[66.4] Stuck in a Tortuous Loop

[****Disclaimer: This chapter includes violence against a child that some may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.]

*SPLAT* 

I groaned realizing I had already gone through the next multicolored hole and landed in mud. I sat up, wincing from the effort, and shook the mud off of me, "...Gross."

"Wipe that look off your face, brat!"

Eh?

Who was that?

I looked around and noticed the voices coming from a small shed beside me.

I narrowed my eyes.

This crummy place… 

Why does it seem familiar?

I crawled up to the door and peeked in through a crack in the wood.

My eyes widened in shock when I noticed a small girl struggling to lift herself up from the ground. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was beautiful despite being so unkempt. Her body was so frail and malnourished, she looked as if she had been starved for several days. I felt so bad, it caused my heart to feel like it was cracking in my chest.

As I was admiring the pretty child, the burly man kicked the child in the stomach, launching him further away with a devastatingly strong kick.

To my surprise, the child sat up and glared.

It was the first time I could clearly make out their expression.

And the glare of those blue eyes-

Aren't they familiar?

Arrogant and imposing.

Harsh, yet fair.

Wait…

Doesn't it seem like…

I grabbed the door in a panic, "Cyrus!?"

I burst into the door, pushing the burly man aside and grabbing onto the child. The child looked up at me startled.

I held onto him, "You're Cyrus right!? You're not a girl!!!"

The child blinked in confusion, "Y-You know who I am?"

It… It is Cyrus!?

What the f*ck is this!?

Am I stuck in an illusion then?!

Is it Moni's doing?

"Oi!? Who let this lady in!?" 

The burly man stomped over to me, "Who cares!? She needs to die!"

My hair was suddenly yanked up, causing me to drop the small Cyrus.

Seeing the monstrous expression of the burly man, I lost control.

I cried out and closed my eyes, and felt a burst of energy jump out of my skin.

"ARGHHHH!!!"

I was dropped just as smoke filled the room. I looked up in a panic and noticed the man who had attacked me was on fire. I panicked and quickly pulled out my wand and covered him in ice.

He fell to the ground, completely frozen.

I leaned back in a panic, "Whoops. I overdid it again."

The children burst out crying from the traumatic scene in front of them.

The other man turned pale white, "S-She didn't even chant!"

He turned around and sprinted out of the room.

I shrugged and looked back at my priority, Cyrus.

I ignored the wails of the children around me and squeezed his cute little cheeks, "Are you okay?"

He stared up at me with dazzling blue eyes, "A-Are you a fairy, miss?"

Aw! How cute! He thinks I'm a fairy?

I tilted my head and laughed, "No. I'm-"

"Eh!? Who is being this loud in the morning!?! I'm trying to sleep!"

We all turned to look at the small girl who had a gnarly bruise on her forehead. She looked at all of us in a daze before her eyes got locked on mine.

*SNAP*

Both of us started screaming until our screams reached peak harmony and then-

*Blink*

I was suddenly sitting on the muddy ground in front of the shed again.

My eyes blinked in confusion, "Huh?"

"Wipe that look off your face, brat!"

Wait. Again!?

I burst back into the room and sure enough, the burly man just kicked the child version of Cyrus who glared back hatefully.

I was shocked by the scene playing over again, "What… What's going on?"

"Hey!? Who let this lady in-"

I already pulled out my wand and blasted the man out of the shack, ripping off the wall. The children all screamed, waking up the little girl with a bruised head.

Once again-

"Oi! I'm trying to sleep over here-"

Our eyes locked and we started screaming in unison. Then, without realizing it, I would find myself in front of that door again.

I wish I had caught on quicker, but it took me three more times before I finally caught on to how this whole thing worked. On the fifth time, I was in front of that door once again, holding my stomach which was cramping in pain.

Okay…

It seems I'm in some kind of loop.

Everything is fine until I meet my younger self…

Then some strange sensation takes over and before I know I'm even blinking, I'm put back in time before I ever open this door.

So is this an illusion?

But… It doesn't feel like one.

In fact, whenever I see the younger me, my insides feel like they're twisting and turning into liquid. 

So what could it be if not an illusion?

Is it possible that I actually went back in time?

Either way, this time I can't just go bursting in.

I just have to sit here and-

*BAM*

Ugh…

There's the kick again.

The burly man felt as if he was being mocked and grabbed Cyrus's beautiful blonde hair. He yanked the small child who bit his lip from the pain. He growled, "You think you are better than me, brat?"

