After soaking in the bath and slipping into fresh clothes, I stepped outside my house, the cool air greeting me as I made my way toward the People's Park to meet Janice.
"I needed to get this over with Janice—I had promised her in the last 'dream,' and I intended to keep that promise," I said, my voice cold and laced with chilling resolve.
I slipped my hand into the bag, retrieving a knife before tucking it away quickly. "Just in case that bastard tries to ambush me while I'm at it," I muttered under my breath, fists clenched tight with burning anger. "I won't let you get away with what you did to Alice. This time, you're the one who's going to be erased." With that, I pressed onward toward my destination, every step heavy with determination.
Internal Monologue: This time, I won't be the one running away… It's going to be you. I'll savor every moment as I bring about your downfall. You'll finally taste your own medicine, and I swear—it will be worth every second.
I glanced at my watch—it read December 24th, 2025, 2:46 P.M. "Looks like I really need to hurry," I muttered. Janice despised being late; her obsession with time was a reflection of how much she cared. I definitely didn't want to face her wrath again. With that thought driving me, I broke into a full sprint toward the location.
Once I arrived at the location, I quickly dialed Janice's number. The phone barely rang before she picked up.
"I'm sorry for the wait—I'm already here!" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm as I scanned the surroundings for her.
Janice's calm yet caring tone came through the phone. "I'm at our usual spot. Be careful on your way."
"I'm on my way!" I answered, urgency tightening my words before I ended the call.
A quiet relief washed over me. "She's pretty chill… but I better hurry," I muttered under my breath.
A few minutes later...
"Elara!" Janice shouted, waving her hand urgently.
I sprinted toward the spot where she sat, my breath coming in heavy pants as I collapsed beside her. "Sorry for the wait," I gasped.
Janice didn't waste a second. "So, what's going on? Why did you call me here? Wait—is this about that Alice or whoever she is again?" Her questions rained down, eyes searching mine for the truth.
I swallowed hard, desperation tightening my voice. "I'll cut to the chase before I run out of time. Please, just listen."
Janice's gaze locked onto mine, curious and unwavering. "Alright—what is it?"
I hesitated, hoping she'd been joking earlier when she mentioned Alice—that it was all just a prank. "For starters… do you really not know Alice?"
Her expression turned suspicious, legs crossed and arms folded tightly across her chest. "I don't know her. Who the hell is she anyway? Why do you keep insisting I do? Maybe she's someone you know that I met once and just don't remember. But honestly, I doubt it."
Internal Monologue (Elara): Damn it, Janice really doesn't know Alice. All her socials and contact number are gone ever the photos that I have in my phone gallery with her has been deleted, did she really got deleted from existence?
Memories of the previous "dream" resurfaces especially the part where Aloce got shot by the Masked Killer, I shook my head trying to dismiss the thought.
I took a shaky breath and met her gaze. "Listen, Janice. I have a long story, and I promised I'd tell you before I got here." My voice trembled as nervousness knotted my throat. I swallowed hard, releasing a slow sigh.
"I promise, I'll explain everything to you in the next "dream"." A flicker of the previous "dream" flashed in my mind—the promise I made. I shook my head, trying to push it aside for now.
Internal Monologue (Janice): Elara had been acting off since that phone call this morning. There was no hint of deceit in her, yet something felt profoundly wrong. Who exactly was this Alice she kept mentioning? What was really going on with my friend?
Janice nodded slowly, breaking the silence. "I'm listening. I'm genuinely curious about what you're about to say. Maybe this is why you've seemed so strange since our call earlier," she said calmly, stretching her arms as if to ease the tension.
I took a shaky breath. "This might sound insane, but I still hope you'll believe me despite all this…" My voice trembled. "Janice, I'm stuck in a loop. I've relived this day four times now. And Alice—the one I've been talking about since this morning… she was our friend. She… she was killed in the previous loop. Because of me." My words caught in my throat. "And now, in this loop, she's been erased. Wiped out of existence."
Janice raised her eyebrows and let out a slow sigh. "So, you're saying you're stuck in a time loop? And this Alice you keep mentioning—she was our friend in one timeline but got erased from existence in this one because she was killed? Is that right?" She scratched her hair nervously, struggling to piece it all together.
I nodded, voice trembling with urgency. "Yes, that's exactly it. I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. You have to believe me, Janice. I'm in grave danger—and so are you. Alice got capped in that loop because of me. I dragged the two of you into my chaos, and now... I don't know exactly, but since they saw you in the previous loop, they might already know who you are—and they could be targeting you in this one too." I clutched my head, shaking violently as paranoia flooded me. "Please, believe me—I'm not making this up."
Janice gently patted my head. "Shh, calm down. I'm here with you, Elara," she said softly, her voice steady and reassuring. But even as she soothed me, a trace of skepticism lingered in her tone. "But... let's say what you're saying is true. What happens every time the loop resets?"
I swallowed hard, my voice trembling as the memory replayed vividly in my mind. "Every time, at exactly 6:00 P.M., I'm hunted down and killed by this masked killer—someone I don't even know. They keep accusing me of stealing everything from them. And no matter what, they say they'll do the same to me." Clenching my fists, anger surged beneath the fear as the shadow of the masked figure pressed relentlessly in my thoughts.
Internal Monologue (Janice): Elara didn't seem to be lying—her fear and paranoia were too raw, too real to dismiss. Still, the story felt utterly absurd, tangled in impossibility. Yet beneath the disbelief, a flicker of doubt remained. If Elara was truly being hunted by some masked killer, then I couldn't simply turn away. For now, I would set aside the incredulity and focus on finding a way to help her—to anchor her in this twisted loop, no matter how unreal it seemed.
Internal Monologue (Elara): I know all the things I've said right now is hard to believe but please believe me, Janice.
Janice clears her throat, "I can assume that this supposed friend of ours—Alice, has been also victimized by this psycho maksed killer that is hunting you, am I right?" Janice asked coldly.
I simply just nods...
"Alright, it's time for us to plan to get that masked killer off of you." Janice said coldly, "We're going to get rid of them."