Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"I'm in a time loop."
"You what?"

Odile's glare (it has to be a glare, right?) almost makes you loop back immediately.
But you don't—not yet. You have to try! You can always loop back afterward. After she laughed at you or called you stupid or... or—!

"You might have to be more specific than that, Siffrin."

Oh? She's... not laughing? She doesn't look happy at all.

"Or is this another one of your impractical jokes? I swear, if this is the setup for another pun, then I kindly ask you to go and bother Isabeau with it. As you can see, I am quite busy."

Right. She's busy buying stuff for tomorrow. Maybe even tonight. And still searching for that family tale she once told you about.

"..."

You shouldn't bother her with it. It was a stupid idea to begin with.

"Alright. I'll see you later, Siffrin."

At least she didn't sound angry?
You nod and leave the shop.
What a stupid, stupid, stupid idea! Telling her about the time loops!

Well, you didn't tell her all that much, Stardust. Better luck next time.

Yeah, not happening.
There has to be another way.

-------------

"Hey, Mira..."
"Oh! Siffrin! How can I help you?"
"..."

You shuffle, uncomfortable under her gaze. Knowing she has a lot on her plate right now doesn't help make you feel any less inconvenient.

"I..." You start, but the words don't want to come out. How would they? What even is there to say? 'I know you have a lot on your plate right now, saving Vaugard and stopping the king and all, but I might have one more problem for you to solve.'

No... that wouldn't be fair. She already has so much to worry about.

"Siffrin? Are you alright?"
"Yes!"

Yes, you're alright. Doing fine. Almost great, even!
You finally, finally learned all of Bonnie’s favorite foods! They liked you again! It was... great. Even though learning the last one was a little... oh well, you looped back after that experience. And the payoff was worth it!

You are fine! Really, really fine.

"...Siffrin... is there anything you want to talk about?"
"Huh?"

Oh no, was she talking? You didn’t hear a word. Stars, you should pay more attention to her!

"I... uhm, just wanted to say hi?"
"You did?" Mirabelle piped up, smiling. "Even though we just saw each other?"
"Y-yeah?"

That was normal, right? Saying hi to your friends in passing. Right???

"Oh! Then, hi Siffrin!"

Her smile was a little confused, but genuine. That's what you like about Mirabelle—always kind and indulging.

You could actually try and tell her, Stardust.

Nope, not happening.
Your conversation was already awkward enough without you bringing something like that up.

Awkwardly, you smile and nod before turning around.
"See you later, Siffrin! At the clock tower! Don’t forget, okay?"
"I won’t."

You reassure her and leave.

-------------

"Have you ever dreamed of... repeating something you already did?"
"Huh? Repeating? Like... being done with my homework and having to start again? Or like that we have to cook every evening even though we did that the day before?"
"Uhm... more like the homework thing?"

Bonnie's expression was... something.
Was that how you looked when someone offered you a croissant?

Bonnie's face stayed scrunched up for a few more seconds before they started to think about it. It was kinda cute. Sitting here with Bonnie and just... bouncing ideas around.

Bonnie was surprisingly smart for a kid their age. Or they really, really hated doing homework.
You can't relate. Not even remembering ever doing homework, it was hard to imagine hating it. But it was nice. Seeing Bonnie react to real kid problems, and not the *world-is-ending* kind of problems.

After you fought the weaker Sadnesses earlier, and after Bonnie and you made that important promise to protect each other, you went around Dormont as usual. You talked to everyone, but you still couldn't figure out how to help Mirabelle on her paper-based mission. So you somehow ended up back here with Bonnie.
Because you enjoy each other's company now!
And it's nice to hang around your comrades (friends?) even if there’s no benefit to it.

Ah, Bonnie started answering! Pay attention, Sif!

"If I had to do my homework over and over again... I think I would burn it.
Yeah! Burn the stupid, crabbin' homework! What good is it to do it twice anyway?"

You nod.
Sure, doing the same homework again and again does sound pretty boring and useless to a preteen.

"What if... after burning it, the day still repeats. And your... uhm, homework just... returns?"
"It returns?" Bonnie all but yells, offended.

You nod again.
It does. Again, and again, and again.
Each time you take a moment to breathe, to calm down, the stupid homework returns.
Taunting you, over and over again, to just be done. 'It’s so easy! Just fill out the answers to the questions you already memorized!' And as soon as you did, the paper would vanish and another empty one would appear before you.

"—but if it repeats regardless... can I go do something else? Like... going outside? Or eat something? Or... or have 'Za carry me on his back again? If it just repeats after finishing it... I could do something, right?"

Huh? Why would they—?
"S-sure? I guess."
"Awesome! That'd be so crabbin’ cool! It's like, if I can't finish my homework, why do it at all?"

Oh no! That's not something you should teach a kid! Odile and Mirabelle are going to hate you!

"N-no! Bonbon, you—"
The excited sparkle in Bonnie's eyes dimmed a little at the prospect of homework they actually had to do.

You sigh.
You are weak.
You can't tell Bonnie that.

"You... would have to do your homework... eventually."

You finish, rather lamely.

Bonnie pouts, but only for a few seconds before they perk up again.
"Okay, eventuly! But until then I could... uhm, I could cook a lot! And play! And—and then, when I’m done, then I do my homework! And the day ends. Right?"

No...
They would have to do it again. Start anew.
The homework would go blank again, and they won’t escape until... until—

"What would you cook if you had all the time you wanted?" you bring yourself to ask.

"Oh, that one's simple!" Bonnie's smile was wide and excited as they began to tell you about all the food they wanted to prepare. And how you and the others would have to try them all.

Of course, you easily agree.
Tasting more of Bonnie’s cooking sounded amazing!

...

Letting yourself get distracted was way too easy.
Still, the problem won’t solve itself. And you still have this homework to do.

You know it wouldn’t help to push it back.
You had to do it. In the right way, so it always stayed done and everyone could move on with their lives.

You just needed to find out how.

-------

“Soooo, the King uses some kind of Timecraft.” “Hm? Oh. Yeah, it has to be that, right? How else would he freeze everyone in time?” Isabeau hums while he mulls your statement over in his head.

“But Timecraft... is it even possible? Wouldn’t it use a lot—a real lot of power? If it even is a thing.”
“It is!” you exclaim. Determined, you look up at Isabeau, who—for all the right reasons—shoots you a rather confused look.

“Okay? Okay! Then it is real. Sure. What do we make of it? You think we need to know more about it? Would it help us come up with a counter plan?”

You shrug.
Maybe?
You don’t think so, but maybe?

“Just... had a thought. What else might be possible with Timecraft.” “Huh. That is a rather interesting question,” Isabeau agrees easily. “Time-craft... crafting time. It... could include a lot actually. Slowing time, speeding it up. Stopping it altogether. Stuff like that, I guess.”
“What about rewinding time?”
“Rewinding?”

Isabeau thinks for a moment before he laughs.
“Oh buddy, let’s hope he can’t do that! It would really throw us back!”

You scoff at the joke. Come on, he can do better than that.
“What? Didn’t like it? Tough crowd today. Let me try again.”

Heh, try again... Yeah, you can relate to that.
The next few words wash over you—something about running in circles? You force a laugh.

Silence follows.

...Did you do something wrong?
Crab. You didn’t mean to!

Isabeau’s face is all serious again. Not angry or offended... Was he actually considering it? Or just lost in thought? Wasn’t that your thing?

“But... seriously. What do we do if he is able to do stuff like that?”

Impossible. You already ruled that one out. The King doesn’t rewind time. He can’t.
If he could, you’d never be able to beat him. Right??? Or... was looping back his way of winning? No. No, he died before. After dying he can’t—he wouldn’t be able to loop you!
It’d be impossible for a dead person to do that.
(Right?)

Try asking your fighter. He isn’t stupid, you know? He might have some new insight, Stardust~

You know! Stars, you know Isabeau is smart! It’s just... trading ideas? What would he think of that you wouldn’t? And... he doesn’t even know the real problem. It isn’t the King looping time.

It’s you.

Crab, you’re silent again! Quick! Answer him.
“Try again?”

Isabeau huffs an unamused laugh.
“Sure thing, buddy. But if he is able to loop us, we need a way to stop him from doing that. Otherwise there’s no way out of it. Or would it stop once we beat him? Hm... tough question. Best ask Madame Odile for that one.”

Yeah, no. You don’t want to ask more of them. Not when you already know it’s not the solution. Besides, you know Isa is smart enough for a question like that!
He just doesn’t want to... what? Show off? Be smarter?
Help solve this stupid, stupid, stupid—
Okay, no.
No reason to get emotional. You’re getting somewhere. Maybe. Eventually.

“Try it? Can’t be worse than Bonnie trying to fry that weird... thing.”
“Oh, you mean that cassoulet? Yeah... that was awful.” Isabeau barely suppresses a shudder before putting on his thinking face.

You let him do that, grinding some gears while you take it easy, thinking back to that cassoulet. That was certainly an experience. Mostly for the people from Vaugarde.
You thought it was edible—but what do you even know about food?
According to Bonnie, absolutely nothing.

Sure, it wasn’t meant to be fried, but seriously, who has the time to cook something for... a long time.
You forget how long you’re supposed to cook it.
But it was a lot.
Wayyy too long.

Frying it in a creative way was more fun and much faster. At least Bonnie agreed to that.
Their result was... less agreed upon.

“Alright, I’ll give it a try. Sif? Yo buddy, you listening?” “Yep! Definitely. Have been. The whole time.” “U-huh. Haven’t been saying anything, pal. You like listening to the silence?”

And there’s that cheeky grin, when he thinks he’s got you. But you know better now. You know how to get him back.

“I like the silence,” you tell him, because it’s true. And because he gets embarrassed about it. You understand why he does that now.

As predicted, he turns a darker shade and grips onto his left arm. “Siiiiif! How am I supposed to talk if you like the silence?”
Oh, right. That might be a problem!

“I like listening to you talk too!” you quickly reassure him.He needs to talk to you! How else would you learn something new??? Or hear his thoughts on the matter. Isabeau turns an even darker shade. It looks kind of worrying.

Luckily, Isabeau is quick to catch himself and straightens back up.
“Okay, okay, alright! The question! The question of questions! Here to be answered!”
Puffing up his chest, Isabeau thinks for another second before he starts talking.

You always like that. He looks confident like that. Not like he’s just talking because he has to, but because he believes in what he’s saying.

“Okay, assuming the King has the ability to not only freeze but rewind time.
How would we handle that, and to what extent would it stop us?
Obviously beating him would be super hard, because he could rewind time as soon as we reach him, or whenever he thinks he’s losing. Means we’d have to be sneaky, or really, really fast. Or find a way to block his Craft. Thinking about it, would it even work on Mira? Guess it would if he were to use the ability on himself. Would we even notice?”

He leaves that question hanging for a second before sighing. “Guess we wouldn’t. Maybe Mira would? But she hasn’t said anything. So we can rule that one out.
Right? Mira is blessed to be immune to the King’s powers! Therefore I conclude we are not stuck in a King-induced timeloop!”

You clap, nodding along with his explanation. It makes... kind of sense. It is a fact that the loops are not caused by the King’s time craft. Therefore Mira wouldn’t be resistant to it. Thus, concluding they are not in a timeloop.
No, that’s not what Isabeau said. He said—

“So, Sif. Wanna tell me what that’s about timecraft? Honestly, never heard of it! You also never mentioned it before, as far as I’m concerned. Or did you and I just don’t remember it?”
He asks the question with a twinkle in his eyes. A joke question. But underneath... you can see the thoughts gathering. Him really thinking about it.
“Sif, are you—”

-------

"How do you think the Kking does it?" you ask Odile the next time you decide to take the long route towards the Familytale. You're standing near some sheep; listening to Odile bah at them is always a weird experience, but this time you won’t let yourself get distracted by it.

"How does who do what exactly, Siffrin?" Odile asks in that specific tone of hers — the one where she already guesses what you want but can’t help herself teasing you by forcing you to explain your question.

"The King." You answer curtly, sinking a bit more into your cloak when she doesn’t respond.
"...How does the King freeze people?" you mumble into the collar. You don’t remember having a teacher, but that must be what it feels like. Luckily she doesn’t ask you something embarrassingly easy this time.

