Connie felt it before she saw them.

  That crushing weight.

  The invisible force slammed against her body, pinning her to the ground before she could even think of running. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs, her knees crashing against the rough pavement.

  A sharp gasp escaped Takeshi beside her as he collapsed face first on the floor under the same force. His already weakened body couldn't handle the sudden increase in gravity, and he crumpled like a ragdoll.

  Footsteps echoed through the empty alleyway.

  Slow. Unrushed.

  Two people emerged from the shadows. It was them.

  The calm one—sharp and observing dark eyes, with a serious expression.

  The grinning one—lean, golden-amber eyes gleaming with something too excited for the situation.

  Connie didn't know their names yet, but she knew exactly what they were here for.

  Her body trembled against the force of the gravity ability, but her mind was clear.

  This was it.

  She had led them right where she wanted.

  Now… she just had to survive.

  Somehow.

  The other man— the ability user—sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Man… what a letdown."

  Connie's pulse spiked.

  He wasn't talking to her.

  His golden-amber eyes flicked toward Takeshi's crumpled form.

  "I was hoping this little hunt would be more exciting," he muttered. "But I guess weaklings don't make for good sport."

  His smirk widened, but his eyes held nothing but boredom.

  Takeshi didn't even react. His breathing was getting worse, his limbs trembling under the weight.

  The calm man exhaled quietly. "We should finish this."

  Connie's hands clenched against the pavement.

  They weren't wasting time.

  They weren't going to leave any witnesses either.

  She was never supposed to walk away from this.

  She had to act. Now.

  Her mind raced.

  Think. Think. THINK.

  She couldn't run. She couldn't fight.

  But she could stall.

  And she only had one way to do that.

  She forced a breath through her teeth.

  "You sure you want to do this?"

  Her voice was steady. Sharp.

  Not a single hint of fear.

  The calm man paused.

  The other man arched an eyebrow. "Huh?"

  Connie lifted her head, ignoring the way her muscles screamed under the weight.

  She looked at him straight in the eye.

  "You think killing us is gonna be easy," she said. "You think this is just a clean-up job."

  A slow smirk curled on her lips.

  For a second—just one second—the calm man's expression flickered.

  "But it's not, is it?"

  The calm man's eyes narrowed slightly.

  Connie's mind raced.

  She needed to sound like she knew something.

  That was the only way.

  She reenacted Kurose's call in her mind, trying to squeeze out any useful information.

  "You've been tracking him for a while, haven't you?" She continued, jerking her chin toward Takeshi. "You haven't even figured out his ability yet. If you kill him you won't be able to see what it is."

  She didn't blink. Didn't break eye contact.

  She had to sell it.

  She had to make them hesitate.

  But the other man grinned.

  He started laughing even.

  Loudly.

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  "Oh, man," he chuckled, wiping a fake tear from his eye. "That was a great performance. Almost had me there."

  His smirk sharpened.

  Then—

  The pressure tripled.

  A strangled gasp tore from her lips as her body collapsed completely, her limbs refusing to move under the overwhelming weight.

  He crouched beside her, eyes gleaming.

  "Nice try," he muttered. "But we're not that stupid."

  Connie's blood ran cold.

  She had failed.

  The world blinked.

  She was back.

  Inside the café.

  The warm glow of the evening sun streamed through the windows. The sound of idle chatter filled the air.

  Her mind was racing.

  Her bluff had failed.

  They saw through it immediately.

  No.

  Her approach was wrong from the start.

  She was done for the moment they had immobilized them.

  She couldn't afford to let them catch her off guard again.

  This time—

  She would simply run.

  Ayaka's voice rang from across the table. "Connie? Hellooo?"

  She ignored her.

  Takeshi walked through the café doors.

  Connie didn't hesitate.

  She grabbed his wrist, yanking him forward.

  He barely had time to react. "Wha—?"

  "No time to explain," she muttered. "We need to go. Now."

  Takeshi stumbled after her as she rushed outside.

  Ayaka barely had time to call after them before Connie tore down the street.

  This time—

  She wasn't going to let them trap her in that alley.

  This time—she would move first.

  Before the ability could hit them.

  Before they could corner her.

  She was going to break through before the trap even closed.

  ---------

  Takeshi was following behind Connie.

  His muscles felt weak, his thoughts sluggish, as if his body and mind were desynced.

  It felt like something was subtly messing with his perception of time.

  Everything seemed both too fast and too slow.

  And then—there was her.

  The moment Connie grabbed his wrist, something inside him told him not to resist.

  It wasn’t just the urgency in her voice. It wasn’t just the sheer confidence in the way she pulled him forward.

  It was something deeper.

  A feeling he couldn’t place.

  Trust.

  Not logical. Not rational. But it was there.

  He didn’t remember her.

  But for some reason, he knew that she had already saved him before.

  It was impossible.

  And yet—it felt undeniably true.

  The poison blurred his judgment, making it harder to question things. If he were at full strength, he might have resisted more, demanded answers. But right now?

  Right now, following her felt like the only correct choice.

  Because deep down, he knew she was trying to save him.

