I woke up in my room the next morning, the same everyday room inside our little base. There were many questions in my head, Kano, grandmother… and what happened to Seto. I was so concentrated thinking about everything that I didn't even notice Kido entering my room to say breakfast was ready. I hurried myself out of bed and went straight to meet everyone.

Upon reaching it, everyone was smiling and being their usual selves, Seto greeted me waving his hand, even Kano did that. I wonder what happened yesterday, don't they remember anything? I took my seat between Seto and Kano and we all began our day. I thought it would be best if less people know about what happened, so I called Seto and Kano after everyone had left.
"Seto, I want to ask you, what happened yesterday?"
"Yesterday? You don't remember what we did?" Seto's look was confused "We all went to the amusement park, remember? Shintaro got motion sick, Kano won a plushie at the shooting game, we all took a photo near the river nearby… Mary, did you really forget it all?" Seto said and I knew he would be hurt if I couldn't remember what seemed to be important memories to him
"Ah yes! It was a lot of fun. I guess I'm getting a little forgetful these days" I lied, but I guess that couldn't be helped either
"Are you sure you're not just tired, Mary?" Kano asked with a sly face, he obviously knew I was lying, wasn't he?
"Maybe it's just the heat, August sure is a hot month"
"August, summer, heat… C'mon, it's not that bad! Maybe we should go to the beach?" The beach? But it's so far away, we could never walk over a hundred kilometers in one afternoon
"It's alright! Sorry for wasting your time with such silly questions" I excused myself, hurrying to go sell some flowers

Everything was the same, just like everyday. Hibiya and Momo still bickered, Ene was having fun with her master, Konoha just as mysterious as always… Could no one remember that event? Unexpectedly, as I stepped outside the base, my grandmother appeared and everything around us became distorted with the heat.
"Are you enjoying today, dear Mary?"
"What happened to everyone? Is this the real world?"
"Real world? For you, I don't think it is, but you know... You'll come to love it"
"What do you mean? Seto said yesterday a totally different day! Did you… brainwash everyone?"
"This is the 'Never-ending' world, everyday is the same day"
"Then… I'm stuck here?"
"Another time, right now go live this day. I'll visit you again" Just as a heat haze, Azami disappeared before my very eyes and everything returned to normal, or is it normal?
I tired myself from thinking too much about what the Snake had said and nothing makes sense… Is it just a dream? Can I make it out of here? Out of a sudden, a hand touched my shoulders, I turned back to face the person. That smile, those eyes and everything about him made him suspicious, Kano Shuuya appeared before me.

"Are you enjoying this world?" Emphasizing the last word, he knew exactly what is happening. Maybe I can get some information on how to get out!
"You're working with Azami, aren't you? Tell me how to get out of here" He giggled and just said it was impossible, everything will repeat over and over "R-Repeat?!"
"Ah, I really shouldn't say too much, she's watching everything and I'm pretty sure she will repeat everything when this conversation ends"
"Kano, are you really that black cat from Hibiya's loop?" He suddenly got serious and no longer smiled
"The only I needed to do was to begin, after that, death was set to repeat everyday"
"I don't… get it"
"Why don't you just ask Azami about everything? You know I'm made of lies, perhaps you could get some lessons from me, that lie you told back there was really transparent, don't worry though, Seto believes every word you say" I remembered something Kano said yesterday, about me getting in his way…
"Kano, I know you can't answer many of my questions, but could you tell what did you mean when you said I was in your way?"
"You… Me and Seto were so happy, we would play hide and seek, tell each other stories and sleep together with Kido every night… but then, he went into the forest and when he met you, everything changed for me" I noticed some tears were forming under his eyes, although I think he's deceiving me "Yes, Seto would still be mine, all I needed to do was…" He quickly shut himself up, maybe he's really trying to hide his true colors and motives. Maybe I did break their every day life, but that doesn't mean I changed Seto! He and Kano can still like each other…

Just as Kano finished talking, as expected, the heat haze appeared everywhere and my eyes were getting darker, I could no longer see anything, my body felt numb even though my ears could hear. In the darkness I thought I heard the snakes talking to me, I understood what they said, everything would repeat forever…

I woke up in my room the next morning, the same everyday room inside our little base. Yes, it's just like 'yesterday', Kido will arrive shortly and we'll all have breakfast. They were doing the same things, the same stories and the same faces, only Kano's was different maybe he's aware of this repeating cycle. Once again, when I stepped outside, Azami appeared, this time I'll have all my questions answered!
"Grandmother… I have many things to ask, first…"
"Wait a minute, answer me one things before asking, did you enjoy yesterday?"
"Yesterday... Maybe, everyone was happy, but that's not how things work, I'll get tired of repeating everything one day or another"
"It's better to repeat everything then to lose it, right? Do you still want to get out of here?"
"Yes, I do!"
"If that's what you want… I should tell you, everyone's dead in the real world" … dead? "This world was meant to protect people whose loved ones have died in summer, mid-August…"
"I can't believe any of it…"
"Here, let me show you" Her red eyes glimmered and images started popping inside my head, I saw everyone gathered under a red sky. I saw them shouting someone's name… The sky kept getting redder, it was an omen to something to happen. Red, this cursed color that everyone knew so well, it was the color of the eyes, but it also held hope since we all have met because of it… We also gathered to exchange information but no one found what we're looking for, then Kano spoke
"Ah, I'm sorry everyone, but you've been deceived all this time" Before my own very eyes, they all were dead, that devious and malicious person could still sneer at a time like this "Was this enough? Can I truly return her and my past now?" Her… who was Kano referring to? After that, the vision ended and Azami was laughing

