AN: Surprise? I'm working on a rewrite, so unfortunately this version of the story will be discontinued.

After this extremely short unfinished chapter will be notes containing my overall thoughts, an abbreviated history of this fanfic (a more detailed one is available on the prologue), snippets of unreleased content, and bonus trivia. You may read it to see my full explanation for a rewrite.

CHAPTER 14

How Many Circles Make a Whole?

The sunbeams filtering through the curtains had only moved an inch, and the overwhelming desire to open the window and let in a new batch of fresh air was thwarted by my inability to move. I didn't know how long I'd spent counting the dust particles that lazily bobbed in the light, ever carefree in their existence, but a quick look at the wall clock confirmed it'd only been a scant minute. Oh, if time could only go by slower for me.

In the end, it all circled back to the same constant buzzing of my ears, of an uneasiness, a familiar sense of anxiousness ready to stab without remorse.

What did he mean?

It played like a broken record in my head, twitchy fingers steepled under my chin, but unable to channel it other than spacing out. There was little to no choice in the matter if I wanted to appear less conspicuous, and if I had to face the music, I would have preferred if it to be done quick and with a bit of my dignity intact. Of course, dignity was all but lost in this game we played—of close-guarded information and lives and all the little things weaved into this circle of perpetual tragedy and short-lived joys.

Although, I was getting ahead of myself, wasn't I?

Again.

"You're just going to talk Ame." I grimaced down at the device in my sweaty palm. The words rung hollow in my head, and something dropped to the pit of my stomach, inciting a new wave of nausea to bubble up in response.

I glared down at my phone again, and the mere thought of repeating this song and dance was beginning to exasperate me. The jumbled words of the chatroom crawled up my screen and faded into obscurity. There was something about douches and the bodyguards Jumin was going to assign, but that was all I got. Undoubtedly it was important talk, the problem was my brain seemed to be buffering at the moment.

Throat dry, I went off to the kitchen to grab a glass of milk. Would it help? Maybe, maybe not, but doing something could. Probably.

Hopefully.

The worst that could happen was what, a decade or so of jail time for libel and whathaveyou? It probably wouldn't be that bad, since their accommodations were quite fine compared to ours. My fingertips pressed against my eye sockets, throat thick with any number of different things I'd rather not ruminate, and I threw open the refrigerator. Carton jammed into the crook of my arm, I settled back into the cushions and guzzled the milk down, uncaring if it dribbled to my clothes.

Pausing to catch my breath, I wiped away any excess and finally, allowed an index finger to press the call button. Two rings, and then came a conspiratorial mumble which almost threw me for a loop. "About time, come on I don't have all day. Where're the goods?"

"Somewhere in Columbia," I blurted out reflexively, internally screeching because why.

"Good... ya better not lying to me," he stated in a nasally ghetto voice. "Or else, Imma send Elly's guardians at ya for inconveniencing the space cats!"

"Ain't lying to ya pal." If he wanted to play around first, then fine by me. "They're all there, nicely packaged for ya with a nice bow and everything."

"If that so, then the space cats appreciate yer services."

I held down a snort, careful not to get swept up in that chaotic energy. "It's nothing, just repaying my debts."

Seven chuckled, the sound blending into the familiar sounds of him working and the soft whirring of the CPU. A momentary pause, but it felt like an eternity. "By the way, I've been reworking the apartment's security again, so you may not be able to go out for today."

I fiddled with the hem of my shirt. "At all?"

"At all," he concurred, and murmurs ended just as they barely ghosted my ears. "Ohh, and—"

He made a weird set of noises from the back of his throat, and there were even stranger sounds of clothes rubbing against the receiver. At his continued silence, I frowned. "... What's going on?"

"Shh! Just three seconds..." He was acting shifty, was he hiding from somebody? The seconds ticked down, and then there was a relieved sigh. "Okay, good. Where was I?"

I almost wanted to laugh. "What's with the even softer whispers?"

"Oh," Seven nervously chuckled. "I was analyzing the camera footage. In secret."

"And lemme guess, you were almost caught by your maid slacking off?" I questioned, even if that was the most likely case. Vanderwood must be getting annoyed by the lack of progress with whatever Seven was assigned with, their boss was breathing down their necks. "I swear, you need to give her a raise."

Seven's laughter was too stilted to sound natural, and I could imagine him looking over his shoulders every few seconds. "I actually have other things to do, but this just kept bothering me so I did it... I hope I don't get in trouble for this."

My fingers drummed over my thigh. "But didn't you say you were working on the security..?"

"Yeah, I've got it open on another monitor." Cue the clicks of a mouse and a string of muffled computer notifications. "To be honest, I'm a little worried since I haven't been doing my agency work these past few days. That's the only reason why I'm alive... but I keep getting distracted. I'm getting greedy. I should be just be grateful that I have a place to work at..."

