Act III. Part V.

The two Ryus sat in silence as the low chugging sound of the train's body shaking filled the cart. The Ryu who sat at the end of the cart passed his coin through his fingers while looking through the window directly opposite to him. Ryu's eyes did not deceive him, the coin did indeed have the number '1' on it.

"Let's do this. Instead of me telling you everything that's happened, and making one-sided monologues, why don't we use a question system? You ask one, I answer, and vice versa." The first one suggested.

Ryu nodded and asked, "Are we- you the cause of this loop?"

"Wow. I thought the first question that would come out of your mouth would be if I was actually the first one. Huh." The other Ryu said with a shocked expression. "Well, yes, I am. Why do you think that is? Also, why aren't you curious about me being the first?"

"I assume you created this after Laveda gave you that choice, and this is simply a coping mechanism of ours. We don't want these normal days to end, and so an endless loop was created. Another theory I had wasn't that you didn't want these days to end, but rather you wanted to go back to a normal point in your life. And that's why the day always gets shorter in each loop.

Although I figured that part out, I don't exactly understand how you created this loop. Even after throwing out all common sense to try and figure it out." Said Ryu. "So, how did you create this loop?"

The first one cackled to himself as soon as Ryu finished. He dropped the leg that had been resting on the other, and turned to look at the doors at the end of the cart on his left-hand side.

"Why didn't you answer the second quest—No, it's okay. I don't want that to be my question. Before I answer or ask anything else, there's a little fun fact about this 'Ryu loop' that I think is cool.

Although we may all be Ryu's, we are different. You may ask yourself, what do I mean by this?" He said as he turned to face the floor. "One difference is 'Point C' is different for each Ryu, meaning, your theory. Only. Applies. To. You"

"In what w—"

Immediately a large gust of wind flew into the cart, interrupting Ryu and leaving a loud whirring sound. Ryu looked around for the source of the wind, but couldn't see any opening in the cart, from which the wind could have come from.

"Just ignore it. The train's been slowly falling apart since you got on. The front of the cart is already gone." Said the first one as he pointed to the front.

Ryu turned to look to the front of the cart, but he saw nothing wrong, it was as it was when he first got on. "You can answer the question now." Said Ryu.

"Getting back on track, they're called authorities. At least Laveda calls them that."

"When did Laved—" Interrupted Ryu but suddenly paused soon after. "That wasn't a question, go on."

"We truly are the same person, huh." He said with a smile. "Anyway, you can liken them to be superpowers. Actually, don't because they have weaknesses and authorities do not. And we, my boy, have one! Isn't that wonderful?" The first one said with a smile, as he turned to face the front of the cart. "Well, half of an authority... two-quarters of two authorities. We got ours from a possessed lackey and a coin, so, figures."

"Uhuh…" Ryu said as he scratched the back of his head.

"It's getting worse isn't it?" The first one asked when he heard the scratching.

"Is that your question?"

"No, it is not." The first one chuckled. "Getting back on topic. The gods and their servants have authorities, and the only way for a 'fateless' to get an authority is when said fateless kills the holder of one. But, if we take the life of a servant, we don't get the entire authority, and I'm sure I don't have to explain whose life we took." The first one answered.

"No, you don't," Ryu responded with a low tone.

"That woman's body was taken over by a god. Why? I do not know. But what's happened has happened. But you already knew that." He said nonchalantly. "The second one was-"

"Wait, how much do you know about the gods?" Ryu blurted loudly, interrupting the first one.

"Is that your question? I'm sure we share the same limited knowledge of them. It would be pointless to talk about them." Answered the first one.

Ryu fell into deep thought and mulled over which question he should ask first. He hadn't the furthest clue of what he was hearing. He scratched the back of his neck and clicked his tongue out of frustration.

"No, it is not," Ryu said with a stern expression. "This one is, what's the age difference between us?"

The train then went into a tunnel, and because the cart's lights were seemingly unfunctional the two were left in utter darkness. In the pitch-black cart, the first one laughed, and his laugh quickly decayed into the air. Leaving only the sound of chugging metal, and whirring wind. Ryu strangely wasn't shaken. He didn't feel uncomfortable nor in danger, just impatient.

"Maybe it's because we're the same person that you can feel these things. I'm just a couple of weeks older than you, three weeks to be exact.

Strangely each Ryu is from a different point in the past, and their loop's events are based on whatever was going on when they were brought in. That being, the main difference that separates us, is time.

Discrediting part of your respawning or regressing theory. "Said the first one. "Now, my question for you. Are you ready to leave this loop?"

"I don't even know how I got in, in the first place. How am I supposed to get out?" Ryu said with a frustrated expression.

"The question wasn't if you knew how to get out, but if you were ready." The first one said, irritated. "This train will come to a stop, and when it does, you'll be able to leave. Made the only exit very simple, didn't I?" He laughed.

"If it's that simple why haven't you gotten off yet?"

"Heh." The first one chuckled, and started to tap his foot. "Even though you're a few weeks younger, you know what's going to happen. The fear it causes to well up in you as soon as you think of it. Believe it or not, I'm not trying to discourage you or anything.

After all, I know how resolved you are, more than anyone for that matter. But trust me, it'll be a hundred times worse than what you expect." He scoffed at Ryu. "You'll wish you took up Mr. Laveda's 'normal life' offer." He said with a low tone but still wore a smile.

"Wait, what's going to happen? "Ryu asked hysterically.

"Th- Oh no… What's the last thing you remember?"

"Getting off the train, and going into class," Ryu answered quickly.

"You know when you say it like that, the last thing you remember is the last seven years of our life! Give me specifics, what was the highlight of the day?" The first one asked, clearly annoyed.

"Laveda announced that a transfer student would be joining us tomorrow or the day after," Ryu answered quickly.

The first one made a shocked expression as he heard Ryu finish. "Oh so, Mila two, or Elin. But when did you stop calling Laveda 'Mr.'?" The first one asked, and Ryu made a puzzled expression in the dark as soon as he heard the question.

"Never mind. The important thing here is that what you've told me makes me three months older. I just guessed earlier and answered your questions thinking we knew the same things, and the fact you're bleeding like the other one made me think as much.

Still, I didn't think the difference would be that great. The last Ryu I talked to was two weeks younger than me, so I assumed you would be a few days younger than him. Why do we sheepishly go along with the pace of others, argh." He ranted with a shocked expression, losing the calm demeanor he maintained.

The train cart's lights suddenly came on, and for the first time since Ryu got on, the two turned towards each other and made eye contact. In his head, he thought that it would be like looking into the mirror, but he immediately knew it was in no way like that.

It was like looking at a picture of you that you don't recognize. The two did look exactly the same, but the first one's eyes were different. They weren't his. The very sight of his eyes made Ryu uneasy. The eyes sent shivers down his spine the longer he looked at them.

"Are you really a Ryu?" Ryu asked, completely shaken.

"Yes and no. Not completely anyway, but that isn't important now. Don't you see Ryu!" He shouted fidgetly. "The fact that you don't know anything about Ulric, authorities, U, Kisin, or December is a good thing! I'm sure you don't even know how to use the time authority, let alone the coin. And that's fine." He said ecstatically.

Ryu had too many questions that he couldn't even put into words. He just blankly stared at the first one.

"H-How is it a good thing?" Ryu stuttered as he asked.

"Because it means I can go back in your place, and make everything right. We can win Ryu!" He said as he laughed innocently.

Ryu returned the first one's enthusiasm with a forced smile. "But what does that mean for me?"

end