Shiebe:Fuck! What the hell is going on… why the hell am I in a time loop?
He sat motionless on his bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling like it held some answer he hadn't seen before. His chest rose and fell rapidly. The edges of his thoughts were jagged. Nothing made sense anymore.
Shiebe:Hey, woman—are you there? Come out and explain what the hell is happening right now!
The silence that followed was sharp. Almost mocking. He clenched his fists, jaw tightening.
Shiebe:This is insane… I'm losing my mind here…
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
The butler entered like clockwork—same posture, same exhaustion plastered across his face. Nothing had changed.
Shiebe: "Hey… why do you always look so tired?"
He never thought he'd ask, but this time, with no hope, no drive, no plan… he just blurted it out.
Butler: "Huh? I do… I look tired, don't I… Yeah. That's right. I'm tired, Shiebe. So very tired. But soon… soon I'll get the rest I need. So don't worry about it, kid."
The smile that followed wasn't warm. It was cold. Final.
The moment the man turned away, something inside Shiebe snapped to life. His instincts screamed.
RUN.
And he did.
—That guy is hiding something. Why didn't I realize this before?—
The hallway was empty. Too empty.
STAB
Pain—hot, white, and immediate—tore through his body.
Shiebe: "?!"
His breath hitched. Blood filled his mouth. He couldn't turn around. He was frozen.
HA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
A laugh like a blade echoed in the hall.
His vision started to darken.
Panic flooded in.
—Where is she? Where's the woman?! Why isn't time stopping?! She always saves me!—
His thoughts spiraled out of control.
—Am I going to die for real this time? No resets? No do-overs? No... no no no!—
Tears pricked his eyes.
—I didn't do anything yet. I haven't fixed anything. I didn't even make it to 15. I haven't changed a damn thing.—
His body trembled. He couldn't move. His lips barely parted.
Shiebe:Please… I don't want to die… I want to live. I want a better life. PLEASE—
Fuck.
Darkness.
Light. Warm, flickering light.
Muffled voices. Shouts. Footsteps.
His lungs filled with air—painfully, desperately.
Shiebe:Alive… I'm alive.
He opened his eyes and the familiar room came into focus.
He dropped to his knees.
Shiebe: "I—I'm alive… I'm still alive."
Tears streamed down his cheeks before he even realized. But rage quickly overtook fear.
—That bastard. I'm going to make him pay.—
He gathered his Syreum, charging it in his palm. He didn't need to kill the butler—just make sure he could never try that again.
He raised his hand toward the door, waiting.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Shiebe: "Who is it?"
Butler: "It's me, young master. The Lord has reques—"
BOOM
The blast obliterated the door and half the wall.
The butler collapsed, screaming, his midsection scorched, bones clearly broken.
"What was that noise?!""What's going on?!"
Footsteps pounded down the corridor.
Shiebe stepped forward slowly, calmly. He stood over the injured man.
Shiebe: "Try something like that again… and I will kill you."
Gasps echoed as Eros, Zaneff, and several maids arrived.
Eros's face twisted in shock.
Eros: "S-Shiebe?! What the hell happened here?!"
Shiebe: "I—I accidentally let out a blast. It hit him… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to."
He bowed deeply, heart pounding. But not from guilt—from restraint.
Eros's eyes narrowed. He walked past the destruction, inspecting the blast radius, the butler writhing on the floor, and Shiebe's calm expression.
Eros: "This kind of damage… that's not a beginner's slip-up."
Shiebe said nothing.
Eros stared at him hard.
Eros: "You could've killed someone."
The room held its breath.
Then, his expression softened just slightly.
Eros: "But… you didn't. And you owned up to it. You're still learning, and mistakes happen. Just… be more careful, Shiebe. Please."
Shiebe: "Yes, sir."
The butler tried to speak.
Butler: "B-BASTARD! HE TRIED TO KILL ME!"
Eros's gaze snapped to him like a sword.
Eros: "And who do you think you are, raising your voice at a Zackaria?"
The man fell silent as he was dragged away, his eyes filled with hate.
Shiebe just smiled.
—Gotcha.—
Voice (in his mind):Well done. You've uncovered the first piece of the truth. That man… he was key to your death. Now find out why.
Shiebe: "Now you're talking. Just who are you?"
Voice:We'll meet soon. For now… be careful.
Zaneff: "Who are you talking to?"
Shiebe: "Huh? Oh, no one. Just thinking out loud, I guess. Still kinda shocked."
