Chapter 3: Don’t Trust Too Easily

I stared at him. His voice was calm, his words smooth… maybe a little too smooth.

Everything about him made sense — maybe too much sense.

“You knew I’d come here,” I said slowly.

He tilted his head. “Eventually. Curiosity always wins with your type.”

My type? That irritated me.

I took a step back. “You’re saying I’ve been here before… with you?”

He nodded. “Yes. Many times.”

“How many?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he turned away, walking back to the desk, flipping through papers covered in strange writing. His calm made me nervous — like he knew something I didn’t. Like he always knew something I didn’t.

“Why should I trust you?” I asked, crossing my arms. “What if you’re the one who caused all this?”

He didn’t look surprised. “Good. Keep thinking like that.”

I blinked. “What?”

He turned his eyes back to me. “This loop isn’t a game. People who trust too fast lose faster. If you believed me too quickly, you’d be dead by now. Again.”

Again?

A chill ran down my spine.

“You’re saying I’ve died before?” I whispered.

He paused. “…Yeah.”

Silence. Heavy. Sharp. It felt like the room itself had stopped breathing.

I looked down at the watch, feeling its cold weight against my chest. The thought of dying and not even remembering it… made my stomach twist.

“What’s your name?” I asked, voice low.

He hesitated for the first time. “You used to call me Kael.”

“Used to?”

He gave me a tired smile. “You’ll remember eventually. Some things… come back in pieces.”

I didn’t like that answer.

Kael turned toward the window, staring at the academy below. “You still think this is about you,” he said softly. “It’s not. It’s about the watch. You're just the one holding it.”

I looked at the silver timepiece again. It looked so small… yet it held me prisoner.

“Then help me break it,” I said. “Help me end the loop.”

He turned to me, eyes narrowing. “If you really want to break the loop, you need to stop playing safe. Stop going to class. Stop being the good girl. Stop walking the path they expect you to walk.”

“And start what?”

He stepped close, his voice like a whisper only time could hear.

“Start remembering who you were… before the day started looping.”

Before the loop?

Was there even a "before" anymore?

My head ached, and for a second, the room spun. Images flickered in my mind — a storm, someone screaming my name, fire in the sky, and a hand reaching out to me…

But they vanished just as fast.

I stumbled back. “No. I… I don’t remember anything like that.”

Kael nodded slowly. “You will.”

He walked to the door and looked over his shoulder. “The loop resets at midnight, Lyra. You’ve got less than fifteen hours. Use them well. You won’t have long before things… change.”

“Change how?”

He opened the door. “You’ll see.”

Then he was gone.

And for the first time…

I realized this loop wasn’t just about escape.

It was about finding out who I really was — and what I’d already lost.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***