Y/N pressed the hospital's elevator button.

The elevator doors opened. Empty.

Going down, he thought about the loops.

Thousands.

Reset.

Stuck in a game he couldn't quit, no matter how many times he lost.

Why the loops? What was the point? Punishment? Reward? Didn't feel like either.

Punishment for loving Rain? He had loved her, a lot.

Reward? For being a fool?

She did this.

Trapped you.

He shut the voices out. They were part of the loop too. Voices of dead Y/Ns, wanting revenge, or whatever.

He was Y/N now. This one. Himself, listening to the voices of emotion-full memories will only bring disaster.

Elevator doors opened at the lobby. He walked out.

Hospital lobby was busy. People waiting, nurses moving, usual hospital stuff. He looked around.

Ira and Ren sat on plastic chairs near the entrance.

They saw him, stood up.

Ira grinned, wide grin.

Ren nodded with a small smile.

"Y/N! You're out" Ira said, walking over. "You okay? Look... better, I guess."

Ren watched him, eyes narrowed. "Gown's gone. Good."

Y/N stopped. Looked at Ira, then Ren.

Normal looking Ira and Ren not dead or suffering like in the other memories.

"Yeah, I'm out" Y/N said. Voice rough. "Staying in that room felt worse."

"Tell me about it" Ira said. "Hospitals are creepy. Let's get out." He pointed to the exit.

Ren agreed. "Fresh air."

They walked towards the doors. Y/N stayed quiet, Ira talked. He watched them.

Ira, always moving, talking, filling space.

Ren, quiet, watching, thinking.

"So, you remember what happened?" Ira asked, glancing at Y/N. "You just... collapsed. Scared us."

In this loop scenario, his body is weak so this happenes often.

Y/N hesitated. How much to say? Sounding crazy wasn't the plan.

"Yeah, dizzy" Y/N said. "Then... nothing."

"Doctors said stress" Ren said, still watching. "Said you need to... relax." Said 'relax' like it was a joke.

"Relax" Ira scoffed. "Easy for them, how can they know how he feels?"

They left the hospital.

Cold air. Y/N shivered in just the gown.

"Dude, freezing" Ira said. "Here." Took off his jacket, gave it to Y/N.

Y/N looked at the jacket. Ira's jacket. Normal.

Every time he heard Ren and Ira, the voices kept reminding them of their deaths.

Don't get too close.

They will suffer.

She will make us suffer.

He pushed voices down.

"Thanks" Y/N said, took the jacket, put it on.

"So, what now?" Ira asked. "Home? Rest? Games? Whatever."

"Home" Y/N said. "Yeah, home." Didn't know where home was in this loop since the memories are still flowing.

"Okay, home it is" Ira said. "Ren, you coming?"

Ren nodded. "Yeah. Make sure he doesn't fall over again." Still watching him.

They walked. Ira and Ren beside him.

Walking, Y/N thought about loops. How they worked. Why. Thousands of lives. Each different, same in the important parts.

Rain. Love. Reset.

Like a story, repeating, changes, always same end. Stuck in it.

Why?

Last loop flashed in his mind.

Last moments.

While Rain was talking something was wrong.

He restarted the moment she always tried to tell him her feelings or to open up.

Or if he realises what's happening.

It's like something is stopping him and Rain from connecting.

He killed her before, And even when he did it everything restarts.

Unless it's not about love at all.

Missing something.

"Y/N? Spacing out again?" Ira's voice. "Dude, quiet even for you."

Y/N blinked. Stopped walking. In front of building. Not house. Apartment building.

Grey. Like everything.

"This is... home?" Y/N asked. Didn't know it.

...

This was Rain's apartment in another life.

"Yeah, your place" Ira said. "Apartment 3B. Remember?"

Y/N shook head.

Ira frowned. "Dude, you sure you're okay? Maybe back to hospital."

"No" Y/N said fast. "I am just tired."

"Tired, yeah, okay" Ira said, still worried. "Come on, let's go up. Crash for a bit."

Inside building. Lobby small, like outside. Elevator to third floor. Ira led him down hallway to apartment door. Number 3B.

Ira unlocked door, opened it. "Home sweet home" gesturing inside.

Y/N went in.

One room. Bed, desk, kitchen corner. Grey walls, grey stuff, grey everything.

Depressing.

"Nice... place" Y/N said, tried to sound real.

Ira chuckled. "Yeah, well, yours. You're like... a minimalist, right?"

"Yeah, minimalist" Y/N said again.

Ren walked in, looking around. "Clean, at least."

"Yeah, well, you know Y/N," Ira said. "Always tidy. Unlike someone." Nudged Ren.

Ren rolled eyes. "My apartment is 'lived in'. Difference."

Y/N walked in, looking. Didn't know anything. Not home. Not any home he knew.

Saw backpack on desk.

Black backpack from hospital.

Memories coming back, stronger. Not just last loop, but... all of them. Thousands of lives, mixed up, swirling in head.

Too much. He felt like collapsing again.

"Y/N? You okay?" Ira asked, closer. "You look pale again."

"Yeah, like i said i am just tired" Y/N said.

"Okay, rest then" Ira said. "Bed's right there." Pointed to bed.

Y/N walked to bed, sat down.

"We'll... uh... we'll leave you" Ira said. Awkward. Didn't know what to do. "Call if you need anything, okay? Anything."

"Yeah" Ren said, nodding. "Seriously. Anything." Still watching, sharp eyes.

Y/N nodded. "Thanks. Yeah. I will."

Ira and Ren waited a second, like wanting to say more, then turned, walked to door. Ira opened door, glanced back at Y/N, then gone. Door clicked shut.

Y/N alone in the grey apartment. Leaned back against wall, closed eyes. Let the voices come.

Find her, the voices whispered.

Find Rain.

"Why?" Y/N said back. "Why find her?"

Never over, voices said.

She's always here.

Always waiting.

"But... why? Why me? Why loops? What does she want?" Y/N asked.

She wants you, voices said, simple. Always wants you.

Forever.

"But why?" Y/N asked again, frustrated. "Why can't I just be free? Why can't I just stop?"

Silence.

Voices quiet for a second.

Then, one voice, clearer than others, almost... sad?

Whispered, Because... you started it.

"I started it?" Y/N whispered, confused. "What do you mean, I started it?"

The voice went quit.

Y/N frowned. Didn't make sense.

Wanted love, yeah, but not... this.

Not this nightmare.

Never wanted this.

...

The voices didn't make any sense, but if he gathered one thing from them, it was that he had to do something.

He stood up from the bed.