Odile huffs, but she looks like she’s actually considering an answer for you. You count it as a victory.
"I know we thought about it for a while but couldn’t find an explanation. It just... happens. Freezing people in time, let alone a whole country... isn’t any kind of craft I’ve ever heard of. I would consider it some kind of extremely strong supportive craft. Like the opposite of what you do."
"Huh? What do I do?"
"You use your craft to make yourself and the whole group faster, don’t you? And I have a craft that allows me to slow enemies." Odile explains patiently. Right, you remember. That was a skill you both had from the beginning. It was hard to keep track with all the days, weeks, and months you’ve already spent here, but you know for a fact that Odile is able to slow people.

"Therefore, I think it’s entirely possible that someone as powerful as the king is able to slow time so much it basically stops. It must be a really powerful craft to accomplish such a feat, but we already know that."

Huh, you never thought about it... but it actually makes sense. You’re able to manipulate your movement speed in combat. Why wouldn’t someone be able to use it out of combat? "But... shouldn’t the Craft stop at some point?"
"In theory, yes. Our Crafts only last for three turns; the King’s, evidently, much longer."
"What if it’s something else?" "Like what, Siffrin?"

"..."

"Do you have another theory? You might as well share it with me. And please keep walking, I don’t want to stand near those sheep all day."

You continue walking slowly towards the house without any flowers. Funny that it’s the only one without any decoration. Was there a reason for that? Or... was it simply an oversight? You wouldn’t think so. It—

"Siffrin, your theory." Riiiight, ‘theory’. "Oh, euhm. Timecraft?"
"Time... craft?" "What if it’s not like what we use? But a totally different type of craft? What if it’s... Timecraft?" Odile is silent for a moment before she laughs.

"Timecraft? Really, Siffrin? Do you have any idea how much power it would take to use such a craft?" "Maybe... as much as you need to slow every single person in the country on a level they can’t move anymore?"

"...Touché." Odile frowns. You know this face — she’s onto the idea but she’s not happy about it. "Timecraft... but he would be so much more powerful... would slowing him even work against that?"
Notebook already in hand, Odile begins writing. "Timecraft isn’t impossible per se. But it’s much too powerful, let alone on that scale. How would he even do it? And where would you learn such a thing?" she mumbles, pen flying over the pages.

You wait patiently beside her, listening to her muttering under her breath and spinning theories upon theories. For a moment, the familytale lies forgotten in the back of her mind. You don’t mind — you’ve got all the time in the world to let her solve this problem. Maybe she’ll find something you didn’t think of. And maybe, only maybe, it’s something that might help you escape from those loops.

.
.
.

Yeah, that was a bit too optimistic. You also lost wayyy too much time doing that. By the time you finally get that Familytale, there’s no time left for you to do Mirabelle’s, Bonnie’s, and Isabeau’s quests. Guess you’ll need to try another today.

Or maybe you could start telling them for real, Stardust.

You could try again, talk with everyone, spend a nice evening together, go to the house, beat the king. Maybe this time it’ll work. Maybe.

Oh, come on Stardust. You know it doesn’t work like this.

But maybe—

There won’t be any change if you do not change the story. At least a little bit.

But... how? Where could you find any new information?

Chapter Text

The first time it happens, you almost immediately loop back. Odile's gaze is sharp and full of suspicion. Her notebook lies open in her lap, notes upon notes filling the pages. Some look rather new. Is this what she was asking you about?

Do you have anything to tell her? You don't think so.
You think your smile is a bit confused when she waves you away, complaining about needing time for herself.

Alright.

You can go talk to Isabeau instead. Even though you know all those conversations by heart, you enjoy them. Those little breaks in between floors. Talking with everyone and listening to their thoughts. Reminding Mira not to bite her nails. Or getting another cookie from Isa.
It's fun.
It's easy.

But Odile... That was new. And you don't know what caused it. More than that, she seems to be onto something. But, she can't... She wouldn't be able to discover the truth on her own.

Would she?

You stop, halfway to Isabeau, foot awkwardly raised, and try really, really hard not to think about it.

It doesn't help.

What if Odile finds out? What if Odile, for some reason or another, would be able to tell how many times you already did this? She'd be angry. They all would be, wouldn't they? They'd be angry for you not telling them, and then they would be angry at you for telling them. And for all the things you did! What you learned about each of them without them knowing. How you started to touch them because you oh so desperately wanted something. And Isabeau would—

"Sif...? You okay there?"
You nod, taking another step forward.
"Perfectly fine. Shall we get going?"
"Oh, you already finished?"
You nod again, taking a few hasty steps toward the exit.

The rest of your party scrambles to their feet, grabbing their weapons and the rest of the snacks. You don't wait. It won't matter in a second. Because the disappointed, angry faces of your friends, no colleagues, won't leave you.
Odile's suspicious glare-

You dive headfirst into the first tear you see.

---

The second time it happens, you don't notice it until you talk to Odile after you defeated the King. She's clearly worried.
Still suspicious, though.
But instead of asking you, she just grumbles to herself about not knowing enough. Having missed something.

Did you miss something?

Oh well, in a minute you'll be back in Dormont. It won't matter if you missed something this time. You got some of your questions answered. You need to talk to Loop anyway. Maybe you'll look a bit more thoroughly and help Odile find what she missed?
That sounds about right.

After that, you kind of forget about the incidents. It doesn't happen again, because now you finally, finally figured out how to help Mira with her papers!
You're thrilled to finally be able to listen to her, rambling about... bonding with people? Her favorites? Her type?
There are better ways to spend your time, but also way worse. Plus, it's Mira! You enjoy time with her. You want to help her, ease at least one of her worries.
That's why, this time, you don't dread talking to the Head Housemaiden. Not as much as usual, at least.
You still hate this part, but it is for her. For them.
Bravely, you step towards the tall, light-haired woman...

---

Out of habit, you tell Mirabelle about the CARROT Method.
"W-Wait, how did you know about the—? Oh, this makes so much sense! Is that all there is? But, how did you know??"
She's looking at you, confused, concerned, and kind of...

Huh? That wasn't part of the usual routine. Why did she—
Oh. You forgot to wink.
And leave.

(Nooo, your mysterious aura! Your unapproachable charm!
You lost it.
You will never recover from this experience.)

Awkwardly, you smile at Mirabelle and sidestep her to make a late retreat.
"Siffrin? Where are yo—Oh no you don't!"
Quickly, she grabs onto your cape-
"Ah, sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to—!"
-and immediately drops it like it burned her.

You shrug it off and rearrange the fabric. You don't mind it.
"But... uhm, could you... just tell me? Or... tell me why you never mentioned it before?"
"..."
You can't tell her. You can't tell her about the book in the secret library. You would have to tell her everything. And then... then she would hate you. For not telling her sooner. For only telling her the information you consider useful.

"I mean... it's so simple! And so... it just makes sense! But I never would have thought of it! So, really, thank you, Siffrin!"
Through her enthusiasm, she eyes you, her smile turning kinder.
"Did you read about it somewhere? Somewhere on your travels? An old adventure perhaps?"
"...Yes? I read it. But..."
Quick, think of something! You can't keep dodging that question forever. You know she won't let you.
"I... it didn't make sense for me."
"Oh... is that why you didn't tell me?"
You nod.
"Didn't think it was important," you mumble.

Mirabelle sighs. You see her trying to reach for your hands. As usual, she won't go through with it.

"Okay. That's okay, Siffrin! Because you told me now! And now I know how to craft a shield that could—oh!!! Siffrin! Do NOT move. I'm about to try a highly volatile Craft Skill on you that I've never tried before!"

She barely waits long enough for you to quickly nod, before beginning her craft.
You close your eyes.

Once again, your body feels like it's covered in a warm blanket.

You blink.

You pinch yourself in the arm.

It didn't hurt at all.

You give Mira a thumbs up.
"It worked? Oh change! This is wonderful news! Do you think it'll protect us against the King?"
You nod again.
"I'm glad! Thank you for telling me! I really hope this will be useful!"
"I bet it will, Mira."

Her relieved smile makes you feel equal parts better and worse.
"Okay, okay! Thank you so much. I... won't get on your nerves anymore. But, if you change your mind, you know where to find me! If you want to talk about... anything. Okay?"

What else would you talk about? You're glad she stopped questioning you about the shield.
"...if you want to tell me about that book you read and never mentioned."
Mirabelle clarifies.

You laugh awkwardly. Stars, no. You don't want to talk about that.

You wave at her retreating form.
You might skip talking to her today.

You might skip today entirely...

----------

Who would have thought talking—spending some time with them—would change that much?
Everyone is sitting together, talking with each other. It's a different evening altogether! Everyone seems happy. And they are grateful for your help—they even told you!

You laugh as Bonnie gives you yet another plate filled to the brim with food. They made a real effort with it, you can tell.
It tastes even better now that Bonnie is back to talking with you.

On the topic of talking—have you considered this might be a good moment to talk to them, Stardust?

But you're already talking!
You can basically hear Loop roll their eyes at you. Their problem, not yours!
You have a picnic to enjoy. One final break for everyone before you take on the King tomorrow.
You wouldn't want to ruin this moment...

You also don't want to ruin the rest of the evening. Or their much-needed sleep. Or any of the snack breaks.
And as soon as you reach the King... it wouldn't even matter. Because you'll loop back.
And they won't remember.
Won't remember that you talked.
That you enjoyed your final evening as a—
As a group of travelers. Not even friends. (Right, Odile?)
But together nonetheless.

So, why even bother telling them? It won't change anything.
Not in a good way, at least.
—You don't want to think about the disappointment and anger you would face if they ever found out.

---

Odile took one final note before she looked up from the book.
"The possibilities are endless... and terrifying."
Isabeau nods. "Definitely not the kind of power you want in someone's hands!" he declares to the group before turning back to Odile. She agrees with a low hum, rereading one of the lines about Timecraft they just found (again).
"And definitely not someone like the King."
"Anyone, really," you mumble, once again gaining some unwanted attention from Odile.
"What was that, Siffrin?"
"Nothing!"
"No, please. Enlighten us."
Is she teasing you again? It... sounds like that. But also like she’s really curious about it.

"I just... Timecraft sounds dangerous. In anyone’s hands."
You would know. It might start useful, but by now... you don’t think it’s really all that great.

"But!!! If we could use it! We could save Vaugarde!" Bonnie exclaims loudly.
You flinch.
Saving Vaugarde, huh? Doesn't sound likely to you.

"We... we could unfreeze everyone! Right? We could go around and save them!"
A telltale silence follows Bonnie’s excited statement.
Odile's still staring at you. Why is she staring at you???? Shouldn’t she explain it to Bonnie? No???

"Uhm.... You see, Bonbon. It’s... not that easy."
You start slowly, hoping the rest of the team remembers their lines and jumps in to help you.
Luckily, Mirabelle is a saint and immediately backs you up.

"Uhm, I think Siffrin is right. Crafting time wouldn’t be like crafting clay into a specific shape, or crafting a sword. Those are easy enough to do and won’t tire you out, but crafting time? Wouldn’t it ask for immense amounts of power?"

Odile finally turns away from you and gives Bonnie a patient and supportive smile.
"Exactly. Crafting clay barely asks for any power from the user... but crafting time... it was theorized that crafting time—even to pause time for a single second—would probably kill the user immediately."
"..."
You knew this already.
That much Craft should kill anyone.
But it doesn’t.
Why not?
You die upon looping.
But the King doesn’t.
He is able to use Timecraft without dying!
How?

Bonnie’s yell pulls you out of your head and back into the conversation happening around you.
Mirabelle is anxiously looking around.
"And yet, the King is still alive...."
"So it raises the question... what gave him enough power to use Timecraft without dying? And how did he learn how to use it?"
Isabeau and Odile think hard for a second.

You already wondered the same a few loops ago—even asked Odile about it.

"Siffrin."
You jump.
"Y-yes?"
Oh stars, you shouldn’t sound so nervous.
You didn’t even do anything!?! (Nothing they know of at least.)

"Woah, Sif, you alright?" Isabeau is looking at you too!
Oh no, they’re all looking. You see the worry and... something else? in Isabeau’s eyes as he takes half a step towards you.
And then stops.
Because... of course he does.