Cyrus glared back, "I know I am."

I wanted to silently clap for the child version of Cyrus.

Even as a child, he was fearless.

The burly man exploded in a rage. He threw Cyrus to the ground and began to kick him brutally. He screamed, "You d*mned brat! You need to be put in your place!"

Cyrus let out a yelp from the savage kicks. He curled in a ball and attempted to protect his head. Even though his personality was strong, that didn't mean his body was. Each kick was dreadfully painful and he couldn't contain his excruciating howls.

I scrambled to the door and watched as the burly man beat poor Cyrus again. I held my arms as they trembled in rage. Bile rose up in my throat as I had to watch the burly man kick Cyrus over and over again.

As I felt a tear roll down my cheek, I covered my mouth to stop from crying out.

How much longer is this going to last?!

Didn't I wake up last time and stop this?

So why am "I" not doing anything?!

No…

I just have to be patient.

I can't burst in again or else everything will start over again.

I have to…

I have to just endure this-

"Wait! Stop Sir! I think you killed him!"

My blood chilled.

What…

What did he just say…

I desperately pressed my face against the crack in the door and watched as the other man pushed the burly one away and checked out the child. He looked back with a frown, "Way to go! You killed him! Don't you realize we need them alive to extract their mana?!"

"Psh. We aren't going to miss one kid. Who will even notice?"

My hands trembled as I held the door staring at the blonde hair lying face down on the ground.

No… He can't be dead…

That…

That never happened.

I threw open the door and rushed inside to check on him myself. As I pulled him into my arms, I realized he was no longer breathing.

"No…" I held him closer to my chest, "No… You… You weren't supposed to die…"

"Hey!? Who let this lady in-"

"CYRUS!" I burst out crying as I shook him, desperate to wake him, "Please! You can't die! You weren't supposed to die!"

My wails grew so loud, that a younger me silently rose from her slumber, her forehead black and blue. She saw the scene in front of her, confused by what was in front of her.

"What's all this noise?"

"You were supposed to save him!"

All my rage and resentment burst forward as I turned to her with hatred in my eyes. This time, I wasn't sure if I was screaming because my eyes were locked on hers…

Or if it was because of the small boy lying limp in my arms.

*Blink*

"Wipe that look off your face, brat!"

I sat in front of the door with a pale expression, "Not again…"

Maybe…

Maybe this isn't an illusion…

Maybe it's not the past either…

Maybe…

Maybe I've actually gone to hell.

I can't…

I can't watch them hurt him again…

I have to stop it!

But how can I!?

Think Reika!

Think!!!

The burly man felt as if he was being mocked and grabbed Cyrus's beautiful blonde hair. He yanked the small child who bit his lip from the pain. He growled, "You think you are better than me, brat?"

Cyrus glared back, "I know I am."

The burly man exploded in a rage. He threw Cyrus to the ground and began to kick him brutally. He screamed, "You d*mned brat! You need to be put in your place!"

I desperately looked around the outside of the shed as I heard the scene proceed just as it had before.

I need to figure out how to stop this!

Last time, doing nothing got him killed.

If I burst inside, I would wake up the younger version of me and I would get stuck in a loop.

Cyrus let out a yelp from the savage kicks startling me from my thoughts.

I have to think of something quickly!

Sh*t! 

  How did I wake up last time?!

I can't remember!

I smacked my head to jostle my thoughts.

Think! Hurry! I have to save Cyrus!

A small wind of air blew past my ear.

My eyes slowly widened, "...I remember now."

I looked around the shed and noticed the roof had a hole in it just wide enough. I climbed up and pulled back my wand, "Okay, wind! Give me a good smack!"

Wind rushed from the tip of my wand and into the hole in the roof. A gentle breeze flew into the room straight for the small girl lying on her back with a giant bruise on her forehead. The wind suddenly transformed and slapped the girl with brown hair so hard, that one could almost see the red mark across her cheek.

Her eyes fluttered open from the pain.

From that hole in the roof, I watched the younger me jump forward and use her own body to protect Cyrus from the final blow.

Seeing the two alive, I let out a sigh of relief.

"...I did it."

I did it…

I saved him…

At that moment, I watched as a red string shot out from my chest and entered into Cyrus's chest below. Simultaneously, the younger me also had a red string connect her chest to Cyrus's.

My eyes widened, "Oh-"

A black hole opened up below me and I fell through it.

This time, I wasn't scared of falling through that space. Instead, my eyes were stuck on the black hole above my head where that red string led.

…Did I do that?