Jungwon sat in silence.

The others surrounded him, waiting—expecting answers.

But the problem was…

He didn’t have any.

His fingers tightened around the necklace hanging from his throat.

Glowing softly. Pulsing.

Like it had been waiting for him to realize something.

Something he had always known.

Something he had always forgotten.

Again.
And again.
And again.

Jungwon wasn’t like them.

He wasn’t just another student caught in the nightmare of this school.

He was the center of it.

The reason it never ended.

The reason they were all still here.

---

"You were going to her."

Jay’s voice was sharp, accusing.

Jungwon flinched.

Jay’s hands clenched into tight fists. “Why? Were you going to let her take you?!"

Sunghoon placed a firm hand on Jay’s shoulder, stopping him.

"Calm down."

"Calm down?!" Jay snapped, turning to him. "Did you see what just happened?! He wasn’t even trying to run!"

Sunoo, still breathing heavily from pulling Jungwon out, bit his lip.

"He’s right, Jungwon," he whispered. "Why weren’t you moving?"

Jungwon’s throat was dry.

He didn’t know how to answer.

Because the truth?

He didn’t know why, either.

Heeseung exhaled sharply, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "Okay. Let’s think this through before we start freaking out."

Jake nodded, though his face was still pale. "Right. We need to figure out what the hell is going on first."

Then—

Ni-ki’s voice cut through the air.

"Jungwon is different from us."

The words sent a chill through everyone.

Jungwon’s head shot up.

The others turned to Ni-ki, eyes wide with confusion.

Sunoo furrowed his brows. "What are you talking about?"

Ni-ki’s gaze was locked onto Jungwon.

"You were the last to get your necklace," he murmured. "Yours is different. It’s been glowing stronger than the rest of ours from the start."

Jungwon swallowed hard.

"And that woman… she wasn’t just trying to kill you." Ni-ki’s voice was cold, certain.

"She was calling to you."

Jungwon’s fingers dug into his palm.

The others stiffened.

"Wait," Jake muttered. "That doesn’t make sense. Why would she only want him?"

"Because," Ni-ki whispered, "he’s been here before."

Everyone froze.

Jungwon’s chest felt tight.

They all knew it.

But hearing it spoken out loud made it so much more real.

Jungwon had been here before.

Not just once.

Not just twice.

Hundreds of times.

---

Flashes of forgotten moments flickered through his mind.

—Waking up in the same bed, over and over.
—Watching different students come and go, always leaving him behind.

—Hearing screams in the night, knowing he had heard them before.
—Dying. And waking up again.

Jungwon’s breath hitched.

This school.

This curse.

It revolved around him.

The cycle wouldn’t end because he was still here.

And if he didn’t stop it—

It never would.

---

"The cafeteria lady knew you," Sunghoon said, his voice eerily calm.

"She called you special," Heeseung added.

"She called you hers," Sunoo whispered, voice shaking.

Jungwon’s pulse pounded in his ears.

The cafeteria lady hadn’t looked at him with hatred.

She had looked at him with recognition.

With possessiveness.

Like he was something that belonged to her.

His stomach twisted.

And then—

A single memory resurfaced.

A dark kitchen.
A large pot, boiling over a fire.
A child’s voice, screaming.
His own hands, small and trembling.
A knife.
A woman’s voice, whispering in his ear.

"You’re my perfect little lamb."

Jungwon gasped.

He stumbled back, gripping his head.

Heeseung caught him immediately. "Jungwon? What is it?!"

Jungwon’s voice came out hoarse.

"I… I knew her."

The others stiffened.

Jungwon’s breathing was erratic, uneven.

"Not just from this school. Not just from this cycle. From… before."

Jay’s eyes widened. "What are you saying?"

Jungwon’s fingers shook violently.

"I think…" His breath shuddered. "I think I was here before all of you."

Silence.

A terrifying, chilling silence.

Then—

Jake’s voice came out barely above a whisper.

"Jungwon… how old are you?"

Jungwon froze.

His heart stopped.

He didn’t know.

He didn’t know.

His fingers curled around his necklace tightly.

What if he had been here for decades? Centuries? What if this school never let him grow? Never let him age?

The realization hit him like a punch to the chest.

The cafeteria lady wasn’t trying to kill him.

She wasn’t trying to destroy him.

She was trying to bring him back.

Because he was never supposed to leave.

And the worst part?

Somewhere deep inside—

Jungwon already knew that.