You smile.
"I’m fine! Just... lost in thought for a moment! What do you call a really strong foe again?"
The others blink at you, confused.
But the confusion leaves just as quick—they are used to you forgetting words.
(Or things. Or happenings. Or your own past and name and—)

"Overpowered?" Isabeau offers with a meek smile.
"Unbeatable!" Bonnie chimes in.
"Let’s not hope it’s that one, Boniface." Odile huffs before giving her own take. "A formidable opponent, or nemesis, I would say."
"OP! Bad character design! Lazy writing!"
Mirabelle quickly forgets all about her anxiety in the presence of the new problem.
"It’s just so annoying sometimes! Your opponent can be strong without being unbeatable godlike strong! I mean, there are some good stories with really strong characters and sometimes they shift the focus away from powers and more to other things, but way too often it just—"
"It sucks!" Bonnie yells, raising both arms above their head.
Mirabelle nods.
"Y-yeah! It sucks!"
"Awww man. Sorry to hear that, Mira."
Isabeau sympathetically pats her on the arm.
"Not all books are good books, eh?"

"Then let’s stay with this book and let’s not get any more distracted." But even Odile smiles as she says it. Mirabelle’s enthusiasm is catchy, even for a stern woman like her.
"So, Siffrin. What about our overpowered, hopefully not unbeatable, adversary?"
"I just think it would be nice if our adversary..."
You wait a second, meeting Isabeau’s eyes before winking and delivering the rest of your line.
"Met an adversely ending."

Bonnie yells, Isabeau laughs. Mirabelle looks like she just bit into a lemon.
You love making those jokes. (Even though it wasn’t your best one.)
Odile didn’t even sigh. She just... keeps looking at you.
"You know. Adversely. Because, he will be losing? We put him in timeout!"
"Frin, stop! That’s not even a funny joke!" Bonnie complains immediately, but you can’t help the grin on your face.
You think their reactions are hilarious.

"Could we go back to topic, please?"
"Yes, Madame." Mirabelle and Isabeau chorus and quickly pull themselves together.
Bonnie is still giving you a mistrusting side-eye, but you smile at them, silently telling them you’re done for now.

"Good. Thank you." Odile readjusts her glasses and glances down at the book.
"Timecraft. I think we can conclude this as the source of the King’s power. We should have a look around. Maybe we’ll find something that helps us against the King’s craft. Even though it might not help against his curse, maybe it helps us in our fight."
"Good idea, M'dame!"
"There should be a library on the second floor! Maybe they have something useful!"

Upon Mirabelle’s suggestion, you all nod.
The library would be a good call.
You also need to go there for the paper key.
And maybe you’ll find something new.

---

Surprisingly, there is no new information in the library. You still can't read that one book, and Odile eyed you warily upon seeing the book about shields. You leave rather quickly before she finds the checkout list of the Familytales.

Back on the 3rd Floor, you walk towards the Break Room. As always, there's an excited bit about the dog (and the unfortunate person next to it) before you turn towards the bookshelf. There should be... Ah! Here! You pull the Craftonomy book out of the shelf and present it to the others.
Odile reads the title.
"Ah... that's a Craftonomy book. We don't really have time to read about Craft of any kind. Let's keep going."
She says that, but her gaze is fixed on you. What does she expect? You protesting?
You... could.
There is something about Timecraft in the book.
On second thought, you don't want to do this.
Odile already seems way too suspicious. Slowly, you lower the book and turn back towards the shelf.

"But M'dame! Maybe it'll teach us some more about Timecraft! Weren't we looking for something like that in the library?"
Crab. There goes your way out.
You smile at Odile and raise the book once more.
If Isabeau wants to have a look, you're also allowed.
Right? Nothing suspicious here!

Curiously, Mirabelle leans forward to inspect the book herself.
"It could be beneficial! And we already started looking for a book about Timecraft!"
"Urgh, fine...." Odile takes the book from you and starts flipping through it.
"... Yep, very technical and useless. Nothing in there is useful to us at all."
She proclaims and closes the book with a heavy thud.

"Nothing at all?" Isabeau asked with an amused tilt in his voice.
"Nothing at all." Odile confirmed. "Unless you think the fact that some Crafts have a distinct smell would be useful to us somehow."
"Is that so?" Mirabelle and Isabeau share a look. They definitely find that bit of information important.
"Well, now I'm curious."
"It's nothing impressive. Just things we could've figured out ourselves. Rock Craft smells like wet rocks, Paper Craft like wood or leaves..."
"Scissors Craft like scissors?"
"Exactly. Good work, Boniface. They all smell like you'd expect. The only other thing this mentioned is a Craft that smells... very sweet?"
"Sweet? Like sugar? Could that be-?"
"OHHHH!" Bonnie looked at them with big eyes and pointed at the room.
"Wha-? What is it???"
"Sugar!!! It's been smelling like sugar for a while now!" they yell excitedly, jumping a little in place.

Does it? The smell never leaves you, but you just thought it was... phantom smell.
Like pain that should no longer be there.
You smelled it so much... you don't even notice it most of the time. It also smells burned. Like burned caramel. Or... way too much sugar. It's way too sweet. Maybe you're just sick of the smell, but—

No, that's not important. Bonnie is able to smell it? What did they say before? They smelled it since yesterday?
(Heh... yesterday. Funny concept.)

"—super strong near those Sadnesses that give us those crest thingies!"
"Hm..." Isabeau folds his arms before his chest, thinking.
"That... is something? Might be useful to know whenever the King is about to use Timecraft?"
"Is there really nothing else?" You can't help but ask. Maybe... maybe just a tiny, little bit of information. Something you didn't think of before.
The last time you talked to the King it didn't help much.

Should you try again?
He is oddly talkative...

"I fear not. As said before, Timecraft is considered impossible. There won't be many books or practical information about it."
Odile put the book back into its shelf and turned back to you.
"Siffrin. Mind telling us what this is all about?"
"Huh? Beating the King! Obviously!"
"Obviously..." she mutters, ever so slightly shaking her head.

She doesn't believe you. Quick! Something that doesn't sound like a lie or a lame excuse!
"I just... heard someone mention it. And thought there might be... more information?"
Yeah, that wasn't convincing at all. Mirabelle and Isabeau are looking at you funny.
Stars, why do they keep doing that?

"Siffrin. If you know anything..."
"No! I... I don't! Only thought it might be useful! To know! Because the King uses it!"

To make it all worse, Bonnie takes a step towards you and starts sniffing-

Oh-oh, Stardust. Looks like you're about to have trouble.

"You smell weird, Frin!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Sweet! Like burned popcorn!"

You startle, suddenly everyones gaze turned sharper.

They are onto you!

They can't know!

They can't! They will-!

---

That was a close one. You're... kind of out of it.

You miss a few cues the next loop. You forget even more words.
And you keep trying to take things that are already in your inventory.
Through the whole trip, you feel Odile’s gaze at the back of your head.

She knows!
No, she can't know!
How?
You looped back!
She can't know anything! No way!
And then you're back here. On the second floor. And there is this question between you two.

"Do you have anything you'd like to tell me, Siffrin?"

No. You don't want to tell her. You shake your head.
For a moment you think she might ask you again, but she doesn't. Just shakes her head and waves you away. You gladly take it.

You need to do better.

--------

"If you could eat only one thing every day for the rest of your life, what food would it be?"
"What??? One thing? Every. Day???" Bonnie exclaimed loudly, bouncing back on their heels. "You can't be serious! Why would I ever—!!!! Frin! What did you do to our food???"

Huh? Why do they immediately blame you? What would you even do? Eat it all?
"Nothing!"
"I don't trust you!"

You laugh.
"BonBon, I swear I didn't eat all of our food."
"Good! Because I'll need that for dinner! And snacks! We need snacks if we want to beat the King tomorrow!"
"Sure do!"
"You can't fight on an empty stomach!"

You nod. You really can't. Snack breaks are important.
"We should bring snacks for when we're done fighting! Victory snacks!"
"Good thinking. We will need them. Maybe some of the people frozen in time will need them as well."

You see the exact moment where Bonnie's face falls. Right... you needn't remind them of the people frozen in time. Or how long it has been. They still miss their sister.
Stars, why are you like this?

Okay, breathe. You can save this! Just... think. Quickly.
"Bonnie, I—"
"NO! You're right! We need to take lots and lots of snacks with us! For all of them!!! And then we go back to Dormont and make even more snacks!"
"Alright."
"And you and 'Za have to help!"
"Sure!"

Relieved, you let out a deep breath.
"So, what about the food?" "The only one I get to eat?"
You nod. Bonnie gives it a quick thought. You wait patiently for their answer. You've got time.
After last loop... you don't feel ready to talk to Odile yet.

Maybe you'll go to Mira later. Help her with those papers, talk a little. Maybe not, maybe you'll just spend the rest of the day with Bonnie. You could help them preparing dinner. Or—
"Frin! I asked you something!"
"Oh, sorry."
"Urgh, you're still stupid! By stuff do you mean something like rice? Or a full meal? Because if it's one thing I can cook however I like, I'll go with rice! But if not, I want samosas! The good ones!"
"No cheese, all potatoes."
"YES! Those! The only good ones!"

You silently agree to disagree.

"But seriously, why would I eat one thing for the rest of my life? That sounds stupid! And boring."
"What if there's nothing else at home?"
"Then I go and buy some more?"
"What if there's no market?"
"Then I wait for the next day, stupid!"
"But what if there is no market."
"Frin! Stop this crabbin' nonsense! We can go hunting! Or gather some berries or stuff! It doesn't need to be the same every single day."

You wish... But for Bonnie, it really hasn't been that long since they entered Dormont. Not even a day.

You laugh and pat their head.
"Okay, sorry. But, what if I wanted to cook and knew only one recipe?"
"Then you're not allowed to cook again until you know more than one!"

Bonnie shoves your hand away and glares at you.
"Don't tell me you only know how to cook one thing!"

You smile and lower your voice, as if to tell a secret. Excited Bonnie leans towards you.
"I am an eggceptionally good cook."
"...."
"There's no raisin to worry! I wouldn't lettuce go hungry."
"FRIN!!!!"
"You could say I walnut—"

You don't get to finish your line of awful puns before Bonnie tackles you, arms flailing, trying to stop you from talking.
"NO! Don't! Those are bad!" they yell. You laugh and wrap your arms around Bonnie.
"Alright, alright. No more puns." For now.

"You're so stupid," Bonnie mumbles into your shoulder as they stop their assault.
"Like really, really stupid."
"Really stupid?"
"Super-duper stupid!"

You laugh again, sitting back up and rearranging your hat. Bonnie sits down next to you. They still haven't forgiven you, but it'll only be a matter of minutes...

"Hey Frin. Do I really have to eat the same thing every day?"
Oh stars, do they really worry about that now? That wasn't your goal.
"No, you don't. Don't worry."
"Okay... good. Because I want to try lots and lots of stuff! And try cooking more! And you need to eat it all! You and the others! And Nile! We'll make lots of food for everyone!"
"Sure will."
"And you will help! As punishment!"
"Okay!"
"Okay? Wooohoo!"

Bonnie jumps back to their feet.
"Come on! We have lots of stuff to pre-pare!"

You smile and climb back to your feet. Dusting off your cloak, you follow Bonnie back to the clocktower...

Chapter Text

"There you are!"

"We were looking for you!"

Bonnie and you stop in your tracks as Isabeau's and Mirabelle's voices filter into the kitchen.

"Sif, you're here as well?"

You shrug. Why wouldn't you be?

"Yeah! Frin helped me with the potatoes! They're not good at cooking, but they're pretty good with a knife!"

You smile and twirl the small kitchen knife in your hand before getting back to cutting some more potatoes. You have a lot of samosas to make—according to Bonnie, at least.

"That's... good?"

Carefully, Mirabelle steps closer, inspecting yours and Bonnie's work.

"Do you want to bring all of that to the castle?"

"No! The rice is for today's dinner! And everything in that bowl there!" Bonnie points at a pile of freshly baked cookies, some onigiri, and the first of many piles of samosas. "Those are for tomorrow. Among other things! No more looking! It's a secret!!!"

Bonnie pushes Mirabelle back to you and Isabeau. You laugh at her confused expression.

"But why so much? We're only five people. We don't need that much food...?"

"Yeah. And didn't you want to eat the samosas today, Bonbon?" Isabeau asks curiously.

You stay silent, listening to Bonnie explain that they're cooking for everyone you're going to save—because after all this time, they just had to be hungry!

Isabeau nods along to the explanation, even though he looks rather amused by it.

"Absolutely right. How can we help?"

"I dunno. Watch Frin, so they don't eat any more of the potatoes."

"Sif! You're not supposed to eat them raw!"

You're not? But they taste good...?

"Then you better po-"

"NO! No more puns today! You promised!" Bonnie yells across the kitchen, an unbaked samosa in hand, ready to throw it at your head.

