"Who am I?" May repeated, tilting her head with a mock-innocent smile, a finger resting against her lips.
"I know, I know. I'm the one you KILLLLEDD. The one YOU murdered!"
Her voice rose and fell in a singsong mockery, the knife in her hand snapping up to point directly at Chrono's face. The blade gleamed under the dim light, the metal almost breathing malice.
Chrono's jaw tightened, trying to keep his composure, but the bead of sweat tracing down his cheek betrayed him.
Before he could take a breath—
SHHKT!
The knife shot forward. A flash of steel.
Chrono jerked back, feeling the sting along his right cheek. A thin red line bloomed.
He didn't even have time to exhale before she was already moving again—twisting the knife in a reverse grip and slashing at his hand.
He pulled back just in time, but the blade still kissed the top of his knuckles, tearing skin and fabric. His hoodie sleeve ripped open.
At least now he was free of the wall.
May pivoted on her heel like a dancer, closing the distance in a heartbeat. She lunged—predator to prey—her laughter echoing unnervingly. The knife lunged for his chest.
Chrono twisted away, but not perfectly. A shallow cut burned across the right side of his ribs—then a thud as her boot connected with his chest.
Air burst from his lungs as he slammed to the ground.
He coughed, clutching his ribs, his eyes tracking her every move.
May strolled toward him, dragging the knife along the wall with a nails-on-chalkboard screech. Sparks spat off the metal, her deranged smile widening.
"I pity you, really… Not much you can do if your opponent has a knife—even if they're a girl."
Her voice was soft, almost tender… but dripping with venom.
Damn it… I need to get away, somehow…
His pulse thundered in his ears. The narrow corridor around them felt even tighter now, like the walls themselves were leaning in to watch. Every shallow breath scraped against his throat.
May tilted her head, her knife still dragging along the wall, the metallic shriek cutting through the silence. She was savoring this. Each slow step forward felt deliberate—measured, like she knew exactly how much fear to feed him before striking again.
Chrono's eyes darted—not just to her, but to his surroundings. Rusted pipes, loose bits of rubble, a broken broom handle half-buried under dust. None of it felt useful.
She suddenly flicked the knife upward, the blade catching the dim light.
"You're looking for an opening," she cooed. "I'll save you the trouble… there isn't one."
Her foot slammed down without warning.
CRACK!
A ground beneath her cracked from the impact, a sharp echo ricocheting down the hallway. It was a feint, but Chrono still flinched—just enough for her to surge forward.
He ducked to the side, but she was already there, a blur of black hair and flashing steel.
SHHHKT!
The knife arced past his ear, close enough to make the hairs on his neck rise. He spun, trying to put distance between them, but May's hand shot out and grabbed his hood, yanking him back.
He twisted, breaking free, but it cost him his balance. His sneakers slid across loose grit, and she pounced.
He felt rather than saw the blade coming—instinct jerked him backward just in time for it to slash a shallow line across his stomach. The sting came a split second later, hot and sharp.
Chrono stumbled into the wall, his shoulder jarring against the cold concrete.
May advanced in a zigzag, every step unpredictable, the tip of the knife always aimed toward his center mass. She looked almost playful, like a cat toying with a trapped mouse.
He feinted left—she mirrored it perfectly. He stepped right—her knife came up to intercept, grazing his sleeve.
I can't survive just by running.
But his body disagreed—every nerve ending told him to keep distance, keep moving.
She lunged again, her footwork lightning-fast, and he dropped low. Her blade hissed above his head, missing by inches. Chrono used the momentum to roll forward, barely slipping past her.
For the first time, he saw her expression falter—just slightly—before the smile returned.
"Cute," she said, her voice lilting. "You actually think you can last a few more seconds."
Chrono backed into the open space near a stack of metal crates. His chest heaved; sweat burned his eyes. She was closing the gap again, the sound of her boots clicking against the floor somehow louder than his own breathing.
His mind flicked through a dozen bad ideas—none of them felt survivable.