Another rush of air that made my eardrums tingle, and my mouth flapped uselessly.

"I'm getting ungrateful."

How matter-of-factly he said it twisted at my chest. "Maybe you could use a bit of rest? Clear your head?"

"You think? I just can't focus. I have someone's face popping up inside my head every minute..." He cut himself off abruptly, then sighed deeply. No sense in probing, I didn't want to think about it. "I should take your advice and get some rest soon."

"Set down any devices too," I supplied. "You might get tempted to open any questionable sites if you don't."

"And you've planted the seeds, missy," Seven said. "... You've been doing that a lot lately."

My heart jumped. "H-huh?"

"Little things here and there, normally unnoticed," he spoke on, a rush of words which left no room to interject. "It's on a sliding scale, but hey, what do I know?"

"What are you..?" The words were heavy on my tongue, and yet, the next came out clear. "Scaling's a rather specific assumption."

Hundreds of thoughts coalesced, each more absurd and pervasive than the last, but all containing an element I couldn't ignore. My fingers embedded themselves under the crook of my arm as I waited, anticipating the first of many nails to be hammered down.

"Are you a gambler, Ame?" Despite the levity, the off-ness of his speech set me on edge. A test? A way to get my guard down?

There was no way to know, and so I closed my eyes. "... Sometimes."

"Interesting. Well, I'm usually not."

I didn't offer a witty response or any reply, and I leaned against the couch, blankly staring at the glinting camera. My chest felt tight, stinging with the weight of his double-edged statement. I expected that he still didn't trust me after all this time, goofing around aside. Hearing it on the other hand, even implied, was another matter which made my gut churn.

I wasn't an enemy, but I wasn't exactly a friend either. Not when there was this invisible wall, and I couldn't find the strength to tear it down. Yet, there was the desire to reveal everything then and there. Begone with all the shadowy conspiracies and secrets this organization was already plagued with, and snatch the opportunity to lessen the load.

"So? What changed then?" The questions came out harsher than I intended, but I couldn't stop. "Why tell me this now?"

Give me a reason, anything. Seven's small hum frayed at my nerves. "Eh, I just felt like it."

"You—what?" My voice climbed a few octaves higher, and I stomped the urge to hysterically laugh. Calm yourself, calm yourself, please. "That's not exactly the most shining example of 'decisions to tick off my bucket list this year', you know!"

That was not calm, but for the life of me, his sudden chortle did not help matters. "Ah, never mind, I should hang up now and finish this."

What the hell? "Now listen here, you—"

"I've got so many things piled up. Chat you later!"

These dial tones were going to be the death of me. No, throwing the phone was too much, just breath in and out.

This certainly complicates things, was the first proper thing that came to mind. It had every right to, considering how it escalated the probability of things that wouldn't work for our side. Namely: Seven being in the know or hiding something, and two, how this would affect later Days.

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EXPLANATIONS:

Originally, I planned to update this story way back around the last week December 2019, a few may have noticed a tentative schedule on my profile. However, in the following week, I resigned from my job due to personal issues. I dealt with the paperwork in January, trying to come to terms with the whole situation and talking with family. In the next two months, we lost two family members (thankfully of old age, rest in peace, Lola Andreng and Lolo Joe). Then quarantine happened, and I preoccupied myself with pursuing other avenues for my career.

Now that I'm in a better mindset, I browsed my old notes and reviewed this fic as a whole. Taking a retrospective look after two years, I believe many areas could be improved upon. My writing standards have significantly evolved, and I'm making it a personal challenge to create the best version it could possibly be.

I wanted to go down the route of deleting and replacing content like I did back 2018, but considering the huge changes I'd implemented, it would have certainly confused many older readers. Besides, I do love Their Saving Grace, flaws and all. So it shall stay, and I'll likely revisit this to tidy it up.

It's also surprisingly liked? I never expected this to be popular.

I started this project four years ago mostly for fun and partially to vent, and it's gone through a lot of changes from its initial release. Writing this was a refreshing change of pace from the stress during one of the low points in my life. As cheesy as it may sound, Mystic Messenger's special to me, it helped me cope and eventually, I learned to love myself a bit more.

Even now, seeing this makes me tear up. Thank you to each and everyone who followed, put this on your favorites list, left a review, put it in their communities, and even to those who opened it out of curiosity.

That said, I'll be breaking down a couple problems I saw that led to me proceeding with a rewrite.

1.) Tense switching, grammar, and formatting. It's not as bad as it could have been with the past versus present mix-up and some misspellings, but when it's there, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Formatting will be adjusted for the rewrite, such as limiting the usage of underlines and italics to where it would matter, but will remain mostly the same.

