Author's Preface
"I know who it is!"
In a narrow corridor, a red-haired boy stopped two cloaked men in their chase.
Theron's body creaked as he slowly twitched his muscles, his gaze piercing through his tattered cloak right onto Naren. Ready to wring the boy.
Until Dian spoke.
"Too much Theron. How could you even think of hurting this cute boy."
Dian slithered up onto Naren, his eyes staring at the blood-red scarf, dancing onto his loose white T-shirt, half tucked into his oversized trousers. The short man didn't dare touch out of disrespect, but to Naren, even his eyes were pushing it.
"So you're saying there's a Werewolf rampaging out here, inside this Dreameater's loop that you remember everything about. And you know who the wolf is?"
Dian took off his hood, his dark slanted eyes full of glee as he continued.
"That sounds like a whole bunch of nonsense...But...I can't help but believe you. With such a fine taste in clothes, I'd be blind to not see your truth, dear."
Naren shuddered, as he stepped back, his eyes looking around.
'Where's Shrimpy?'
"Uh, so yeah. The last loop, I died. But before I did, I caught sight of her. I saw who the real wolf is. It's this girl named Yuna. She's a princess too, I'm sure you've heard of her?...Uh also where's the little girl?"
Dian titled his head, his hanafuda earring shaking as he did. He had completely ignored the question about Vera, instead being taken off-guard by the mention of the princess.
"Princess? You mean The Princess Yuna? The Eye of Janus? She's here and she's the wolf. I'm sorry, but we're absolutely ruined if that's so."
"Holy...Cool name..."
Naren shook his head:
"...But she is and we can definitely beat her."
Naren pointed to his head as he continued:
"After all, I have my memory. Not to mention we have you. You're our greatest asset."
Theron interjected.
"How do we know? That you are on our side?"
Naren stared at Dian, his golden eyes glimmering.
"Because you told me. In another life, you told me how close we are, we're like one soul torn into two. Friends through every life. You told me then and I'm telling you now. I heard what you're doing. And...I wanna help. I want to help you take this girl to Ashwin."
Of course, Naren hadn't meant a single word since he found Dian and Theron. Everything he said to them was nothing more than lip service meant to draw out Dian's strange support for Naren that he'd noticed before.
Dian turned to Theron.
"Theron listen to him, dear. You think he'd lie. Someone like him?!"
Naren cut him off as he spoke.
"But...There is one thing that I want your help on...I don't want Ashwin to kill this little girl."
Naren wasn't sure exactly why he said it. After all, he had just said all that to Vera. Yet, even after all that, he still didn't want anything bad to happen to her. It was the same off feeling every time he thought about Cendrine. That feeling that set right aside his desire to beat some sense into her for putting him through all this torture.
That feeling that tugged at his chest.
Dian stared blankly at Naren, he was about to pat his shoulder, but stopped his hands just short, retracting it.
"Oh come on. Ashwin's not going to kill her. He needs her alive."
Alive? Well Naren never asked Dian if Ashwin would kill Vera explicitly, he always assumed that he'd harm her.
Well, harm wasn't off the table yet.
Completely forgetting his plan and letting his curiousity take over, Naren asked:
"Then what does Ashwin need her for?"
And just as Naren had gotten swept away from his original plan, Dian had already been dragged deep enough into Naren's acting that he didn't even question the gap in Naren's knowledge.
"Ashwin needs little Vera to..."
Naren's golden eyes grew wide as he listened. Listened to how Dian and Theron planned to escape the loop. How they would be instantly recalled to Ashwin as soon as they manage that. What Ashwin would do. And what Vera truly was.
"...That way, that foul man wants to make an immortal army and fight the world itself. Just like all those Bluebirds..."
This was the second time Naren had heard about the Bluebirds. But just like the first time, he was too distracted to dig deeper in both that and the rest of what Dian spilled. Instead, this time he was completely fed with a sense of disdain and loathsome hatred.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his skin just to calm himself down as he twirled around Dian's words over and over again in his head.
But even that wasn't enough to change the look of pure disgust implanted in his golden eyes as he stared at Dian.
