Chapter 6: A Better Plan is Needed!

*Avariena’s POV*

I repeated the same morning once again. The only difference this time is that Sara stopped me from leaving.

Sara: “Avariena, wait! Ruina said to tell you, to look in the filing cabinet in Yuna’s office. I’m sorry, I have no idea what she means by this. Just don’t get in trouble when you sneak into her office.” Sara explained.

Then Sara walked away. What… Is Ruina actually trying to help me? That doesn’t make any sense… Why would she know about me needing Yuna’s handgun? Does that mean that she remembers that time keeps looping back to this morning, every time that I die?

I have no idea… Anyway, I met up with Kaito once again, and told her about what Ruina said. We went to Yuna’s office again as well.

Inside the filing cabinet, was Yuna’s handgun, and her box of ammo. Why the position of it changed, I have no idea. I loaded a round into the chamber, and put the ammo box into my schoolbag once again.

Kaito: “Well, at least we have a weapon this time.” Kaito said with a laugh.

Avariena: “True. But why are you so calm about this? You know, I have watched you die twice now…” I say with a sad tone.

Kaito: “I see no reason to be not calm. Only if we stay calm, can we figure out how to survive. By the way, how many times have you looped?” Kaito asked.

Avariena: “This should be my third loop.” I answer.

Kaito: “Well, isn’t that odd. This is my 18th loop.” Kaito said with a sigh.

Avariena: “Huh? How does that make any sense?” I ask with a confused tone.

Kaito: “My theory is that, whoever dies last, is the only one to remember the loop. Since you remembered, you must have died shortly after me. Ah, your last loop, was my last loop as well. I’ve tried to run away with you many times, we always end up dying in some way. I am calm, since the only way to escape this nightmare, is to figure out how to survive this pocket dimension.” Kaito explained.

Avariena: “Then how did you remember Yuna’s handgun in her office?” I ask.

Kaito: “You found me after your first loop, and convinced me that we would be trapped in a pocket dimension. I ended up believing you. But I died in that loop last, after you died. That’s why I remembered to come to Yuna’s office.” Kaito replied.

Ah… know this situation is even more fucked up. Our knowledge on the loops is completely scattered. Though, why Kaito is so intent on protecting me, makes sense now. It’s the same reason why I want to protect her. Because I don’t want to see her die again…

Avariena: “I’m sorry that I’ve ended up dying more than you.” I say with a sigh.

Kaito: “We’ve died the same number of times. We just don’t remember all of our deaths. The main problem is that the pocket dimension is different each time we loop.” Kaito said with a sigh of her own.

Avariena: “Why are we even looping? As far as I am aware, we’re just normal high school students…” I say with a thinking pose.

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Kaito: “I have no idea.” Kaito said with a shrug.

We waited in Yuna’s office again. And then we were once again trapped in a pocket dimension. This time, it was, oddly, a world of candy. No, really. The walls and everything besides people were made out of candy.

Avariena: “I’d advise against eating any of the candy.” I exclaim.

Kaito: “Never seen a candy dimension before, but yeah, eating it would most likely be a bad idea.” Kaito agreed.

And we were correct. The students and teachers that ate the candy, ended up becoming mindless zombies. Not actual zombies, mind you. I guess it’s more accurate to say that they all joined the same hive mind.

Those that ate the candy, then forced others to eat it. Of course, that includes Kaito and I. I never thought that I would have to shoot my fellow students, but I had no choice in the matter.

If neither me nor Kaito dies, we won’t be able to loop. And I doubt whoever is at the center of this hive mind, wants us dead. As such, I had to shoot them.

Kaito and I ran outside the school, the landscape wasn’t different than last time. But once we walked a further bit away from the school, we went through some kind of barrier.

Outside the barrier, the school no longer looked like candy. It was fleshly, just like the first time I entered this dimension…

Kaito: “So the candy was an illusion…” Kaito said with thinking pose.

Avariena: “That means that they actually ate some disgusting flesh… Ah, I’m going to be sick…” I say while trying to resist throwing up.

Kaito: “Now what? Every loop that I remember, the dimension is always centered around the school. Now that we’re out of it, what can we do?” Kaito asked.

Avariena: “Really? My first time here in this dimension, you and I ended up going to a town.” I say with a raised eyebrow.

Does that mean that she has always gotten trapped in the school? That must suck…

Kaito: “Really? Then we should…” Kaito said before she stopped her sentence.

I was then pulled by her. Where I once stood, was a giant cleaver. Holding said cleaver, was a woman dressed as a chief. She had only one rotten eye, and was very tall.

???: “You can’t just escape like this, my little pretties. You must stay in dream land, before I am ready to use you for ingredients.” She said with an evil laugh following her last sentence.

I took aim at her only eye, and shot it. She reacted violently. Thrashing around the entire time. It was hard, but I managed to shoot her head once more.

After shooting her head a total of eight times, it was all mush, and she didn’t move any longer. If I was stupid, I would think that she is dead.

Kaito: “Good job Avariena, you actually killed her!” Kaito praised.

Ah, I am sorry for insulting you by accident in my own head…

Avariena: “Your praise is nice, but I doubt that she is really dead.” I say with a small giggle.

Kaito: “Why not?” Kaito asked with a head tilt.

Ah… how cute.

Avariena: “Everyone seemed to be trapped in a hive mind. I think that she might be able to switch bodies with them.” I explain.

???: “You’re quite right, deary. Now, you do realize how many substitute bodies I have access to, right? Just willingly join us!” She yelled.

Damn… she took no time at all to come back to us. Killing her would be pointless, so we just ran, and ran. We ran so much that I eventually collapsed onto the ground.

I looked up at Kaito, and she had a grim look on her face… Kaito then took out my handgun from my schoolbag, and put it to her head.

Avariena: “Kaito… what are you doing!?” I yell.

Kaito: “You’ve died too many times for me. It’s only fair that you remember this loop.” Kaito said with a small laugh.

And then she shot and killed herself. I do not wish to describe what her body looked like. I just picked up the handgun from her hand, and shot myself in the head with it.

I woke up, once again, in my bed. I did not get up. I just laid there and cried. I do not even remember how much I cried. All I know is that I was extremely hurt by what happened.

Dying from getting killed by a stupid monster, is one thing. Killing yourself is another. Sure, I let that ghost girl kill me, but I honestly had no chance of surviving it, anyway.

We could have come up with a plan, we just had to survive longer. But Kaito decided to save me, well, this me. The one who actually remembers her sacrifice.

I can’t even yell at her for this later. She won’t remember it at all. Ah… this is going to drive me insane. The amount of therapy that I will need after this is all over, will cost a fortune.

For the first time in my life, I will be late for school. I just need more time, before I can face Kaito again...