Chapter 1: The First Loop

The final school bell echoed through the corridors of U.H.A.V.(For Girls’),signaling the end of another ordinary day.

Students rushed out of their classrooms, chatting excitedly as they hurried toward the gates. Within minutes, the once-busy school grounds began to empty.

Avrila packed her books into her bag and glanced out the classroom window. The golden afternoon sunlight painted the schoolyard in warm colors.

“You’re leaving late again,” her friend Mili said while adjusting her backpack.

“I know. You go ahead. I’ll catch up later.”

Mili narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Don’t tell me you’re staying back to study again.”

Avrila smiled.

“Exams are only a few months away.”

“You’re impossible.”

Laughing, Mili waved goodbye and left.

Soon, Avrila found herself alone.

After organizing a few notes, she headed toward the washroom. The corridors felt strangely quiet now that everyone had gone home.

The sound of her footsteps echoed against the walls.

For some reason, she felt a slight chill.

“Probably because I’m alone,” she muttered.

A few minutes later, she exited the school building and stepped outside the gate.

The road was calm.

She adjusted her bag and started walking home.

After a short distance, she remembered she needed a new pen.

“Right. Maa asked me to buy one.”

Just ahead stood a small stationary shop where students from both schools often stopped after classes.

As she approached, she immediately heard raised voices.

“No, you’re wrong!”

“I am not!”

“Yes, you are!”

Avrila rolled her eyes.

Only one group of people argued this much.

Three boys stood near the counter.

Smarth.

Arum.

Matrik.

Students of  U.H.A.V.

Unfortunately, they were also in the same grade as her.

The moment Smarth noticed her, he smirked.

“Well, look who decided to join us.”

Avrila sighed.

“I came to buy a pen, not to listen to your nonsense.”

Arum burst out laughing.

“Ouch.”

Matrik added dramatically, “Direct hit.”

Smarth folded his arms.

“What makes you think our conversation is nonsense?”

“Experience”

“Very funny.”

“It wasn’t a joke.”

The shopkeeper watched the exchanged with amusement.

For some reason, she always took the bait.

“You’re still acting like you know everything,” Avrila said.

“And you’re still acting like you don’t.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means you’re stubborn.”

“Excuse me?”

“See? Stubborn.”

Avrila glared at him.

Arum and Matrik quietly stepped aside.

They had seen this happen far too many times.

The strange thing was that neither Smarth nor Avrila ever seemed to realize how much they enjoyed arguing with each other.

After a few more minutes of pointless bickering, Avrila finally bought her pen.

“I’m leaving.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

“Why are you still standing here then?” Smarth asked.

“Why are you?”

Neither answered.

Arum groaned.

“Please get married  and end our suffering.”

Both turned toward him simultaneously.

“SHUT UP!”

The shop erupted with laughter.

Embarrased, Avrila quickly turned away and began walking down the road.

Behind her, she could still hear the boys laughing.

She didn’t notice that Smarth continued watching her until she disappeared around the corner.

 ***

The road to home was familiar.

She had walked it countless times.

A few minutes later, she passed a grocery shop attached to an old two-story house.

Just as she walked by—

“AAAAAHHHHH!”

A terrified scream shattered the silence.

Avrila jumped.

Without thinking, she rushed inside.

A small boy was standing on a stool, pointing at a corner.

“A spider! A spider!”

Avrila blinked.

Then she looked at the tiny spider crawling harmlessly across the wall.

For a moment she simply stared.

Then she burst out laughing.

The boy looked offended.

“It’s not funny!”

“It kind of is.”

At that moment, the shopkeeper appeared.

A middle-aged woman with tired eyes and a gentle smile.

“What happened?”

“Maa! Kill it!”

The shopkeeper  sighed.

“A spider again?”

After  removing the poor creature from the wall, she turned toward Avrila.

“Oh, dear. Did my son’s screaming scare you?”

“A little.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

The woman smiled warmly.

“Thank you for checking on him.”

“It was nothing.”

“Take a chocolate.”

“No thank you.”

“At least have some water.”

Avrila hesitated.

The day had been not.

“Okay.”

The shopkeeper poured a glass of water.

She drank it quickly.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The little boy waved.

Avrila smiled.

“Bye!”

Then she continued on her way.

***

As she walked, her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Mostly toward a certain annoying boy.

Why had Arum said that ridiculous thing?

Why had everyone laughed?

And why had Smarth looked embarrassed?

The memory made her cheeks warm.

“Idiot.”

She wasn’t sure whether she meant him or herself.

Several minutes passed.

Lost in thought, she barely paid attention to her surroundings.

Then suddenly she stopped.

A strange feeling crawled up her spine.

Something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

Slowly, she looked up.

Her eyes windened.

The grocery shop.

The same grocery shop.

The same house.

The same signboard.

The same bicycle parked outside.

Avrila frowned.

“That’s strange.”

Maybe she had simply mistaken it for another shop.

That wad possible.

Right?

She shook her head and continued walking.

Ten minutes later—

She froze.

The grocery shop stood before her again.

This time heart skipped a beat.

“No.”

She quickly looked around.

The tea stall.

The mango tree.

The broken lamp post.

Everything was identical.

Exactly identical.

A cold sensation settled in her stomach.

“This isn’t funny.”

She turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

Faster.

Faster.

Almost running.

Fifteen minutes later—

The grocery shop appeared once more.

The evening sun was beginning to sink below the horizon.

The shadows had grown longer.

And for the first time that day, genuine fear entered Avrila’s heart.

She wasn’t going home.

She wasn’t getting anywhere.

No matter which road she chose…

She always came back here.

To the same road.

The same houses.

The same grocery shop.

As if the world itself had trapped her inside an invisible circle.

And somewhere in the distance, as the sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon, a dog began to howl.

Avrila swallowed hard.

For the first time in her life—

She realized she was lost.

And the night was only beginning.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***