Adam was in the starless void of space. Somewhere so far from all other celestial bodies that even their aeons-old light could not reach him.

  An eye opened in the dark and was possibly the biggest thing in existence or so small that it could fit within Adam’s palm.

  He floated there, as the eye provided the only contrast to the dark. Its sclera was the white light of creation, its iris was the first planet to ever exist in this outcast region of space, and its pupil was shaped like a man.

  The man moved towards where Adam floated. As he neared, his brown dishevelled hair was revealed, along with a chiselled face, thick eyebrows, and amber eyes that reflected some unseen kaleidoscopic cosmos.

  It was his mirror image, though it was clad in a suit of darkness, such that it looked like just a floating head.

  < < ADAM > >

  The doppelganger spoke his name. It made his entire being tremble, threatening to tear him asunder.

  “Who are you?” Adam asked. His voice was a tiny thing that the darkness quickly swallowed.

  His mirror image replied, but its voice became something smaller. Like a human whispering to an ant, such that the breath of his voice would not blow it away.

  “I am the eyes that bear witness to the start, the middle, and the end.”

  “I am the one whose gaze pierces dimensions and realities.”

  “I am the all-seeing and all-knowing.”

  “I am the sight you wield.”

  “Are you the System responsible for the Trials?”

  “The Trials are but one of the ways that I express my influence.”

  “The struggle is such a thing to behold.”

  “The suffering fuels me.”

  “Why am I here?”

  “Because you display the ultimate defiance imaginable.”

  “Because you broke the design carefully crafted.”

  “Because you are unkillable.”

  “I knew it. I am not looping in an intended way, am I?”

  “No, Adam, you are defying the rules I made.”

  “How?”

  “Ingenuity, luck, and my own oversight.”

  “Ironic, is it not? I am all-seeing and yet so blind.”

  “It must be pride.”

  “A valuable lesson has been learnt.”

  “Do you understand how many like you attempt what you attempted?”

  “And yet only you were so lucky.”

  “Killing the tesseract?” Adam asked. “I’m guessing everyone wants to kill it when they learn they were lied to. Hell, people want to kill it just for being the one who enforces your cruel game.”

  “My game is a lesson and your species are the students.”

  “Many rebel against the Eyes that govern their universes and dimensions.”

  “Many reach the same conclusion as you, given the tools at their disposal.”

  “Do you know what happens when an Eye is defeated?”

  “It blows up and kills you.”

  “That is the immediate response, most of the time, yes.”

  “But the Eyes are much more than that.”

  “There is but one Eye for every universe, every tangled mess of dimensional strings.”

  “Through my grace, these Eyes possess the power to govern their universes and alter the laws of reality as prescribed by my tenets.”

  “One which possesses such immense power inevitably becomes the linchpin holding everything together.”

  “Can you imagine what the loss of such an integral piece leads to?”

  Adam frowned.

  “Oblivion, Adam.”

  “Every defeated Eye equals a defeated tangle of dimensions.”

  “An obliteration of a universe.”

  “Snuffed out like the light of a star, never to be seen again.”

  “Are you saying that because I killed Shitbox, I destroyed my entire timeline?”

  “Yes. That is exactly what I am saying. It is an intended defiance that I allow your species to exhibit.”

  “But do you understand what it means for you?”

  “It means that you should be nothingness.”

  “Void.”

  “Null.”

  “Non-existence.”

  “Just like all those within that universe you doomed.”

  “For how can the action leading to the end of a universe exist, if the result is that it never existed in the first place?”

  “And yet you are here, Adam.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I am aware.”

  The doppelganger reached out and touched Adam.

  Suddenly an obsidian shard reflecting an unseen cosmos was made visible. It sprouted from the middle of his chest, lodged directly into his ribcage. And yet he couldn’t feel it at all.

  It reminded Adam of when he’d died.

  “What you need to understand is that you are lucky, Adam.”

  “Granted, it is possible that someone played a trick on me and wanted this outcome.”

  “It is also possible that you were the one instance in all observable universes where such an outcome was possible.”

  “This shard lodged firmly in your chest, do you know what it is?”

  “No.”

  “It is a fragment of borrowed power. I do not myself possess the ability to warp reality and traverse every universe and dimension, though I see them all with my countless Eyes.”

  “This borrowed power, call it a Dimensional Crystal or a Universe Core or whatever you’d like.”

  “The simple fact is just that it should not be bound to your soul, and yet it is.”

  “It is unfortunate, but a lesson learnt.”

  “After all, I instructed you to defy me. I just lacked the forethought to realise a defiance such as this was even possible.”

  “I still don’t understand.”

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  “You have a dimensional power within you, Adam.”

  “Or rather, a fragment of this power.”

  “It lacks its normal controls, for which I am grateful, lest you might entirely undermine my game.”

  “You see. When you die, your soul unwittingly triggers the Dimensional fragment and flings itself to the nearest universe, where it supplants itself in the body of your alternate self.”

