G.O.D Complex

A full day had passed, yet people were still moving. It was as if the number of participants was infinite.

Linus stood by the wall, quietly observing. His expression was pensive as he watched the tide of bodies pass by—again and again.

Then, movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned and smiled as Velvet approached.

"It's just as we suspected," she said. "This entire zone is one giant loop."

To test the theory, she had followed the crowd earlier, walking forward and leaving Linus behind. Despite it taking nearly an hour, she returned to the exact spot where she left him, never straying from the wall as she circled.

"Counting steps is useless," she added, glancing over her shoulder. "The pace of the loop changes each round, making it nearly impossible for ordinary people to realize what's happening. So… how did you figure it out?"

Linus kept watching the endless stream of people, his brows furrowed. "I think I've been in a similar situation before... but my memories are still hazy."

Velvet studied him for a moment. His expression was focused, his eyes sharp and unblinking. At first, she thought he was dozing off with his eyes open, but the intensity in his face said otherwise. He was analyzing—deeply.

She leaned back against the wall and followed his gaze, watching the sea of people drift past them like a human current. She felt as though something was on the edge of her perception… something just beyond her grasp.

---

Elsewhere.

Levi and Edna began to notice strange repetitions. The same faces kept appearing—the same people they had passed earlier. Even those they had bumped into moments ago reappeared as if time had looped around them.

"What the hell is going on?" Levi muttered.

Edna's face paled. She rubbed her eyes, thinking she was hallucinating. But she wasn't. It was real.

They weren't the only ones.

The bespectacled man and the elegant girl who had formed a small group came to a stop, confused by the déjà vu gripping them. They watched as the crowd flowed past them without end.

"There's a problem," the man said flatly. He prided himself on his memory—he never forgot a face. And now, he had counted over twenty duplicates.

That confirmed it.

They were caught in a loop.

---

Back at the wall, Linus finally spoke.

"It's not the space that's moving," he said slowly, "but something is interfering with our brains. Our sense of direction is being manipulated."

Velvet's eyes narrowed. "Then how do we break out of it?"

Linus didn't respond immediately.

"The good news," he continued, "is that every loop has a flaw. A key. The trick is to find it—inside the loop—and either disable it or destroy it."

Velvet followed his eyes to the crowd.

"There's nothing in this space but us," Linus added. "Living beings. Which means…"

He paused.

Velvet's eyes widened. "You think something—or someone—is among us?"

Linus nodded grimly. "And not just one. Multiple. I don't know how they infiltrated us this early, but they're here."

Velvet reached for her knife, her expression turning lethal. "Then let's find them. And kill them."

Linus raised a hand. "Calm down. Look where we are."

Velvet scanned the crowded corridor. Killing someone here—no matter how skilled she was—would trigger chaos. The panic would be uncontrollable. And in a confined, high-stress environment like this, a single death could start a riot.

She scowled. "So what now?"

"First, we identify the imposters," Linus said. "Then, we find a way to deal with them."

Velvet nodded. She was beginning to understand her role. He would analyze, she would execute. It was a pairing she accepted. Until she recovered her full memory, she would rely on instinct—and Linus's sharp mind.

"Alright," she said. "Who am I killing first?"

Linus smirked.

"I don't know what you did before ending up here," he said, "but I could use someone with your... competence."

She gave a nod—wordless confirmation that their partnership had begun.

Just then, she stiffened. "I think I've found one."

Linus blinked. "Already?"

"Not me," she clarified, pointing ahead. "They found us."

Through the shifting crowd, a figure stood—still—watching them. As Linus focused on it, the figure shifted: a child… an old woman… a man… a girl… then—

Himself.

The shapeshifter mimicked Linus's face perfectly before disappearing into the crowd.

Velvet's eyes flared. "How is no one seeing this?"

But Linus wasn't alarmed.

In fact, he smiled.

"He's not hiding," Linus said softly. "He's showing himself on purpose."

Velvet turned sharply toward him. Had she seen his face just then, she would have frozen.

It was the face of a predator.

A cold, calculating smile—not of fear, but of thrill. The twisted calm of a serial killer seeing his prey up close.

"He knows he has the advantage," Linus murmured. "He believes he controls the game. But let's see how long that lasts."

---

Across the sprawling white corridor, more anomalies began to appear.

Levi threw his arm in front of Edna protectively. They had just spotted the same shifting figure—its face glitching and twisting—standing directly in their path.

Elsewhere, the bespectacled man and the elegant girl saw the same phenomenon.

And they were not alone.

All around the endless hallway, the loop had begun to unravel—and the imposters were watching.

[ELAPSED TIME: 01:00:12:49]

[TIME REMAINING: 05:23:47:11]

—To Be Continued