Waking up from what seemed like a nightmare, I was back in my room with cold sweats running down my face. Remembering everything that happened, I shot a glance at the girl in the room and saw her sitting in the corner with her legs against her chest, her head resting on her knees. It was a rude awakening for her too, terrified of what happened.

Y/N: ...Alter Ego.

Alter Ego: I don't want to do this anymore... it hurts to remember.

Y/N: ...

Normally, we wouldn't remember, an error must have slipped its way past the one making sure to erase everyone's memory. Both trapped in that purgatory, I sighed and looked at the time. The shift was starting soon and I had no idea what to do about this danger. Plus, I don't remember much of that day after past a certain point.

Alter Ego: ...

Y/N: As much as it hurts me to say this, we don't have a choice unfortunately. We can't leave this place, we both know that.

She nodded to herself and slowly dragged her shell out of the corner of the room. Grabbing her weapon, she looked in my direction with a worried gaze. Grabbing the rifle to the side of the room, I flashed her a smile and gave her a pat on the head.

Y/N: We'll be fine. Plus, that day never happened, the clock turned back.

Alter Ego: True...

Trying to forget when remembering everything is painful and demoralizing. Being forced to know everything is a burden to the mind and after experiencing it longer than the girl beside me, my biggest wish would be to forget, to be like the others and not suffer constantly.

Alter Ego: I'll see you once this is over.

She spoke up with a broken voice, her eyes filled with images of the previous day that ended horribly. I grabbed her arm and stopped her from leaving her spot, slightly frowning. It wasn't her fault but seeing her like that was painful, more painful than those memories.

Y/N: How about we go have a chat with Hava once this is done?

Alter Ego: ...Hm?

She didn't understand what I mean, too absorbed by "yesterday" to comprehend my words. Shaking her arm lightly, I pointed a familiar voice approaching the both of us with a wide grin.

Hava: Sup, still having nightmares?

Y/N: ...

I gave her an unimpressed expression and got a quick chuckle out of her. Grabbing Alter Ego, she pulled her away and winked in my direction. Seeing her unwavered happiness gave me the little amount of motivation that I needed to go through the same day.

Hava: I'll take care of her, you go take care of your assistant!

Y/N: ...Wait, assistant?

Hava: You didn't know? They placed someone else in the Central Command team to help you.

Not saying anything else, she dragged the captain of the Security team away, now allowed to enter my department with less on my mind. Stepping inside the massive hallways of bright colors, many office workers greeted me while some were giving weird glances behind my back.

Office worker: Huh... Y/N?

Y/N: Is something wrong?

Office worker: ...Don't be surprised but there's someone behind you.

Tensing up a bit, I turned my head and saw the flashing eyes of someone intensely staring back at me. That proximity was enough to make me jump away in fear while clinging onto the worker who warned me.

???: BongBong.

The employee wearing a dark and orange outfit responded with a word that I've heard before. Still holding onto the office worker, I looked at the girl staring into my eyes. The sight of that person looking at me had something threatening that I couldn't understand.

Office: S-Sir, please let me go!

Y/N: S-Sorry, I just got scared.

Releasing the worker, I faced the employee wearing Gebura's armband and giving me a cold stare with her expressionless face.

Y/N: Do you... need something?

???: BongBong.

Y/N: ...?

She reached for the armband and ripped it off, revealing Tiphereth's armband under it. She then pointed the one that I was wearing and returned her finger to hers, telling me that we were on the same team.

Y/N: Oh, you're the new employee right?

She nodded silently and focused her eyes on me.

Y/N: I'm... Y/N, captain of the Central Command team. You're BongBong?

BongBong: BongBong BongBong.

Y/N: ...I see, nice to meet you and-

I wanted to welcome the new employee but she swiftly moved closer and stared at my face, watching me with eyes wide enough to leave me speechless. Surprised once more, I stepped away and she followed me by stepping closer.

BongBong: BongBong.

Y/N: Uh... could you, step away?

BongBong: Bong... BongBong.

Y/N's mind: I have no idea what she's saying.

Intercom: Warning! Unknown entities detected inside the facility!

Pushing her away from my personal space, I looked around and hoped to find someone that would help me but every employees avoided my gaze, not wanting to interfere with the demoness that BonBong was.

Y/N: ...

BongBong: ...

Y/N: Tiphereth! Do I have any assignments yet?!

I yelled at the top of my lungs at the small Sephirah doing her things. Hearing my voice, she turned to face me and saw my current position. Looking around for a document, she pulled one out of the pile in front of her and showed it to me from afar.

Y/N: Sorry, can't stay to chat, I have a work to do!

Using that as an excuse, I struggled out of the situation and grabbed the document. That was probably the first time that I was looking forward to a work just to get away from an employee. Sighing in relief, I ran outside of the room and made my way to the Security team.

Y/N's mind: I owe one to Tiphereth.

Free from the stare of the new employee of the Central Command team, I recollected my thoughts. All I had to focus on was the assignment and nothing else, don't worry about "yesterday", don't worry about the new agent, just keep your cool.

Y/N: *Sigh* I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm gonna need to ask Angela for a break.

That was something that I would NEVER even think of doing before but now at the end of my mental health, it would only go badly if I don't get a day without having to worry about anything. I would be fine if I wasn't forced to bear the curse of knowing everything, it wasn't made for a simple human to bear.

...Opening the door, I stepped inside the containment room and saw Red leaning on the other side, staring at me with her only eye. Upon witnessing my presence, I could feel a terrifying frown aimed at me. However, I couldn't face her and responded with a broken look, tired from everything.

Red: You're back...

Y/N: Yea...