You laugh and quickly hide behind Isabeau. He sputters, but raises a protective arm in front of you.

"No throwing food, Bonnie! And no worries. I will watch them!"

Satisfied, Bonnie nods and puts the samosa back down.

"I wouldn't have thrown it," they mutter before returning to the oven.

You sit back down and return to your peeling and cutting job. Isabeau takes a chair next to you while Mirabelle excuses herself to go and look after Odile. You briefly wonder why she didn't join all of you in the kitchen, but you're sure Mira can handle it.

"Hey, Sif."

You turn towards Isabeau. Why is he whispering?

"You talked to Bonbon, right? They seem a lot... happier."

Oh, right. This never happened... but sometimes Isabeau would notice if Bonnie liked you again.

"I'm glad you did. Bonbon's little—what happened is a lot for a kid to handle. On top of everything happening around us... I'm glad you two are back to talking."

"You saw them threaten me with a potato, right?"

"You probably deserved it."

You stick your tongue out. Maybe you did, but they do not need to know you think that.

Isabeau laughs, before picking up one of your peeled potatoes and his own knife.

"Knowing you, you probably thought Bonbon started hating you for no reason. So, how come you decided to talk to them?"

"...."

"Aw, come on. No strike of inspiration? A heartfelt moment the evening before the big battle?"

"... Something like that."

"Either way, I'm glad! Explains why I didn't get to see you at all today."

Oh yeah. You kind of neglected everyone else in favor of Bonnie...

"Sorry. Did you need me for anything?"

"No, no no, it's fine! Just wondering!"

Stars, you really let them all down, didn't you? You didn't help Mira, you ignored Odile on purpose, and you didn't even talk to Isabeau!

Stupid.

You feel bad.

"...."

You stare at the stupid potato in your stupid hand.

Ignoring your friends’ troubles, too... what? Get to have something different to eat for once?

"Aw, don't look like that, Sif! It's fine! I really am glad!"

"Less talking, more potatoes!" Bonnie yells from the other end of the kitchen.

Stars, you almost forgot they were here. You hope they didn't listen... They'd feel bad about it.

"More potatoes! Coming right up!"

Isabeau starts cutting the potato in his hand into neat little pieces while you grab onto the next one to peel it. You try not to feel bad about the situation. You try telling yourself you're not just doing this for a different meal.

You're doing it for Bonnie. Because they needed more time with you. Right?

Or did you need time with them?

(Time outside the house and without the confused and mistrusting stares of your party.)

Maybe you should talk to them! You can save this loop and just... continue like any other! It's possible!!!

You can start right here!

"Isa?! Do you want to go outside and look at the stars later?"

You hear him inhale sharply, muttering a near-silent curse.

Confused, you look up.

Stars, is that blood?

Did he just cut himself?

Did you—

---

"Hi Siffrin! Do you need anything?"

Mirabelle is looking at her papers again. You know now why she does that, but does she really have to?

"Hey, Mira. Want to get out of here?"

"Huh? Out of... here?"

You gesture toward the bench and her papers. "You know... away from work? Those papers look exhausting."

"Oh. Yeah, they kind of are... but... mhm..."

She grips the papers and pulls them slightly toward herself.

Ah, she still doesn't want you to see them.

"It can't be more important than tomorrow, right?"

"No... I suppose not."

She doesn't sound convinced. You notice her eyeing you warily.

You're not really dedicated to this part either.

Stardust, I swear, even the Universe can't hold me back if you decide to chicken out one. More. Time!

"Stars, I am trying," you mumble back. Seriously. Why is Loop this impatient? It hasn't even been that many loops since... nevermind.

They could spare you a second or two.

To be fair, you have been standing here for the past three loops and didn't even ask her the first two, but that's beside the point!

You're tired.

Tired of Loop’s constant nagging. Tired of the loops. Tired of the memory that surfaces every single time you close your eye...

"I..."

Mira glances at you before going back to staring at her papers.

"..... You know what? Let's do it!"

"Huh?"

"Let's go... get out of here! I don't want to read those papers!"

Quickly, she folds them into a neat pile and puts them back into her dress. (You're still impressed she carried all that weight with her throughout your whole journey across Vaugarde.)

"Where do you want to go?"

"...." Crab, you didn't think about that! "Uh.... South?"

"Siffrin... if you want to go and take another nap..."

"It's not that!" Shyly, you hide behind your hat. "...Just, somewhere... calmer."

You practically feel Mirabelle’s gaze wandering about the calm of Dormont. She doesn’t call you out on it. Just smiles and follows you back toward the meadow—the same meadow you came from not even ten minutes ago.

"It really is a nice place for a nap, Siffrin."

You agree. Past you made a good decision.

The meadow is far enough from Dormont that no one is going to bother or hear you. And you won’t have to hear them. No one near to disturb your sleep.

The grass is soft, the sun is warm. A perfect place for a peaceful nap.

You're kinda sad you don't get to enjoy those anymore...

You take a few steps into the grass and sit down. Mirabelle follows you hesitantly, carefully sitting down. She doesn't want her light dress to stain. You stopped caring about your clothes. It's only temporary anyway.

Together you sit for a few minutes, enjoying the slight breeze.

It's hard to start talking. It always has been. It only became harder now that you—

Stars above, just open your mouth and say something. Your housemaiden is getting self-conscious!

Oh, no! You don't want that! You just... need some more time. Time to think! You don’t know what to say. Or how to say it! You don’t even know why you’re here!!!

In the corner of your eye, you see the Favor Tree. And a sparkle with the promise of certain doom on top of it.

"Mira, I..."

"Siffrin, are you—"

You both stop, staring at each other for a second before a small laugh escapes her. "Sorry! Sorry, you go. I'll listen!"

"...."

You nod, breathe in, breathe out.

You can do this.

You have to.

You—

"Mira, I..."

Stars, you can't! You can't tell her what happened.

"I... had a bad dream."

"A bad dream? Oh, no! Just now? You looked awfully tired when I came to wake you."

You nod once. It was like a bad dream. A really bad dream.

"I'm... worried. About Bonnie," you tell her.

Your voice is trembling. The memory is still too fresh, even after a few loops. You can’t get that picture out of your head.

"Siffrin...?"

There’s a hand on your shoulder. You flinch. The hand disappears. You immediately wish it would return. You imagine it’d be comforting.

"Siffrin... did you have a nightmare because of tomorrow? Or something more general?"

"Tomorrow," you mumble. "I... the King. I'm..."

"You think something might happen to Bonnie?"

"I saw it."

"Y-You—!"

"In my dream." You're quick to clarify. "In... in my dream. I saw it happening. And I... we, couldn’t do anything."

"Oh. That’s... Siffrin, that’s terrible."

You nod. It really was. Terrible to watch. You shudder.

"Siffrin... I know you don’t like to be touched... but, can I... how can I help you? I would offer a hug, or a hand! Or... whatever you need! But..."

But she doesn’t want to touch you—

Wrong again, Stardust. She thinks you don't want to be touched.

"....."

You can't just ask for a hug. That's embarrassing! Who does that?

"I'm... fine. Just worried."

"Okay. I can work with that!" Mirabelle straightens her back and thinks for a moment.

"I don’t know if you heard, but Bonnie won’t be fighting with us! Madame Odile thought of another important job they’re allowed to do. But not in fighting-distance! We will protect them at all cost!"

You nod. You always did protect Bonnie. They were never harmed until... until you decided to talk to the King.

Because you thought you could change something.

Stupid, crabbin’ idiot!

"...It was my fault." You can't suppress the shivers in your voice.

"I—"

"Siffrin. We won’t let anything happen! We will beat the King! We will save Vaugarde! And we will protect Bonnie!"

"...Who are you and what did you do to Mirabelle?" Despite everything, a low chuckle escapes you.

"H-Huh?" Embarrassed, Mirabelle shrinks back. "I..."

No, you didn’t mean it like that!!

"In a positive sense!!" You’re quick to reassure her.

"You sounded so confident! In a... good way. Very good!"

It almost convinced you.

You know you'll never repeat that mistake.

Bonnie will be safe! You'll make sure of it.

But it was nice to hear it from another person.

Bonnie will be safe.

They have to be...

"Thank you, Siffrin. I... try. Being more confident in myself. It's... not easy. But I need to believe in myself. Tomorrow..."

"We’ll beat the King. And save Vaugarde. I believe in you. And the others do too."

Her smile turns a bit watery. Carefully, you reach a hand toward her. She looks at it, surprised, but after a short moment she takes it.

"We will beat him. And save Vaugarde. And then we’ll send Bonnie back to their sister! They will be safe and sound."

You nod. Hearing Mirabelle say it... you want to believe it.

But you can’t forget...

"Siffrin... is there anything else that bothers you?" "...." You shake your head."Just a bad nap. You know..."

"Bad nap time is bad life time." She nods seriously. "I understand. Do you want to try again? I could come wake you before I leave for the clocktower."

"...I think I’d like that."

"Great! If it doesn’t work, just come back to the library and I’ll see what I can do!"

Right... she won’t be sitting around here for the rest of the day.

Should have thought about that.

Not that it bothers you! Being alone is nice! And you want to take a nap anyway.

"No need to worry about me, Mira. I... can handle a nightmare."

Oh... that look. She definitely doesn’t believe you.

For a moment she’s back to just looking at you.

You wait for her to get up and leave.

"Do you— No. Can I stay here?"

"Here?"

"Yes. It’s calming. I’ll have an easier time handling my papers here!"

"I... uhm, sure? But, are you sure—"

"I am sure, Siffrin!"

To emphasize her statement, she, once again, pulls out her papers and starts reading. You watch her, speechless.

Why would she prefer reading them here?

To keep you company, you big idiot.

You... blink.

That can’t be it.

But it seems like a given that Mirabelle will stay here. You're not sure what to make of it.

Slowly, you lie back down into the grass.

You hear the wind, the shuffling of paper. Mirabelle’s tiny sounds of frustration.

It’s... comforting in the strangest way.

Knowing you’re not alone.

At least not in this moment.

---

"Isa."

"Sif. Woke up on the wrong side of the bed? I get it."

He gives you an understanding look before glancing over at the Favor Tree.

"Anyway, I was just looking at the Favor Tree! Isn't this tree cool??"

"Mh? Oh, yeah. You could say it's a pretty tree-mendous tree."

"...What?"

Isabeau chuckles, probably wondering if you planned the pun.

"Tree-mendous, huh?"

(You messed up the delivery! It's not funny anymore!)

"You're still half asleep, aren't you? Therefore, I'll be generous and give you a solid 7 out of 10!"

You take a bow. He claps.

He doesn’t try to touch you.

It's the same old dance, only slightly different this time.

"You wanna talk, or should I leave so you can do the Favor Tree thing?"

"...Stay?"

"Sure thing, buddy! What do you want to talk about?"

You don’t know. Anything. Nothing.

You’d be fine just standing here in silence.

Or hearing some new words. Anything to make you feel real again.

—If you asked him, would he touch you? You're certain he would.

But simply thinking about it makes you feel like a disgusting monster.

Who would ask something like that of their friend?

Still, you can’t keep repeating the same dialogue over and over again.

Loop’s been bothering you for so long... Maybe you should just—

"What would you do, if you were forced to repeat the same day multiple times?"

"Oh. That's... a question. Where does that come from?"

You shrug.

"King's powers... got me thinking."

"I see. We don’t know for certain what he’s capable of. Let me think..."

For a moment, he’s deep in thought.

You give him the time, simply enjoying the company and the silence you don’t have to fill. It’s nice.

You wish it could stay like this.

"...I’d probably start testing if it’s really a repetition and not just simple déjà vu. After that... I think I’d ask you guys if you experienced anything similar."

Isabeau starts into the thought experiment.

"Maybe figure out what caused the repetition, and what could end it. See if it's here to help us, or just another curse from the King."

Yeah. You once thought the loops were here to help you.

Then... they wouldn’t stop. Still trapping you here.

Trying over and over and over and over again.

You’re running around, trying new paths.

Finding new things. Discovering—

But nothing helps you escape.

The only thing you managed... is to get Bonnie killed—!

"—Sif! Hey, Siffrin? Can you hear me?"

Oh no. That’s probably not good. "Sorry, what was that?"

"I asked you the same question."Isabeau laughs. He doesn’t seem to take it personally. "What would you do?"

"Euuh... the same? Maybe... finally figure out what Odile is studying?"

"Ohhh, that’s a good call!" Isabeau nods to himself. "True, you could try figuring it out. I bet it’d be funny."

