Arc 0:

Death came in the form of a red fairy.

Everything around me was burning.

It was the blind rage and sorrow of an ascended being morning over the loss of a loved one.

Lavender. Calm down. I'm okay! Look!

The words I wanted to say never reached her. They couldn't. My entire body from the chest down was completely crushed by a large wall. Most likely from an explosion. My life withered away slowly as I watched little Lavender bring ruin to the world.

XXX

I woke up in the middle of the night after sending something weird. It was most likely a large-scale activation of some ability. I began to sweat but paid no heed in the end. I tried to sleep to wait for the day to come back.

Things didn't work out though, and I ended up sneaking out of the house without alerting my family to go on a walk.

XXX

Lavender was in danger. Perhaps I didn't stand a chance against professional ability users from the black market or whatever, but knowing that someone I knew was in mortal peril and not doing anything about it does not sit well with me. I would rather die trying than letting that happen. I had picked up my father's homemade talismans and carefully took two random swords from the basement before running to where I sensed the distortion of energy. I made sure to enhance my leg muscles for some speed as I ran.

Once again, I found myself in front of the school, but there was something odd about its atmosphere. I saw a few explosions and some sparks from the top of the roof. A blue fairy was quickly escaping a battle and took flight towards my general direction. It was then that I saw my uneasiness about the school.

Instinctively, I shouted at the top of my lungs, "WATCH OUT!"

It was futile. Lavender, the girl that I had a crush on, slammed into a forcefield which forcefully electrocuted her.

Shit, shit, shit, shit! What do I do?!

I ran forward to the barrier and used multiple talismans to no avail.

Why am I so useless?

XXX

Once again, I found myself in front of the school, but there was something odd about its atmosphere. I saw a few explosions and some sparks from the top of the roof. A blue fairy was quickly escaping the battle and took flight towards my general direction. It was then that I saw my uneasiness about the school.

Instinctively, I shouted at the top of my lungs, "WATCH OUT!"

It was futile. Lavender, the girl that I had a crush on, slammed into a forcefield which forcefully electrocuted her.

"Lavender!"

I rushed over, pulling out Seniorious and attempting to cut the barrier apart to no avail. I took a breath in and channeled my spiritual energy. I felt something else flow into the sword... something vital to my life. It didn't matter though. I had to get to Lavender.

With this ability, I swung the sword Lavender entrusted me and let it unleash its power to cut open a part of the barrier. Upon seeing this surprising result, I stood there in wonder for a bit before falling over.

I heard the sound of a cloak being removed as a dark figure positioned in the way of the street lights stood over me.

"What a foolish tactic. A young man of a peaceful society shouldn't be wielding a sword that heavy. However, as a King, I will recognize your bravery and reward you with a quick death."

A dignified, feminine voice was the last thing I heard before my life was cut short.

XXX

With help from Lavender... no. Lan? It feels awkward, so I'll stick to Lavender. I managed to find the location where Lavender was being held captive. It was at an abandoned nuclear factory on the outskirts of the town. Military forces had warned against coming here due to the possibility of radioactive residue in the area, but part of me thinks that it was probably a set up to isolate this place from people.

Lavender... I'm here.

It felt odd speaking through thoughts, but this was how Lavender and I were communicating. I didn't get the concept, but it helped me get here.

*Use that ability of yours to go in from the top. Watch out for that mysterious invisible entity you talked about.* Lavender replied through her communication ability.

Don't worry. I'll find a way to free you no matter what it takes.

Even if it cost me my life. She was the one who gave me meaning. And so... I'll do what I can for her. I took in a large breath before letting my ability partially let loose before taking a massive leap to the top of the building.

These past weeks have been rather wild. I accidentally stumble upon Lavender dancing on the rooftop and fell in love with her, but she flew away immediately. I thought I totally destroyed my chances of being with her when I confessed to her the next day, but she just asked me a few questions before accepting it. Then, Lavender started telling me everything about this time looping thing which she has been trying to destroy. She had been reincarnating time and time again to fulfill her goal to no avail as it seemed inevitable that she would be captured and researched on to become a new energy source for a Holy Grail or something. It was a concept beyond me.

The other iterations of me had also fallen in love and offered to help, but success has yet to be reached. Somehow, a part of me merged with her each time we failed, and she was able to give back some pieces of my memories from those previous timelines. Some were horrible and painful, but some contained nice and happy memories. Others contained important details to helping Lavender while more tended to show me the dumb ways I had died.

