The morning sun ran soft through the dorm curtains, the kind of light that made everything look peaceful—even if Luca's head was anything but.
He sat on the edge of the bed, tying his shoes.
Marc walked past him with a toothbrush in his mouth. "Bro," he mumbled, "you good?"
"Yeah," Luca said, even though he didn't sound convinced.
Marc spat into the sink. "You sure? You look like you're having an existential crisis."
Luca sighed. "Just thinking. Hana… Aiden… Aria… everything feels like it's piling up."
Marc leaned on the wall, arms crossed. "Good. Means the world is reacting. That's progression."
Luca looked up. "Feels like pressure."
Marc shrugged. "Pressure's part of the game."
He held out a fist.
Luca bumped it.
Marc added a quick dap after.
"Balance," Marc said.
Luca snorted. "Yeah yeah."
Walking through the hallways this morning felt different from the last loop.
Students weren't repeating old lines.
People weren't stuck in the same patterns.
This wasn't a reset.
This was a new day.
Marc whispered, "Good. Everything's in forward motion."
Luca nodded. "We just gotta play it right."
As they turned the corner—
"Hana?" Luca called out without thinking.
She perked up the second she heard his voice.
"Good morning!" she said, smiling wide.
No memory of loops.
No weird déjà vu.
Just genuine energy.
"You're early today," she added.
Luca rubbed his neck. "Yeah… couldn't sleep."
Hana giggled. "Same. The festival wore me out."
She moved closer, walking between the brothers.
"So… what are you two doing after school?" she asked.
Marc smirked. "He's free."
"Bro— I didn't say—"
"You're free."
Hana laughed. "Perfect. Maybe we can—"
Her voice cut as Aiden appeared from the opposite hallway.
Aiden slowed his walk, eyes landing on Luca.
His expression wasn't hostile—not yet.
Just curious.
"Morning, Hana," Aiden said smoothly.
"Morning!" she chirped back.
Aiden's eyes drifted to Luca.
"You're the transfer, right? Luca?"
Luca nodded. "Yeah."
Aiden held the stare a second longer than normal.
Not remembering the last loop.
But noticing Luca's presence.
"…You run fast," Aiden said.
Luca blinked. "Huh?"
"At the festival," Aiden added casually. "Didn't expect a transfer to keep up."
Hana brightened. "He was amazing, right?"
Aiden's jaw tightened a hair—
so subtle Luca barely caught it.
Marc whispered from behind,
"Bro, he's sensing the threat."
Aiden nodded once. "I'll be watching you."
He walked away without another word.
Hana pouted. "He didn't even say bye…"
Luca exhaled. "That guy…"
Marc whispered, "He's starting early this loop."
Luca nodded. "Yeah."
As soon as they reached the classroom doorway, Ryo appeared beside Marc like a shadow.
"Marc," he said calmly.
"Do you have a moment?"
Marc blinked. "For what?"
Ryo adjusted his glasses. "Just observing. You and your friend… adjust quickly. Faster than the average student."
Marc forced a smile. "We're just trying to fit in."
Ryo didn't look convinced.
"You solve problems quickly," Ryo continued.
"You memorize directions fast. You adapt to student routines unusually well."
Marc met his gaze. "Is that bad?"
Ryo shook his head slowly. "No. Just… uncommon."
And then Ryo slipped into class.
Marc whispered to Luca:
"Bro, he's on detective timing already."
Luca whispered back:
"Be careful. If he finds out too much…"
Marc nodded. "I know."
Marc walked toward his desk, and as if perfectly timed, Aria looked up from her book.
No greeting.
No smile.
But acknowledgment.
"Good morning," she said softly.
Marc raised a brow. "Whoa. A normal greeting?"
Aria blinked. "It was normal."
Luca snickered behind him.
Marc elbowed him.
Aria closed her book slightly.
"Today is important."
Marc leaned closer. "Why?"
She answered simply:
"Because emotions are more dangerous than events."
Marc frowned. "What's that supposed to—"
"You'll feel it," Aria said.
Her tone wasn't cryptic on purpose.
It was like she was stating a weather forecast.
Luca sat down and leaned toward Marc.
"She always talks like that?"
Marc nodded. "Yeah. I'm getting used to it."
Aria added, "Be near me at lunch."
Marc blinked. "Huh?"
"I'll explain something then."
She opened her book again, signaling the conversation was over.
Right as the teacher began roll call, Hana turned to Luca and whispered:
"Hey… thanks for sitting with me yesterday."
Luca looked at her. "It was fun."
Hana blushed lightly and looked down at her notebook.
"That makes me happy," she said softly.
A soft flag triggered.
Not obvious.
Not loud.
Not dangerous.
But real.
And Luca felt it.
Marc leaned back in his chair and whispered without looking:
"Bro… she's starting to fall."
"Shut up."
"I didn't say anything."
"You just did."
Marc smirked.
Class dragged on.
Notes piled up.
Marc's mind was half on Ryo's observations, half on Aria's lunch meeting.
Luca couldn't stop glancing at Hana, noticing her small smiles when she thought he wasn't looking.
When the bell finally rang for lunch—
Luca and Marc walked into the hallway together.
Marc offered a fist bump.
Luca tapped it.
Marc added a dap after.
"Game time," Marc said.
Luca nodded. "Let's move smart."
And then—
unexpectedly—
Aria appeared beside Marc and said:
"It starts today."
Marc froze. "What starts?"
Aria looked at Hana, then at Luca.
"Her path."
And the chapter ends right there.