She feinted high, then went low. He parried with his forearm, feeling the jolt of the blade clashing against bone. Pain shot through him, but it was better than getting gutted.
Chrono shoved her back with his free hand, but she absorbed the push, spinning gracefully and coming in from the side.
Her blade nicked his thigh before he could fully sidestep. His leg wobbled from the sharp bite of pain.
Stay on your feet. Don't fall. Don't fall.
She tilted her head again, eyes glinting like she could hear his thoughts. "You're slowing down."
The hallway felt hotter now, the air heavy. Every swing of her knife seemed to carve away not just space, but options. He realized with a sick twist in his gut that this was her game—not to kill him instantly, but to wear him down until the final strike was unavoidable.
And that was when it hit him. If he let her dictate the pace, he was already dead.
Chrono's breathing quickened. Dodging was keeping him alive, but it couldn't last.
May twirled the knife between her fingers and lunged again—this time straight for his throat. Chrono rolled hard to the side, concrete scraping his palms.
I have to fight back… even if it's the most ridiculous move ever!
He planted one hand and kicked upward in a sudden, desperate handstand strike.
May slid aside effortlessly, almost amused.
Chrono's momentum sent him crashing back to the ground—then pain exploded in his left shoulder.
"AGHHHHHHH!" His scream echoed in the narrow space.
The knife was buried deep, hot blood surging out in waves.
May crouched over him, twisting the handle. His vision blurred at the edges.
"Not much of a fighter, are you? Best you keep it simple, Zeph."
Her mocking laugh poured gasoline on his rage.
Then—another stab. And another. And another.
His screams tore through the air, bouncing off the walls. Blood pooled beneath him, warm and slick.
I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die. She's gonna kill me, what am I supposed to do? Help, someone, please, I'm gonna di—
Another stab. Another flash of white-hot pain. His mind spun between agony and panic.
At last, she pulled the blade free with a wet sound, flicking blood onto the wall.
Her smile vanished, replaced by something cold and empty. "You're a disappointment Zeph Chrono. What an excuse for a man, getting overpowered by a girl because she has a knife. Pathetic."
She straddled his chest, knife raised high with both hands.
"This is goodbye, Zeph Chrono."
The blade descended—
No one… Is going to save me…
I'm going to die, I'm really gonna die like this?
What'd it do to deserve this? What!?
I didn't do anything!
This isn't fair!
I didn't do anything!
I don't deserve this!
I won't… die like this.!
—only to halt a breath from his heart.
Blood splattered across his face, but it wasn't his chest that was pierced—it was his hand. Chrono had caught the blade mid-strike, the steel buried through his palm.
Teeth clenched, eyes blazing through the pain, he growled:
"I won't… die like this. Not to you!"
May yanked the blade free and hopped back, but Chrono was already forcing himself to his feet. His body trembled, every limb screaming in protest, yet his stance was firm.
She tilted her head, smirking. "Oh… look at you! Adrenaline only takes you so far Zeph! You're only delaying the inevitable."
"As long as I don't die by your hands…" Chrono's voice was low, sharp as steel, "…I'm fine with that."
She's right.
An adrenaline rush will only take me so far.
But…
I'll make it count.
May took two slow, deliberate steps forward—then exploded into motion. Her feet barely touched the ground; if you blinked, she'd vanish.
The silver edge of her knife streaked toward Chrono's chest like a bolt of lightning. He twisted his torso just enough—the blade slicing only through air.
A smirk tugged at his lips.
"I knew you'd do that."
He drove a kick toward her sternum. She snapped her forearm down at the last second, blocking, but the impact forced her back two stumbling steps.
May laughed—sharp and manic. She clapped mockingly.
"Oh! Look at that—the half-dead boy can fight back."
"Shut up," Chrono said between heavy breaths, beckoning her forward with two fingers. "Keep it coming."
She lunged again, the knife flashing toward his face, then dipping toward his neck in a lethal feint. Chrono leaned back, sidestepping just in time to whip his leg into her ribs. The blow sent her slamming shoulder-first into the wall.