"What's so funny…?"
"Oh, that Shuuya boy is such a fool, he really thought I would give him that girl and his sweet childhood moments back? You know, you're the only one he didn't kill, Mary, I ordered him to"
"Why do you need me? You manipulated Kano all along, didn't you?!"
"You are my granddaughter, I couldn't kill Shion's only daughter, could I?"
"Mother… I'd rather die with all my friends than living this illusory life"
"Don't throw your life like that, I'm giving you everlasting happiness along your friends, who knows, maybe one day you'll be able to break free"

She disappeared once again, maybe I can really live like that…? I want to know why Kano's obeyed everything Azami told him to do. My thoughts were all spinning in my head, did Azami tell me the truth? The Mekakushidan was gone? I felt like crying, to give up to this despairing thought, I really thought I'd be happy if they'd never be gone, but now… I'm not too sure I want to live in such a world, it feels like they are no longer here, ghosts from my own imagination. I proceeded to search for Kano but he was nowhere to be found, was he hiding somewhere? Night eventually came, for the first time in a long while, I saw the beautiful starry sky. I returned to the base and found that Seto was waiting for me to come back, smiling his usual warm and friendly smile. I tried to hide my fear of him being dead, of this Seto being only part of my imagination.
"Mary, whatever you're worried about, don't overwork yourself, I'm here to help you!" He patted me in the head and I told all I heard from Azami, he was obviously shocked, I don't know if he believed what I told
"I know you and Kano are childhood friends, who's the girl he wants… if he was able to kill the entire gang just to have her back"
"She… our 'big sister' was Ayano" Seto seemed to be having trouble saying her name, she must have played an important role in their lives "Her family took care of me, Kano and Kido when we were younger and we really loved her, she was the first to accept our red eyes and told it was the color of a hero. One day, however, she just disappeared, we were told she jumped from a window…" He laughed a fake laugh "We were all in grief, but I think Kano took it the hardest, he… changed after that, maybe he killed 'us'? I don't really understand what might have happened"
Ayano, she really was an angel and I can understand what Kano might have felt. He's hurt, broken and I can't really blame him for wanting that person back, can I? I thought like I had to help him to get over and carry on, but could I do that? For all I knew, Kano hated me for 'stealing' Seto from him… That wasn't important, I need to save that lost child, if only I could find him…
"Seto, have you seen Kano lately?"
"He returned not too long ago, maybe you should check his room?"

I knocked at Kano's room, I didn't get a response, but I entered either way. Everything was incredibly tidy, I noticed a lot of photos of him with Kido and Seto, the biggest one, however, was one of them smiling innocently and a girl with a red scarf in the middle, was it…
BAM!
I never noticed, but Kano appeared behind me and swiftly grabbed the photo from the table, oh… he had just finished taking a bath…
"You, W-what are you doing here? I don't think I gave you permission to enter, did I?" He looked quite flustered and quite different from the Kano I knew
"I-I'm sorry! I thought you were avoiding me so I…"
"Well, I couldn't answer you, I was in the shower!" I felt my cheeks getting a little red "J-Just close your eyes for a second…" After some seconds he was already done wearing his usual clothes
"The girl from the photo, is it Ayano?" I noticed him glaring at the mention of the girl
"You shouldn't know about her, who told you about it?"
"I heard what happened from Azami, that you killed everyone because of her… she must have been a really sweet person from what Seto told me…"
"You don't even know who she was… how can you speak about her like that?" He wasn't angry, but I'm sure this conversation isn't a pleasant one for him
"Kano, I want to help you… You look hurt and confused, let me!"
"Heh… Even if you tried that, I can't be saved anymore, I have already become a monster" I never thought I'd hear him saying those words, Kano is a really mysterious human "Who would lie to his friends, trick and kill them…"
"Don't give up on hope, you just wanted your big sister back"
"That's enough. Mary, just leave my room. Maybe someday I'll be able to talk with you about everything, just not today."

I left a mourning Kano alone and went to my bedroom. Everything seemed much clearer but darker at the same time, Ayano, Kano's actions… I don't understand all of them entirely, but I want to get out of this never-ending world. Tomorrow, I want to change this.

I woke up the next morning, even though nothing seemed to have changed. Kido arrived, I hurried to the breakfast table, everyone's faces were the same… It's a shame that Seto may not remember anything at all, but that can't be helped. I took the same seat between Seto and Kano and I whispered to Kano to come with me outside after breakfast.

