Hikaru expected more resistance to what he had in idea considering his family. Being the grandson of a yakuza leader, he expected Masuki to reject his plan to go to Italy. Though he did hear his father shout in protest, but after a round of his mother's nagging, Shunji stopped and couldn't do anything but watch sadly as Hikaru boarded the car that will take him to the airport.

He couldn't possibly propose the thought of going alone, so he decided to take Li with him. It sparked protest from Byakuya as he also wanted to go along. It took a while before Hikaru managed to convince the other to settle down in the compound.

It was a surprise on how his relatives didn't ask for the reason on why he wanted to go to a far-off country.

When they arrived at the airport, Hikaru expected it to be a normal airport. But alas, what he saw was a private land that had a few planes on it. Just from the buildings, he could see the crest of the Fujimoto and thus was baffled at the thought that their family was rich enough to own private planes.

He boarded the plane silently and accepted the shocking fact that was revealed to him. Though he originally planned to go to a public airport, boarding a private plane would be more beneficial for him. In that way, he could have less exposure to the public.

"I heard from the boss, but what exactly are you planning to do in Italy?" Li had been with Hikaru since he was a baby, and knew that the boy wasn't one who liked trips. Rather than loitering around, Hikaru preferred staying inside the compound after the time where he became lost and ended up with the Hibari's.

Hikaru was watching the clouds outside the plane's window, his gaze faraway. He had an headache the first few hours of the flight, but after a while, he had adjusted.

"If I say that there is an evil mafia group doing experiments on children, would you believe me?" Hikaru said and turned his stare to Li. Without batting an eye, he said those string of words that brought out an expression of shock on Li's face.

"Somehow believable, but what about it?" Li took a few seconds before he replied, and with an equal serious expression he looked at the other.

"If it's true, are you going to ask why I knew such information?" Hikaru maintained a blank expression. He didn't want to expect, assume or even hope. He could just wait for Li's answer.

"I'm just an employed mercenary. As long as the boss pays me, I keep my mouth shut of private matters." Li closed his eyes and decided to take a nap since it would be a few more hours before they would reach their destination.

With his eyes closed, Li didn't see the rare look of shock that crossed Hikaru's face after what he said.

And followed after that was a smile that quickly disappeared as soon as it was shown.

Ever since he discovered that he was reborn in the khr world (again?), he kept having dreams.

Dreams of multiple failures, and the outcome of his actions that brought about the destruction of the world. Because he made drastic changes, the world didn't hold on and ended.

And he watched as the world ended, with him the only one left to remember.

But in those multiple failures, the first one undoubtedly hurt the most. Because it was abrupt and unseen by him. Without even knowing what he did wrong, that world, their worldー story ended.

Because that first failure was so similar to his current life. He was Hikaru then, and Hikaru now.

He didn't understand why he was repeatedly tormented like so. He thought he would be stuck in a never-ending loop.

At first he was a normal young boy born in a yakuza family, carrying the name of Hikaru.

Then he became a woman, working for the underworld, the mafia.

A child soldier, taken by human trafficking. Born in the battlefield and died in it.

A sickly female who could see the future. A seer bearing no name, used by the mafia family that owned him.

A simple lackey, it was when he had given up hope of even finishing, of even dying permanently.

And many more names had carved itself on his soul.

Dieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーdieーrebornーfailーfailfailfailfailfailfailfailfailfailfailfailfail...

He didn't know how long he needed to repeat. How long he needed to repent for that failure. How many more lives he had to live through.

Long long ago he might have cared, he might have cried and screamed as he went crazy for dying so much, for trying so much.

Something inside him snapped at that time. It might be his emotions, or his attachment, he didn't know. He didn't want to know.

He wished he can forget, if he can forget then he could live as a sheltered boy. A normal boy within his unusual family.

His head hurt, his heart hurt, his very soul hurt.

It was like it was screaming for him to not let go.

And so, Hikaru woke up.

His soul woke up, with all of its memories. It felt like his head would split when he did so.

But when it stopped, his grief and regret also died. Because he finally remembered everything.

"I will be the one to end it all. The one who will end this loop. And I will be the one to start this journey."

He will give the characters of this world their happy ending.

And by doing so, he will break the cycle and be free of this loop.

Qui will move on and live happily in this world, die with the happy ending and then move on to another.

Because that is who they are. That is what he is.

That is his essence.

「A wandering soul.」

A/N:

Some explanations here for people who are confused.The first cycle, is Hikaru in Palingenesis. They claim Akari as one of their Origins or original life. The abrupt ending can be considered as the world collapsing or something like that.After Hikaru died, he lived through many many lives in the KHR world to the point of going insane.Then with no memories, he was born again in the real world as the girl in chapter 1. The rest is as you know.This chapter can be considered as Hikaru's soul waking up. Him remembering everything he has gone through the thousand of lives he had experienced. This is the reason why he was so experienced and calm in fighting.Also, other stories of Project Light contain tidbits of information on who Qui is. If you're really curious then best check out my Origins book.Next chapter will feature Vongola Nono, hahaha