
"Forgot?" Her lips curved in a faint smile that never reached her eyes. "Let go. I have work to do."
KRZZZT!
The sound struck again. My head throbbed, vision spinning. Reflexively, I released her and sank to my knees, pressing my palm against my temple. When I forced my eyes open, Mia was gone—only the smell of old iron remained.
---
I didn't go to the rooftop.
My instant noodles sat in the box, soggy and cold, but I no longer felt hunger.
In the hallway's shadow, I saw her again—Mia, standing outside the teachers' room, speaking to someone unseen.
"You need to hurry," she murmured, then turned her gaze toward me. Her smile cracked like shattered glass.
"Ca▄▂," she whispered silently.
KRZZZT!
That static tore through my mind once more.
I ran.
Back in class, Luna still hadn't returned. Theo and Ivansia laughed together in the back row, but their voices were drowned out by the eerie hiss in my ears.
The classroom door creaked open. Luna hurried back, carrying a plastic bag—probably medicine.
She saw me and gasped. "C! W-what's wrong? You're sweating and your face is so pale!"
Worry and panic flashed across her eyes as she fumbled for a pack of painkillers and held them out to me. "Take these, C," she said, gently rubbing my shoulder.
I quickly took the pain killer she gave me.
"Whatever's bothering you, please tell me," Luna added, her voice trembling. Tears glistened in her eyes. "I-I swear I'll help you."
I looked at Luna's worried face. After swallowing the pills, the pain eased slightly. For some reason, the moment I met her gaze, my strength left me and my head fell against her shoulder.
She stroked the back of my head, and we stayed like that for maybe ten minutes.
"Thank you so much, Luna," I managed to whisper. "If it weren't for you—"
My words cut off as the bell rang, signaling the end of break.
"Okay, everyone, open your books to page 143," the teacher ordered, walking in the moment the bell rang.
Tch. I clicked my tongue. The world was still infuriating. Teachers always appeared exactly on time, every single day.
"C, i-if you need anything else, just look behind you. I'll be there," Luna whispered softly before taking her seat.
I nodded and picked up my secret notebook that was under my desk drawer.
I slammed open my notebook. On the last page was a sketch of Mia, her empty eyes and Death Whistle drawn in stark detail. Below it, scrawled in jagged letters:
"DO NOT TRUST THOSE WHO CARRY DEATH."
The Death Whistle—a cursed whistle said to call the spirits of the dead.
Or perhaps… to summon something far more terrifying.