Dear paper,
My name's Lisha… I think so. Maybe Lisa?
Anyway, thanks for being my emotional support through all these endless struggles.
I finally figured out how to kill the God of Destruction—Ebonis.
I need three things: the Eye of the Sky, the Heart of the Sea, and the Veins of the Earth.
I actually got them all, but it didn't work.
I couldn't find the right craftsman.
The timer ran out.
I died.
So here I am, writing again.
For the 51st time.
Lately, I've noticed something weird.
It feels like someone is watching me… maybe even helping me.
It started after the system changed during my 40th regression.
The new one doesn't even have a name.
The old one always gave that creepy, "don't trust me" energy.
I guess this one's better.
—Lisha
---
A soft breath behind me made me freeze.
I turned around.
Hana was standing there, leaning over my shoulder.
"Umm… so from what I read—you're calling paper your emotional support?" she said, raising an eyebrow.
My eyes widened.
"W–why are you here…?"
I crumpled the page and shoved it into my pocket, trying to sound calm but failing miserably.
Hana sat on the bench in front of me.
I'm so tired…
How did I forget this conversation again?
"Lisha, it's kinda concerning that you find comfort in—" she gestures vaguely, "—a piece of paper."
Her eyes were worried.
She held out a bag. "Anyway, here. Your lunch."
"Thanks…"
"You sure you're okay?" Her brows knitted. "You were fine before the bell, and now you look like you're about to— I don't know— jump off a cliff."
I exhaled slowly.
She wouldn't remember. She never does.
"You won't get it," I said quietly.
"Even if I tell you… you won't remember next time."
"What are you talking about?" she whispered, holding my hand. "I'm always here for—"
A loud grunt cut her off.
Ivy dropped onto the bench beside her.
"What are you two whispering about?" she asked, but her glare softened when she saw our faces.
"Am I… interrupting something?"
"Yeah, we were just—" Hana started.
"No, not really," I cut in.
Hana blinked, surprised, but didn't argue.
Ivy sighed. "Okay, but before anything—what. Did. She. Say. About me?"
Her voice darkened.
"Ava told me Elara said I was faking it again."
Hana groaned. "She did. And she laughed after."
"Ugh! I had a fever. A 102° fever!" Ivy threw her hands up. "That girl would tell a cancer patient to 'stop faking cancer.' What is her problem!?"
Hana rubbed her temples. "Just ignore her. You give her attention, she'll do more."
Ivy grumbled but nodded.
"So…" Hana sighed, finally shifting the mood.
"What'd you get for lunch? I got sambar."
"Curd," Ivy muttered at her lunch.
"I dunno," I whispered as I opened my bag. "Haven't checked… in years."
Hana looked up immediately.
"What does that mean?"
Her voice was soft, concerned.
Words stuck in my throat.
I just stared at her.
Luckily, God heard my cry for help and sent my friend—Mei.
"At least… I'm pretty sure that's her name." I thought
She walked up with her lunchbox, cheeks puffed out with food.
"Hmm mmh mhmm?" she mumbled.
(Why haven't you opened your lunch?)
"We were just talking about food," Hana explained.
Hana opened her lunchbox, then froze in disappointment.
"…I thought there would be appalum," she sighed dramatically.
"What did you bring?" Ivy asked, leaning further, moving closer to Hana.
"Biryani."
"BIRYANI!?" Ava screeched from behind us.
To her, biryani was not food.
It was religion.
"Wait—get your lid, I'll share!" Mei said, pointing.
"Okay!" Ava ran over, then stopped and called out,
"Oh, and Ivy—I need to talk to you later."
Her tone suddenly serious.
"So eat fast, alright?"
Ivy gave a thumbs-up.
"Yeah, sure."
She glanced at Hana and me.
"Okay, you guys can talk now."
Standing up, she added, "I'm gonna head out," and began walking back to her seat.
Mei blinked, confused.
"What chat?" she asked Hana.
"I'll tell you later—madam's literally staring at us," Hana whispered, grabbing her lunch bag and darting back to her seat.
