2 Chapter 2: I Had A Very Long Week

Dante has tried countless times to free himself from the time loop. He tried everything. Everything that could be possible, everything that could be done, even the most absurd of things.

He had spent so much time in the loop that everything led to everything that could ever happen. All the possibilities, all that ever could be have already happened to him… repeatedly.

He had stopped Boston from being destroyed countless times, and yet the loop will still reset once the time has come. There were many times he had even left the planet, and yet the curse would follow him.

He had sided with the monsters, the humans, and everyone else that existed within the realm, and to no avail. He had absorbed all the abilities he could, all the powers he could get from Magistones, and yet none was capable of freeing him from his cage.

"...I have learned everything there is to know, and yet any knowledge, be it alien or transcendent, was useless. And yet now, out of nowhere…

…I find myself free."

"Dante!"

And as the chalk he caught crumbled in his hand, the words that had already become cryptic to him finally started to make sense again. Dante looked at the person who once again called his name, which was also the direction where the chalk came from, only to see an old balding man with an uneven mustache looking at him.

"Yes?" Dante stood up from his seat; his eyes batting several times as he once again looked around him.

"Stop talking to yourself!"

"Was I?" Dante blinked, "I would do you the courtesy of addressing you with your name, but my memories are a little…

…muddled."

"...Muddled? Since when are you big with your words, Dante?" The old professor raised an eyebrow from Dante's words, "Impressive, but this is History class."

"I don't remember," Dante's eyes darted across the room as he was finally noticing things again, "But I think you've asked me the question once or twice already at some point, Professor… Gabe."

"Only my friends call me Gabe," Mr. Hudson's eyebrows were as low as they could be as he looked Dante straight in the eyes, "The last I checked, we are not friends, Mr. Liberato. I am your teacher."

"Yes," Dante nodded; his eyes still lost. But after a few seconds, he finally returned Mr. Hudson's glare, "I'm sorry, I feel drained and in need to collect myself. May I go to the clinic, Mr. Hudson? I…

…had a very long week."

"Everyone is tired, Dante. It's Friday, just sit down," Mr. Hudson shook his head as he pointed to Dante's table, "But since you're already standing up, answer this question. Who discovered the Magistone?"

"...Mikhail Volkov," Dante breathed out, "He is also the first human to absorb a magistone 74 years ago, giving him the ability to turn his skin to diamond. The man currently lives in Ukraine."

"Hm, it's good to know your mind is no longer… muddled," Mr. Hudson let out a slightly mocking chuckle, "But no, Mikhail Volkov does not live in Ukraine because Mikhail Volkov died of old age in 1974. You may sit back down, Dante."

"..." Dante stared at the professor slightly confused. But after a few seconds, he just nodded his head and decided to sit down. Before he could do so, however, his seat was pulled back, causing him to fall butt-first on the floor without any resistance.

And all of a sudden, the remaining white noise and other unintelligible sounds around him finally entered his ears… and what welcomed him was a slew of laughter crawling through the air. In fact, there have probably been people laughing since earlier, he just wasn't hearing them.

Dante turned to look back at the person who pulled his seat, only to see a blonde young man smirking and literally looking down on him.

"Aaron, that's enough!" Mr. Hudson's voice broke the peals of laughter that littered the air as he pointed at the blonde student, "And you Dante, stop staring and sit back down. You're disrupting the class!"

"...Of course, Mr. Hudson," Dante stood up, bowing to Mr. Hudson before taking his seat; this time holding it to make sure Aaron does not try to do anything again. As soon as his butt touched the chair, however, Aaron suddenly leaned closer to him and grabbed him by the shoulder… tight.

"I don't know what games you're playing here, you fucking wop," Aaron whispered violently into his ear as his grip tightened, "But you're done once the bald bitch leaves."

"..." Dante looked at Aaron's hand, before just completely ignoring him and focusing on the class to refocus and truly collect himself and his jumbled memories. Aaron Carter, he had almost forgotten about his existence. In fact, it wasn't only him, he almost forgot everyone in this class.

With Dante's last loops, he was basically running on autopilot—not even aware of whatever it was he was doing. But now, he was slowly remembering Aaron Carter and the rest of his classmates. If he remembers correctly, Dante has been leaving the class as soon as the loop restarts. But before he started doing that…

…Dante was sure there was a time when he turned insane. A time in which he had been killing not only Aaron but as well as the other students in frustration for being stuck in the loop.

He could do that again, but he wasn't in the loop anymore — he needed to be careful. He needed to be…

…human.

And so, Dante just allowed everyone to continue the class; not really listening to the lecture, but rather trying to watch his memories. His eyes, reflecting a past that seemed to be replaying before him. And should one make the mistake of looking too close into the turbulent depths within his stare, they'd be pulled in, lost…

…and finally crushed by the weight of all I had seen and felt."

"Dante! I said stop talking to yourself!"

"I'm sorry," Dante woke up from his stupor as he heard Mr. Hudson's voice once again targeting him, fully unaware he was slightly whispering his thoughts, "You may continue your class, Mr. Hudson."

"Yes, yes I will." And with Mr. Hudson's frustrated words pestering in the air, the class finally peacefully continued until he stepped out of the classroom.

Dante was also about to leave, but as soon as he stood up, he was forcefully pulled down back to his seat by Aaron.

"Where do you think you're going, Mafia boy?" And with those words chuckling from Aaron's mouth, several other students started to surround Dante's seat,

"Did you forget to give us your protection money?"

"Oh," Dante looked in amusement at the men that surrounded him, before looking Aaron in the eyes, "You were aware that I'm part of the Mafia?"

"Everyone fucking knows, you pussy," Aaron laughed, and as he did, his friends did too.

"If you know…" Dante curiously asked,

"...Then what gives you the courage to displease me?"