  Even if he didn’t know how.

  He followed.

  The cool evening air hit Connie’s face as she bolted out of the café, dragging Takeshi with her.

  She didn’t hesitate.

  No second thoughts. No hesitation.

  She had already failed too many times.

  This time, she would make it work.

  Takeshi stumbled slightly but kept up. His breathing was labored, but his legs still moved.

  Connie didn’t slow down until they were a few streets away.

  Only then did she allow herself a sharp inhale, glancing behind her.

  No sign of them.

  Not yet.

  They needed to get to the alley fast.

  She reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and with a few swift taps, did something with it before slipping it back inside.

  Then—

  She moved again.

  Takeshi wasn’t questioning her anymore.

  The poison was making him lightheaded, slowing his thoughts. He barely even reacted to her silent urgency.

  She gritted her teeth.

  The alley was just ahead.

  She knew they were watching.

  The moment she reached it—

  She sprinted again.

  Takeshi didn’t even get a chance to stop.

  “Run,” she hissed under her breath.

  His footsteps stumbled before falling into sync with hers.

  Behind them—

  "Shit!"

  The frustrated curse echoed against the walls.

  They had noticed.

  She ran before he could activate his ability.

  Now, she had forced them into a chase.

  Her pulse hammered in her ears.

  The next street was—

  A sharp turn. A connecting alley.

  She had seconds.

  Her hand tightened around her phone in her pocket.

  Then—

  It slipped.

  The phone fell onto the ground, without breaking.

  The calm man noticed.

  He barely broke stride.

  He scooped it up mid-run, tucking it away with practiced ease.

  He had her phone.

  They kept running until the station entrance was right ahead.

  They dove into the station.

  The moment they blended into the sea of people, Connie let out a slow, shaky breath.

  Some were glancing confused looks at them, but they quickly returned to their own business.

  They had made it inside.

  Takeshi was still on his feet.

  Barely.

  She kept her hand on his arm, steadying him.

  She could feel the fever burning beneath his skin.

  He was getting worse.

  Not as fast as before.

  But still worse.

  A shiver ran down her spine.

  If I don’t get him to a hospital fast, this’ll all be for nothing.

  She forced herself to focus.

  They had lost them.

  At least, for now.

  But they needed to get out without being seen.

  Her eyes darted across the station.

  There.

  The same exit she had used before.

  She pushed forward.

  It was so close.

  They stepped outside.

  A few feet from an hidden alley.

  They had made it.

  Relief nearly flooded her.

  And then—

  Everything collapsed.

  A crushing force slammed down on her body.

  Takeshi collapsed beside her.

  Her breath left her lungs in a sharp, painful gasp.

  She knew this feeling.

  Her knees hit the pavement.

  She couldn’t move.

  No.

  No, no, no—

  Not again.

  She struggled, every muscle in her body straining against the unseen weight.

  And then—she saw him.

  Standing near the unused, deserted exit.

  His hand raised, fingers outstretched.

  His grinning expression.

  He took out his phone and started calling someone.

  She already knew it was. He and the calm man had probably split up to search for her.

  And he was one to find them.

  This loop was over.

  But she still had something left to do.

  She needed more information.

  When the calm man arrived, they both came closer.

  This was her chance.

  She spoke up.

  "Why didn't you use your ability? You could have captured us without any risk if you had. Or is it that you don't have one?" She said in a half mocking tone.

  "I have no idea how you know about abilities as an ordinary person, but I can't allow myself to waste my lifespan on someone like you."

  She barely had time to process that.

  Because—

  The world blinked.

  The café.

  The warm glow of sunset.

  The quiet murmur of voices.

  Ayaka’s voice.

  “Connie?”

  The same pattern as always.

  She ignored it.

  Her hands clenched into fists.

  She understood something now.

  The calm man wouldn't use his ability unless they showed him they were a real threat.

  This was good.

  Her mind raced, thinking of a new plan.

  She already knew what she needed.

  -----

  Connie did everything exactly as before, and now they had reached the station.

  Her eyes darted around, looking for something.

  There it was.

  A small general store near the ticket gates.

  The one where she got the pepper spray she used against the gravity ability user in the second loop.

  She was running out of time.

  She went in, took the pepper spray, paid, left.

  This was it.

  This time—she would make them regret chasing her.

  She was done playing the victim.

  She was going to win.

  They stepped out of the same exit as before.

  They had less than a minute to act.

  "Can you walk into that alley over there alone?"

  She asked as she pointed to the alley where they were caught before.

  "I think I can manage to...But what about you?" Takeshi answered as he looked at the alley with tired eyes.

  "Don't worry about me. Go now."

  Takeshi gave her a confused look and nodded before heading toward the alley.

  Connie positioned herself behind a trashcan, which was placed directly in the door's blind spot.

  A few seconds later, the gravity ability user came out, just as she predicted.

  The second he burst out of the exit—

  She moved.

  She jumped out from the shadows.

  Before he could even react—

  Before he could activate his ability—

  She raised the pepper spray.

  And fired.

  Directly into his eyes.

  From point blank range.

  A direct hit.