Chapter 5

Ren sat on the edge of his bed, gripping his hair, his thoughts spiraling into chaos. Five loops. Five failures. Each attempt had proven fruitless, reinforcing the terrifying truth—this wasn't something he could escape by normal means. Every path led back to the same point. 6:42 PM.

He had tried running. He had tried resisting. But resistance was meaningless when time itself refused to move forward.

Maybe it was time to stop struggling and start **understanding.**

---

Instead of attempting to fight the loop, Ren decided to observe it. If everything reset perfectly, then maybe there were patterns he had overlooked.

He sat by his window, watching the city below.

The same people walked past at the same time. The same cars honked at the same intersection. The same cat jumped onto the same fence post and stared up at the sky before leaping off. 

Everything was repeating exactly as it had before.

Again, as he was going through his everyday chores he ignored the fact that it was already 6:42 PM. 

He looped again.

After he woke up, he started looking for different clues.

As he was looking suddenly his phone buzzed—Sora's usual check-in message.

Sora: Oi, idiot. Did you eat?

Ren exhaled. He had received the same message in every loop.

Ren:Hey… Can we meet?

A pause. Then her response.

Sora:You feeling okay?

She was worried. Of course, she was. Ever since Kira's death, she had been watching over him, always making sure he wasn't slipping into despair. Ren had appreciated it—more than he could put into words. But right now, he needed to know something.

He stepped out of his room, making his way to their usual meeting spot near the park.

---

Sora was already there when he arrived, leaning against a vending machine. She looked up as he approached, frowning slightly.

"You look like hell."

Ren gave a weak chuckle. "I feel worse."

She studied him carefully before handing him a canned coffee. "What's going on with you? And don't say 'nothing'—you've been acting weird for days."

Ren hesitated. He had tried asking before, but maybe he hadn't asked the **right way.**

"Sora… What do you think would happen if time kept repeating itself?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You mean, like in a game? A time loop scenario?"

He nodded. "Well kind of. But what if it was real? What if someone was actually trapped in one?"

She stared at him, her expression unreadable. "Then... I guess it'd be terrifying. Being stuck in the same moment, watching everything repeat, knowing that nothing you do matters... Sounds like a nightmare."

"But if someone were to be trapped in one," Ren pressed, "how do you think they could escape?"

Sora tapped the side of her can, thoughtful. "Maybe they'd have to do something specific? Or maybe… they're not supposed to escape."

Ren's breath hitched. "What do you mean?"

She gave him a sad smile. "Maybe the loop exists for a reason. Maybe it's trying to tell them something."

Ren felt a chill run down his spine. Trying to tell him something?

That night, he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Sora's words echoed in his mind.

Maybe he wasn't meant to escape.

Maybe he was supposed to figure out why this was happening.

And the only place that held answers…

Was the shrine.

---

The next day, Ren tested something new. If everything reset at 6:42 PM, what would happen if he forced himself to stay awake?

He skipped school. Locked himself in his room. Drank energy drinks. Splashed cold water on his face every time his eyes drooped. He was determined to outlast the loop—to see if he could prevent it from happening by sheer force of will.

The minutes ticked by. 6:40 PM.

He clenched his fists. Almost there.

6:41 PM.

His heart pounded. Just one more minute. Just stay awake—

Darkness.

6:42 PM.

Ren's eyes snapped open.

He was back in bed.

His fists clenched the sheets, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Even if he didn't fall asleep, the loop still reset. There was no stopping it.

His hands trembled as he gripped his phone.

He had two loops left before he reached ten.

His answer had to be at the shrine. It had to be.

And this time, he was going to find out the truth.