It was okay.

You’re not sure if you’re disappointed you never had a chance to figure it out, or if you find it hilarious.

You understand why she wants to continue the charade for a while.

"So, Siffrin. Wanna tell me what this is really about? Some last-minute nerves, or did something happen?"

What didn’t happen?

You died—multiple times.

You got stuck, and you found a way forward.

You lost to the King.

You defeated the King.

You helped all your friends with their personal quests.

You were a family... and then you weren’t.

You started to get better at hugs.

You kissed—

You flinch at the memory and lower your head.

You did that. Because you're disgusting. Manipulative.

Because you made him like you and thought you were allowed to—

Just because you were impatient.

Your mind is drifting again.

But Isabeau isn’t saying anything.

You risk a glance upward, and he’s silently examining you.

You shuffle under his gaze.

You don’t like being watched.

It feels like you’re being judged.

Like every little thing you do or say is being dissected—to be used against you.

You sink back into your cloak.

Unsure how to react. What to say.

"So something did happen," Isabeau comments with a little, sad sigh.

"I’d love to offer you a hug or a long and emotional talk about your feelings. But since I know you don’t like 'em, I’ll have to find something else."

Or you could just ask for a hug.

You absolutely can’t do that.

Not after—

He’s offering, Stardust. Look at yourself. You could use one.

You absolutely do not.

You’re doing fine!

You’re even making progress right now!

Little by little, but you're getting somewhere.

You’re doing great!

Bonnie is alive! Everyone is fine.

Stardust, you haven’t been making any progress in the past 12 loops.

You see Loop standing under the Favor Tree.

Watching you.

Why is everyone always watching you???

Sometimes you just want to hide.

Away from Isabeau’s worried gaze.

From Loop’s annoyed stare.

Why can’t they just leave you alone?

No, you don’t want to be alone either.

It’s why you talk to them.

Again and again, you keep talking, joking, and laughing with them.

Because you want their company.

You want them to see you...

But not like this.

"I... could use one," you mumble, embarrassed.

The image of sinking into Isabeau’s arms, hiding from the world—from everyone—it sounds appealing.

Almost worth the embarrassment you’ll have to endure for asking for something so stupid. (And wrong! You shouldn’t force him to touch you!)

"A talk? Or... a hug?"

Stars, why does he sound happy?

Can’t he see how disgusting you are?

Against common sense, and everything you’ve kept telling yourself for the past loops, you nod and take a step toward him.

You avoid looking at him—your face must be dark; it certainly feels like it’s burning.

Luckily, Isabeau is, once more, the emotionally smarter person between the two of you.

"Alright, one big ol’ hug incoming," he announces, before pulling you into said hug.

It’s different from Bonnie’s hugs.

You’re not used to a taller person hugging you.

For once, you feel really, really small.

Warm, strong arms around you instead of a face pressed against your stomach.

Isa’s careful.

Like he might spook you at any moment—which is fair, you suppose.

Isabeau’s hug is gentle. He really is a good hugger, like he always said.

Not as strong as the one of a preteen hugging you with all they have.

Slowly, carefully, you lean into it.

Isabeau squeezes you, ever so slightly.

It’s a good feeling.

Warm. Comfy.

You could stay here for the next hours.

Days, even.

"Guess that means you don’t want to talk about it?"

You shake your head against his chest.

Your hat is successfully blocking his view, but he should feel it.

For once you feel seen in just the right way.

He huffs a laugh.

"Alright. But... maybe later. Okay?"

"Only if you tell me your thing first," you reply mindlessly.

For a second, Isabeau tightens his hold around you.

"M-my thing? I don’t know what you’re talking about!"

Sure he doesn’t.

It’s only the one thing he fails to tell you every. Single. Loop.

No, wait—he didn’t tell you yet, did he?

But he should know what you mean!

It’s fine! You’re fine!

"Hey Sif... maybe we really should talk. Or maybe you talk with Madame Odi—"

"That’s a great idea!" you interrupt, taking a step back.

He immediately lets you go, confusion and worry blending together with something you can’t quite name. (Hurt? Why?)

"I should talk to her! Thanks, Isa!! You really helped!"

You basically yell before hastily taking off.

You don’t even hear his answer, already running back toward Dormont.

The running one gives you a thumbs-up for your speed, but you just breeze past him.

You run past the item shop, following the path towards the north, and turn right.

You need to get out of here.

---

You're back here. You beat the King!

You finally, finally got more information about Wish Craft! You just need to loop back and ask everyone in Dormont about their wishes! One of them has to—one of them has to be the one! The one to wish for this. Or... or at least know a solution to all of this!

It has to be!

It—

Oh, Odile is looking at you. Maybe you should finish talking to her and finally get on with the show.

"...But really, is everything okay?"

Huh? Why is she worried again? Didn't you just talk? Or was it in another loop? No, you're pretty sure you already talked to her!

"What do you mean?"

You fake a smile as best as you can.

You'd say you have become pretty good at it.

"I don't know, Siffrin. You've felt off since yesterday. More withdrawn, mostly."

Ah, you don't remember when the last time you actually went to Dormont to talk with everyone was. Three loops ago? Five? Even more?

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong!" you lie.

Like a liar.

You see in her eyes she doesn't believe a single word.

But she can't force you to talk!

Not now!

You're finally close to a solution! You just need to—

"...It's okay if you don't want to tell me, you know. I'll find out eventually."

You lower your head, avoiding her eyes.

"But I'm not hiding anything."

Stars, one would think you'd be better at this...

"Is that so."

She doesn't believe you!

"Is that so? So Time Craft has nothing to do with you?"

You flinch. Crap.

"No, that's—!"

"And the fact that you knew how to read that book about Wish Craft... knew how to wish correctly, when no one else did..."

Her voice is so serious. But she can't know! She can't—!

"It's not like that, I—"

"And the way you're acting, doing that stupid smile like nothing's wrong. It doesn't mean anything, either?!?"

"..."

Oh, crap. She sounds angry now.

"I'm not stupid, Siffrin. If I find something strange, I can do nothing except give it my full attention. And you are acting strange. There were so many signs... I did not understand them, but now I do! You've been acting strange since you woke up from your nap, yesterday! When we talk to you, you act out of it, almost bored... And the way you reacted to the rocks falling... We all jumped, but you just looked at them fall, calmly. And there are so many other things, the way you reacted to so many things throughout our entire journey through the House! And, and..."

She takes a deep breath.

"And how every time you found the keys we needed to proceed, you didn't seem surprised, like you knew exactly where they were. Even that key hidden in the classroom. Almost like... like you had found them before, maybe."

You're speechless.

You always knew Odile was smart.

You also knew you were getting sloppy.

You didn't think it'd be that bad.

She never found out before! Why now??? How? Why????

"Siffrin—"

"What if I did?"

"Huh?"

You feel like crying, like running.

Like... giving up. But you can't!

Not now! Not when you—!

"What if I did it all before? And before that? We won, didn't we??? And I am so close to finally, finally finding a way out! I am SO close, Odile!"

You feel out of breath, you don't bother keeping your voice low. It'll be over in just a moment. You do not need to explain it. You just need to get this conversation over with and talk to the Head Housemaiden!

"So... I was right. You did all of this before."

Odile watches you closely. Like she's scared you're about to do something stupid.

"How... how many times?"

"Until what? We reached the King? We actually beat him? Or up until now?"

"We already beat the King?"

Of course she caught onto this bit of information.

You laugh. Is there any use telling her?

Loop’s been nagging you about it since day one.

Might as well try. It won't change anything. You know the solution now! You'll have to loop one way or the other.

"It doesn't end with the King," you mumble.

"It ends with her."

You look towards the Head Housemaiden.

"Why?"

"I'm about to find out."

"Is this about Wish Craft?"

"Yes. But I need to go back."

"You..." Something in your gaze stops her from asking any more questions. "You need to go back. To stop this from happening."

"Yes."

"And I suppose I can't stop you."

You smile, glad she understood. "No."

She sighs. "I would really appreciate it... if you could start being more honest with us, Siffrin."

You continue smiling. There's no use arguing with her.

She won’t understand.

"Come talk to me in Dormont. Or with all us at the clocktower. Knowing you, you didn't even try it. Maybe we can help."

"..."

"Siffrin. I want you to talk with us! Tell us what needs to be done to end this. Trust me, you're not as subtle as you think you are. Not even close."

She bends closer toward you.

"I might not be able to understand everything right now. But you need our help. We are on your side, Siffrin. It might be too late to help you right here and now. But please consider talking to us."

"...."

You're trying really hard to just disappear into your cape.

You want this to be over already.

You could end it right here and now.

But that feels unnecessarily cruel.

"I'll... think about it."

You can't promise. You don't want to promise.

You... you really want to avoid this.

But Odile looks so genuine in her offer to help. There are traces of anger. But... maybe she won't be as angry when you tell her on your own.

You... could try it.

Maybe.

"Please do. And try not to take too long."

You nod. What else is there to say?

You take a step back, then another.

You turn away from Odile, walking back down toward the bridge.

You won't take long.

That's a promise you'll be able to keep at last.

Chapter Text

You get the feeling Loop is staring straight into your soul.

"Does something happen when you see the Head Housemaiden that makes you feel like this is the end?"

...

. . .

You—

----------

Loop sighs, before plastering on a brand new smile for you. "Heya, Stardust! How can I help you in this wonderful new loop?"

You don't want to talk to them. You don't want to talk to anyone.

Not after—

You have to ask the people in Dormont what their wish was. Better not waste any more time...

.

.

.

That couldn't have been all of them! There has to be more!!! What about the rest of Dormont? The now frozen people? Maybe they wished for something? But how would you find out? Where could you—

You might have to search the house again. If only you could skip this part. Or make it go faster.

If only someone could help—

...

Someone...

You could. You could ask.

Odile said so, didn't she? You could ask them to help you. Find out more about the wishes. You'd need to explain Wish Craft to them. But... maybe?

You wait for Loop to encourage or yell at you. But nothing happens. Are they mad at you?

You decide to ignore it. If you want to do this, you'll have to do it the right way!

You talk to everyone once again:

You tell them about the sleepover. Ask how they are. Engage in enough conversation that Isabeau and Odile begin to eye you warily again.
You tell Bonnie about their favourite snacks and show them how to fight.
You sit down with Mirabelle and help her figure herself out.
You even go back to Odile and help her find the Paperasse Familytale.
After your talk, she looks at you and, once again, asks if you're doing okay.
You nod, slowly.
This might be your chance.
You could tell her. Right here, while you're still alone. She likes you now. Maybe she'll listen.
"...."

You're doing great, Stardust.

This isn't helping you.
You look up to Odile.
"...." Stars, why are words so hard??? You told her last loop! (Knowing it wouldn't matter and you had no choice, but you did!)

"I... We should talk. All of us." You clarify. Odile looks surprised for a second. But talking wild everyone should be a lot easier. Isabeau and Mirabelle are nice people. Apparently Odile didn't think you would say anything, she needs a second, before clearing her throat. "Alright. If you think it is for the best to involve everyone then let's do that. I must ask though, is it a... kid-friendly talk?"

You think so? Maybe not? Would Bonnie even understand what's going on? Probably not. But they'd be angry for getting excluded.
"I can make it kid-friendly." You can just... not mention a few things.

That might actually help you!
You don't want to tell Odile how many loops it's been.

Or the others how many times you died to a crashing boulder or the King.

Odile is sceptical, you can tell she doesn't like the idea of only getting the kid-approved version.
"Bonnie would be very angry if we don't tell them. I also think they need to know for tomorrow."
"Mhm. So it is tied to our mission." Odile mutters, before sighing. You can tell her mind is already racing, trying to figure out what you want to talk about.

You smile and rise to your feet.
No use in delaying it. (You know you'll try to anyway.)
You offer a helping hand to Odile; she looks at it, clearly confused.

Is your aversion to touch that clear to all of them? Why is everyone surprised every single time you make an effort?
(It is a good surprise, right? Right??? They don't mind. They would say something. They—)

Odile takes your hand and rises to her feet.
"Thank you, Siffrin. Shall we get going then? I think it's best not to waste any more time."
"Impatient?"
"I'd rather like to know what I can expect of tomorrow."

Yikes, she sounds rather harsh. Maybe you shouldn't—
"But yes, I am also very curious and want to encourage you talking to us, by taking it seriously."
That's... fair, you guess. Odile knows you like to keep to yourself. Not sharing much about yourself or your thoughts. She knows because she is kind of the same. She must hate the idea of opening up and not getting taken seriously.