"B-but of course, I...I'm not sure."
Theron tilted his head as he watched his partner in a way he'd never seen before, listening to the short man continue.
"I don't want to help just a foul scheme. Especially after seeing such how sweet of a girl Ashwin wishes to use...Come with us Naren. I'm sure we can convince Ashwin. Let's get rid of that pesky princess and go..."
"Pesky princess? That's a bit rude, don't you think?"
Naren flicked his head to the sudden voice.
It's been happening far too often. Naren would be too distracted by a big event happening in front of him, that he doesn't even hear the footsteps he'd normally hear from hundreds of meters away.
This time, it was the worst.
He didn't even have time to come up with a plan. But here she was.
In front of them, stood a princess with dark-blue hair with an erratic heartbeat.
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Cairo stumbled in the alley, holding onto the searing pain in his right eye. His vision was hazy as he felt his insides get hot, a stream of stomach acid coursing his throat as he tried to hold back his throwup.
But he held it together. Straightening out and slamming his fist against the corridor wall.
Just like in all other loops, Cairo started once more in an alleyway. His memories uncoordinated as he couldn't place where he was or what he was doing.
But something was different about him this loop. Something was gnawing in his head, much deeper and greater than what compelled him in previous loops.
A feeling so resilient it couldn't be devoured.
Cairo staggered through the alley, in an unfamiliar twist of turns that set him in a path he'd never gone before. Windows leading to terraces, stairs leading to rooftops, and archways that lead to more routes.
The man held onto the wall with one hand, his other holding onto his abdomen with a more intrinsic worry than he had before.
It was unlike him, but following through was also most like Cairo.
Above everything else in the world, there was one thing Cairo believed in more than anything. It was himself. So when his gut was leading him somewhere, that's exactly where he would go without any hesitation.
Soon, after what felt like an hour of wandering around, Cairo broke free into the gaze of the open town plaza.
His grey eye flicked from masked figure to masked figure. Their loose bodies covered completely in fabric marching through the plaza in an orderly chaos.
He'd never noticed it before, but for some reason he was compelled to take a closer look this time.
'Where they goin?'
He watched the crowd form and vanish. Like a school of fish that seemed to drift along the mercy of a rivers current. The figures continued walking through their own lanes as if preordined and without room for error.
It was like looking at ghosts.
However, soon Cairo's singular eye was drawn elsewhere.
In the middle of the town, an odd statue laid. One that emitted a feeling of dread and dissociation. As if it was something otherworldly that didn't truly belong there. Something stranger and stronger than he could quite put together.
He examined the statue, front and back, only finding a single line of text: HOLD UP THE SKY.
Yet, for some reason he had a feeling there was something else. Something that should've been that he remembered being there.
"Let go of me! I didn't do it! I'm not the monster!"
Cairo tuned to see a meek little boy with big round eyes was being held down by the masked figures that had always minded their own business.
Their arms wrapped around the flailing boy as he continued his protest. Empty eyes behind woodland masks that refused to give a glimmer of emotion. As if it'd been wisped away long ago.
"Peels tsum uoy. Esolc era uoy taht si wonk ew lla. Tuoba gnilbbab uoy era retsnom tahw?"
The masked figures arm gripped around the boy but stopped just short. It's arm frozen in place without moving an inch.
Before it, Cairo stood, his sharp grey eye staring into the blacks of the mask as he held its arm in place.
"What's your deal? What are you?"
Nico wiggled free, fleeing behind Cairo.
"Sir, be careful. My sister told me not to hurt the Fae. They get angry very easily if you do."
Cairo glanced back at the boy then back at what was supposed to be a Fae. Though something deep inside his gut was telling him otherwise. He'd never seen a Fae before, but the lightness of it's arm and just how malleable it was gave him other ideas.
It almost felt inorganic.
Once again...Like a ghost.
Cairo shoved the Fae away, shooting it a glance as it shuddered in place. Seemingly incapable of making another move.
The one-eyed ninja turned to face Nico. His eyes widening as he did.
The little boy had become completely transparent. His features pulsing in and out of complete absence as he yawned. His eye lids drooping more and more by the second.