Clues in the Loop

Renji sat still, gripping his phone tightly.

The train rattled along the tracks, the golden sunset reflecting off the ocean.

The loop had reset again.

But this time… he had lasted longer.

His fingers hovered over the screen, re-reading the message from the unknown number.

> You lasted longer. Keep going.

His jaw tightened.

Who was sending these messages? Were they trapped in the loop too? Or were they watching from the outside?

Renji exhaled sharply. It didn't matter.

If someone else knew what was happening, then that meant there was a way out.

He wasn't going to waste this chance.

He shoved his phone into his pocket and turned to the window. His reflection stared back at him—and the spiral in his left eye was darker now.

It was changing.

Renji clenched his fists. He needed answers.

And he was going to start by breaking the cycle.

---

A Different Approach

When the train stopped at Kurohane Station, Renji moved fast.

This time, he wouldn't follow the same steps.

Instead of going straight home, he took a detour.

First stop—the clock tower.

It had been frozen at 11:59 every time he returned. That had to mean something.

The streets were as empty as before. Still. Silent.

The town didn't just look abandoned—it felt like time had forgotten it.

When he reached the clock tower, his breath hitched.

The hands were still frozen in place.

11:59.

Renji frowned.

The metal surface of the tower was old, rusted. But as he moved closer, he noticed something carved into the side.

A symbol.

A spiral.

His heartbeat quickened.

The exact same spiral he had seen at the train station floor. The exact same spiral forming in his eye.

He reached out, tracing the grooves with his fingers.

A strange warmth pulsed through him.

Suddenly—

A sharp voice cut through the silence.

"You shouldn't be here."

Renji spun around.

Aoi Tsukimura stood a few feet away, arms crossed.

Her expression was unreadable—but her gaze flickered toward his hand.

She had seen him touch the spiral.

Renji steadied himself. "Aoi. I need to ask you something."

She frowned. "You're acting weird again."

He stepped forward. This time, he wouldn't let her brush him off.

"Aoi," he said slowly. "Do you remember yesterday?"

She blinked. "What?"

"Yesterday. The last time we talked. Do you remember?"

She hesitated.

For just a second, her eyes darted away.

Renji's chest tightened. There it was.

That flicker of recognition.

"…I don't know what you're talking about," Aoi muttered, turning away. "Just stay out of this, Renji."

She started to walk off.

Renji gritted his teeth.

She knew something.

And he was going to find out what.

---

A Message in the Static

By the time Renji reached home, the sky was darkening.

He hesitated before stepping inside.

The last two loops had ended the same way—his mother freezing, the creature appearing, and him waking back on the train.

This time, he would stop it before it started.

He climbed the stairs carefully, his heart pounding.

When he reached his mother's room, he took a deep breath and knocked.

"…Mom?"

Silence.

He pushed the door open.

His mother sat in the same corner. Exactly as before.

But this time, before she could speak, Renji took a step forward.

"Mom," he said firmly. "Tell me about the spirals."

Her body stiffened.

Slowly, she turned her head toward him.

"The gate…" she whispered. "Don't let it open…"

Renji's stomach clenched.

Same words. Same reaction.

But then—something changed.

A faint hissing sound filled the air.

Renji's breath caught.

It was coming from the radio on the nightstand.

The old radio that hadn't worked in years.

The static grew louder.

And then—a voice crackled through.

"Renji… don't… look…"

His blood ran cold.

The voice was familiar.

It was his own.

And before he could react—

The clock struck 11:59.

DONG.

DONG.

DONG.

The room plunged into darkness.

---

The Choice to Change

The clicking sound returned.

Renji's muscles locked up.

The creature was here.

He gritted his teeth.

No. Not this time.

His fingers tightened into fists.

If everything followed the same pattern, then he knew what would happen next.

The creature would step closer. The shadows would twist.

Then, at the last second—he would be pulled into the loop again.

Not this time.

Renji forced himself to move.

He lunged forward—toward the radio.

The static surged.

The creature let out a shriek.

Renji grabbed the dial and twisted it.

The voice on the other end—his voice—grew clearer.

"Renji—listen—break the pattern. Don't let it end the same way."

Renji's pulse roared in his ears.

Break the pattern.

His mother's words. The unknown messages. The voice on the radio.

It was all connected.

He took a deep breath.

And instead of waiting—he turned around.

The creature froze.

For the first time, Renji looked directly at it.

And the spiral in his left eye burned.

Everything around him twisted. The walls bent inward. The air crackled with unseen energy.

And then—

The loop shattered.

---

End of Chapter 5

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To Be Continue