...

"Thank you."
"No problem, Siffrin."
".... Also thank you for telling me about your family."
"Hah... I don't know, Siffrin. Feels like I should be the grateful one here."
"Maybe. But you did tell me about yourself. I... appreciate that."
"I guess I did... Come on, let's go before your talkative phase ends."

You know she just wants to get out of the situation. You let her. Even though you know she won't let you out of the metaphorical grave you just dug for yourself.

Silently, you follow her back to Dormont.

She sends you over to go get Isabeau while she talks to Mirabelle.
You happily oblige.

On your way over you pass the banana peel. It is... tempting. You could just rewind. Make her forget everything. Finally get on with it. You could—

Stars, just go get your fighter.

'Back to talking with me?'

No one would be able to watch this and not talk! Stop being a coward!

You admit defeat and go get Isabeau.
Luckily you only have to tell him Odile wants to see you all and he's following you back into Dormont.

For a second you consider inviting Loop to come along. It'd be so much easier to let them explain it. But you know they would hate that.
Probably make everything worse on purpose.
You're not gonna risk that.
Loop might actually tell them what you've really been doing....

You speed up, nearly running into one of Dormont’s residents. Quietly, you apologize and step towards Mirabelle and Odile. That makes three... you only need to get Bonnie. And then...

Stars, you hate this.
The anticipation. The panic in the back of your head. The impending sense of doom.
Isn't getting their help admitting defeat?
Why are you doing this again? You've been doing fine on your own!

You hear the others talking and rush to follow them to the eastern part of the village. Your head is filled with unpleasant, buzzing thoughts.
You've got to pull yourself together!
You pinch yourself in the arm. Breathe in, breathe out. You've got this.

Odile leads you towards the fields, Bonnie's still standing there, looking at the vegetables. It's kinda cute.
You put on a smile before greeting Bonnie once again. They look confused, but happy, seeing all of you together.

"Is it time for dinner?"
"Not yet, Boniface. But we will head to the clocktower early. Some last-minute talks for tomorrow."
"Oh! Okay. Can I come?"
"Sure." You agree easily, earning a huge grin in return. Odile sighs but doesn't protest your decision.

You return to the clocktower once more, gathering around the dining table. Odile puts her heavy notebook down and looks at you. The rest of your party follows her example, even though visibly confused.

"Everyone is here. It's your turn, Siffrin."
"..." Everyone is looking even more confused. Stars. You don't know if you can do this!
You could still-

Do I even need to say it?

No, they don't.
You take a big breath, in and out.
You nod.
The floor is yours.

"I... have something to tell you."
"Okay, we'll listen to you, Siffrin."
"Yeah, Sif. Whatever it is, we're here for you!"
Oh stars... their encouraging smiles. The unwavering faith... it's almost too much.

"Tomorrow we'll fight the King." You start.
Stars, how does one usually start this kind of conversation?
"And... I know how to beat him now. But it's not enough. Something is... preventing us from finishing it. I... think it's something called Wish Craft." You hesitate.
You see their confusion.
Odile is already writing something, deep in thought.

"I'm... not sure I follow." Mirabelle looks at you anxiously.
Oh no, that's exactly what you didn't want! Now she'll worry even more!
"It sounds rough... You said you know how to beat the King? That's great, buddy! But what exactly do you mean by 'something is preventing us' and what is Wish Craft?" Isabeau folds his arms, already thinking about possible explanations to what you just told them.

"Does this have anything to do with how you know about the Paperasse Family tale? And Mirabelle's papers?" Odile interrupts, leaning forward across the table.
You nod.

Odile is smart; she will figure it out.

"How did you know about the Family tale?"
"There's a list about them in the house's secret library."
"And Mirabelle's papers?"
"There's more of them in her room."
"WHAT?"
You flinch at Mirabelle's yelling. She's blushing, hands raised. "You! How? When? Why???"
"I think the most important question is when." Isabeau chimes in, putting a hand on Mirabelle's shoulder to calm her down. She grumbles but nods. "Alright, one question at a time! But! I do not approve!" She stares at you for a few seconds before her eyes widen.
"Wait, is this how you knew about the CARROT method?"
"Read it in a book. To protect us from the King's attack."

"Oh... It's really that simple?" She keeps saying that. Yet you never understood even a single word when she tried to explain that method to you.
"What's with the CARROT method, Mira?"
"Siffrin reminded me! A-and with it I finally figured out how to cast a shield! And... all that thanks to a book you found in the house?" You nod, a tiny, honest smile on your face. Learning that Craft really did help you a lot!

"Then do tell us, Siffrin. When exactly were you in the House of Change?" Odile continues her questioning.
".... Tomorrow. With... with all of you."
"I see. You saying you know how to beat the King implies you did beat the King before. But, for whatever reason, it's not enough and you return to Dormont, the day before the battle to be precise. Is that correct?" You nod again. It's so much easier than talking.
"Can I assume you did this a few times?" Another nod, another sigh from her. "Of course. Am I also correct in the assumption you didn't tell us this before today?"
"You figured it out. Once."
"Of course I did. If today is any indication, you're not being subtle at all."
Stars, why is she saying this again? You're a great actor!

"Huh? What's happening to Frin? Why did they fight the King? Did you lose, Frin?"
You did not lose to the King in a while. At least not really.
"No. We beat him." You take another deep breath. "We beat him. We save Vaugarde. And then... when we talk to the Head Housemaiden... I wake up in Dormont. In the meadow."
"Change, that sounds awful." Mirabelle whispers.
"And the... the Head Housemaiden...? She isn't—"
"She's not the one doing this. I think... I can talk to her. And then she just... starts saying the same phrases every time. That something is wrong. And she can't stop it. That... she's sorry."
You are pretty sure it's not the Head Housemaiden sending you back in time. You fear she wouldn't even know what Wish Craft or Time Craft is.

No, it has to be someone else.
"In the House, there are books about different Crafts. Time Craft, which we believe the King uses. And Wish Craft. I think he used that to be able to survive using Time Craft."
"Time Craft is theorized to be dangerous. To use it on such a large scale would kill anyone."
"KILL them?" Bonnie is looking at you. "Did you die, Frin?"

"What? No, noooo, don't worry."
Once again you feel your comrade's stares boring into you. Only Bonnie seems to believe you.
"Of course you didn't! We're here to protect you!"
"Yeah. You've been doing a great job, Bonnie."
"Crab yeah!" Proudly they puff up their chest.
"I don't remember beating the King's butt! But we will do it tomorrow, right?"
"We will. And hopefully, with Siffrin's information, we will have an easier time doing so."

Odile is still looking at you, as if she's expecting something more. What else is there? What do you need to tell them?
"So, I guess you didn't tell us until now? And that's really not cool, but we'll talk about that later. What do you need us to do?" Oh, you can tell Isabeau doesn't like this either.

At least your friends aren't yelling at you. Or hating you...
"I think someone in Dormont wished for this to happen. Or at least some kind of Wish Craft is involved."
"What-? No! No one in Dormont would do this! Why would they?" Mirabelle jumps to her feet. "We all want the King gone!"
"That is true. Siffrin, did you consider it part of the King's curse?"
You shake your head at Odile. "The King doesn't know about this. He... figured it out once or twice, but he isn't aware of me repeating the day unless I talk with him."
"You talked to the King?" Isabeau looks at you like you just grew a second head.
"Yes, I did. Tried to gather more information. It's not important now."
You don't want to think about it. You don't want to—

Odile takes another note; oh, she will be coming for you once this is all over...

"Not the King. Not us, I at least figure you cleared that, and not the people of Dormont." She summarizes.
"Not the Head Housemaiden." Mirabelle continues.
"I guess we can clear her off the list." Odile agrees. "What do you suggest, Siffrin?"

"I... think there has to be another clue. Somewhere in the House. I went through it a few times... I know I saw something, I just..."
"Can't find it? Don't worry! Anything on Wish Craft is no longer safe from us"
Ah, good old Isabeau. Always supportive.

You love their confidence. Maybe you will finally find it. The last piece to the puzzle.
Slowly, you feel your exhaustion catch up with you. You do not trust the peace yet, but it seems everyone is far more accepting of the revelation than you thought.

Sure, Isabeau looks worried and knows there is more to it. Mira still looks a little upset. And Odile... you know she will grill you for even more information.
But... maybe they'll agree to do this another day? Tomorrow will be another exhausting run for you.

„How about we stop for today? That was an awful lot of information and we have a King to defeat tomorrow.“ Isabeau suggests. Did he notice how tired you are? Or does he need some time to process all the information?

Odile doesn’t look happy with his suggestion. „I would rather know more about what to expect tomorrow.“
„I can show and tell you in the house. It’s really not that much.“
„I have a hard time believing you, Siffrin.“

Ouch, but fair.
„Besides, how do we know you won’t start anew after we’re done? Coincidentally without telling us about everything that happened.“

Odile really is way smarter than you ever gave her credit for. Once again you’re kind of scared of her ability to predict you. Before the others can protest you raise your voice.

„I want this to be over. To get out of this loop.“ You tell her, even though the thought of it scares you. Would you even know how to behave in a world where you can’t predict tomorrow’s adventures? Where every single conversation is a new, unpredictable mess?

You’re not so sure anymore…

„If we find something on Wish Craft, I’m sure we’ll find a way to break the loop. Or the Head Housemaiden might.“
„And if we do—“
„I will do it! Of course I will!“ "Alright... I trust you."

„No worries M’dame. You will get all of your answers. But for now… let’s call it quits, alright? We all need a good amount of sleep and there will be more than enough time for all of our questions.“

You’re so grateful for Isabeau. He’s letting you off the hook. He might be worried, but he trusts you.
(You’re not sure you deserve any of their trust…)

„I agree. I need time to process all this. Even though I am relieved to know we can beat the King. But… hearing there is an even bigger problem… I don’t like this at all.“ Nervously Mirabelle starts biting one of her nails.
„And I still can’t believe you looked at my papers!“

Ashamed you lower your head.
„Sorry…“
„We will talk about privacy after we’re done with the King! Change, I don’t even know how to feel about this.“ She sighs. „You did help me today. And I kept wondering how you knew about them… but now… I’m kind of mad? And also happy you care so much. But still mad!“
„It’s alright. To be mad, I mean.“
„Good. I will be. Later. After we beat the King.“
„YEAH! Beat his crabbing butt!“ Bonnie enthusiastically yells. You can tell they got a little lost in your conversation, but beating the King is something they understand. You smile a little.

Would you look at that. The world didn’t end.

You roll your eyes. Of course they have something to say.

You see, Stardust. This is my one big chance to say: I told you. And what can I say? I told you!

You decide to ignore Loop as everyone rises from the table. Bonnie scuttles off to make a late dinner for everyone and Mirabelle and Isabeau offer their help with the last preparations.

Odile seems focused on her writing… even though she doesn’t like it, she agreed to stop questioning you for now. It’s a relief. You already talked too much...

Dinner is the same old, but you don't have the heart to tell them you would prefer something different.
They already did so much for you.
You can take another evening of silent, samosa-induced, suffering.
It's not like they taste bad! You just wish for something different for once.

---

Later you lie in bed, as usual sharing with Isabeau, and wait, hoping to fall asleep.
You doubt you’ll be able to sleep, but maybe, eventually this time the universe will do you the favor.

"Hey Sif. Siffrin. Siffaroooni." Once again Isabeau is whispering your name. Out of habit and curiosity, you turn around. What does he say, now that he knows?

"Um... sorry? Did I wake you up? I just have to tell you something. If that's okay."
You nod.
You know he won't tell you, but one might hope that something, something finally changes.

"But, then I thought, maybe I already did tell you. In another timeline. I don't want to bother you with the same thing over and over again."
Wow, he really thinks he told you? What an optimist.

"You didn't tell me."
"Really? Huh, strange. Do you loop back before I can— you know what? Nevermind! Because! I will tell you... Tomorrow! After we beat the King! And got you out of that loop! Wouldn't want to repeat myself! You'll only get tired of me!"

You wouldn't. But you know there's no use in trying. He won't tell you tonight.
It's fine.
"Alright. Tomorrow. I will hold you to it."
"Sure, do—" And there is the pillow in his face. You try not to laugh and after everyone’s piece you quietly tell each other goodnight.

