Chapter 1
The rain was icy, pelting my face like countless tiny needles.
Vincent Warner gripped my wrist hard, his knuckles going pale.
His eyes were rimmed red, and his voice shook so much that it barely sounded like him.
"Lucille, don't go," Vincent choked out. "Please."
My heart tightened as the system's icy countdown rang in my head. [23:59:50]
I had to make the ninety-ninth breakup happen before the clock struck twelve midnight.
I forced myself to meet his shattered gaze, every word laced with venomous calm. "Vincent, I'm tired of this."
*****
The System: [Breakup task 99 out of 100 complete.
[Reward calculation in progress. Final mission unlocking soon.]
That icy, mechanical voice was all I could hear.
The rain blurred Vincent's face. He looked like all the strength had been drained from him as he slowly let go of my hand.
Those eyes that used to shine like the night sky were lifeless and empty.
I couldn't bring myself to look at him anymore.
He had that damn look again. I wished Vincent could stop looking at me like that. One more time, and it would all be over.
I forced myself to turn around, my legs heavy like stone, and walked into the rain without looking back.
Behind me, there was a heavy thud.
My steps faltered for a moment, and it felt like an invisible hand was squeezing my heart, the pain almost suffocating me.
But I couldn't turn back. I couldn't.
Back at my apartment, I slid down behind the door, exhausted. Cold rain dripped from my hair, pooling on the floor beneath me.
It had been ninety-nine times.
Every time, I had to push Vincent away in the most ruthless way, right when he loved me the most.
And then I'd watch despair slowly consume him, bit by bit.
And I, the executioner, could only smile at him at dawn and restart this "relationship" con all over again.
I told myself that there was one more time.
After this last time, I could finally go home.
Exhaustion crashed over me like a tide. I curled up on the cold floor and drifted into a deep sleep.
When I opened my eyes again, sunlight was streaming in like always.
The air smelled like fresh grass.
I was back in my own bed, as if that storm last night, which tore me apart, was only a bad dream.
But deep down, I knew it was real.
[Good morning, Lucille.] The System's voice chimed in as always.
[Final mission (100/100) is now live.
[Mission objective: Break up with Vincent.
[Time limit: 24 hours. If you fail, both you and Vincent will be erased.]
I drew in a deep breath, steeling myself as I sat up.
This was it, the final time.
I went through the motions: washed up, slipped into my school uniform, and stepped out of my apartment like it was another ordinary morning.
I thought Vincent would be waiting for me at the corner by my apartment building, like at the start of each of the last ninety-nine times, smiling gently, as if last night's breakup had never happened.
But today, the spot was empty.
My heart skipped a beat.
I felt something was off.
When I got to the school gate, I saw him.
Vincent was standing under that massive maple tree, not reading or listening to music.
He stood there, his gaze heavy as he stared toward the school gates.
When he saw me, those quiet eyes suddenly surged with a tidal wave of emotion.
He walked straight toward me, his steps so quick that they were almost unsteady.
All the students around started glancing over, gossiping, and pointing at us.
"Isn't that Vincent, the school legend?"
"Who's that girl next to him?"
"He looks terrible. His eyes are so red, like he pulled an all-nighter."
I stood frozen, feeling the pressure as he closed in on me step by step.
No. This wasn't right.
This time, Vincent was different, unlike any version of him I'd seen.
The emotional virus left behind from those ninety-nine times seemed to erupt inside him, all at once.
He stopped right in front of me and, without warning, grabbed my wrist. His grip was so fierce that it made my heart race.
"Lucille," Vincent said, his voice rough.
"Yesterday, were you trying to avoid me?" he asked, his eyes searching mine.
A chill ran down my spine.
I wondered if he remembered.
No, that was impossible. The System had absolute power over memories. Every reset erased everything from his mind.
There was no way he could remember.
This was the hundredth time already, but Vincent's subconscious was still so sharp. The story hadn't even begun yet.
I forced myself to stay calm and tried to pull my hand away.
"Vincent, you're hurting me. What are you talking about, avoiding you? I don't understand," I replied, acting clueless.
But instead of letting go, Vincent squeezed my wrist tighter, like he was afraid I'd disappear any second.
"Don't lie to me," Vincent whispered.
He stared at me, his eyes wild and almost crazed, like he was about to snap.
"Yesterday, I had a dream. I dreamed you left me," Vincent said, his voice shaking.
My heart skipped a beat.
A dream? So, those memories the System erased had twisted into nightmares, haunting him again and again.
As I was scrambling for a response, a gentle voice called out. "Vincent? Lucille? What are you doing there?"
I looked over, only to find it was Kara Lindsey.