The slight squeak of sneakers against polished floors echoed through the empty hallways, bouncing against the walls and closed classroom doors to either side. Soft white lights illuminated the space and made up for the lack of windows in this part of the building. However, they did little to help with the almost claustrophobic feel of the hall.

Honestly. They usually make these things wider than this. I've never understood why this one is so narrow…

Kaitlyn continued forward. Luckily, she didn't have any classes in this building. There was only one reason she came down here, and one reason only.

The distant sounds of Bash Bros battles in progress grew louder as she walked, the tinny sounds of many games blending together into a single cacophony of noise. Occasionally, an individual sword slash or death sound effect would pop out from the tapestry of noise, bringing to mind a brief picture of the game in question.

A single door near the end of the hall stood open, the familiar soundscape beckoning her closer and inviting her in. Her feet came to a halt a few feet away from it.

You don't have to do this, Kaitlyn.

For a moment, she stood and focused on her breathing. From this angle, no one would be able to see her, and the silence of the hall made it clear that no one else was coming behind her.

Just because the rest loop is over doesn't mean you have to dive back in like this. You can wait, leave this for another day. You can just turn around, right now.

It was a tempting proposition. One that she seriously considered. But despite that, she kept her feet firmly planted and facing toward the door. Whether it was curiosity, a desire to get some closure, or even some morbid kind of fascination, something was spurring her forward.

I just want to know.

Somehow, despite having seen the end-of-loop message and the Progress Report confirming it, the ending didn't feel real. Not yet. It wouldn't feel real, either, not until she'd seen the change herself. Even if that meant going through a little bit of pain.

I've done this before. I can do it again. Easy.

Unclenching her hands at her sides, she took a deliberate step forward and headed through the open doorway.

The site of the semester's first Bash Bros tournament was precisely as she remembered it. Long white tables stretched across the repurposed classroom in neat parallel lines. Bulky monitors sat atop them at regular intervals, each accompanied by the telltale round shape of a PlaySphere. Cords snaked forward from the consoles toward the figures hunching before them, thumbs flicking across their controllers as they focused intently on their games.

Kaitlyn stepped further into the room, her gaze sweeping across the crowd. A few people looked up from their games or the friendlies they spectated to take in the new arrival. She ignored them. Her attention was elsewhere.

Soon, she found what she was looking for. A familiar mint-blue hoodie stood out like a beacon flashing in the corner of the room. Its wearer was sitting at one of the empty tables there, his laptop open in front of him. At his elbow sat another, lankier student leaning on the back of his own chair.

She recognized the pair immediately. She'd seen Ian and John enough times that she could likely pick out their silhouettes from the usual crowd here, honestly. But her attention landed solely on the chestnut-haired male lead typing away.

Her traitorous heart clenched just the slightest bit at the sight of him. Instantly, she clamped down on the feeling, chiding herself.

Come on. He's not even looking at you. You can't be doing this already. Although… her expression turned to a frown. That's already different. This is the first tournament. Shouldn't those two be playing friendlies?

Curious, she walked a bit closer, sneaking up on the pair as they conversed.

"...Telling you, this thing could go places," John gestured emphatically as he spoke. "I mean, you've gotta admit that much!"

"Maybe. I've still got a long way to go, though." Ian ran a hand through his chestnut curls and sighed. "More weapons, better art, more fleshed-out mechanics… I've got a whole list."

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"I mean, I'd play it as is. Even if the guy was a rectangle. It's still better than stuff like the new Horns or Understare. I'm serious!"

Craning her neck to look over the shoulders of the oblivious boys, Kaitlyn peeked at the laptop's screen. The familiar scenery of Grail's introductory screen greeted her. It was clearly an early build, not as far along as she'd seen in the past. But Ian had definitely made more progress than usual for this point in the loop.

At Ian's bemused shake of his head, John opened his mouth for another retort. But before the words could take shape, he noticed Kaitlyn standing behind them and straightened. "Hey! Sorry about that. Looking to sign up?"