Using the rebound, May kicked off the wall like a springboard, slashing for his injured shoulder. He pivoted aside, her blade cutting through empty space.
She landed cat-quiet, spun on her heels, and drove the knife for his throat. Chrono caught her wrist with both palms, redirecting her strike past him—exposing her torso for a heartbeat. He didn't waste it. His knuckles slammed into her stomach, the sound dull but decisive. She staggered back, clutching her midsection.
Her face twisted in frustration.
"How!? How the hell are you dodging me!? Earlier, you could barely stand!"
Chrono rolled his shoulder, blood seeping through his hoodie.
"Y'know there's one thing I've learnt from playing football."
She glared, breathing ragged.
"My team was really garbage so we used to get battered alot, kinda similar to what just happened to me a few minutes ago. The more you get destroyed by your opponent the more you start to understand their moves. You start to pay extra attention to their moves, 'oh they did that already', 'oh that tried that already,' etc, etc."
"The more you beat my ass, the more I understand how you attack, how you fight, and now, I know how to counter that.
"DON'T—" she spun low, sweeping at his legs.
He saw it coming, leaping clean over her.
"—give me that crap!" she snarled.
"And when you're used to all the moves they've done already, predicting what they haven't done is merely the process of elimination." Chrono landed, blocking a knife slash to his cheek before countering with a jab to her jaw.
She stumbled, then crashed to the floor.
Chrono didn't move right away. He stayed low, knees bent, eyes locked on her like a cornered animal that still had fangs. His breathing was heavy but measured, his chest rising and falling with each controlled inhale.
May's palms flattened against the cracked floor tiles. Slowly, deliberately, she pushed herself up, her hair falling over her face. When she finally looked up, the grin she wore was… wrong. Too wide. Too certain.
Her knuckles whitened around the knife. Then she moved.
It wasn't a lunge this time—it was a blur. Her shoulder dipped, her body weaving side to side in a predator's sway before she burst forward. Chrono barely had time to shift before she was on him, the knife singing through the air in a vicious upward slash.
He twisted, the blade grazing the hem of his hoodie, threads snapping.
May pivoted off her lead foot, spinning into a tight backhand slash aimed at his ribs. He caught her wrist mid-swing, but she used the momentum to drive her knee toward his stomach. He blocked with his knee, gritting his teeth at the jolt of pain.
"Persistent, aren't you?" he muttered.
She leaned in close, their faces inches apart, her eyes wild. "Persistence gets results."
Chrono shoved her back, forcing her to stumble a step—but she didn't break stride. She darted left, planting a foot against the wall and pushing off in a diagonal slash that came at an impossible angle.
He ducked under, feeling the whisper of air as steel passed above his head.
She's trying to change her rhythm.
The next instant, she dropped low and spun, her leg sweeping at his ankles. He hopped over the kick—barely—and she came up from the spin into a vertical stab aimed for his collarbone.
Chrono caught her forearm and shoved it outward, but she released the knife mid-motion, letting it tumble to her other hand in a smooth, fluid catch. The second slash came from below, a flicker of silver.
He jerked back, the blade missing by a breath.
"Nice try," he said through clenched teeth.
"Oh, I'm just warming up."
She came at him with a flurry now—stabs, slashes, backhands, each attack chaining into the next without a single pause. He deflected where he could, leaned back where he couldn't, and absorbed the occasional nick along his arms and side.
It was like dancing on a cliff edge—one wrong step, and gravity would take over.
Chrono feinted right, then drove a palm strike toward her jaw. She blocked with her forearm, twisting to hook his arm with hers and pull him into a shoulder throw.
The floor rushed up to meet him.
He rolled at the last second, the impact jarring but not breaking him. He came up on one knee—just in time to see her knife descending again.
Chrono pushed up and forward, ramming his shoulder into her midsection. The force knocked the wind from her, sending her staggering back two steps.
Her laughter was breathless now, but no less manic. "You think you're catching up to me, huh? You're still just reacting."