  “But rest assured, I have taken countermeasures to ensure there can be no more like you.”

  “After all, you have left such a mess behind. For when you perish and the shard in your soul sends you to your alternate self, it erases you from whichever place you left.”

  “Already, there is a universe missing, and two more with a suspicious vacancy.”

  “Fortunately, the one from whom I borrowed this power is hard at work solving this issue.”

  “Try not to make him work too hard, lest I shall be forced to take additional countermeasures to deter you.”

  “I do not wish to upset the fairness of the game, after all.”

  The doppelganger took a step back from Adam and looked at its wrist, which suddenly had a watch on it. It was such a bizarre mannerism and he knew it was entirely for his benefit.

  “I have spent too much time keeping you here.”

  “I will be watching you closely, Adam.”

  And just like that, he was let free.

  Adam opened his eyes and saw a sight he’d never thought he’d see again.

  It was the inside of Jameson’s bakery.

  What the f—

  He collapsed to his knees and started violently purging his stomach.

  The world quaked around him, while the other customers backed away from the spreading puddle of vomit.

  Then the black cubes appeared and the whole mess began anew.

  < < Now Entering > >

  < Stage 1 >

  < The Magical Forest >

  < 5 Waves >

  [Before we proceed, you must select a Weapon Type.]

  Adam was still struggling to comprehend what in the world he’d just been subjected to.

  His brain throbbed as though he was experiencing the worst Saturday morning hangover possible. It was as though he had stared in the sun for too long and now his eyes had a lingering after-image making it hard to see. Except it hadn’t been the sun, but rather an unfathomable God whose mere presence sent quakes through his metaphysical being.

  The world around him felt as though it moved slower than it should, while his head processed everything at hyper-speed.

  He tried as best as possible to consolidate his audience with the All-Seeing before his fragile and feeble brain lost its grip on what he’d learnt.

  When I die, I go to a new universe, like what Willow suggested…

  The realisation struck him then and he felt sadness overcome him.

  She’s lost now. That Willow I knew.

  Or rather, she now exists in Mórrígan’s world, and I have been deleted from the timeline completely. She doesn’t even know that I am missing, because to her I never existed in the first place.

  What a total mindfuck…

  No one will mourn my death, because my death makes it so that I never existed in their world…

  I can’t imagine the time-loopers will be much pleased with the instability my vacancy leaves behind.

  But maybe it’s too conceited to believe that my disappearance from their timeline will cause ripples large enough to be noticed.

  It was such an unfathomable thing that he couldn’t fully comprehend what it meant, only that with every death, there was one less potential Adam Fischer. The person he’d been was gone, not just dead, but entirely erased from existence.

  I only got the power to loop because I got ‘lucky’ when I killed the Eye. When it exploded, the core that lets it appear in front of every Player and altered the fabric of reality, it struck me. Only a part of it, but it was just the right part to imbue me with this… curse… that means I effectively can’t die.

  Adam didn’t know when he’d sat down, but he was sitting on the mossy ground and staring blankly into the air.

  He looked over at where the Eye had unfolded itself into a podium. Five holograms floated above: a tome, a pair of daggers, metal gloves, two axes, and a large sword.

  < < Weapon Types Available > >

  < Warder (Rare) >

  < Backstabber (Common) >

  < Brawler (Uncommon) >

  < Berserker (Uncommon) >

  < Warrior (Common) >

  Reality still had its strange slowness to it and he felt as though he had all the time in the world to make a decision.

  I hope there is a Willow in this world who will be my friend again.

  There will probably be someone who has found the Divine Relic here too… Maybe it’ll be Mórrígan again, or perhaps one of those people she mentioned.

  I need to figure out how to deal with them without drawing attention to myself.

  He looked at the floating tome over the weapon podium that the Eye formed.

  Maybe I should pick something with magic this time.

  That drunk guy from last loop had that weapon, so it’s probably strong.

  But what does it even matter?

  When I die, all my efforts will be nothingness. All the friends I made and accomplishments I achieved, all will be gone.

  Just like me.

  He remembered his promise to Willow and smiled slightly.

  She doesn’t even realise what a cruel thing she asked of me.

  But I will try to live according to what she wanted, otherwise I will become something inhuman.

  If my life is meaningless, I will give it meaning!

  I still have my mind and my memory. Even if I am erased, those moments will not disappear so long as I hold on to them.

  I still remember the first time I spoke to her.

  I still remember how it felt when we laughed about Belamouranthe.

  I still remember the warmth of our dinners together and the talks we shared.

  All the promises I made, I will keep.

  All the things I wanted to try when given the chance, I will do.

  Adam stood up and time returned to its normal flow.

  “Warder,” he said.