---

You're back in the house, but this time you don't need to hide everything you know.
It's even easier now!
Telling your friends exactly where to go, where to find the keys and tonics.
Odile continues taking notes throughout the whole experience. She only stops for a brief moment as the boulder crashes into the corridor behind you.
You avoid looking at her.
You don't want her to ask how many times you forgot about the switch.

You lead the group into the right hallway, dodging sadnesses and locked doors alike. You know where to go.
"Woah, Frin got really fast!" You hear Bonnie a few steps behind you.
With a dramatic flair of your cape you turn around and take a bow.
"Right? I wasn't imagining it! You seem... well..." Isabeau looks impressed, next to him Mirabelle makes an excited little jump.
"So graceful, right? I knew I wasn't imagining it!"
"You're walking in a cool way... Like a dancer or something!" Bonnie provides impressed, looking you up and down.

Odile hums next to them.
"You usually feel like a tiny fennec fox, but you feel more like a panther right now. You did become quite strong during your time here. Isn't that right?"
"It is. I fought the King and some strong sadnesses a few times." You explain.
"Impressive...."

"The King never stood a crabbing chance!" Bonnie strikes a victory pose, with a huge grin Isabeau and Mirabelle follow suit. You laugh and strike your own pose. Odile, once more sighs but also lifts her book in something somewhat resembling an attack pose.

"Are we done playing around? I believe we have something else to do today."
"Yes! Right. Sorry!" Isabeau lowers his arms and falls back into place.
"We'll follow you, Sif!"
"Thanks? Then let me warn you. In the next corridor are some more tears. You are NOT allowed to touch them! They will freeze you in place until we beat the King."
"Yikes." Isabeau takes a step back.
"That sounds mean!"
"No touching tears?"
"No touching tears."
You all agree and continue on your way.

It's not long until Odile notices the first row of tears.
"What about those, Siffrin? Are they blocking our way?"
"Sometimes. There are powerful Sadnesses on each floor. They drop a crest that allows us to dissipate a row of tears. I know where to find them and on which row to use them."
"Alright. Lead the way."

You nod and leave the first row behind. At the end of the hall you encounter the sadness you told the others about. It's not even an obstacle at this point and thanks to your warning everyone is prepared.
It's so much easier now.
No need to hold back, no need to sneak around.
It almost feels unreal.

You show the crest to the rest of your party and track back to the row of tears.
"Woah! It just... disappeared!"
"What a relief!" Mirabelle claps her hands, looking at you.
"You really know what you're doing!"
Well, you did it enough times...
You hesitantly smile and open the door to the kitchen.
"The key is in the closet. It's egg-shaped." You tell Bonnie and they promptly take off, snatching the key.
You eye the stupid counter and wait near the door.
"You alright there, Sif?"
You nod and give the counter another stinky eye.
".... Did anything happen?"
"No."
"Alright...." Isabeau laughs and drops it. But you see him eying the counter curiously.

After inspecting the key Bonnie comes over and hands it to you.
"Egg."
"Egg." You agree and put it in one of your pockets.
"We need to go back and into the other hallway." You tell the others and leave the kitchen. As expected they follow you. You take a look into each and every room on your way, hoping to find some new hint towards Wish Craft or the Loops.
No luck here. But there are two more floors ahead of you! You can do this!

You go over to the writing room and locate the broken egg. The others nod, impressed, and you return to the central room. "Behind this door is a strong sadness. No worries, we can absolutely take it." You reassure Mirabelle as you open the door.
"Okay. Okay! We can absolutely do this!"
At this point you might do it on your own. She really has no need to be nervous.

Together you defeat the sadness and stop for your first snack break. It's not all that different from usual, and you catch yourself zoning out through the conversations.
A lot is muscle memory at this point.
You continue your way.

 ---

"Siffrin! I think I found something!"
"You did?" Quickly you grab the key under the drawer of the Head Housemaiden's desk and walk over to Mirabelle. She's holding a little notebook in her hands. It seems like it was jammed in between some boring paperwork. You take the book from Mirabelle and start flipping through it.
In it, the Head Housemaiden talks about Wish Craft... How in the days before the King attacked, she noticed everyone was wishing to the Favor Tree for the same thing:
To save Vaugarde.

And she started wondering if this wish could be the key to the King's defeat, somehow...

So the Head Housemaiden knew about Wish Craft!!!
A wish for Vaugarde to be saved...
Reading this...
You start to wonder whether this wish could be related to your loops. Have you been looping this whole time... To save Vaugarde? If you think about it... It somewhat fits.

You and your friends are the only ones who can save Vaugarde, so if you died... The wish could activate then, making sure to loop you back to before your death, so you could try again? Maybe the wish manifested itself by giving you the power to loop back in time? Without this power, you would've failed and died, and the King would never have been defeated... Making the wish impossible to fulfill.

So maybe that's it...? You're here because of this wish? But Vaugardians shouldn't know the correct rituals to wish... And rituals are the most important part. The wish shouldn't have come true without them. Could their belief in this wish be enough for it to come true? If a lot of people wished, on a country-wide scale?
And... Why is this wish centered on you?

Why not everyone in your party?

And, and! If that's the case, if this wish is why you're here, then why are you still here? You've beaten the King already, haven't you? If that wish is why you're here, the loop would've stopped after you beat the King, right? Did you do something wrong...?

. . .

The pieces don't completely fit yet, but... There's no doubt in your mind that Vaugardians' wish to "save Vaugarde" is why you're trapped in this loop. You're getting closer. You smile.
"That's good! That's—It means—!" You show the book to the others, your smile is so wide it actually hurts. But you don't care.
"The Head Housemaiden knew about Wish Craft! She wrote this! I just... I have to ask her!"
She knew something was wrong this whole time. She might know... How to...

"Siffrin, please calm down." You turn towards Odile.
"I am calm!" Not only that. You feel amazing! Finally, finally a solid lead! You just need to ask her!
You just need to talk to her and it'll be over!
You could jump, cry, and scream in relief.

"Siffrin!" Odile has her serious face on.
You stop.
You breathe in.
And out.
"Sorry. I... got excited."
"I can tell." Odile shakes her head. Is she angry? Disappointed? ... You risk a glance at the rest of your party. You can tell they don't know how to handle the situation...

You take another look at the notebook.
"Sorry. I just... really, really think this might be it! It might help her remember! I'm sure, if she knows Wish Craft, she will know how to break it!"
"I'm sure she will be able to help." Mirabelle chimes in. "The Head Housemaiden always knows how to help."
"You told us she's stuck repeating the same things, right? Maybe she will stop doing that now!"
You nod. Isa and Mira are right. That has to be it!
You turn back to Odile. She doesn't seem convinced. Carefully she takes the notebook out of your hand and starts flipping through it.
"I'll keep this. Let's try finding some more clues. If we don't find anything else, we might as well try talking to her."
You nod enthusiastically. That's a compromise you'll take.
"Let's go. The library is next! Also the secret library! We should check the books there!"

With a giddy feeling taking over your whole body, you lead your party to the library.
You don't want to spend any longer than strictly necessary in here, but Odile insists on checking the books. And the posters. And all the books in the secret library.
Even all the papers.
You groan, but let her.

Of course she finds the list about the Familytales. Mirabelle finds the book about shields. But, unlike every other loop, they don't question it. They nod, knowing now that you already read them, and continue.
It's... weird. You spend so long trying to hide everything you know. And now... Now they act like it's not a big deal.

It kind of throws you off. Not enough to stumble, the movements are routine by now.
Get a key.
Walk across.
Get the next key.
Retreat and take the other corridor.
Take the crying key out of that notebook, walk until you meet two rows of tears.
You wait.
.
.
.
"Sif? Don't you wanna tell us which way is the right one?"
Right. How stupid of you! They know that you know! No need for a stupid tiebreaker. (You always hated being the tiebreaker.)

"Sorry. We need to go down."
"What was that about, Siffrin?" Mirabelle asks as you pull out the crest and handle the tears.
"Normally you would argue which path to take. I just... was waiting for that. Sorry, that sounds weird."
It does. It really, really does sound weird.

Mirabelle laughs. "Ohhh, I see. And? How did we do?"
"You and Isabeau were right. You formed the beauty alliance and decided to take the path downwards. Odile and Bonnie formed the age alliance and pledged for the path upwards."
"Oh no! And you had to decide which way to go?"
You nod. In retrospect, it was kind of funny. Even though the stakes were this high your party never lost their humor.

"Poor Sif! But hey, Mira! We got it right!" Isabeau grins and holds his hand out for a fist pump. Mira high-fives it and they both start laughing.

You smile and continue walking. The key is exactly where you remember it. You take it and after another quick look around you return to the central room.
"Is there going to be another strong sadness?" You nod at Odile's question.
"This one is a bit trickier. It changes Craft. But we should have no problem defeating it." You explain as you, once more, open the door.

Your second snack break is a little livelier than the first. Mirabelle and Isabeau ask questions about the blocked paths and some of the things you found. Also others you didn't even look at.
It is... kind of nice telling them about it? Things only you know. Things you would never even think about if you weren't trapped here and forced to think about them.
All of them seem rather impressed with all the stuff you found. You tell them about the couple and their bonding earring. About your hunt after the latest issue of 'The Cursing of Château Castle'. You even tell Mirabelle where to find the latest copy. For later, of course. You all agree there's no time now to read it.

After the break you continue onto the third floor.
Back in the mirror room you shoot Isabeau a knowing smile and the two of you pose for the photo.
The rest of the group is as surprised as ever. Together you look at the picture and smile. It's all of you together...
Carefully you pocket the picture and grab the key.

"Let's go. We have some more keys to find!" You announce and leave the room. Everyone follows you with some kind of sentimental look on their face.
What is that about? Do they care this much about the picture? It is rather nice and you wish you could keep it forever. But that's only you being weird. Isn't it?

You walk around for a while, checking every room you remember seeming slightly interesting until you stop in front of Mirabelle's room.

"This is—this is my room!"
She exclaims. You nod. It is. Technically you don't need to go in there.
"We don't need to go in there if you don't want to." You offer. She already knows you've been in her room and looked through her stuff. But she doesn't have to see it? Maybe that helps.

Mirabelle breathes in, and out before she looks at you.
"It's alright. But thanks for asking." She smiles.
"Is there anything of use in my room?"
"Your roommate hides parts to build a bomb."
"What?"
"Sometimes I would gather them. I have the missing part from Dormont right here."
"WHAT???"
Mirabelle looks at you with disbelief in her eyes.
"Why? How? Why would Claude—? And why would you build a bomb???"
"To throw at the King?"

"Crab yeah!!!! Let's throw a bomb at the King!!!!" Excited Bonnie bounces between the two of you.
"Can we??? I want to throw a bomb at his crabbing butt! It sounds like fun!"
"Indeed it does, Bonbon." Isabeau agrees lightly.
Mirabelle thinks for a second. "I guess it would be fun... But how do you even know how to build a bomb?"
You wink. "Secret~"

"Noooo! You're supposed to tell us stuff now!"
"They can keep some small secrets. For now." Odile decides and nudges Mirabelle towards the door.
"Let's just go inside and grab what we need. We already wasted so much time."
"But M'dame, it was you who insiste—"
"We are going. Or do you want to stay here, Isabeau?"
"No, of course not, Madame Odile!"

She laughs and follows Mirabelle and Bonnie into the room. You stay behind and give Isabeau a reassuring pat on the back.
"There, there."
"Sif! Not you too!"
"Me three, if you don't pay attention!" You reply with another wink and follow your party into the room. It's exactly as you remember.

Only Mirabelle is slightly different. Standing at her roommate's desk and looking for any clues about the bomb and other dangerous ingredients.
"Why would Claude have these?"

You shrug and walk past her to get the second ingredient. On your way back you poke Mirabelle's side. She giggles and pokes you back.
"I'm glad you're feeling better." She adds after a short break. "I was really worried yesterday."

You blush. You don't want them to worry. But you agree. You are feeling better.
There is a new sense of hope. You feel like you're having fun again. Everything is similar, but different. Your whole experience in here is so much... lighter than any other. And now that you know how to escape those damned loops... How can you feel anything but good?

"Let's go. We need to fight the next Sadness for a crest and come back for the last piece of this puzzle."
"Not a key this time?"
"No, we need a special kind of knife to cut through the hair blocking our way. It won't take long, just follow me." You gather everyone and head back towards the Sadness you need to fight.