"Maybe…" Chrono said, brushing dust from his cheek. "Or maybe I'm just letting you think you're faster."
That earned him a snarl. She lunged again, this time with a tight hook of her arm to fake a close-range stab—then snapped her elbow upward toward his chin. He blocked, grabbed her wrist, and yanked, using her own momentum to spin her around.
For the briefest second, her back was to him.
He drove his foot into her side. The sound was a sharp thump, the kind that makes ribs complain. She hit the wall, bounced forward, and caught herself with a hand on the floor.
Her hair whipped across her face as she looked up at him—smiling through clenched teeth.
"You're learning…" she breathed.
"Yeah," he replied, flexing his hands, "and you're slowing down."
She pushed off the floor in a sudden, low sprint. Chrono sidestepped and redirected her with a shove between the shoulder blades. She twisted mid-stumble, coming out of it with a wild slash aimed at his thigh.
He jumped back, then lunged forward as her balance dipped. His fist met her jaw with a clean, snapping crack.
Her eyes went wide.
She staggered once. Twice. Then her legs gave out, and she hit the floor hard.
"I'm not a fan of fighting girls," he said coldly, hands slipping into his pockets. "So let's end this. Tell me why you're here, and I'll let you walk away."
Her head lowered, shoulders trembling—not from fear, but from laughter.
"Bold of you… to assume you've won."
A second knife gleamed in her hand, drawn from her pocket.
"That's two knives, Zeph Chrono. Didn't see that coming, did you?"
"Two knives, huh. That is a problem?" He rubbed his chin like she'd just told him the weather.
Her eye twitched. "Are you insane? Is blood not running to your brain? How can you be so calm?"
Chrono's eyes sharpened. "Two knives just means I have to read you twice as fast."
May's grip tightened. She crouched low.
No matter…. he's going to lose too much blood and fall over, I'll kill him then.
She sprang forward, dirt scattering underfoot. Left blade arced for his head, right blade darting for his chest.
I wanna see you dodge this, Zeph Chrono!
Steel met flesh. Blood splattered.
Chrono had caught the left-hand strike on his forearm—the blade burying itself in muscle—and clamped down on the wrist of her right hand before it reached his chest.
Her eyes widened—just as pain bloomed in her gut from his knee driving upward. The impact sent her tumbling back.
Gasping, she scrambled to her feet, only to realize her left hand was empty. Her gaze shot to Chrono.
He stood there, yanking her blade free from his arm, flipping it into a reverse grip.
"Guess we're even now."
May's rage flared hot and sharp, but deep down, she knew—this fight had just shifted in his favor.
Chrono smirked, voice laced with mockery.
"What's the matter? First time being humbled?"
May's lips curved into a thin smile. "No… I'm just getting started…"
Before he could react, the air shifted—pressure coiling like a spring beneath him. Chrono's gaze snapped down just as a blur shot upward.
It was May. Knife in hand. Coming straight for his throat.
The movement was so abrupt, so violently fast, it felt like a teleport. One heartbeat she was still, the next she was right there—pointed steel almost kissing his chin.
Chrono jerked back, the blade grazing him. A hot sting flared under his jaw as a thin line of blood traced his skin.
What the hell was that!?
His eyes locked on her, refusing to blink, but it didn't matter. She vanished. No—moved—behind him, the whisper of her steps barely reaching his ears before the glint of her blade returned, arcing for his face.
He twisted, catching her wrist, but the sheer force behind the strike shoved him back hard.
She's moving at insane speeds, I can't keep track…
This time, he anticipated her circling behind him—whipping his blade through the air—only to slash nothing but empty space.
A shadow loomed at his side.
May's boot drove into his stomach like a battering ram, folding him in half and sending him crashing into a lamppost with a metallic clang. Pain lanced up his spine as the post shuddered.
Before he could recover, she was already there, her knife swinging for his head. Chrono dropped and rolled, but not fast enough—steel bit his forehead, hot blood sliding down into his eye.
