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Chapter 3

Penulis: Beckham
I slowly backed away to my desk, retrieved the sticky note, and added a line beneath my earlier note.

[The bathroom is safe. Still, something about it is strange. The sound of claws scratching at the door appeared out of nowhere and vanished just as suddenly. The blood-written "Help me let me out" did the same. I suspect there's another secret hidden inside. Best to keep my distance for now.]

Placing the note back, I pulled out my phone, opened the voice recorder, and tucked it close against my body.

After taking a steadying breath, I opened the door.

To be honest, countless terrifying possibilities flashed through my mind in that instant—monsters lunging at me with bared teeth, or the sight of my family brutally slain.

But when the door swung open, the living room looked perfectly ordinary.

Mom was in the kitchen, stirring something in a wok. Dad lounged on the sofa, eyes fixed on the TV.

My sister wasn't in sight—probably locked away in her room, glued to her phone again.

It was such a normal, harmonious scene that I couldn't help but doubt myself. Was the monster real? Or had I imagined the whole thing?

No. The monster could take human form. Perhaps one of my family members had already been replaced. I couldn't let my guard down, I reminded myself sharply.

Just then, Mom poked her head out of the kitchen and called, "Jason, I need to take a call. Keep an eye on this dish. Don't let it burn."

She wiped her hands on her apron and hurried off toward the balcony, phone in hand.

"Alright, got it."

Until I figured out who or what the monster was, I decided to act normal. No need to tip it off.

The potatoes and braised pork simmered gently on low heat. I gave the pot a lazy stir, added a splash of water, and glanced around.

Nothing unusual in the kitchen. Nothing in the living room either.

I kept my eyes on the food but let my gaze sweep the house in quick, sidelong glances.

Halfway through her call, Mom popped her head in again from the balcony.

"I almost forgot, add some salt and MSG," she said.

"Okay."

I followed her instructions, and by the time the dish was done, she had finished her call. Still, I hadn't noticed anything amiss.

"Strange… maybe the whole monster thing really was just a trick…" I muttered under my breath.

"What are you mumbling about? Set the table, dinner's ready," Mom said, ladling soup as she spoke.

"Alright."

The smell of the potatoes and pork made my stomach growl. I swallowed hard and turned toward the cupboard to fetch the bowls.

And the next second, a piercing scream tore from my throat.

The bowls were gone. In their place were human heads, each the size of a clenched fist.

Stacked one atop another, every head wore the same face… My mother's face.

One by one, the heads opened their cold, malevolent eyes and grinned with feral malice.

My scream shattered into nothingness.

I opened my eyes to a stabbing pain in my arm.

Yanking up my sleeve, I stared in shock at the words carved into my skin:

[[This house has monsters! Every time I'm killed, I'm thrown into a loop and lose all my memories. With each death, I mark my hand.]
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  • Stuck In A Monster Loop   Chapter 11

    If I did nothing, I would treat today like any other—pass three hours in complete ignorance, and then die.And in every loop, it would be the same: death after death, over and over, without ever realizing there was a monster right beside me.But this time… it had told me.Either the monster was unbearably stupid and found sick pleasure in watching me thrash in despair… Or it was required to tell me, in order to fulfill the conditions for killing me.Through countless loops, I had confirmed three truths:The death loop was real.The loop had a finite number of cycles.And the monster could take human form.But altering memories? That was a power I had never once witnessed.In the end, the loop itself erased my memory. With a mind wiped clean, what use was there in tampering with it further?That so-called ability was a deliberate lie, slipped in to cloud my judgment.The monster's real abilities numbered exactly three.And so did its death conditions:Anyone who learns all