I didn't expect Kano to come at all, but he did though not as energetic as he usually is.
"We're going to meet Azami, aren't we…?" He asked and I nodded my head, I knew Azami would appear the moment I stepped out of the base and she did
"Mary and… Shuuya."
"You told her everything, didn't you Azami?"
"She needed to know who the killer of her precious friends was, aren't you ashamed of what you have done?"
"If that means getting big sister Tateyama back… WHERE'S SHE?!" Kano snapped at Azami, this was the first time I saw him getting this worked up. Azami just laughed
"It's impossible to get her back, you were tricked all along"
"Then why did you make me kill everyone?!"
"I needed Mary with me, together, with the power of the snakes, we can change the world into something even greater"
"What do you mean by that…? What are your plans?"
"You see, repeating the same day is not what I want, I intend to go back in time, to meet the person I love again…"
"Tch, You would even tear families and lovers apart, wouldn't you?"
"Anything, but I already have all requirements ready. Mary, together, we can rewrite history! Come with me" She was a lonely woman, but I can't allow her to do as she pleases!
"Grandmother, I can't… You became twisted with this plan and only brought pain to both yourself and the people you dragged into this dreadful world… There is no life here."
"So, you want to live with the memory of your dead friends? Do you really want that?"
"I… still haven't lost everyone" I turned to face Kano "I still have Kano with me!" He looked at me in awe, but he smiled almost immediately

The whole world seemed to have stopped save for us three, Azami was surprised to hear my words, but soon recovered her composure
"Then, how about I destroy that last ray of hope?!" I knew what she was trying to do, so I quickly activated my eye power and froze her
"M-Mary… Why did you…"
"That's not the time to be talking, we need to exit this place! But… how do we even get out?"
"Don't you remember? You entered because you wanted to, you're Azami's descendant, so there must be a way for you to exit"
A way only I know? I can't think of anything…! That moment I remembered the last conversations I had with Seto, our happy memories… Maybe, they are the answer to get out of here!
"C'mon Kano, we're going to meet Seto… one last time"

I dragged Kano along, hurrying myself as Azami wouldn't stay frozen for much longer, Seto was selling flowers, something rather rare of him
"Oh, Mary and Kano, what are you two doing here?" He… smiled… just thinking that I'll never see that smile again…
"S-Seto… I have to say goodbye" He gasped and looked really troubled "Use your eye power to read what I'm thinking, it'll make things easier…" He did it without pleasure, I knew he hated using it, but this was an emergency
"Mary… Are you sure that's the only way?" Tears started to form "I… don't want to say goodbye"
"Seto, this hurts me as much as it does to you, let's say goodbye…" I was already sobbing, this was so difficult, my chest hurt so much
"Then, take this" He put a flower in my hair "Remember our memories" I could no longer say a thing
"I'm also leaving, Seto… I probably don't deserve to say such things, but I'll really miss you"
"It's fine, Kano, you did for big sister Ayano… I want you to be happy and make Mary happy, you got that?" Seto gave Kano a final hug, the latter was paralyzed and couldn't say or do anything

Without noticing, the Snake appeared before us
"Did you think I'd let you get away that easily?!" Azami was furious and her… hair was everywhere "This time, I'll make sure I disable your powers!" All of a sudden, we three felt something have been stolen from us, a portal appeared next to us "Well… This is your ticket out of here, that doesn't matter now" And an iron pole appeared out of nowhere, heading towards us
"Mary, Kano, hurry to the portal!" Seto was… stabbed by the huge object
"… … … Seto!"

The worst sight appeared before me… Seto's death one more time… This must be my punishment, being a liar all this time. I needed to hurry and get Mary out of here though! I'm going to fulfill Seto's last wish… that's the only thing I can do. Azami was in a daze about Seto's sacrifice and this bought us time to make our escape.

Out of the never-ending world… inside a simple house made of wood, Seto once told me this was Mary's house…
"My… house? We really got out of that place?" Mary finally spoke, I nodded in agreement
"Thanks to… Seto…" Ah, I didn't have my power anymore, my tears started to fall and I never sobbed as hard as I was this time… This girl, she gave a chance for redemption.

After recovering ourselves from the whole incident, we both tried to get accustomed to the new life, I thought all this time that Mary stole Seto from me but really, it was me who pushed him away… I was blind all this time, trying to make big sister return…
Me and Mary made a sacred vow, I guess that's a marriage? I never expected I'd come to like this girl, but here I was, kinda ironic. We decided to make a burial for everyone somewhere far away. Hibiya, Momo, Shintaro, Konoha, Ene, Kido… and Seto…
"Do you think they'll forgive me?" I asked Mary
"I'm sure they understand you, Kano… Azami found a use to you, we don't need to fear her now or ever again" I pulled her next to me and we stayed there for a long time

Even if this is not a happy ending, I don't think it's entirely bad either. We both changed, gave everyone farewell and decided to live together, farewells are always so painful and I truly loved every one of them, this is not a lie. We won't ever forget their smiling faces, not even tomorrow.