Kai stared at the text and felt a sweat break out across his forehead.

He looked around the circus camp in absolute disbelief. The lively music played the same tune he heard yesterday.

Sera and Eliza stood right beside him, unaware that anything was wrong.

’What the fuck is happening right now?’ Kai thought to himself.

He swallowed hard to wet his dry throat, then suddenly looked at the smiling camp chief in the sharp red coat.

’Did he kill me? Did that guy throw the chain?’

A terrible panic settled in his stomach.

Dying was painless in the fleeting moment, but the implication was horrifying.

If he died again and the system failed to respawn him properly, his second life in this twisted world was officially over.

He was completely doomed.

Kai followed the girls deeper into the camp because he needed to blend in.

They walked toward the raised stage in the center of the tents. Vesper was already there, spinning her burning chains and dancing seductively for the small crowd.

She finished her routine and jumped down from the platform, then walked straight over to Kai, her amber eyes scanning his pale face with keen interest.

"What’s with the weird expression?" Vesper asked, tilting her head slightly.

"You look like you just saw a ghost."

"You just looked beautiful," Kai replied, forcing a highly strained smile to hide his racing thoughts.

She didn’t remember either, or is she faking it?

Vesper laughed softly and crossed her arms.

"Oh, flattery stopped working on me a long time ago. But you look nice enough. Do you want to dance with me?"

Eliza smiled brightly and elbowed Kai lightly in the ribs.

"Go on. You love beating women at their own games. Show her what you can do."

"Maybe tomorrow," Kai shrugged.

He could not focus on a dance right now, not when his own murder was fresh in his mind. He turned around and walked away from the noisy camp, leaving both women staring after him in confusion.

He headed toward the edge of the circus grounds, trying to think of answers.

’Hey system?’ Kai thought, projecting his voice inward.

[Host?]

’What was my last checkpoint or event?’ Kai demanded.

[Recent Checkpoints: Loading...]

[The Road to Thornwatch]

[The Wandering Circus]

’So even the system did not update the events,’ Kai thought, feeling a chill run down his spine.

The death had literally been erased from time itself.

’Identify Vesper.’ 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

[Target: Vesper]

[Status: No information available]

’Was it her doing?’ Kai thought, pacing back and forth near the striped tents.

But that made no sense because she had no weapon resembling that bladed chain.

She had no reason to kill him after practically begging him to visit her caravan in the previous loop.

His mind was filled with weird, terrifying thoughts.

Eliza noticed his strange behavior and followed him away from the crowds.

She found him pacing in the deep shadows behind the largest food tent, her eyes filled with worry.

"Kai, what’s wrong?" Eliza asked softly, reaching out to touch his arm.

Kai looked at her sweet face.

The gruesome memory of his head being torn off flashed vividly in his mind.

He desperately needed a physical anchor to prove he was still alive and breathing. He grabbed her waist and pulled her to the side, pressing her back against the canvas of the tent, and kissed her roughly, entirely skipping his usual gentle charm.

’I cannot die yet,’ he thought desperately, leaving his tongue inside her warm mouth.

He tasted the sweet cider she had been drinking.

"Ah Kai," Eliza mumbled against his lips, completely surprised by his sudden aggression.

"What is happ..."

He did not let her finish the sentence. His hands reached down and lowered the top of her dress, exposing her soft breasts.

He bent his head and sucked hard on her sensitive peak, his hand moved quickly under her skirt, rubbing her slick clit through her thin undergarments to ground himself in the intense, undeniable physical sensation.

"Oh! Kai," Eliza gasped loudly, her hands flying up to grip his broad shoulders.

She tried to push him back gently because they were out in the open.

"Wait, not here. Anyone could walk by."

Kai did not hear her protests at first because the panic was too loud in his ears. The fear of that iron chain clouded his usual careful judgment.

But after a few frantic seconds, her quiet, nervous whimpers finally broke through the heavy haze.

He stopped moving and took a very deep breath. He realized exactly what he was doing and pulled his hands away instantly, then helped pull her dress back up over her shoulders to cover her.

"I... I am sorry, Eliza," Kai whispered, his voice shaking slightly.

He stepped back and ran a hand through his dark hair to steady his nerves.

"I just need some air."

He turned around and walked away from the tent without looking back, leaving Eliza blushing and confused in the shadows.

A few yards away, Vesper stood perfectly still behind a wagon. She watched the entire chaotic scene silently. Her eyes tracked Kai as he disappeared into the woods, her expression unreadable.

Kai did not sleep a single wink that night.

He walked straight to the small hill and sat down directly under the massive old tree where he had died the previous day.

He drew his blessed dagger and rested it on his knee, spent the entire night watching the dark tree line, waiting for the shadow to return.

Every snapping twig and rustling leaf made his heart race.

He needed to figure out the reason for his sudden death so he could avoid it entirely.

The long night finally ended, and the morning sun slowly crept over the eastern mountains.

Kai sat against the rough bark, his eyes tired and red from the intense paranoia.

He had survived the hour of his previous murder.

Soft footsteps approached him from the dirt path.

Vesper walked up the small hill, dressed in a simple brown shirt and leather trousers.

She stopped a few feet away from the tree and crossed her arms.

"You are up early," Vesper announced, looking down at his drawn weapon with a curious smile.