Tiger is dreaming again.
He stands inside the same divine castle.
Vast pillars. Endless space. White stairs descending from above.
The space had no wind.
No sound.
Not even an echo of his breathing.
As if this place wasn't meant for humans.
He's lying on the ground.
The God walks down the stairs slowly.
"So," the God says calmly, "did you really think you were dying, Tiger?"
Tiger looks up from the floor.
"What are you talking about…?"
"I'm talking about the loop," the God replies, continuing down the steps.
Tiger slowly stands up.
"How do you even know about that…?" he asks. "I thought I was dying… but I couldn't fully feel it. I don't even know how to explain whether I was dying or not."
The God stops a few steps away.
"You don't need to explain."
He looks directly at Tiger.
"You thought you were dying. But you weren't."
Tiger freezes.
"What…?"
"You were not dying," the God repeats calmly. "Death requires an ending.
What you experienced… was interruption."
"In reality, you were half asleep."
Tiger frowns.
"Half asleep? What does that even mean?"
"Half sleep," the God explains, "means your body was partially shut down. You were asleep enough to stand still… but not conscious enough to move. You weren't falling. You weren't reacting. You were there — but not fully there."
Tiger processes this.
"Then what actually happened?"
The God begins walking slowly left and right in front of him.
"You already know," he says. "Don't pretend you don't."
Tiger looks down at his Swiga.
"…Because of my Swiga?"
The God nods.
"Exactly. Because of your Swiga."
He continues.
"You thought you were dead. But in truth, you were standing in the exact same place the entire time. Not moving even a single inch."
He pauses.
"Like you were temporarily paralyzed."
Tiger clenches his fist slightly.
"Why?"
The God stops walking.
"Your Swiga takes something from you."
"Every time it bends time… something in you bends with it."
Silence.
"These powers… they were not gifted to you by any god."
Tiger looks up.
"They are your own."
"Which means you cannot blame anyone for what they become."
"If you did not exist," the God continues, "your Swiga would not exist either."
Tiger looks at his Swiga more seriously now.
The God adds:
"You probably know more about your Swiga than I do. But to be sure… I'll explain what happened."
He raises a hand slightly.
"What you experienced can be called a Temporal Loop."
Tiger repeats quietly,
"Temporal Loop…"
"Yes," the God says. "Time stopped moving in a straight line. It twisted."
"It rewound."
"It repeated."
"And it leaked fragments of the future."
"You were trapped inside it."
Tiger listens carefully.
"In simple words," the God continues, "you can enter reverse loops… repeating loops… and even future loops."
He pauses slightly.
"But even I don't fully understand how or why it happens."
"I'm not sure what your Swiga takes from you in exchange. Or if it takes anything at all."
"And the more you force time to twist…"
"The less it remembers what was real."
Tiger looks serious now.
"Maybe no one knows."
Then something strikes him.
"But how did you know I experienced a future loop first?"
The God smiles faintly.
"I've been watching you from the very beginning."
"Since before you were even born."
Tiger's expression hardens.
"And that girl?"
The God's expression changes slightly.
"I know about her."
His voice carried something new.
Not fear.
Caution.
Tiger steps forward.
"Then tell me."
The God shakes his head.
"I cannot."
"Why?"
"Because it is a rule among gods," he says calmly. "We are not allowed to spoil the path of our main humans."
Tiger looks confused.
"Main humans?"
"When I appear in your dreams," the God explains, "you become my main human."
"Every god chooses one."
"Some die early."
"Some break."
"You… haven't."
He continues:
"You are the first human who sees a god like this in dreams."
"No one else does."
"No one else will."
"You alone can see gods in dreams."
"In simple terms — no one has ever seen a god in their dreams the way you are seeing me now."
Tiger remains silent.
"There are many gods like me," the God continues. "But they do not watch you because I have not called them."
He steps closer.
"I can see your fate."
"But as I said… I cannot tell you."
He turns slightly, as if preparing to leave.
"And one more thing before I go…"
He looks at Tiger one last time.
"No one can kill you anyway."
"Not while the concept you embody still exists."
Tiger's eyes widen.
"Because you are the God of—"
Suddenly—
Tiger wakes up.
He sits up abruptly in his bed.
"Argh! At least finish your sentence for once!"
He runs a hand through his hair in frustration.
"I'm tired of this."
"The loops… the girl… these dreams…"
He looks down at his hands.
"My mind doesn't even feel stable anymore."
"If I'm half-asleep in reality… then what counts as awake?"
He leans back against the wall.
For the first time—
Tiger wasn't afraid of dying.
He was afraid of not being able to die.