Butterfly Effect (1)

As I made my way to school, I found myself caught in a familiar scene, mirroring events from my previous experiences. There she was, Alicia, hesitating and struggling to take the next step, just as she had countless times before. And just as before, I chose to ignore her, not wanting to be drawn into whatever was unfolding.

I mixed myself in with the group of students entering the school, hoping to remain unnoticed by Alicia. Her presence alone had been a catalyst for the inexplicable time loop I was trapped in, and I had no intention of interacting with her this time around. I simply walked past her without acknowledging her existence.

"Bye bye," I muttered to her in my thoughts, stealing a glance at her as I moved past, my expression unreadable.

The events leading up to my school entrance were playing out almost identically to previous iterations. The same students were arguing at the entrance, venting their frustration about being trapped in this strange world.

"It's because of you that we got trapped in this wor—"

"Moving through~"

Without pausing to listen to their quarrel, I slipped past them and disappeared into the throng of students. My objective was clear - find Artoria.

She managed to remember about our previous memories, a hint that she might hold the key to unlocking the mystery of this never-ending cycle... It was crucial that I understood the nature of this phenomenon and how to break free from it.

But my determination wavered when I was distracted by another encounter. Just as I was about to approach Artoria from the distance, a sudden collision sent a jolt through my body. The items carried by the person I collided with fell to the ground, causing my attention to shift involuntarily.

And finally...

"Aerial..."

There, standing before me, was a young woman with resplendent white hair that flowed gently in the breeze, her beauty almost otherworldly. Her striking appearance sent an eerie sense of déjà vu coursing through me.

In my moment of distraction, I unwittingly stepped on one of the files that had tumbled to the ground. It was enough to catch her attention.

"He—"

"Move your foot!"

Her sharp demand cut me off as I glanced down at the folder underfoot. I quickly lifted my foot to allow her to retrieve her belongings.

The commotion had attracted the attention of several students, who gazed curiously at the scene unfolding before them.

-What's happening there?

-I have no idea...

This could escalate into something unwarranted... I immediately sought to defuse the situation by offering my apologies and ensuring the bystanders that it was all a misunderstanding. Fortunately, the students soon moved on, disinterested in the brief spectacle.

Once the crowd dispersed, I turned my attention back to the white-haired girl, Aerial. She was walking away from me, leaving me with a sense of disappointment and urgency.

"Wait!" I called out, but she disappeared into the sea of students before I could catch up.

Confused and slightly frustrated, I noticed something on the ground where I had been standing. It was a small flash drive with an adorable bear keychain. I recognized it as Aerial's, realizing that she must have dropped it accidentally during the commotion.

I picked it up and examined it, considering how I might return it to her. But she had already vanished into the crowd, leaving me to ponder my next steps.

"...I'll give it back to her later," For now, I decided, tucking the flash drive into my pocket.... Who knew this decision managed to change something terrifying.

***

After the greeting speech that happened in the school's auditorium concluded, I immediately checked the billboard to see which class I was in... or just to make sure that nothing had changed.

"It's the same, huh..."

While walking through the hallway casually, I suddenly recalled that I will be bumping onto someone on the way, causing me to abruptly stop and lift my head. I then proceeded to look around and saw that there was still no freshman or visible transferee students around me except for seniors like me.

Maybe, I came early than expected, I thought to myself. Without much thought, I sighed and shook my head lightly before proceeding to head to the cafeteria before the classroom.

Upon reaching the classroom, I immediately sat down on the assigned seat, which was on the back, and slumped my head to my arm to have a quick rest.

I'll just take a quick nap, I thought, closing my eyes. However, just when I was about to sleep, my table shook violently, stirring me up and making me sat straight.

"You... You're Vallen, aren't you!" Upon hearing Alicia's voice, my lips twitched. I turned to look around and noticed that no, one except for us, was inside the classroom... Then again, uh, how did she immediately get here?

The second change had begun.