  < < Weapon Type Selected > >

  < Spell-Tome >

  < Rare >

  < < Player Status > >

  < Adam Fischer >

  < Warder >

  < Level 0 >

  < Stats >

  < Health — 50 >

  < Stamina — 75 >

  < Mana — 200 >

  < Damage — 50% >

  < Defence — 100% >

  < Speed — 75% >

  < Luck — 5 >

  < Upgrades >

  < — — — >

  The tome appeared in his hands. It was a heavy book with gnarled dark-brown leather wrapped around old yellowed parchment pages. On the front was neither title nor cover, but instead a metal signet of a hand splayed palm-out. The edges of the leather binding were covered in rusted iron and a clasp with no way to open it sealed it shut.

  Adam processed the stats and grimaced at just how insufficient the Health, Stamina, Damage, and Speed values were. He’d be dead in two hits from any of the small slimes.

  Nevertheless, his mind could comprehend the incomprehensible nature of the object he was holding. It was a catalyst, but at the moment it would only allow him to perform a single spell.

  Adam flung out his hand and summoned a pane of yellowish light in front of him. It was 2 metres wide and 2 metres tall. It was also slightly reflective like glass.

  He was about to reach out and touch it, when the Stage began.

  < < Wave One > >

  < 60-Second Timer >

  I have 60 seconds to mess around with this.

  Honestly, I have no idea what I expected when I picked it…

  He touched the barrier and it felt like warm glass. It was hard but brittle, though he doubted he could break it with his hand. In terms of thickness, it was only about 1 or 2 centimetres.

  From the treeline nearby came the rustle of the first enemy. Adam ignored it to play around with his new power some more.

  If he gestured with a pushing motion using his free hand, he could make the pane move forward. If he twirled his hand, it would spin. Beckoning brought it towards him and closing his fist made it stop moving. He could overlay the gestures and move it through the air weirdly or spin diagonally.

  At the outset this feels like it’s only meant to protect me, but that would mean I couldn’t kill any enemies with it.

  However…

  Adam flung his arm out in a snapping motion, like a punch. The pane responded and flew forward rapidly. It sliced a thin line through the mossy earth.

  Yeah. This will work.

  The blue slime was slowly hopping towards him, having already emerged from the trees.

  Adam eyed it cautiously, while positioning the barrier in front of himself.

  After a few lazy hops, the slime shot forward to try and hit him. It struck the yellow pane, which made a sound similar to a bird flying into a window. The slime was bounced back and landed upside-down. Then the barrier shattered.

  Damn, only one hit?

  Adam summoned a replacement, but immediately felt light-headed afterwards.

  [Warning! Mana below 60%.]

  Ah, that’s not good…

  Each summon is like 50 Mana points!

  “Do I automatically replenish Mana?” he asked, while rotating the barrier so that its thin edge was aimed directly at the struggling slime.

  [The default Mana recovery is 1 point per second.]

  [Sitting down increases this to 4 points per second.]

  “Sitting down?? Like meditation!?”

  [30 seconds remaining before Wave Two begins.]

  Wait, can I sit down while fighting?

  That seems so dumb it might actually work.

  Before trying that out, he first wanted to see if he could chop up the slime with the barrier by using it as a cleaver.

  Adam pushed the barrier so that it was directly over the slime, then he swung his hand down, making sure to not aim it right down the middle.

  A sound like that of a guillotine came from the yellow pane as it fell down on the defenceless slime. The thin edge carved through the jellied flesh of the elemental, narrowly missing the stone-like core. Sizzling came from the shorn-off piece of slime as it dropped to the mossy ground and began dissolving the organic material.

  The slime righted itself, but before it could hop towards him, he’d already lifted the barrier and swung it down again.

  As he sheared off the other side next to the core, the slime dissolved completely, the thin slice in the middle not enough to keep it alive. Left behind in the bubbling mass of jelly was a perfectly-intact core.

  < < Wave One Complete > >

  < Choose your Upgrade >

  That was easy.

  Adam reached down and picked up his prize.

  < < Collectible Relic > >

  < Slime Core (Common) — The brain and heart of a Slime >

  He held up the stone in his hand.

  I’ve got a lot of ideas for how to use this thing.

  All thanks to Lenard.

  Adam thought about his friend who he’d gotten killed.

  Even if I can’t help the Lenard I knew, I will make things right in this loop.

  It is clear that Loopshard's Rising Stars run has come to an end.

  But! It is not the end of the story.

  No, it's just barely getting started!

  I hope to keep growing the following of this story and I'm aiming to surpass the 5600 followers that

  my story Madman Apocalypse currently has. For every milestone along the way (4k, 4.5k, 5k, etc.), I will be

  releasing bonus chapters.

  To that end, I hope you will drop me a on this story if you haven't already done so.

  I am continuing Madman Apocalypse with Book 3 on March 12th, so I unfortunately can't

  commit to a schedule of more than max 2 chapters per week on Loopshard for now.

  My goal is to find a sustainable way to write two stories at the same time, such that I don't end up burning out.

  I also have a crap-ton of editing to do over the coming months as I prepare for various publications, so I need

  to find a way to be productive across several stories at the same time, which will be quite the challenge ^-^'

  Oh, and I'm also studying programming at the same time <.<

  I'll keep you guys updated if the schedule ends up changing along the way.