The cabin near the shore was quiet except for the hum of summer cicadas. Warm light
poured through the wooden blinds, glinting off half-empty soda cans and a crumpled map
spread across the table. Three figures sat around it—Luca, Lucia, and Rudger. "This
summer vacation, we're going on an adventure! You guys ready?!" Luca announced,
eyes gleaming like the ocean outside. Lucia groaned, her crimson ponytail slipping over
her shoulder. "You mean your next stupid idea? Because the last one got us banned
from the park." Rudger didn't look up from his phone. His black hair hung in uneven
strands across his eyes. "At least the park had Wi-Fi," he murmured. Luca ignored him,
spreading the map flat. "See this? Ariasu Islands—there's a small one called Aris.
Locals call it the Island of No Return. Nobody's ever come back from it." Lucia shot
him a glare. "And you think that's a good reason to go?" "Exactly!" Luca grinned. Lucia
pressed a hand to her forehead. "I can't believe I have to babysit you two." Rudger's
lips curved faintly. "Then don't." Luca clapped his hands, sealing the plan none of them
truly agreed to. The sun outside burned gold, and the sea kept whispering against the
rocks. --- Days passed. They gathered food, gear, and courage they didn't really have.
And when morning finally broke bright and sharp, the trio stood on the harbor deck where
waves slapped gently against the pier. Luca stretched, eyes on the horizon. "Perfect day
for legends and ghosts, huh?" Lucia squinted against the light. "Perfect day to drown,
you mean." Rudger adjusted his bag strap and stayed quiet. The sea breeze carried salt
and something heavier—something that smelled like endings. --- Lucia left for the
restroom near the dock, muttering about "idiots and heat." Inside, the air was hot and
heavy. When she came out, a little girl stood across the deck, dressed in white, holding a
red balloon. Lucia blinked. The girl's smile didn't reach her eyes. A gust of dusty wind
swept through, and when Lucia looked again, the girl was gone. Lucia turned—and
collided with an old woman whose wrinkled hand gripped her wrist like iron. "Don't go
there! Don't go to that island! No one comes back! Death awaits you there!" The
words froze the air. A young man rushed forward, pulling the woman away. "I'm
sorry—she's not well. Please forgive her." Lucia stood speechless as they disappeared
into the crowd. --- When she returned, Luca waved from the dock. "You alright? You look
pale." Lucia shook her head. "Just… heat. Let's get this over with." Luca's grin returned
full force. "Good! Because I already rented us a boat." Lucia blinked. "You what?" "Yep!
Captain's waiting." Rudger gave a faint sigh and followed without a word. --- The boat
bobbed gently under their feet. The old captain stood at the helm, face weathered, eyes knowing. As they neared the mist-shrouded island, he spoke, voice low and grave.
"One—Don't go deep into the island. Two—Don't disturb the sleeping deity.
Three—Don't believe what you see, and don't trust what you hear." Lucia frowned.
"You're serious?" The old man didn't reply. He only stared ahead, knuckles tight on the
wheel. The island grew closer, dark cliffs cutting the sunset in half. When the boat finally
touched sand, the three stepped off. The tide hissed softly behind them. Then the motor
started again. The captain turned the boat away. And as its sound vanished into the
fog—Rudger gasped. His head split open with pain so sudden it blurred his vision. He
dropped to one knee, clutching his skull. Lucia turned in alarm. "Rudger? Hey! Are you
okay?" He didn't hear her. Images erupted behind his eyes—blood, screams, his own
hand holding a silver gun, the monster's golden eye, the sound of bones snapping, Lucia's
voice crying his name, and then silence. He staggered upright. This is my twenty-third time
reverting back in time… The realization hit like thunder. Every time I die, I wake up here.
The same beach. The same warning. The same curse. I tried stopping that boat—it never
stops. I stayed at the shore—it came anyway. The black, slimy monster—it copies us, our
faces, our voices. It knows everything we remember. I can't escape. Maybe I'm the only
one truly trapped. He straightened, the pain receding to a dull echo. Lucia was still staring.
"It's fine," he said softly. "Just a headache." Then, under his breath—"Not this time.
This time, I'll fight." --- Night descended. A campfire crackled in the clearing, its glow
painting their faces amber. Luca laughed while trying to light the stove; Lucia teased him;
Rudger sat a little apart, eyes on the dark line of trees. The pistol under his jacket felt
heavier than ever. The forest seemed to breathe. He whispered, too quiet for anyone to
hear, "If I can't escape the loop, I'll end the thing that causes it." --- Then came the
voice—faint, trembling, familiar. Help… someone… please help me… Lucia looked up
sharply. "Did you hear that?" Luca was already standing. "Yeah! It came from over
there. Let's go!" Rudger rose, silent. He had followed this sound twenty-three times. Still,
he walked after them into the dark. --- The forest closed around them, thick and wet with
mist. A black blur flickered past. Lucia gasped. Luca shouted something and ran.
Branches clawed at their arms as they chased through the undergrowth until a clearing
opened like a wound. Two Lucas stood facing Lucia. Identical. Perfect. Lucia froze. The
world held its breath. The argument began—each accusing the other. The confusion, the
fear—it all replayed exactly as before. Rudger raised his pistol but hesitated. He had to
choose the right moment. Then—Bang! The shotgun fired. Luca fell. The remaining figure
smiled as its skin began to melt, sliding into black, viscous slime. A golden eye burned
from the deforming face. Lucia screamed. "Run! Rudger, run!" He didn't. He ran forward,
firing. Bang! Bang! Bang! The bullets tore through the air, splattering the creature's
shoulder with dark fluid. It screeched—a shrill, alien sound. But it didn't fall. It lunged,
faster than he could reload. A black arm slammed into his chest, hurling him backward. His ribs cracked; his body hit the ground hard. He gasped, choking on blood. The monster
loomed above him, half-human, half-shadow, whispering through a mouth that wasn't
real—"You did the very right thing, Rudger…" Its clawed hand pierced his chest. The
sound of tearing flesh drowned the forest. Lucia's final scream broke somewhere
nearby—and then all was quiet. --- Morning. Mist rolled across the gray sea. A small boat
touched the shore. The old captain stepped onto the sand, the little girl in white beside
him, clutching her red balloon. They didn't speak. Their eyes were fixed on the forest,
where the wind no longer moved the leaves. The girl's balloon swayed gently in the cold
breeze, its reflection trembling on the still water—a red wound on a gray morning....