This isn't good. My vision is getting blurry because I'm losing too much blood. It doesn't help that I can't keep up with her either….
Damn it…
Hestaggered up, knife wavering in his grip. May was in front of him… but the air behind him felt wrong.
Pain tore through his right arm. He glanced back in horror—May was behind him, knife buried deep.
"How—!?"
Her foot slammed into his back, yanking the blade free. The world spun. She'd moved so quickly, his mind saw two of her—an afterimage burned into his vision.
He hit the ground face-first, skin ripping from his nose and forehead against the pavement.
Are we serious….?
She's moving so fast she's creating afterimages… How am I supposed to beat that? No human should be able to move this fast.
Dragging himself up, Chrono wiped the blood from his face—pointless, as it kept flowing.
May's knife twirled lazily in her fingers, glinting under the streetlight.
"Say, Zeph… you remember Newton's second law?"
Chrono squinted. "Why the hell are you asking me that?"
"Just answer."
He sighed through gritted teeth. "Acceleration is proportional to net force, inversely proportional to mass."
"Good boy." Her smirk sharpened.
"What are you getting at?"
"Momentum," she purred. "The faster something moves, the harder it hits. Double your speed, you quadruple the force. You don't need to be strong—just fast enough to level a building."
Chrono scoffed. "You're insane, you can't destroy a building. No human can, that's just ludicrous!"
"Alright then, I'll show you since you don't believe I can." She strolled toward a brick wall, lightpost shadows stretching behind her.
Chrono's heartbeat thudded in his ears.
No way.
"You might want to stand back."
Chrono reluctantly stepped back. It was ridiculous, but he couldn't risk it.
May planted both feet on the wall and launched. The air cracked. She vanished—
—then the world erupted.
BOOM.
A thunderclap shook the air. Chrono turned toward the sound and froze, jaw slack. The library—three stories of brick and glass—folded in on itself, collapsing in a plume of dust and debris.
No… no way. There's just no way…
The shockwave knocked him off his feet. Coughing, he waved away the swirling dust as a voice rang out through the chaos.
"See, Zeph. I CAN destroy a building with speed! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT HUH!?" She emerged from the ruin without a scratch, laughing.
"You're not human… What the hell are you?" he muttered.
May folded her arms in mock offence, pouting. "I take personal offence to that. I AM human." She said placing a hand on her chest and tilting her head up playfully.
Chrono shook his head frantically. "No… you're not. No human can do that! Answer me! What the hell are you!"
Her smile faltered. "I'm human, Zeph. But it gave me this strength."
Chrono raised a brow. "It?"
She couldn't possibly be talking about the white figure? There's no way.
May nodded. "Yes, it."
"You've seen what I can do. Now imagine one of those kicks hitting you. You'd be nothing but… intestines."
Chrono flinched as he stared at her in horror. It was true, if one of those building destroying kicks landed, he'd die instantly.
This isn't good…
She bent low, knife ready. "Now… let's finish this."
Think… think of something, How do I use her speed against her.
Chrono stood there, reading his stance. Anticipating her next move. A single lapse in judgment could lead to his demise.
"Here I comeeeeee, Zeph!"
In an instant there was a huge crater in the ground, May had launched herself at Chrono, a loud explosion followed.
Chrono moved at the exact moment she struck. She tore past him in a sonic boom, ripping through three buildings in a straight line. The shockwave flung him backward like a ragdoll. He hit the pavement hard—bones screaming in protest.
Wind screamed past him as her body shot by, the shockwave hurling him several feet back before he slammed to the ground, ribs protesting with a sickening crack.
She didn't stop. Couldn't stop. May's body tore through three buildings in a perfect line, walls caving in her wake.
Chrono laid on the floor panting heavily, he couldn't move even if he wanted to—but he smiled faintly.
It was simple really.
If you move at high speeds, it's difficult to change your trajectory, so dodging at the right moment would make me narrowly avoid her attack.
It'd only work at the perfect time though, a second too late and I could've been dead.