There were many variations in what happened over three months, but they all probably ended up the same. My death. And thus, my failure.

I wanted to laugh. All this for one girl. If I asked myself 3 months ago whether or not I would do all of this for a single girl, it'd be a no, and yet, here I am. Charging into enemy territory using martial techniques that I detested and my innate ability I had barely gotten a grasp of.

My feet landed on the roof of a factory building. Time was running short. According to Lavender, the spell that was going to rip apart the memories within her was a spell that depended on the alignment of the moon and the stars. Not that I knew what it meant.

What I did know was this: it's my time to save Lavender.

XXX

I was following Lavender in the middle night after spotting her flying outside my window. I snuck out for a midnight walk after waking up and not being able to go back to sleep. Even though Lavender flew much faster, I figured out where she was going.

School.

I arrived back at school. The place where I got rejected five times a day five days a week for three months straight. Honestly, why do I even bother still? My feet kept moving though. Hesitation? That does-

My body froze and suddenly arched backward. All my nerves were sent into overdrive as a burning numbness shot up through all the little bones in my toes, up to my spinal cord, and directly to my brain.

What the fuck did I just walk into?

XXX

I was following Lavender in the middle night after spotting her flying high above me while I was walking around. It seemed she was going to check out the source of the ability users... she seemed to be into that thing.

My legs continued to mindlessly move in that general direction as I went into deep thought. I was refused time and time again by this girl, yet I was so hopelessly infatuated with her still. Maybe I shouldn't keep going with this and let go already. I don't know. However, when I saved that cat, her interest in me seemed to have shot up.

I stopped.

School.

I arrived back at school. The place where I got rejected five times a day five days a week for three months straight. Honestly, why do I even bother still? My feet kept moving though. Hesitation? That does-

My body froze and suddenly arched backward. All my nerves were sent into overdrive as a burning numbness shot up through all the little bones in my toes, up to my spinal cord, and directly to my brain.

What the fuck did I just walk into?

I still can't believe it. I'm dating Lavender now. Ahaha. AHAHAHA! Ha. Wait. I don't even know her that well yet.

...

...

...

Fuck.

For the next few days, I was constantly pestering her at school, occasionally poking at her sides and her cheeks to provoke a new reaction. Sometimes she would play along, sometimes she would just quietly smile, and sometimes, she would look at me the way most people would look at a cockroach.

However, it was worthwhile. I figured out this girl's one weakness: baked delights.

"Let's go out on a date."

"Go jump off a building."

"I already have, but I will do it again if you go on a date with me."

"No. Please fall into a hole somewhere."

"There's a new movie coming out. Let's see it together."

"I have no interest in such things."

"There's a new bakery downtown that sells cakes for 25% off on Saturdays. They also advertised a buy one get one free deal for couples. Want to come?"

"Please take me there."

I noticed that Lavender tended to pay extra attention to our other students at our school when they mention the topic of sweets and confectionaries. There was also a time when she completely ignored everything in her surroundings to admire a picture of a cake in a magazine that I pulled out.

XXX

"I don't understand what you're talking about."

My confession seems to have been shot down.

We were standing on the rooftop once again.

I stood still while looking straight into her eyes with as much willpower I could muster.

Is this it?

"You just met me yesterday, and yet, you claim to love me? What do you know about me? Nothing. Nothing at all."

She's right. I know nothing.

"Stay away. And stay safe. Don't be foolish."

Lavender turned away and extended her wings with her ability. For some reason, I ran up to her, as if trying to stop her. I managed to barely touch her finger before she took off. My legs suddenly lost their energy, and my body collapsed on itself from that singular moment of over-exertion. My body lurched forward and hit the floor. I felt a few drops of rain land on the backside of my hand that managed to barely touch Lavender before she took off.

Ahaha. How pathetic. I couldn't even find a reason why I fell in love with this girl, and I couldn't even stop her from leaving like that. How sad. What the fuck am I doing? Motivation my ass. Being the desperate man I was, I, like Icarus, reached out towards the sun even if it meant losing my wings and falling into the ocean. And now here it is. That time has come. True to the lore, I had flown too close to the sun, and now I'm falling down. Into the sea I go.

I looked at the drops of rain that were on the back of my hand.

I looked up at the sky.

It was a sunny day.

XXX

It's time to wake up.