As Ian's gaze rose to take in the newcomer, his eyes widened in surprise and momentary panic. Kaitlyn watched as he reached out and shut his laptop a little too quickly.

Well, looks like not everything's changed, at least.

The lack of recognition in his eyes stung, as she knew it would. However, she'd braced for it enough that it didn't set her off. Instead, she focused on Ian's hand. A flash of red cord peeked out from beneath his sleeve as he reached forward.

He's got a bracelet too. Just like Alex and Philip.

A closer look revealed that it, too, bore a uniquely colored bead threaded onto it. Instead of Alex's orange and Philip's navy blue, Ian's was a mint color that precisely matched his hoodie.

Tearing her gaze away from Ian, she turned to John. "Maybe. I was just wondering what you guys were doing."

"Oh, Ian here was just showing me—" He cut off on seeing the closed laptop. "—Nothing, I guess?"

Ian took a deep breath, a small bit of tension leaking out as he did. "Sorry. Just… I've kept it to myself so long that it's kinda habit."

John chuckled and shook his head. "Well, you're gonna have to fix that if you want people's feedback. Unless you want 'em to playtest blindfolded?"

Ian's cheeks reddened with embarrassment as he reopened the laptop. "Sorry. Uh, it's just something I made."

"Yeah, just," the older student scoffed. "You just made a damn masterpiece of a game, that's all. No biggie."

"It's not done yet!"

"And when it is, it's gonna be awesome."

Kaitlyn couldn't help but giggle at the two's back and forth, even as it sent a wave of conflicting emotions through her. On one hand, there was palpable relief that Ian had indeed changed. Just like the other male leads, it was seemingly for the better, too. He was still clearly awkward, but him even considering showing the game off like this spoke volumes about his confidence. Not to mention the additional progress he'd made on it.

The fact that he's even showing it to me, a girl that he's… never met… is completely unthinkable. Seriously.

It sent a warm feeling of pride through her. Ian had grown. Once again, she'd helped someone become better than they were before.

…On the other hand, seems like he doesn't need me anymore.

She chastised herself for the thought. Just because he was better, didn't mean things were perfect. She knew that for certain. Who knew if he'd market and publish the game by himself? He'd never shown much interest in that side of things, and she certainly didn't foresee him recruiting Heather anytime soon. It wasn't like he'd become some unstoppable juggernaut of game development.

I know all that. I really do. But… I guess it does still sting a bit to not be part of the team anymore.

For a moment, she was tempted to change that. She could still do it. Just dive in and help bring the game to new heights, ones it hadn't even reached before. With his headstart and her newly earned experience, it would be easy.

"Sorry about that. So, you wanted to sign up for the Bash Bros tournament?"

Kaitlyn blinked, refocusing on John's expectant face. Ian's laptop with Grail onscreen was open again, and both were waiting for her answer.

"...No thanks," she shook her head regretfully. Somewhere in the distance, she thought she heard the sound of a thread snapping. "Maybe next time. Today, I'm just gonna play some friendlies."

"Ah, no problem!" John smiled. "Let me know if you change your mind. Oh! Do you need a controller?"

"That would be great."

The pair headed toward the front desk. As they walked, Kaitlyn spared a glance back at Ian, only to see him already hard at work. His fingers flew across the keyboard as he continued to breathe life into his creation. The sight brought a smile to her face.

Picking an open setup, Kaitlyn decided to play by herself for a little bit. It took a while, but others eventually joined her, taking turns at getting absolutely walloped. She eventually had to resort to letting the opponent pick her character to make it any semblance of an even fight. But as the tournament began and people began listening for their matches, she decided to make her exit.

She trudged back down the empty hallway, her footsteps echoing in the relative silence of the building. Behind her, John's voice bellowed out name after name, some of them followed by groans or exclamations of recognition. It was an all-too-familiar routine. One that she would excuse herself from for now.

Kaitlyn slipped her hands back into her pockets and didn't look back. She didn't regret coming today. Honestly, it felt like a good decision, a way to get closure. But maybe she'd stay away from tournaments for a little while longer.

Thanks for everything, Ian. It was good to see you again.