Depending on how fast she's going, doubt she's stopped crashing into buildings, I don't think she's that durable to survive that anyway.
Chrono groaned, trying to push himself upright. His ribs screamed with every twitch.
This would be a really bad time for her to come back.
If May showed up now, it'd be over. No fight, no escape — just a messy end.
He lay back for a moment, staring at the fractured night sky through half-lidded eyes. His vision swam, one side blocked by a curtain of blood dripping down from the gash in his forehead. He wiped it away, but fresh warmth kept spilling, stubborn as a pulse.
Man… I'm gonna bleed out. I might actually die.
His breath hitched.
If only I had the book… this would be over in an instant.
The thought hit him like lightning. He forced himself to sit up, a sharp ache tearing through his ribs.
Yeah… that's right. With the book, I could finish this.
But another thought bled in, colder.
Do I really want to end it like that? I need answers… not just a corpse. But… if she corners me again, I might have to.
He staggered to his feet, legs trembling beneath him. Blood pattered onto the pavement in steady drops. Every second without stopping it meant he was closer to collapsing.
The wail of sirens cut through the night — high, urgent, getting closer. Red and blue flashed against the shattered street as a firetruck, ambulance, and a convoy of police cars rolled in, converging on the ruins of the library.
Guess that boom carried farther than I thought.
He glanced toward the direction May had flew past him. The city lights flickered faintly in the distance.
And her little speed show probably tore up half the streets, too. My guess… more attention's over there than here.
Doors slammed. Shouts carried.
"There's a boy!"
"He's severely injured! Get him medical attention, now!"
Their voices blurred, just like his vision. Footsteps thundered closer until an arm hooked under his shoulder, steadying him.
A firefighter's voice broke through the haze. "Hey! Are you alright? What happened here?"
You wouldn't believe me if I told you…
"I… I don't know. I was in the library. Then it collapsed." His voice was a thin rasp.
"That all? Your wounds look serious."
"Yeah… that's all."
His eyelids sagged shut, darkness pulling at the edges.
"Hey! Stay with me!"
Chrono forced them open again. "Sorry… lost too much blood. Might not make it."
"You'll be fine — just hang in there."
Two medics approached fast, stretcher in hand. One of them scanned his injuries, eyes widening. "Those are some serious wounds."
"This might hurt a little," the firefighter warned, lifting Chrono onto the stretcher. Agony flared white-hot through his ribs as he gritted his teeth.
"You'll be alright," one medic assured him gently.
But Chrono's mind was elsewhere.
What did she mean by 'it' gave her power? There's no way the white figure is just randomly giving people power. That's just twisted.
His eyes shot open, a sick realization hitting him. His whole body jolted — and pain punished the movement.
"Settle down! Take it easy!"
The stretcher slid into the ambulance, doors clanging shut.
Could it be that anyone that touches the book becomes directly influenced by the white figure in some sort?
That could be the case…
May was the only person that seemed different from prior loops. And that speed… only a supernatural hand could grant that. But why? What's the point?
A BOOM shook the ambulance, rattling its walls.
"What the hell—?" one medic started.
Screams erupted outside. Cut short. Abrupt. Deadly.
The man nearest the door froze. "What's going on out there?"
"Don't open that!" Chrono's voice cracked with urgency, echoing in the cramped space. His ribs flared in protest.
The medic paused, hand on the handle.
"You'll die if you step outside," Chrono warned, breathless but fierce. "It might seem ridiculous, but there's a girl out there with inhuman speed. You won't last a second."
The man gave him a skeptical look. "I don't know what you've been through, but—"
"No, wait—!"
The door swung open.
The medic stepped out.
And in less than a blink, his torso wasn't attached to him anymore.
Blood sprayed the asphalt. The body crumpled in two separate parts.
Standing behind him… was May.
Her face was smeared with blood. Her hair clung to her skin in wild strands. Her eyes… controlled rage.
And she was looking right at Chrono.
Not with recognition. Not with curiosity.
But with the cold, absolute focus of a predator who had decided he was already dead.