Elara jolted awake in her bed, her chest heaving as the terrifying images of the previous loop still burned vividly in her mind. Her body trembled uncontrollably, the adrenaline and fear refusing to fade even though she was safe in her room.
She turned her gaze slowly toward the digital clock on her nightstand.
DECEMBER 24TH, 1:30 P.M.
It was the same time. The same day. Just like all the others.
She dragged herself to the mirror, staring at her reflection. On the outside, she looked fine—freshly awake, clean, and unharmed. But inside, she felt hollowed out, exhausted beyond belief after surviving five agonizing cycles of death and pain.
Her hands shook violently as she raised them to touch her own cheeks, feeling the warmth of her skin, unable to accept the reality of her situation.
"Why..." she whispered, her voice cracking.
Suddenly, the dam broke.
"Why is this happening to me?!" she screamed, tears spilling instantly. "Why won't you just kill me and get it over with?! What did I ever do to deserve this?! I can't even remember stealing anything—or anyone—from anyone! So why?! Why does it have to be me?! Damn it! DAMN IT!"
Overcome by rage, grief, and utter frustration, she lashed out. She swept everything off her dresser, sending objects crashing to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably as she finally collapsed onto her knees.
"This is the sixth time already..." she choked out, slamming her fist against the mattress in helpless anger. "How many more times do I have to go through this?! When will it ever stop?!"
She buried her face in her hands, weeping bitterly.
"Is there really any hope left for me...?"
Suddenly, an image flashed across her mind—the side profile of the female killer, unmasked. Elara shook her head violently, trying to force the thought away.
"I… I must be wrong," she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. "Maybe I was just too overwhelmed… too consumed by grief."
But the memory refused to leave.
"Even though I only saw her profile… I'm sure of it… that was… her."
Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks, colder and heavier than before. The realization was too painful to bear. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, curling into a ball as she sat on the cold, pristine floor of her room.
Shaking slightly, she forced her eyes open and reached for her phone.
"Right!" she gasped, frantically wiping the tears from her face and forcing herself to stand up. "I need to check. I need to know if Janice is still here."
Her heart hammered in her chest. Because I saved her last loop… she should still be alive. She has to be. But she needed to see it, to hear her voice, to be absolutely sure.
With a hard swallow and a lump in her throat, she unlocked the screen and scrolled through her contacts, searching for the name that meant everything to her now.
There it was. Janice Fontaine.
Seeing the name on her screen brought an overwhelming wave of relief. Elara let out a long, shaky breath, fresh tears pricking her eyes.
"Thank God… thank God…if she got deleted like Alice...I would have lost my mind." she whispered, pressing a hand against her chest. Her heart was still racing, but the crushing fear was finally beginning to fade.
But peace was short-lived. The image of the female killer's face kept flashing unbidden in her mind.
"No!" Elara squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head violently as if to physically throw the thought away. "I refuse to believe it! It's impossible! They're just messing with my head! I won't… I won't let them break me!"
She scratched at her temples in frustration, her mind warring with itself.
But what if… what if it's actually true?
She slumped back, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"I don't know what to do anymore," she murmured, her voice heavy with despair. "What am I supposed to do this time? It doesn't matter where I go or what I do… they will always find me."
A new resolve slowly began to form amidst the fear.
"I can't drag Janice into this again," she whispered firmly. "If I involve her, they'll target her for sure. They'll want to erase her even more than they want to kill me. I have to keep her away this time. She'll forget everything that happened in the last loop anyway… so maybe… they'll leave her alone for now."
She bit her lip, anxiety gnawing at her.
But then… what is my move?
Her eyes darted to the clock.
DECEMBER 24TH, 1:42 P.M.
The silence in the room was suffocating. And then—
BAM! BAM!
A heavy, forceful knock echoed from the front door.
Elara froze completely. Her blood ran ice cold.
Who… is that?
Was it just another visitor… or was Death knocking at her door again?
— TO BE CONTINUED —