"JANICE! GET DOWN!"
Elara screamed at the top of her lungs, sprinting forward with everything she had. She launched herself at the male killer, delivering a powerful kick that sent him tumbling backward down the stairs. She went right along with him, crashing onto the floor below.
"I won't let you touch her!" Elara shouted, her voice raw with frustration as she struggled to push herself up. "It was me you wanted from the start! Fine! I'm right here! Take what you want!"
"Elara! Are you alright?!" Janice cried out, panic gripping her heart as she tried to rush down to help.
But the female killer stepped in front of her, blocking the path completely.
"Not so fast," she purred, her voice dripping with sadistic pleasure as she ran her tongue along the sharp edge of her blade. "You seem to forget... the lady is still here."
"Get out of my fucking way. Now." Janice's voice was ice cold. She raised her revolver and pressed the barrel directly against the killer's forehead, her eyes burning with fury.
"I love that fake confidence," the assassin sneered. "I'll make sure it shatters along with you later on!"
Without warning, she lunged forward.
"Damn you!" Janice reacted instantly, sweeping the killer's legs out from under her. The woman grunted in pain but immediately burst into hysterical laughter. Janice didn't wait; she turned and sprinted back up the stairs, putting distance between them.
"I'm sorry, Elara," she whispered to herself, her heart pounding. "I promise I'll come back for you."
Downstairs
"Having trouble standing up?" the male killer asked, his voice cold and mocking as he towered over Elara.
"Don't you dare look down on me!" Elara spat, fire blazing in her eyes. "I'm not scared of you anymore! You hurt what matters to me, so I will destroy you! I won't let you take anyone else from me. I won't let you take Janice!"
"You talk an awful lot for someone on the floor," he sneered. "Finally found your voice? Fine. Let's end this here and now! Show me if you've really changed, you coward! But remember this—you can't outrun your fate! You are incapable of changing anything!"
He lunged at her with deadly speed.
For a split second, Elara froze. Her mind flashed uncontrollably through every death, every pain she had suffered in the previous loops.
"Seeing your life flash before your eyes?" he taunted.
"You have no idea, but..." Elara whispered, "You're goddamn right." Elara adds coldly.
Despite her hand trembling violently, she gripped the hidden knife she had kept in her pocket. With a scream of pure defiance, she pulled it out and charged straight at him.
The masked killer lunged, aiming a deadly stab straight at her chest. Elara deflected it with a clang of metal, instantly counterattacking in a desperate attempt to slash the mask right off his face. She missed by a hair's breadth, and in the next second, a powerful kick sent her crashing hard onto the floor.
"So your target is the mask?" he sneered, looking down at her. "How predictable. It seems… I'll be seeing you in the next loop."
"ARGH!" Elara roared, refusing to give up. She scrambled up and thrust her knife at him again.
Without flinching, he blocked the blade with his own arm. He grunted slightly at the cut, but didn't stop. Instead, he grabbed Elara by the hair and violently slammed her head against the hard floor.
"Fighting back at last?" he whispered, his voice dripping with cold sadism. "Good. This makes it so much more entertaining."
"Wow, you're really screwed now, aren't you, Elara?"
The female killer limped over, clutching her stomach where Janice had injured her, a mocking grin plastered on her face.
"Wh-where… is… Janice?" Elara mumbled, blood trickling from her mouth as she coughed violently.
"She left you," the female masked killer purred, bringing her knife dangerously close to Elara's cheek. "All alone. Seems like you really don't have any true friends after all."
"As long… as she… is safe… that's… all that matters…" Elara whispered, a strange mix of relief and terror washing over her.
"What a hero!" The female masked killer burst out laughing maniacally. "Hey, you had her all to yourself for four loops. Don't you think it's my turn to finish the job now?" she demanded coldly.
The male killer released his grip on Elara and let out a sigh of feigned defeat. "Fine. Go ahead."
Elara used every ounce of her strength to crawl away, trying desperately to push herself up.
Internal Monologue (Elara): Damn it! I can't let it end like this! Elara screamed in her mind. I've come too far. At least Janice is safe… but this might be my only chance! I have to take them down, get answers about this loop, and finally break this cycle! I refuse to die here!
"You still have an ounce of strength to stand up, huh? In just 5 loops you really have grown too well, but unfortunately nothing will change." The masked killer said with cold seriousness.
"This'll be fun, I love a small amount of resistance!" The female masked killer said sarcastically as she lunges and attack on Elara.
"Your partner is much better than you are." Elara admits coldly, she stands there motionless until the killer closes in and Elara grabbed her hand and a long struggle begins.
"Shall I help you there?" The masked killer said sarcastically.
"No, Sir! I can clearly handle her, besides — I am just starting to have fun!" The female masked killer exclaims then she kicks Elara so hard she stumbled on the open window next to her, "Fear of falling to death? Oh, me too! Because I want to be the one who will end you in this loop!" She adds and lunges an attack on her as well.
"Damn, I am doomed if she gets to me quick. I need to move!" She mutters to herself then moves aside when she was about to get stabbed avoiding death.
Elara then grabbed the female masked killer and attempted to push her into the window but then she is struggling because the one she is grappling with is incredibly strong.
"Damn it, fuck it! Go to hell already!" Elara shouts clearly enraged and determined.
"I need to move now too." The masked killer quickly moves to attack Elara from behind.
"Elara, get down!" Janice suddenly appeared, and shots the female masked killer which she dodges but then it hits her mask...and her face got revealed.
"What... This can't be... You are.." Elara said completely anxious and shocked unable to move.
"Elara, behind you!" Janice said warily and pointed the gun to the masked killer that is approaching Elara from behind, she shoots but she keeps on missing, "DAMN IT, HE'S TOO FAST!"
"Janice..." Elara started to breakdown then...
The masked killer stabbed her in the head from behind, and everything went black again, the carol of the bells are there again...
"NO! ELARA! NO!" Janice's mourning shouts started to get fuzzy in her hearing.
AND THEN ELARA...WOKE UP AGAIN...SAME TIME...SAME PLACE...SAME DAY...