  • Stuck In A Monster Loop   Chapter 10

    I remembered the long recording—how the "me" from the previous loop had read aloud the carved words on my sister's arm, his tone tinged with suspicion.Now I understood why I had deliberately spoken those words out loud back then.Even when trapped in the same loop, the clues each person uncovers vary drastically, shaped by differences in intelligence, decisiveness, and sheer luck.And Kiera's carved message… it was almost identical to the one on my own arm—only a few phrasing differences. That alone was deeply wrong.Unless… that message was something the monster had wanted us to know from the very start.Me, my sister, my father, my mother—every one of us had been nothing more than toys in the monster's hands. From beginning to end, we'd never stood a chance.It felt as though ice was sprouting from my very bones, stabbing outward, making me tremble uncontrollably.No hope. No way out. Never again. I'd never escape…No. No! I forced the panic down, clinging to reason like a d

  • Stuck In A Monster Loop   Chapter 9

    Before my consciousness completely dissolved, a spark flared in my mind.With the last of my strength, I forced out the most crucial clue in my broken and fading voice, "Bath… room…"After listening to the three recordings on my phone, I sank into thought.The third was so long I'd played it at double speed, even skipping part of the middle.Even so, by the time I'd gathered every clue and finished listening, a long stretch had passed since I'd woken up.Unbelievable… I've already gone through this many loops…"This is the nineteenth cycle," I murmured to myself. "But who knows how many times I can loop before it ends?"My mind kept circling the word bathroom.It was the last thing I'd said before dying in my previous loop. It had to mean something. It could even be the key to escaping."Could there be a hidden door in the bathroom? A way out?"I searched every inch, but found nothing."This note says there were strange noises in the bathroom, along with blood-red writing. B

  • Stuck In A Monster Loop   Chapter 8

    I stared at my sister. A chilling thought crept into my mind.If there were more than one monster, how could I be certain Kiera wasn't just one of them in disguise? In the worst case, maybe Father, Mother, and Kiera had all already been replaced, leaving me as the only real human in this house.My expression must have betrayed me. Kiera studied my face, sighed, and abruptly rolled up her sleeve.There, etched deep into her arm, were lines of text.[Monsters have infiltrated this house. Every time they kill me, I fall into a loop. It can take on the appearance of others, so never trust anyone completely. The monster kills according to certain rules. I have to figure out its pattern. Its loops are limited. If I don't find a way to escape soon, I'll be trapped here forever.]I read the words aloud under my breath."Now," she said, "do you believe I'm just like you? I've gone through this cycle many times, and from the clues I left myself before, I learned the truth—both of our par

  • Stuck In A Monster Loop   Chapter 7

    He spoke at an agonizingly slow pace, voice low and heavy, "Have you noticed… your mother's been replaced by a monster."His words made my heart jolt, though I recovered quickly.Of course. It didn't make sense for me to be the only one who'd discovered the loop's secret while my father knew nothing.So he was trapped in it too.No wonder he'd been so uncharacteristically silent at the dinner table.He must have been unsure which of us was the monster in disguise, so he hadn't dared speak.Relief eased my chest—at least I wasn't fighting this alone.I quickly told him everything I'd figured out, including my method for avoiding the monster's kill conditions.Father listened, thoughtful, before his brow furrowed."Even if we can avoid being killed… there's still one problem. We can't leave this house."I frowned, glancing toward the kitchen. "Mother" was still washing dishes, apparently oblivious to our conversation."Can't we run for it now, while she's distracted?" I whispe

  • Stuck In A Monster Loop   Chapter 6

    I ran through the possibilities in my head.Based on everything I'd observed so far, the monster's kill condition was either three consecutive exchanges in a conversation or agreeing to—or refusing—all of its requests three times in a row.If that was true, then I had a way out.Next time I faced it, I'd follow one pattern: agree once, stay silent once, refuse once.That way, no matter which theory was right, I'd dodge the condition entirely.Of course… if both guesses were wrong, I'd just have to accept my fate.Decision made, I clenched my teeth and reached for the door handle.But before I could open it, a knock came from the other side.So it had decided to come to me this time."Jason, why are you still in there? Lunch is ready. Come out and eat.""Alright," I replied, swinging the door open, agreeing to its first request."Don't just stand there, help me bring the bowls and utensils."I stood frozen, neither helping nor refusing outright. For the second request, I kep

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