Fine.

  If whatever controlled this nightmare wanted her to fight, then she would fight.

  She wasn't strong. She wasn't brave. But she sure as hell wasn't going to sit here and keep dying like this.

  But how?

  She didn't have powers. She didn't have weapons. She barely even knew what she was up against.

  The only thing she knew for sure was them.

  The two men.

  The ones who had chased her through the station, the ones who had tried to take Takeshi away.

  Her only successful attempt had been when she encountered them.

  Which meant—if she wanted to survive this loop, she had to run into them again.

  She had to put herself in their path.

  Her fingers tightened into fists.

  She hated that thought.

  But she was done running.

  This time—she would be ready.

  "Connie!"

  Ayaka's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

  She blinked.

  Ayaka was staring at her, arms crossed, brow furrowed.

  "You are completely ignoring me," she said flatly. "You've been weird lately, but this is a new level. You didn't even flinch when I called your name. Seriously, what is going on with you?"

  Connie let out a slow breath.

  She needed to get out of here.

  This conversation wasn't important—not yet at least.

  "I'll explain later," she muttered, already standing up.

  Ayaka's brows lifted slightly. ""Uh—where are you going?"

  Connie hesitated.

  She knew Ayaka was genuinely worried.

  And she had been pushing her away every single time.

  That wasn't fair.

  But right now, she had no choice.

  She turned toward the door, ready to leave the cafè again.

  Ayaka stood up. "Okay, yeah, no. That doesn't work for me. I literally just said you were acting weird, and now you're being even weirder—"

  —The familiar chime rang.

  The café door swung open.

  Takeshi stepped inside.

  Connie took a sharp breath.

  This time—she wasn't going to hesitate.

  She wasn't going to let the world cheat her again.

  She was going to break through.

  One way or another.

  Takeshi had barely taken a step inside before Connie grabbed his wrist.

  A few customers took a glance at them before returning to their conversations.

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  He jerked back slightly, eyes widening. "Huh?"

  "We need to go," Connie said. Firm. Unshaking. No room for argument.

  Takeshi frowned.

  "Go where—Who even are you?" He corrected himself.

  "You need to go to a hospital."

  "A what—?"

  "You're sick. You don't have time to argue."

  Takeshi blinked.

  Something in her tone must've reached him—because he hesitated.

  Then, slowly, he exhaled.

  "...Okay," he muttered. "Fine."

  He was confused. But he was listening, for some reason.

  It was as if they already knew each other. As if he trusted her from the beginning.

  Good.

  Now—she just had to go the alley near the station.

  That was where she had met them last time.

  If she could lure them out again—this time, she'd be ready.

  She didn't know how.

  She didn't have a plan.

  But she had one undeniable truth.

  The System wanted her to go against them.

  That meant—it had to be possible.

  She just had to figure out how.

  She led Takeshi toward the door—

  And, of course, Ayaka blocked their path.

  "Hold on," Ayaka said, arms crossed. "You're actually serious about this? You're dragging this guy to a hospital? Right now??"

  Connie nodded. "Yes."

  Ayaka stared.

  Her deep violet eyes searched Connie's face.

  Then—her expression shifted.

  The annoyance didn't disappear entirely.

  But there was something else there, too.

  Concern.

  "…You're not messing around, are you?" Ayaka muttered.

  Connie didn't flinch.

  "No."

  A long beat of silence.

  Then—Ayaka exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair.

  "Fine. Whatever. I don't get what's going on, but…" She gave Connie a look. "You better explain everything later."

  "I will," Connie lied.

  She didn't think she would be able to resolve this in a single loop.

  That was a problem for future her.

  Right now—she had bigger things to worry about.

  She pulled Takeshi out the door, into the streets—

  And straight toward the station.

  She was going to run into them.

  She was going to make them chase her.

  And then—

  …Then what?

  Her stomach tightened.

  She was pushing herself straight into the enemy's hands.

  That was fine. That was the point.

  But what was she actually going to do once she got there?

  Last time, she had barely escaped.

  She had survived by pure luck.

  That wasn't a strategy.

  That wasn't a plan.

  That was just barely clinging onto life. It was recklessness.

  Her pulse pounded.

  Think, Connie. Think.

  She couldn't fight them. She couldn't outrun them forever.

  But she had to do something.

  She glanced at Takeshi.

  He was staying quiet.

  He was watching her, though.

  She could tell.

  He wasn't as disoriented as before.

  Maybe this time—

  Maybe she could get something out of him.

  She had so many questions.

  Did he know something about the Organization?

  Why did they care so much about killing him?

  And most importantly—Did Takeshi really have an ability?

  Her jaw clenched.

  She needed to figure this out.

  Fast.

  Because if she was really going to war with these people—

  She needed to know what the hell she was up against.

  -----------------

  The evening air was crisp, carrying the distant sounds of traffic and murmured conversations.

  Connie walked beside Takeshi, her grip on his wrist steady but not tight enough to draw suspicion from the people around them.

  They took the same path.

  Through the thinning crowd.

  Toward the alley.

  She kept glancing around, pretending to be casual. Watching for anyone out of place.

  Nothing.

  No one.

  But the unease in her chest remained.

  They were being followed.

  She didn't know how.

  She didn't know by who.

  But she knew.

  The alley was still a few turns ahead, but the streets were already empty.

  None in sight except for a few people.

  She kept moving forward, forcing herself to breathe evenly.

  She needed them to show themselves first.

  If she could spot them before they made a move—

  Maybe she could turn this around.

  Takeshi suddenly stopped.

  Connie turned around and looked at him.

  "What happened?"

  "Just… catching my breath," he said quickly.

  He sighed and sat down on an overturned crate against the wall.

  His complexion didn't look good, but he was still holding on better than the other timelines.

  Right.

  He was still poisoned.

  And here she was, dragging him into danger.

  Her jaw clenched.

  She had no other way.

  She had to make this work.

  But just as the last person left the already unpopulated street—

  Everything went wrong.

  A crushing weight slammed down on her.

  Her knees buckled.

  Her stomach dropped.

  Her body felt twice as heavy.

  Then—

  SLAM.

  She collapsed hard against the pavement. Hard.

  A groan came from beside her—Takeshi had fallen too.

  Her breath hitched.

  No—not again.

  She tried to move.

  She couldn't.

  Her limbs refused to lift.

  It was the same as before.

  That unseen force pinning her down.

  Footsteps echoed against the pavement.

  Two figures stepped out from the shadows.

  One—calm, composed.

  The other—grinning.

  She recognized them instantly.

  The same two who had chased her through the station and almost caught her.

  The grinning one let out a short laugh. "Man, you two really took your time."

  His smirk widened as he tilted his head.

  "Good thing we kept an eye on him until he got in the café, huh?"

  Connie's breath caught.

  That's how they found them.

  They had been watching Takeshi until the moment he got in the cafè.

  She managed to investigate the cause of the poison in the second loop because they had already stopped observing him. They left the scene, thinking he would die in the cafè.

  But this time she had been too quick to leave, and they caught them.

  Her pulse pounded against her ribs.

  They were following them from the start.

  And this time—she couldn't run.