"Sheep! Gotta go too!" Mei hurried after her.
I watched them leave, my hands tightening around the table.
This is where it begins again—
Every single time Mei finishes her lunch… the Infinity Castle sheinanagan returns.
I ate my lunch as fast as I could. It was delicious…
But it made me miss my mom. I haven't seen her in so long—least of all eating her food.
But don't worry, when this ends I will see my mom and brothers again… safe and protected.
————————————————————————
The chaos Lisa thought was about to begin.
As Mei finished her lunch....
THEN—
Nothing happened.
This greatly confused Lisha, wondering what were the changes in this regression.
Lisha's eyes widened, her spoon mid air.
"Nothing!?"
She looked down at her food, and then the floor. It did and didn't make sense to her.
She thought deeply about it.
"Though my regression events change slightly, the starting never changes."
Her bench mate saw her internally panicking.
She asked her, with worry.
"Are you… okay?." Asked Jina, placing her fork down in her lunch box. She was Lisha's benchmate.
Lisha snaps back and answers.
"No, I remembered that I-..."
"I forgot to write my English c.w!" Answered Lisha.
Her eyes closed, rubbing the back of her neck
Jina blinked
"Next class is social… not English"
"Oh…" Lisha felt defeated.
But she remembered something.
"But still she will ask me about it at any moment!."
"Ah,yes. The great authority magic they have." Jina said dramatically.
"They intervene during classes–even when their class is not on that particular day…" Jina sighed angrily, taking her fork and stuffing food in her mouth.
Jina says something while food is in her mouth.
Lisha couldn't interpret what it was and just nodded.
The bell rang, the event didn't play out,
Then came the next class,
then the next...
Then finally their second recess arrived.
Anxiety grew worse, panic, her hands shaking.
Her thoughts were filled with only the event.
Then–
POOF!
The ground beneath them vanished.
One second we were laughing–
Now they are falling.
Everyone screamed, but the sound felt swallowed by the air itself. My stomach twisted as I plunged through nothingness.
"WHERE ARE WE FALLING TO ?" Shouted Sora.
"Should I be scared?" Thought Hector.
"Varun grabs Arjun's collar, "YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHEREAHHHHHHH!"
"STOP SHOUTING!!" Shouted back Arjun
"Nice Chaos." Thought Lisha and Felix
"Never expected to live in the sence though." Muttered Felix, holding his fear of darkness.
The sound felt swallowed by the void.
I felt relief, but I realised that— I was going to face something greater soon.
The fall felt endless—
seconds into hours.
Wind rushed past my face, sharp and cold, like needles against my skin. I couldn't tell if I was still moving or just trapped in an illusion.
The void had no beginning, no end—just darkness that seemed alive.
When I finally hit the ground, pain shot through my arms.
I gasped–I could breathe again.
Around me, the others from Group One—IG (Indian Group)—were standing up slowly, shaken but alive.
It was dark, impossibly dark, yet within a small radius, we could see each other. Like some invisible light followed us—only us.
Everything beyond that circle was swallowed whole by the void.
I just sat there for a while, doing nothing.
At some point—I must've passed out,cause when I woke up.
I was surrounded by a glowing sphere of warm light.
It didn't burn– we could stare at it without our eyes hurting.
All of our classmates were there too—safe, breathing, and as confused as ever.
As a normal human being who suffered and is a… inverter??-i dunno.
I just went back to sleep.
I woke up again—
then went back to sleep, before I could.
I saw few people, they were of different race and just... different.
I also saw the galaxy before my eyes— The planets huge and Saturn with its beautiful sand like ring… the asteroid belt.
It was beautiful, it was a mix of purple and other dull but pretty colors.
The stars sprinkle like glowing diamonds.
It was nothing special to me of course.
I kept drifting in and out until my body refused to rest any longer. By the time I finally opened my eyes, I was somewhere else—a maze.
It seems I missed a few things while I was out.
But honestly, it doesn't matter. I've seen enough to know what's happening.