The Chrono-icle

The sun was up today, and as I woke up, I realized it had been shining in my face. I could clearly see the sun from here.

Cori: Ah... What the hell? Why is it so bright?

I suddenly came to the realization. I was in an alleyway on top of a garbage pile. The sun was overhead, bearing down its cruel heat on me. This was the same thing... The same alleyway I always start in. I make a face of dismay as I realize my situation.

Cori: Crap... What even is going on? Is the day repeating?

I was just in the inn when I fell asleep... now I wake up here? Something isn't right.

Cori: Dammit... That inn was super comfy. Such a shame.

The day seems to be repeating itself. It would be too much of a coincidence if I had the same dream three times now... This means I have died at least twice. The same events should play out as before if I was correct... Regel should pass down the alleyway if this really is a loop. There would also be an out-of-control carraige. But why was the day repeating? Was it until I found the elf for the witch or something? 

Cori: Why is the day repeating... Is this some sick joke? This must be the doing of the witch! Damn that hag! This is probably some type of thing to have me find that elf. Why do I even need companions? The elf wants to fucking kill me! What do I even do at this point?

I start pacing around the alleyway, holding my head between my hands. I looked like an insane person. I just received some respite in the inn, and now I'm back here. It was a bad moment to look insane since Regel passed me. This time, he pays more attention to me, questioning me.

Regel: Ma'am? Are you okay?

Cori: What? Huh? Yes, I'm minding my own business.

Regel: You seem to need help, are you okay?

Cori: I'm fine... Can you mind your own business?

I do not want to associate with Regel, if I did, I would probably die. I just need some way to break this loop, but I need to shake Regel off my tail. The kid will be crushed by the carraige soon. As long as I stall the conversation long enough, I will be able to distract Regel.

Regel: Such an attitude. Im just trying to help.

Cori: I'm trying to dumpster dive in this garbage right here, if you want to help, you're welcome.

Regel: So, you're homeless?

Cori: Exactly. I'm not in the mood to associate with rich freaks like you.

Regel: What if I told you I had probable cause to associate with you?

Wait what? What does he mean?

Cori: Huh? What do you mean by that? I don't even know you.

Regel: I can tell by that mask you have there by your side... Your skin... Your eyes... It says it all.

Cori: Huh? What? You're creeping me out.

Regel: Hehe... I have just a few questions to ask you...

Cori: Hold on, what do you even want?

Regel: Ok... Do you know anything about the village of the east? It's close by the outside of the city, about 3 hours for you to get there on foot.

Cori: Oh, what? Theres a village?

Regel: Indeed, do you have information about it?

He was staring into my soul, as if rummaging through my very mind. I get this strange sensation each time he looks at me.

Cori: Well... I never knew there was a village.

Regel: Ok... Now next question... What is your opinion on murder?

Cori: Strange question to ask...

Before I could answer, a scream was heard. Outside the alleyway, a carraige had run over a child. This was my chance to escape. Regel takes his leave with me and rushes to the child. My curiosity got the better of me, and I went to see what happened also. Outside, a carraige was parked at the side of the road. In the middle of the street, there was a crowd of people surrounding a body. He was bleeding from the torso, everyone was panicking.

Cori: Hm? He really is dead, isn't he? What a shame I took too long to answer those bullshit questions... At least I have a place to go outside the city... A village in the east—that is where my next stop will be after all of this. I am leaving this city as soon as possible. I need to experiment with ways to pass the first day, maybe the loop doesn't work outside the city?

Suddenly, Regel kneels beside the body of the child, and light pops out his fingertips. Strings attach themselves to the child's body, melding and mending the body together. Was this some type of healing? Regel was showered in praise from the crowd, proclaiming him as a hero or something. I didn't stick around long enough for him to notice me slipping away from the crowd.

Cori: Hmph. What a letdown! I was excited to see the panic in the crowd when something exciting happened for once. Other than me dying twice, nothing too eventful has happened.

I proceed across the city to the east gate. I was let out and into the open. There was a pathway and plains outside of the city with the occasional tree to break the horizon.

Cori: Finally the wilderness... I have been in that dump for long enough, now, to that village.

I go on top of a hill and scan the horizon. There was a small village seemingly nestled in a forest. That must be the village! I walked for what seemed like hours. By the time I reached the edge of the forest surrounding the place, a thick mist clouded the trees. The mist wasn't thick enough to get lost in, but it was confusing. Why didn't I see the mist from the top of the hill?

Cori: Hm... This mist is weird, didn't see this before... Is this magic?

It certainly had to be, right? It wasn't here before... I might be going crazy, I disregard the mist and keep walking in. This was beginning to look a lot like a horror story where someone gets lost in woods.

Cori: The mist is getting a bit too thick here, I should search the perimeter to see if I can find anyone. I swear there was a village around in these woods... The woods weren't even this thickly packed from what I could tell from the outside.

I decided to head back and search the parts of the forest where the fog was lighter, I eventually came across a camp. Who would be camping out here? There were many people in the camp, all of them looked depressed. I was about to go check it out until I saw something familiar. There was an elf sitting among them. It was the same elf that had killed me the first time the day looped.

Cori: That damn elf... But this may be a lucky hit. This might just count as meeting the elf. I will just pass through the camp and say hi in order to complete this. I just need to do the bare minimum for now in order to complete that quest. 

I decided to head into the camp, but there was some type of barrier surrounding the place. It burned by skin just to get close to that barrier. I decided to just leave.

Cori: This is strange... Why would there be a magic barrier around here? It's not like I can get through or anything... I'll just leave here for now until things return to normal.

