"Did we get sucked in?" Kaito asked, the realization dawning on him.
Nysera shook her head. "No... not a sudden expansion either."
She narrowed her eyes at the horizon, then at the hazy boundary in the distance. "It seems the area of influence is much larger than we thought… and it shifts randomly."
"Is there a way to escape?" Ysoria asked.
Without a word, Rin took off running toward the edge. But only seconds later, she reappeared from an entirely different direction, jogging back toward the group.
"It was worth a try," she said with a shrug.
Nysera frowned. "We're stuck… in a bubble."
With that, she turned toward the strange city looming ahead, her cloak fluttering behind her. One by one, the others followed
As they crossed the threshold, noise flooded their senses.
The streets were alive. Drunken men and women staggered around with mugs sloshing in hand. A violent brawl had broken out in one corner, blood and cheers mingling as fists collided. Others lounged in surreal calm, some chatting idly, some asleep on benches, and one man read a book in the middle of a cobblestone alley as if nothing was amiss.
In the town square, beside a fountain, a wooden cross had been erected. Tied to it was a man, battered and silent. Children passed by in twos and threes, each picking up a rotten egg from a basket and hurling it at him before continuing on, as if it were some sacred rite.
Then a man approached them.
"Well, looks like another group of unfortunate souls found themselves here," he said with a grim smile. "Welcome to the Heart of the Republic."
He blinked, then stared at Ysoria. "Wait a second… I recognize you. You're that Saint candidate, aren't you? Ysoria the Third?"
"I am," she replied. "What happened to this place?"
The man sighed, gesturing around. "As you can see, the whole city and everyone in it is caught in a time loop. At the end of everyday cycle, everything resets… except our memories."
He nodded toward the man on the cross. "That's the cause of it all. Feel free to toss an egg if it helps."
Suddenly, a body crashed from above. A bald man with blood smeared across his mouth hit the ground near the guard, his neck cracking on impact.
He didn't git up, and the man simply stepped over him, unconcerned. "Everything resets, including the alcohol in their veins. So most folks decided to spend eternity drunk off their minds while the Archmage tries to figure a way out."
"The Archmage is still alive?" Ysoria asked, a glimmer of hope in her voice.
"Yeah. Over there." He pointed at a massive building that looked like a cross between a tavern and a shop. "He teaches time magic to anyone who'll listen. Says maybe, our combined knowledge can break this thing."
Inside, they found a large hall overflowing with people. They soon found the Archmage. A middle-aged man was in the middle of a lecture, with numerous people of all kinds—children, mages, merchants, and nobles—listening intently. Another group of people was discussing theories on a chalkboard.
The Archmage noticed them and brought the lecture to a close. "This will conclude this loop's lecture," the Archmage announced. The crowd of listeners dispersed, some joining the group of people already in a heated discussion.
"It seems the loop has consumed you as well, young Nysera."
Nysera gave a respectful bow. "Archmage Ambrose."
Ambrose's eyes then landed on Kaito. "You must be the new Hero, as it seems Ysoria has become a proper Saint now." He then turned to Rin. "That muscle head's daughter as well. It seems you've gathered an interesting group of friends, young Nysera."
"You know my father?" Rin asked in surprised.
Ambrose chuckled. "We used to adventure together, long ago. Want to hear some embarrassing stories to tease him with?"
Rin grinned. "Ah, maybe later."
"Archmage Ambrose, can you tell us what caused all this? And is there any way to stop it?" Kaito asked, getting straight to the point.
"Follow me," Ambrose said, his expression turning serious. "Some things are easier seen than explained."
He led them through a corridor and opened an ornate door. Inside was a lavish chamber lined with treasure—gold coins, jewelry, and gleaming gems. And in the center of it all floated a silver pocket watch, suspended in midair.
"What is this?" Rin asked, trying to approach it. But no matter how much she walked, she didn't seem to move an inch toward it.
"This timepiece is the source of the loop." Ambrose explained. "It was found by the man on the cross—Luke, an adventurer who killed someone and stole this artifact. He used it to wreak havoc across the Republic. But during our confrontation, something went wrong. The artifact malfunctioned, and now… here we are."
"We've been trapped in this loop for 162 days. People randomly get caught in its influence. I believe it's spreading, and I don't know if it will ever stop."
He looked back at them. "It's an immensely powerful artifact. If it were to consume the entirety of Terra, I fear it might erase this timeline, and everyone who is trapped in it, along with it. The end result will be a return to normalcy where the timeline fixes itself, but everyone who exists now will not be 'themselves,' merely another timeline version of themselves as the world fixes itself."
"I've seen similar temporal phenomena before, but to think I would be trapped in one," Ambrose muttered to himself. "I'm powerless to reach the timepiece, as an infinite distance surrounds it, akin to a barrier. Teleportation to it or teleporting it out is impossible, as it doesn't exist in any coordinates. It has overpowered my attempts at time manipulation to stabilize it. It seems to both exist and not at the same time. It's rather perplexing."
"Hero, does that not remind you of that 'Cat' you wrote about, in which it's both alive and not, until it's confirmed to be?" Nysera asked.
"I guess?" Kaito said.
Ambrose turned to Nysera, a glimmer of interest in his eyes. "What's this 'Cat' you speak of, young Nysera?"
Nysera handed him a book. Ambrose began flipping through it, his eyes devouring the words. "Hm, an interesting theory. Our sight is unable to confirm it due to the infinite distance between us. But no... It's not enough to explain this... Or maybe... No..." He finally looked up at them. "I need to do more research on this matter. In the meantime, feel free to mess around with it... Perhaps you will have better luck than I do."