Servant: "Sir… Young Master Maz has arrived."
Eros: "Tch. What is going on today…"
He looked back at Shiebe.
Eros: "You okay?"
Shiebe: "Y-Yeah."He forced a smile and rubbed his forehead.
Eros: "Come. Let's clean this up. Shiebe, Zaneff—head to the throne room."
As they walked:
Zaneff: "Why'd that guy get so angry at you?"
Shiebe: "No idea."
Maz greeted them, and introductions played out similarly to the previous loops.
Eros: "Sorry to keep you waiting, Maz."
Maz: "Took you long enough."
Training was postponed.
Maz made eye contact with Shiebe and Zaneff.
Maz: "I assume you're Shiebe and Zaneff?"
Shiebe: "Yeah. Nice to meet you."
Zaneff: "Y-Yeah."
Maz: "Likewise."
—I've finally broken out of the old loop. Now I just need to deal with the door incident and I'll survive to tomorrow.—
Later, Shiebe wandered into the palace library.
He needed answers. About the woman. About the time loops. About everything.
Books were scattered across tables. But something stood out.
A newspaper.
He blinked.
—A newspaper? Here? Didn't even know this world had printing.—
He picked it up.
Front Page Headline:"Ruina, Home of the Zackarias, Destroyed. Xeno and Liliana Zackaria Still Missing."
There was a picture of the ruins. Smoke, fire, ash.
—Yeah… I remember.—
He flipped the page.
BREAKING NEWS:"Council of Despair Posts Bounty for Shiebe Zackaria — ALIVE. High Cash Reward Offered."
He froze.
Time seemed to stop.
His heart beat so loud it drowned out everything else.
—A bounty…—
His name.
His face.
His life.
A target. Hunted. Traded like currency.
He slowly sat down, the newspaper trembling in his grip.
—So that's it. The butler didn't just attack me. He wasn't just tired or twisted. He wanted the bounty.—
His fists clenched around the paper.
—That bastard wanted to sell me.—
He stood. He wasn't shaken anymore.
He was furious.
He left the paper behind and stormed out of the library.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
—Right on time. Let's see what new surprise you have for me now.—
His hand hovered just inches away from the handle, but he couldn't bring himself to grip it.
This was supposed to be the moment. The reset always came with a twist—always came with her voice. Yet this time, the silence on the other side of the door felt... unnatural.
His heart pounded against his ribs like it wanted out of his chest. He could hear it echoing in his ears. His fingers twitched slightly, a tremor betraying the calm he wore like a mask.
—Why hasn't she said anything yet? Why is she silent now?—
His mouth felt dry, and a sick pressure weighed down his gut.
Every part of him screamed not to open that door.
He wasn't afraid of what might be behind it—he was afraid of what wasn't. No familiar voice. No cryptic warning. Just that knock, cold and sterile. It made his skin crawl.
For the first time, he wondered—what if this isn't part of the loop? What if something is off this time?
Still, he knew he had no choice. The longer he waited, the more it felt like the silence would eat him alive.
He took one long, slow breath. Then another. He reached forward.
His fingers curled around the handle.
He turned it.
And opened the door.
Standing before him was a tall woman, nearly towering over him.
Blonde hair flowed down her back like molten gold. Her eyes, a piercing blood red, shimmered like still water concealing something monstrous beneath.
She wore a black dress that clung to her figure, elegant but almost funeral-like. And her smile—
That smile was too smooth. Too polished. It was the kind of smile that had been practiced in the mirror, not the kind that came from kindness or familiarity.
???: "Hello. You must be Shiebe Zackaria. I'm a friend of your father."
Shiebe didn't answer.
Not at first.
He stared at her—his body frozen, but his mind moving a mile a minute.
Her voice was sweet, almost soft-spoken. But it rang wrong in his ears. It was like hearing music that was just slightly off-key. Barely noticeable—but deeply, instinctively disturbing.
That smile didn't waver. It didn't flicker with the natural awkwardness of introductions. It just… stayed.
Perfect.
Unnatural.
He looked into her eyes, searching for something human—grief, affection, even recognition.
But there was nothing.
Nothing but calculation.
And that's when he knew.
This woman was lying.
Not a friend. Not of his father. Not of anyone.
A chill climbed up his spine, cold enough to hurt.
Every inch of him screamed: She's dangerous.
And still… she smiled.
Shiebe (thinking):You're not here to help me. You're here for something else.
He tightened his jaw but kept his face calm. Neutral.
He wouldn't let her see the fear.
Not yet.