I try to make my way out of the forest, but I realize that I was lost.

Cori: Dammit... This is bad.

This was indeed bad, being lost in the forest was not ideal, but there had to be some way out. No matter which direction I walked, there was a thick fog that eventually blocked my path. I also occasionally ran into the camp of people, but the barrier's range was so wide, I couldn't tell what they were doing. Sound didn't seem to travel through the barrier either since I couldn't hear them at all. The people inside the barrier didn't seem to notice me either. There wasn't anywhere else to go but into the thicker parts of the fog.

Cori: What is this? Some type of event? It is clearly preventing me from reaching the elf... That witch is probably setting me up! Putting me through all of this! Once I get my hands on that hag, I will gouge both her eyes out with my knife...

I could only see about a foot ahead of myself in the fog, I occasionally bump into a tree or stumble over some roots. The forest seemed to keep getting thicker as I walked, some of the branches even scraped by arms as I passed through.

Cori: I have the feeling I'm going to regret traversing this fog.

I suddenly bump into another tree... But this tree was made of rocks? No, it was a stone base for a structure.

Cori: What the hell? Where did this come from?

It was a house, but it seemed to be in bad condition. This seemed to be the village that I saw from the hill... But less foggy.

Cori: Finally! I get somewhere, something feels off though.

Something was definitely wrong, the moment I made my way around the house, the fog cleared up to reveal a town. It was confirmed by theory that this was the town. There was rubble piled up in the streets, all the houses were either ruined or abandoned. I knew I was far away when I looked down from that hill, but I could tell the town was in better condition than this. What happened? There was a silence all around me, at least in the woods, you can hear the distant chirping of a cricket or some other bug. I decide to venture inside to investigate, there were ruined residences, inns, and shops that lined the streets.

Cori: Damn... This place looked much brighter from the hill...

Even though we were in a clearing, the fog didn't lift all the way, there were gray clouds that were way too close to the ground to be in the sky, they were blocking the sun out. There were occasionally patches of mist that carpeted the floor, but when I stepped through them, they disappeared. Something about this town wasn't right, it was as if I stepped into another world.

Cori: Hello? Anyone?

I tried to scream out to someone, it probably wasn't the best choice, but no one else was around, right? There could be some townsfolk left, but they likely all moved away. After all, there weren't any buildings left that you could stay in. Mabye, there were some valuables I could snag?

Cori: I'll just get as much stuff as possible and get out of here if I can. I clearly don't belong in this place.

I suddenly hear footsteps behind me.

Cori: Hello?

A person in a rugged cloak was behind me, the ends of the fabric seem to have been wartorn and ripped. It was a crimson red, the color of blood. I couldn't make out the figure's face, but it was somewhat familiar.

Figure: I heed your call, sinner... I have come to greet you.

Cori: Uhhhh hi? Who are you?

Figure: I don't need to state my name to a dead woman, you finally come out of your fog in order to challenge me.

Cori: Wait! There must be a misunderstanding, you don't need to

Before I could finish my sentence, my stomach was slashed open, and guts and blood poured out as I fell to the floor. I had no time to react to the attack, it was as if the person had teleported. What did they even slash me with?

Figure: I expected more of a fight, oh well, this is one less sinner to deal with.

Cori: W-Why...

I was in so much pain, could I just die already? Why wasn't I dying? I couldn't do anything but hold my entrails, trying to put them back in my body. I could barely move across the ground as blood pooled around me, yet I wasn't losing consciousness. I was dying way too slowly.

Figure: I have to say, your guts are poorly maintained, not a single soul has been in those organs, perhaps you are different from the rest of the scum.

Who is this person? What do they mean by sinner? Why were they calling me scum? This person might be insane, why did I even come here? Each second dyin was complete and utter torture, my hearing was ringing with pain. I just want to die at this point.

Cori: Kill... Me...

Figure: Oh my, still breathing? Just killing you would be letting your kind off too easily... Say, I will kill you, but on the other hand, your hide sells for a lot in the market. I can't wait to see how you can fit onto my cloak with the rest of the sinners.

The figure takes out a skinning knife, they lick it with their tongue, brandishing the knife before my paralyzed body as if taunting me. They start by pinning me against the wall and starting at my arms, I was already in so much pain that it made the skinning less painful.

Figure: Oh my, this hide is of top-notch quality, the flesh is so tender.

The flesh apparently was easy to peel off, the further it peeled, the more painful it got, Blood trickled down my skinned arm, it soaked my sleeves with red. I was helpless as she continued to take off my hide as if she were skinning an animal for fur. Eventually, the only skin left was on my face. I was in unimaginable pain from this experience. I could feel the rough ground much more clearly now that my bare muscles were exposed.

Figure: I am honestly surprised you're still alive, is this some sort of ability? But after examining your body for a while, I already have come to the conclusion that you're too weak to possess abilities or the strength to survive. I honestly commend your willpower.

This was not the time to compliment me.

Figure: As a reward for your effort, I will give you a surprise; I will take the skin off your face while you're unconscious!

This didn't make things any better. But at least it will relieve the pain a bit...

Figure: One last thing...

The figure takes off the hood, revealing long blonde hair, she had a crazy expression... It was the elf from the first day I was here, what was she doing here?

Elf: recognize me in any way?

She remembers me? But how? I thought the day looped... Was the elf immune to the loop somehow? Is this why the witch wanted me to find her? These thoughts don't matter now, do they? The elf brings the handle of the knife to the top of my head.

Elf: One last thing... Your entrails are so beautiful when on full display, sinner.

The last thing I saw was the knife being raised. I couldn't even get the chance to see the strike.

Everything fades to black...