Setting: A quiet rooftop in Tokyo, late evening. Wind rustles the edges of the tarps. Akane stands beside Aqua as the city lights shimmer below.
---
Aqua's voice trembled.
"I've been hiding something, Akane… Something no one would believe. But I can't do this anymore. Not alone."
Akane's gaze didn't waver. "Then tell me, Aqua. I'm listening."
He took a deep breath, eyes unfocused.
"This isn't the first time. Or the second. Every time Ruby dies, I… go back. To the moment after I chose not to kill Hikaru. A supernatural being—Tsukuyomi—she's the one pulling the strings. She gave me this second chance… but she's helping Hikaru too. He remembers. Just like me."
Akane's eyes widened, but she stayed silent, processing.
"He's always one step ahead. No matter how I change things, Ruby dies. A stalker. An accident. Even her heart just… stopping. Every time… two days after I confront him."
"…That's why you've been acting strange these past few days?" Akane said quietly.
Aqua nodded. "But it never works. This time… I had to tell someone. I thought maybe you'd believe me."
Her hand slowly found his, fingers tightening around his.
"It's hard to believe. Supernatural… time loops… gods? Sounds like something out of a novel."
She smiled softly.
"But I trust you, Aqua. More than anyone."
He looked at her, finally allowing a tear to fall.
"You said she dies two days after the confrontation in your original timeline," Akane continued, her voice firmer now. "That means the pattern hasn't changed. You can't leave her alone now."
"You're right…"
"Stay with her. Note the time, her condition. If we understand the pattern, maybe we can change it."
She stepped back, her voice calm but serious.
"And if this resets again… you have to tell the next 'me' everything. You don't have to do this alone anymore."
---
Scene shift: Akane's POV – a dim library corner, lit by a single hanging bulb.
She pulled out a stack of dusty books, flipping through titles. Her fingers stopped on a thin, tattered volume: "Threads of Time – A Tale of Eternal Return."
"Found it…" she whispered. "I used to read this when I was obsessed with time travel stories. One of them was just like this…"
She turned the pages quickly, eyes scanning.
"A loop bound by grief… only broken by accepting it. Not changing fate—but choosing how to face it…"
---
Scene shift: Aqua and Ruby sitting in the park, just after sunset.
"You've been acting strange, Onii-chan…" Ruby said.
Aqua looked up sharply.
"I've seen your eyes. The sadness. Like you're hiding something."
She smiled faintly, then tears welled up in her eyes.
"Is it me? Am I the reason for your pain?"
"No—Ruby, no. That's not it."
"Then tell me."
"I… I've always cared about you. Even when we were just doctor and patient. Even in our last life. You've always been… family."
"Then don't shut me out," Ruby said quietly. "I don't want to just stand beside you while you suffer in silence."
Aqua swallowed hard, sweat on his brow. He couldn't tell her. Not about the deaths. Not yet.
"...Aqua?"
She staggered.
"Ruby—?!"
She collapsed in his arms. He checked his watch—
"Same time… again?" he whispered.
His phone rang—Akane's name lit the screen.
"Akane?!"
Her voice came rushed, shaking.
"I found something. In those novels… It's the same. The same loop. The death always happens at the same point—it's called an absolute point. No matter what you do… she'll die."
"Then what the hell am I supposed to do?! Tell me!"
"You have to dec—!"
Static.
Light.
The world broke.
---
Scene: The rehearsal room. Again.
Aqua woke, kneeling. Alone. The sound of laughter somewhere outside.
"NOOOOO!!" he screamed.
---
To Be Continued…