The Cost of One Eye

Ash's Perspective

Location: The Loop, Again

"Ryn! Kai!"

I shouted into the dark hallway, desperate to find them, desperate to change what I knew was going to happen.

And then…

A hand grabbed my neck.

Pulled me.

Darkness.

"There's a shapeshifter in the building!"

Someone yelled.

I was back.

Back in the same goddamn loop.

I looked around. Everyone was there. No one was hurt.

Not yet.

I stayed quiet this time. Let Jun speak.

"There are no shapeshifters in the building! Ash and Aki checked everything — and failed to find anything!" Jun shouted.

The crowd didn't believe him.

They demanded weapons. And they got them. Again.

Knives, crowbars, bats. Guns in the hands of Jace, Theo, Kai.

Location: Corner of the Hall

I pulled Bram aside. "Look, I know this is sudden, but... I can return from death."

He stared at me like I was joking. "Ash, what—"

"You told me once about your secret, remember? We teamed up. Let me remind you."

"What secret?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"You have a crush on Yuki."

His face turned red. "Wha—no! That's not—"

"And… your mother. She saw you on the street, with her new husband and daughters. And still… she ignored you."

Bram went quiet. Tears built up in his eyes, but he didn't speak.

He was remembering.

He was realizing.

"…Okay," he whispered after five long minutes. "I believe you."

Twenty Minutes Later – The Plan

"So we're clear?" I asked.

Bram nodded.

Then I went to Jun and Aki.

"Hey. You both like talking to Tessa, right?"

Jun nodded faster than lightning. Aki followed.

"Then take her to the basement parking. You two know it's the safest place — Aki and I checked it for hours. Keep her there."

Aki raised an eyebrow. "Smooth plan. She might even smile at me for once."

They left.

Bram came back.

"Jace and Theo are staying with Lumi in the hall," he reported.

"Good. I'll talk to Ryn and Kai. You go check on Theo and Kai's families."

But not everyone believed me.

Most still saw me as the unstable guy whose parents died.

Most avoided me.

Ignored me.

We couldn't save everyone.

"This isn't our duty," Bram said. "The old man, his granddaughter — they gave us shelter. That's our line."

"You're right," I said quietly. "But it still hurts."

Moments Later – Aki Returns

Aki was walking down the stairs toward the basement.

"Hey! Weren't you with Jun and Tessa?"

"Yeah," Aki said with a shrug. "But the atmosphere turned too romantic. I felt like a filler episode in a romance manga, so I dipped."

"…What were you doing upstairs?"

"Some people were asking about suspicious rooms. I sent them to one."

"Which room?" I shouted.

"Chill, man! It was a locked room I couldn't open. I checked through the doorknob. Looked clear."

My heart dropped.

Room 707. Again.

A Scream Ripped the Air.

"AaaaaaaaaaaAAAAA—HELP! HELP! SHAPESHIFTERS! HELP US!!!"

My breath stopped. The hallway trembled with panic.

"RUN!!!" I shouted.

Bram and Aki followed instantly.

On the stairwell, we ran into Ryn and Kai.

"RUN!" I yelled again. "There are THREE shapeshifters in Room 707!"

Location: Basement Parking

Most of us made it.

Panting. Bleeding. Terrified.

But not all.

"Where are Kai and Theo's families?" I asked Bram.

"I told them to stay in the hall. That's all I know!"

"They went to investigate Room 707…" Yuki said, her voice trembling.

I collapsed to my knees. My body shook.

Dead. They were already dead.

Then—

"Hey, Theo, where's Lumi?" Jace asked.

Theo blinked. "...Wasn't she with you?"

The bus engine started.

I stood up.

"STOP THE BUS!!!"

And I ran.

Location: Second Floor

My boots slammed into the floor.

I saw blood on the steps.

Not again.

I found Lumi in a room, packing something carefully.

Her hands clutched a photo frame.

"Lumi," I whispered, "we're leaving."

I grabbed the frame, took the photo out, rolled it, and gave it back to her.

Suddenly—

CRACK!

The door exploded.

A hand. Long, jagged. Fast.

It missed Lumi — but sliced through my right eye.

Blood blurred my vision.

I screamed — but picked Lumi up and ran.

The world around me turned red.

My legs pumped.

I could hear them behind me.

Footsteps. Laughter. Clicking sounds.

And then—

Jace.

He stood at the stairwell, shotgun raised.

Beside him, the old man — holding a water gun filled with some weird chemical.

"ASH! THIS WAY!"

I jumped.

But as I reached the final few steps—

My body failed.

Everything went dark again.