Taking out my notes, I began my daily observation with a lack of motivation. Each words written brought back the scene of a person dying in front of my eyes. Then, it switched to something even more sadistic and forced me to remember the many times Alter Ego perished, one that is probably forced to remember the deaths that I went through.

...Then, I received a kick from the mercenary and fell down on the ground. The sounds of notes and pens landing echoed around and the culprit of this result was looking down at me.

Red: Get over yourself, you look pathetic right now.

Y/N: ...I'm not like you Red, I can't.

Softly mumbling to her, I reached for my observations and felt my own body being forced on its legs. Practically held by the collar, I glanced at the girl that was once an innocent girl. Staring back into my gaze, I knew that she was gritting her teeth behind that mask of hers.

Red: I know that you're not me, that's why I trained you, don't you remember?

Y/N: ...

Red: If something bothers you, you overcome it, that's all! If you're not strong enough, train yourself to be capable of facing it, that's what you should do!

Y/N: But I can never do anything... everyone dies and everything collapses.

Red: And? What do you do when you're not strong enough?

Y/N: ...Pray that the Manager resolves the incident?

Honestly, no matter how many times I tried, I knew that I wasn't the one that would fix everything. All was supervised by the Manager and we could only hope that nothing bad would happen.

Red: You bare your teeth and search for a way to face it, that's what you should do! So stop looking gloomy and get over yourself!

Intercom: 0 PE boxes successfully produced.

Y/N: I get it, I get it! Stop screaming at me, I'm already having a shitty day.

I replied and shook my hands to make her stop. Gathering my stuff still on the ground, the warmth that I once felt from the suit that I was wearing returned, comforting me almost. Turning around, I faced the abnormality.

Y/N: Sorry, I'm just having a really bad day so far.

Red: ...

Keeping her silence, she pointed the exit with one of her hands. Done with my business here, I nodded and left, remembering her words. On my way back to the Central Command team, I saw a large robot trying to kill employees and I took care of it on my own before finally arriving at my destination.

BongBong: BongBong.

Still there, she greeted me and I did the same. Quickly taking a seat, I dropped my head on the table and let out a sigh. Watching me do so, the employee under my care sat beside me and waited for me to comment about her choice.

Y/N: Don't you have something to do?

BongBong: BongBong.

Tiphereth: Y/N? Are you alright?

The small Sephirah asked with a slight worry, not used to seeing me like that. Of course, knowing her share of pain due to the loss of the second Tiphereth, I endured the memories and lowered my mask to give her a smile.

Y/N: Just tired, that's all.

Tiphereth: Y/N... you're not hiding anything, right?

Y/N: ...

BongBong: Lying.

Y/N: Wait, you can talk?!

Shocked to hear her something else than her name I raised my head and stared back at her. Tiphereth looked at the both of us and BongBong pointed at my face.

BongBong: Lying.

Tiphereth: So you were hiding something.

Y/N: I'm not, I swear!

Tiphereth: Y/N, if you have something to say, you should say it.

BongBong: BongBong.

Y/N's mind: And she's back to her regular self.

Y/N: Fine, there's no point hiding it from you anyway.

Giving in, I placed the pink sniper rifle on the table and leaned further into my seat, staring at the ceiling while recounting as many loops as I can remember before my brain oversaturate.

Y/N: Now that I'm forced to remember my own past, I'm slowly losing my will to even try anything. What's the point of me trying to survive if everything goes back anyway?

BongBong: BongBong?

Y/N: You should probably go do something else, you won't understand.

I asked the girl with the outfit that closely resembled Myo's but was met with a shake of the head. Taking out a piece of paper, she quickly scribbled a drawing and gave it to me. Curious, I took a peek and watched what she gave me.

Y/N: Who's that?

I asked while pointing what seemed like an old man wearing a long robe and carrying a small object in his hand. One of the eyes of the man was covered by a monocle and few bags were under them.

Tiphereth: That's... Why do you know about him?

The Sephirah was confused while many gears began to work inside my head. Finally recognizing the figure, many memories resurfaced of a man holding a clock and giving me a solemn stare. He would always wryly smile at me on our first meeting, like he was seeing something from far into the past.

Y/N: How do you know him, his department isn't even open yet.

BongBong: BongBong.

She pointed at her head and then pointed down below our feet, still carrying an emotionless expression on her face. Me and Tiphereth glanced at each other and looked back at the one that knew something unlike the others.

Y/N: ...Wait, what's his name?

Testing a possible theory in my head, I questioned her knowledge and saw her write down the answer on the same piece of paper she showed me a moment ago.

"B"

Y/N: ...B?

BongBong: BongBong.

She added an arrow beside it and added a second name on the other side of the arrow pointing to the lone letter.

"Hokma"

Y/N: ...

Now completely out of my gloomy mood, I was bewildered. Staring back at me she pointed my own head and moved her finger to point the name of the old man that has yet to show himself.

BongBong: BongBong?

Y/N: Of course, I remember him.

Tiphereth: How is that possible, I thought it was an error.

BongBong: BongBong.

Intercom: PE quota successfully reached, end of the current shift.

Tiphereth: Huh, already? It went a lot faster than before.

Y/N: Did we get a new abnormality?

No, we went back in time so nothing should have changed... or maybe something did change. More employees are starting to recover their memories and now a faster PE production, something must be happening.

BongBong: Y/N.

Y/N: H-Huh?!

Suddenly hearing my name made me jump for a bit. Facing the one calling me, I waited for her to continue but she only grabbed the sleeve of my suit before pulling me away.

BongBong: BongBong!

Y/N: H-Hey, where are you going?!

I tried to pry myself out of her grasp but she was much stronger than she looked. With that power, she pulled me outside of the department with no effort and without breaking a sweat. Only able to grab my weapon, I accepted the outcome and allowed her to take me away, unable to fight back anyway.