Eli's Otherworldly Echo

Chapter 5: The Heart of the Loop

"Eli, hey, Eli! Wake up, it's about to start!"

Once again, Eli jolted awake at Leo's call, blinking in disoriented frustration. His heart was pounding, the familiar weight of confusion settling over him. His gaze darted around the room, the walls and faces all too familiar, yet the sense of déjà vu gnawed at him. Everything was the same as the last time...and the time before that.

"What now?" Eli muttered under his breath, his voice tight with irritation. He clenched his fists beneath the table, trying to keep his emotions in check. His fingers trembled slightly.

The classroom felt oppressive, even more so than usual. The sunlight filtering through the large, arched windows seemed harsh today, its golden warmth doing nothing to soothe Eli's growing frustration. The old wooden desks, the faint creak of the floorboards beneath the weight of the students' shifting bodies, the indistinct hum of conversation—all of it was suffocating. It was as if the world itself was mocking him, trapping him in this never-ending cycle.

Again, Eli thought bitterly. The loop has started again. But why?

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in an effort to steady himself. He needed to stay calm, to think clearly, but the weight of the loop's repetition was beginning to wear on him. How many times had it been now? The faces around him blurred, their idle chatter fading into white noise as his mind raced, searching for answers that continued to elude him.

In the corner of his eye, Eli noticed Leo watching him, brow furrowed in mild confusion. Eli realized his reaction must have been more intense than he'd intended, and Leo, as usual, was quick to pick up on it.

"Sorry," Eli said quickly, rubbing his temple as though that would ease the storm brewing in his mind. "Didn't sleep well last night. Had a... bad dream."

Leo raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Oh? Couldn't sleep, huh? Let me guess, thinking about someone special?" His tone was teasing, lighthearted, but it barely registered in Eli's chaotic thoughts.

Eli rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to snap. He had to remind himself that Leo, despite his carefree demeanor, was still his friend. Leo was always in the mood for banter, always trying to lighten the mood. Eli supposed that in some way, it was helping. The familiar back-and-forth with Leo was grounding him, calming him more than he cared to admit.

Eli sighed and shook his head, brushing off Leo's question. "Not even close."

But as Leo chuckled to himself, Eli's mind drifted back to the problem at hand. The loop. The nauseating, all-consuming repetition of events. But this time, something was different, something subtle yet significant. His mind raced to connect the dots, to figure out what had triggered the reset this time.

Why did it start again? He clenched his jaw, the frustration bubbling up again. The loop only restarted after I mentioned Rose's disappearance to Mia. But when I told Miss Hela the same thing, nothing happened. What's the difference?

His eyes darted to Mia, sitting near the back, her usual calm and collected self. Mia didn't seem to have any clue about the loop. She carried on as if nothing was wrong, not even a flicker of recognition in her eyes. But then why had the loop triggered when he spoke to her? Was it something in his words? Or perhaps...the evidence?