One crest later you're standing in front of the locked door and take out the crying key from that classroom.
"Oh, I see. That's where that goes." Mirabelle steps right beside you, relief clearly visible on her face.
"I'm so glad you know your way around! We would have never thought of that!"

You nod and open the door for her.
You know at least Odile and Isabeau immediately knew you were stuck here at least once.
Right on cue Odile opens her notebook and shoots a wary glance at you.
"Have you told us before how you handled being stuck on a dead end?"
You haven't.
You didn't want to.
"... Rewinded time and grabbed the key."
"Mhm. I see. And you are able to rewind time at any given moment?"
Well... In theory. As long as there's anything that's able to kill you...
You shrug. Her gaze turns colder.
"Try again."

"... It requires a little step in between but most of the time yes. That or talking to the Head Housemaiden."
"Which is impossible if you're stuck here."
"... Yes. But once I knew I'm stuck I... just go back?"
"Is that so."
You nod and hastily enter the new hallway.

You know she doesn't believe you. You know she will keep asking questions... That's okay! You can do this! Once you're out of here. Once you talked to the Head Housemaiden! Who knows, maybe she can tell you the solution and you need to rewind. One. Last. Time.

No. You don't want to think like that. You don't know if you'd be able to do all this again. Not after... Not after this loop turned out to be so much better than you ever anticipated!

You continue down the hallway and after a short bathroom break (without any hysterical laughing or crying fits, thank you very much!) you finally reach the one unbroken Change God statue.
Finally.
You are finally getting to the end of this!

Once again, one final time, you close your eyes and wait for the Keyknife to appear in your hand.
It does, and like the times before everyone is confused and grateful when you suddenly find yourself back in front of the blocked door.

You make quick work of the hair, warn your group one final time of the strong Sadness, and enter the corridor.
It's the third snack break where Odile finally gets impatient for her questions to be answered.

"I've been wondering." She starts, looking up from her notebook and looking you straight in the eyes. "First, I understood your predicament as some kind of curse. I understand it still is. But as I see it, we would have never been able to even reach the King without those loops."
"That's true. We would have been stuck at that door." Isabeau agrees. Or the boulder.
But he doesn't say it. No need to disturb Bonnie.

You nod. "I... thought so too. But then it wouldn't let me leave, even after defeating the King."
"Maybe two different wishes got tangled up? Could it be? Maybe all of Vaugarde’s wishes to be saved got mixed with the King’s wish to... freeze us in time? Preserve the moment?" Isabeau looks at you. How are you supposed to know?

It... could be. You're not sure. The King wished for eternity. A perfectly preserved picture. You don't think it's his wish that brought you here.
"The Head Housemaiden will know for sure!" You repeat. You have to believe it. You have to!
What else is there? If not the Head Housemaiden. If not together with your friends... how else would you break this circle? What else would there be??
"I really hope so..."
You decide you didn’t hear that. Because, of course, she will! No doubt about it!

"Shall we get going?" you ask instead. "We have a King’s butt to kick."
Everyone agrees. You finally got that last part for the bomb and now it rests safely in your pockets.

One last time.
This will be fun.

---

In retrospect... Throwing the bomb wasn’t as fun as you had hoped.
Still funny enough.
And good to get rid of those annoying tears!

After you finally defeated the King and reached the end of the house, you get slightly impatient. You want to talk to her! Now! She isn’t far away!
You just need to...

You need to talk to her!
She knows how to get you out of here!!

---

Euphrasie looks at you with a graceful smile.
"Traveling one! Are you done talking with your companions? Yes, wonderful, wonderful! I'd like to thank you for accompanying young Mirabelle this far. I'm very grateful."

You nod. You already know all of this. You barely talked with your friends. Just a quick confirmation they're doing alright and preparing yourself for the upcoming conversation.

"Siffrin, yes? If there's anything I can do to thank you, please don't hesitate to let me know! I know you will go back on your travels soon, but I do hope you'll keep in touch, if only for young Mirabelle... But no matter what, know that Dormont will always be open to you! Please come back—"

"I know about Wish Craft!" You can't take this any longer! You thought you'd be fine just listening, but you've heard it enough times! You know all your companions are listening. Waiting.

"Wish Craft...?" For a second she looks surprised, then she's back to her usual smiling form. "Oh, Wish Craft! Yes, it just so happened that a lot of people in Vaugarde wished for our country to be saved! I did not think it would work, but if you're here, perhaps it... did..."

The world glitches.

No!

"Oh... Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no..." You're not sure if it's you or Euphrasie talking.

"Oh... Siffrin...!" She is crying again! No! This can't be happening!!!
"I'm so sorry! There's no way we can stop it now...! I'm sorry! You'll be going back! Back when everything started!"

Nononono! You won't be going back! You won't be!!!!
"But you can fix it, can't you?!"

Another glitch. Euphrasie is still crying.

"I know you thought your quest was over, but it can't be!"
It's the same! No! It's the same, stupid—
"Something's broken, something's failing, rotting!!!"

No, no, no, she's repeating the same things still!!!
Why is she always repeating the same thing, over and over and over?!
You just wish she would ANSWER YOU! React to anything you say!
"Now that you know, now that I know, you can fix it!"
". . ."
"Right???" You know you're yelling. You can't help yourself.

"Fix it?"

Euphrasie takes a step towards you, cupping your face with her hands, bringing the two of you so close that your foreheads touch.
"No. It's too late, Siffrin. It's always been too late."

What? No! That can't be! You know it now! She should be able to fix this!!!
"But if you know about Wish Craft... You must know how to—"
"Oh, Siffrin...! It's true. All of Vaugarde wished to the Favor Tree, wished for us to be saved. We wished for a savior. A way for us to win against the King. And Wish Craft gave us the means to do it, didn't it? Made sure it'd work? Somehow, Wish Craft gave us a savior, able to use Time Craft... able to retry, as many times as it took! So you could beat the King!"

You nod, furiously. You know this part. And knowing this means...
"Right! So—"
"But... but something went wrong, didn't it?"

Euphrasie squeezes her eyes shut as she cries.
"Something goes wrong, every time! If you're here now, asking about Wish Craft, then something must be wrong, isn't it? This isn't the first time you've gotten this far, is it? It shouldn't be like this... Why does time loop back, even though the King has been defeated?!? The only answer I can find... is it's because we did it wrong."

No. No! You can't believe this! It can't be! You were so close! There has to be—!

"I don't know what happened! But we must've done it wrong!!! None of us in Vaugarde knew the exact ritual, but—but we must have done it so wrong, it broke, and it doesn't answer to us at all anymore!!! Or maybe—maybe someone wished for it, wished for our wish to fail!!! Wished for this!!! Something made our wish break, made it fail, made it rot!!! O-Or maybe the wish can't come true anymore, somehow!!! Maybe the King wasn't defeated the right way—it'll forever remain incomplete, and Wish Craft, the world, will not abide it! I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!!!"

You're looking up to Euphrasie. Her hands are still on your cheeks.
You're shaking.
You can't believe this.
You can't move.
You can't breathe.
The wish... is broken?
She can't help you, even now?

You're stuck here forever?

"If only... if only we had fought back against the King, instead! If only we didn't wish for such a thing! If only I knew this would happen, if I had noticed it sooner, I would never have let people wish at all! To know you'll be trapped for all eternity, Siffrin... I am so sorry! It's our fault, all of Vaugarde, that you have to suffer like this!"

The world around you has become dark. You can't help but stare at the Head Housemaiden.
It can't be.
No.
You don't want to hear this!
This is not what you came for!!!

"I just hope that one day..."

Nononono!!!!! Not those dreadful words again! You don't want them! You can't—

You—

The world around you glitches again.
It becomes dark.

You smell sugar.

It clogs your throat.
Your nose.
You can't breathe at all!

There is a tug—
No! Not yet! You need to ask her more! You need—you can't—!

"You might learn to forgive us!"

The world becomes dark.
There's a tug on your stomach.

The curtain falls.

------------
You're back.

YOU'RE BACK

Haha, no, it's fine,

it's fine.

You had a theory,
and it was wrong.

You thought the Head Housemaiden would know how to save you,
but she doesn't.

That's all good.
It's fine!

It's all fine!!!

At least you know why you're here. You're here because everyone wished for it!!!

Everyone in Vaugarde wished for your suffering!
Everyone wished for you to be stuck repeating everything, to bE ROTTING HERE FOREVER—

No, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine.

The people in Vaugarde wished for the King to be defeated, for Vaugarde to be saved, but no one knew how to do Wish Craft. No one knew the correct rituals.
Is that why? Is that why you've been stuck in this loop?
They wished for it, but wished wrong, and so the wish is breaking, folding in on itself? Because it was done wrong?
Or maybe—maybe!!! Maybe YOU did it wrong! They wished for it, for the King to die, but—but he disappears, every time you win, and the wish revolves around you, so maybe—

MAYBE YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG EVERY TIME, AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE STUCK HERE!!!

THAT HAS TO BE WHY!!! If you're still looping, after everything, after trying it all, then it must be that you're missing something!!!
You must be going against the wish's will without realizing, and that's why it brings you back, because you're doing something wrong!!!

You don't want to be here, so what—what are you doing wrong?
Is it waking up?! Are you waking up wrong?!? Or, going to the House? But you have to, you have to go, you have to beat the King, save Vaugarde, because obviously, saving Vaugarde is why you're here—

Defeating the King is why you're here, and you do defeat him, you fight, you get his guard down, he talks, everyone talks, you attack all at once, and you defeat the King with your own two hands—

No.

You DON'T defeat him with your own two hands.

Mirabelle.
She's always the one who deals the final strike, isn't she.

You've never, even once, defeated him yourself.

Is that why?

It has to be why!

...But, why do you, specifically, need to defeat the King, why would everyone's wish revolve around—

No, don't think about it, this is definitely it.

THIS IS IT!!!

If they all wished for you to defeat him. And you're the only one stuck in this loop.

Then.

Then?

Then you need to do it yourself. Fight him and tear him to pieces and rip his hair out and reach into his chest and kill!!!

It always comes back to him, doesn't it!!! It's his fault you're here!!! It's his fault you can't escape!!! It's his fault so many people are suffering!!!

There you go, hahaha! That's a theory! That's a goal!

You just need to make sure Mirabelle doesn't deal the final hit! That's all you need! That's all you BLINDING NEED—

Aaah, but it's okay, right? It's fine, isn't it?

Even if the entire country wished for you to be here... it's okay, isn't it?

You thought telling them would help you. Loop was so persistent in getting you to talk to them, you thought for sure it would change something. But it didn't!!! You're still stuck here! You're still stuck in this Loop and nothing you did or said mattered BECAUSE THEY CAN'T REMEMBER!

They won't ever remember.
Nothing you did, or said to them. They won't know.
These versions of your friends... they won't ever come back. You've lost them all over again!
For a moment it was fine!
They finally felt like people again!
Like your real friends!
It felt as if the things you said finally mattered again!
BUT NO! OF COURSE IT DIDN'T!!!!

No.... No. It's fine.

It's fine.
It's fine.
You're fine.
You're fine!
You're fine!!!

But this thought... IS NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO GO ON ANYMORE!!!!!!

YOU WANT TO BE WITH YOUR FAMILY!!! NOT WITH THOSE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS THAT HAVE TAKEN THEIR PLACE!!!

THEY CAN NEVER CHANGE! THEY CAN'T REALLY REMEMBER YOU! THEY CAN NEVER TRULY SEE YOU! THEY CAN ONLY REPEAT THE SAME LINES OVER AND OVER AND OVER, AND EVEN IN THE FEW MOMENTS YOU LET THEM CHANGE IT DOESN'T MATTER, BECAUSE NOTHING MATTERS ANYMORE!
IT WILL JUST REWIND.
EVERY.
SINGLE.
TIME!

IF ONLY MIRABELLE DIDN'T DEAL THE FINAL HIT EVERY TIME... IF ONLY SHE...!!!!!!

(If only)

If only you knew
if only the wish wasn't broken
if only you could get to the King
deal the final hit
end it all
and finally you'll be with your family forever
and you'll be okay
and you can just end it all
you just need to get
to the King
deal the final hit
make the wish come true
make sure it all loops around you
kill the King
rip him to pieces
for making you remember
for making you see
for not understanding
for killing Bonnie
for getting in your blinding way every time
you just need to kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
kill him
you just—

need to get to the end

and win

and make sure everyone's wish comes true

you just

you just need to

You just need to defeat the King on your own.

You're fine.

Get up, Siffrin.

You have a country to save.