Lucian ran.
Branches snapped under his boots, the cold night air slapping his face as he forced himself deeper into the woods.
He didn't look back and his mind was a chaotic storm.
His breath hitched. His chest felt like it was caving in. I just wanted to rest. Just one peaceful moment. But no! The system throws me into another nightmare before I can even breathe.
Behind him, Airi and Guinevere were calling his name, trying to keep up.
Then—
A sharp sound cut the air.
Whistle.
He turned just in time to see it—
A spear, fast and gleaming under the moonlight.
It shot forward like lightning. Guinevere stood in its path, eyes wide with no time to react.
"NO!!" Lucian screamed, his voice cracking as he reached out instinctively—but he was too far.
The spear plunged through her chest.
Blood spilled. Her body jerked once—then dropped.
Lucian collapsed to his knees, eyes stretched wide in horror. "No. No no no no no no no—"
He grabbed fistfuls of dirt, shaking violently. "WHY?!" he screamed, his throat raw. "What the fuck was that?! Why her?! I JUST—WE JUST—!!"
Tears blurred his vision. His nails clawed into the earth.
Then the system appeared coldly in front of him:
[Quest Failed]
[Death Detected: Princess]
[Restarting Loop…]
---
Lucian gasped, eyes flying open. The fire was crackling again. The forest was calm. It was all the same, again.
Guinevere was sitting. Airi was beside her, rising as she noticed him.
"Master?"
Lucian shot to his feet. "No—no. We don't have time!"
He grabbed Airi's arm, pointing at Guinevere. "Take her and run! I don't care where—just somewhere with cover. Hide in a bush, in the trees, behind a rock—I don't care. Just disappear!"
Guinevere blinked, confused. "Lucian—?"
He didn't wait for her question. "GO!" he snapped, trembling. "I need to figure out who the hell is trying to kill us."
Airi didn't question it. She nodded, grabbed Guinevere's wrist, and vanished into the trees without another word.
Lucian stayed low, crouching by the fire, scanning the darkness. His heart thudded in his ears. I need to see them. I need to study their attack, track the angle, trace the movement—
Then—
[Target Died]
[Restarting Loop…]
Lucian's heart stopped.
"...What?!"
The world blinked again.
Back at the fire again. Lucian sat still, shaking.
He stared at the flames and muttered bitterly, "I should've picked the random weapon instead of this 'useful' harem…"
Airi tilted her head, frowning slightly. "Master… if it's me, I can do everything. You only need to give the command."
Lucian hesitated. This is insane.
He gritted his teeth. "Take off your clothes."
Airi blinked, confused for only a split second—then obeyed, unfastening her suit quickly without question. Her movements were mechanical.
Guinevere, just a few feet away, turned with wide eyes. "W–What are you doing?!"
"I'm tired," Lucian muttered. He grabbed Airi by the waist and, in a split-second move, reached up and rubbed her bare chest.
Guinevere gasped, eyes shooting away as her face flushed deep red. "You pervert! Are you cursed?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Lucian didn't answer. His mind was a storm. Let me rest... Please! Let me r–
Then—
Schhkk!
A spear tore through his face.
Time froze in the moment of pain. The fire crackled softly. Airi's eyes were wide. Guinevere screamed.
Lucian's body collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
[Death Detected. Death Count: 3]
[Restarting Loop…]
Then he was back again. The same cold, empty feeling hit him like a wave.
He was so tired—so damn tired he could barely think straight.
Every death wore him down a little more, like a weight he couldn't shake. He wanted all of this to end, even if only for a moment.
Without thinking much, he slipped out of his clothes, the fabric falling heavy to the floor.
He looked at Guinevere and Airi.
"...Will you... do it with me?"
Guinevere's eyes flashed with confusion and anger. "What? Are you serious?"
He didn't argue. His voice was quiet, almost pleading. "I just... I need to feel something. Before it all starts again. Before I die again."
Airi didn't say a word, she moved closer and did what was needed.
Lucian closed his eyes, feeling a strange calm wash over him. This was it. The break in the endless cycle. The small rest he craved.
Maybe this time, maybe this moment... I can stop running.
Lucian closed his eyes, the exhaustion fading for a moment as Airi's mouth did what he needed.
The dull ache inside him softened, replaced by something raw, alive—an escape from the endless loop of death that haunted him.
For once, he could feel.
But then Guinevere's voice shattered the fragile quiet. "What the hell are you doing?!" Her fist slammed into his cheek with a sharp sting.
He staggered back, taste of blood in his mouth, but didn't pull away from Airi.
Instead, his hand trembled as it reached for Guinevere. "Guinevere... please. Just—please. I'm so tired. I just want to feel something real. Before it all starts again."
Her eyes were wide, panic and anger flashing like wildfire. "Lucian, stop! What are you even thinking? You can't just—don't touch me!" She shoved his hand off, stepping back.
He felt the weight of every failure crushing him down again.
God, I'm so tired! Why won't it stop? he thought, his voice barely a whisper.
"I'm not trying to hurt you... I just don't want to be alone in this."
"Alone?" Guinevere's voice cracked. "You think this is the way? You're not alone, you've got us! But this... this is disgusting!" Her eyes burned with something fierce and raw.
"Why are you such a coward, Lucian? Why do you run from everything that's hard?"
Her words hit harder than her punch. He closed his eyes, shame flooding him.
Am I really that pathetic? He swallowed the lump in his throat.
Guinevere took a shaky breath and stepped forward, lowering her voice.
"Look at me. You don't have to do this alone. You don't have to run from the pain or the fight. You can face it. But not like this—hurting the people who care about you."
His heart thudded painfully in his chest.
"I just... I keep dying over and over! And it feels like there's no way out! Every time, I lose a piece of myself."
His voice cracked. "I thought... maybe if I could just feel something real, just once, I could hold on!"
Guinevere's eyes softened, but her voice was firm. "Feeling isn't the same as giving up. You've got fire in you. Don't let this wear you down."
Lucian looked at her—really looked. In her anger and frustration, he saw something he needed: hope.
Not the kind he forced himself to believe in, but the kind that came from someone else believing in him.
He shook his head slowly.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to cross a line."
She nodded, still tense, but the panic in her eyes was fading. "Good..."
I'm sorry...He swallowed hard. For the first time in a long time, he didn't want to run.
Lucian's breath caught in his throat as Guinevere's words settled inside him like a spark trying to light something long-dead.
For once, the pressure in his chest loosened. He gave her a faint nod, voice dry. "Thank you... I needed that."
She sighed, brushing hair from her face, still tense but grounded. "Just don't make me punch you again."
A small, tired smile touched his lips. Maybe they were—
SHUNK.
The sound was too fast.
A spear burst through Lucian's chest from behind. The shock froze him in place, eyes wide. Another followed, slamming through Guinevere's side, pinning her to him.
Blood sprayed, hot and heavy.
Guinevere gasped, choking, her mouth trembling. "Lucian...?" she whispered, voice fading.
He tried to speak, but the words never made it past his lips. His knees buckled.
The world around them dimmed.
And then—
[Loop Restarting...]
[Death Count: 4]