2.) The execution of the essential plot points was messy at best. I'll be remedying most of these for the rewrite.

(2.1) The set-up of the Zen encounters and his weird behavior plus Seven's suspicions were the worst offenders. It was less-than-subtle and did not fit their personalities, going into complete headcanon territory that was at odds with the rest of the story. I also had this unrequited love triangle (Seven - Ame - Zen) since she was going to be heavily involved with those two, but with the way the narrative was heading, it would neglect the other characters' importance in the upcoming events. Not only that, I was seriously contemplating adding ship teases for both Unknown and Yoosung, which weren't bad on their own, but that would be disingenuous to my original intent. Namely, platonic friendships and the nuances involved.

(2.2) The existence of Echo Girl and the Choi Sisters was the second biggest plot thread, next to the crisis of surviving Mint Eye. Jumin, Jaehee, and Yoosung had big roles to play here, but with how rough I planned this one out and thanks to my fixation on the issue mentioned above, it was going to be a huge let-down. Vanderwood would also have a prominent role later on, alongside returning OCs in preparation for inevitable Mint Eye clash. The plan was the eventual intersection of routes, but parsing through my notes made me realize how janky I'd done it in the timing department. The amount of information I'd need to cram would each be battling for prominence, not giving them a chance to shine, thereby not giving the dread a chance to settle in.

(2.3) The scene where Ame writes her new perspective in her journal came way too early, thus lessening the impact of it. I could have definitely moved it to around after the 'blue rose discovery' scene to balance the pacing.

(2.4) Seven giving Ame money was revised multiple times to make sense (the newest reason is that it's an advance payment/a bribe for her silence), but either way, this was a poor idea. It introduces the shopping segments, which would have cast more suspicion on Ame. It could have been remedied by her buying a suitcase to establish she was just picking up her baggage from her hotel, but then that leads to more plot holes such as "Why didn't she just stay in said hotel since she given an all-clear by Seven to get out?" This is a big deal since it's one of the foundations of their shaky relationship.

(2.5) The language barrier idea wasn't properly fleshed out. The usage of (...) was awkward, and thinking about it more, Ame should have relied more on Google Translate.

3.) The inclusion of canon dialogue and meshing of chats should be lessened for original content. It's still a pivotal part of the fanfic, but as it stands I don't want this to be a retreading with only bits of deviations sprinkled in. On the other side of the spectrum, I don't want to go overboard like I did with chapter 6's Love Cutie Precure Messenger segment. In the future, references and information from newer content (the official webtoon, DLCs, intro chats, Another Story, and so on) will be included, but carefully picked.

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SNIPPETS:

(Beginning of a three-way call between Zen, Jaehee, and Ame on Day 6)

A feature added by Seven after the blue rose scare at the behest of Ame. Would have served as the prototype for a group call feature, which would have been used as a Chekhov's Gun in the future. Will likely incorporate this into the rewrite.

"Hello? Jaehee, Ame, you hear me?" Zen's tone was harried, uncertain after a couple seconds of silence. "Hello?"

"... I am here, Zen," Jaehee thankfully answered, as if sensing my hesitance.

I curled up in bed, cuddling the pillow as tight as I could. Quietly, I let out a tired huff. "Hi."

"Oh! Looks like it works." The relief caused me to huddle even deeper. It was me who asked despite knowing it would cut into his work time, yet with the coldness that permeated the call, the longer I wallowed, the more tears would prick at my eyes again.

Honestly, it shouldn't have had come to this.

"For Seven to code this in a matter of hours is quite impressive. Especially since he is already working on another that needs immediate attention." The clink of tableware preceded the soft sipping. "On that note, are you doing well, Ame?"

Zen's confused little noise cut me off. "Jaehee? Why..?"

Before misunderstandings happened, I jumped in. "Could you please tell him I'm more comfortable talking in English? I don't think I have the brainpower left to start talking in another unfamiliar language."

Bless her soul, Jaehee made a sound of confirmation and calmly repeated my request in Korean, or at least I hoped so. They exchanged rapid-fire words, Zen's voice becoming increasingly softer by the second in contrast to the steady alto of our resident secretary. We were all quiet, the only indication that the line hadn't cut was static-like effect produced by our out-of-sync breathing.

Somehow, it was relaxing.

"We're here if you need us."

(Confrontation between Unknown and Ame on Day 7)

Too many factors work against this scene, it's missing bits and pieces, and the ending needs to be reworked. The eventual transition to English banter below is awkward since they could understand each other just fine in Korean. Will revamp this.

The man was casually brushing himself off while he stepped inside, glass crunching under his boots. It took all of my self-control to not just bolt out the place—damn all the possible risks. "Hello there, miss. I'll be with you in a moment. It'd be bad if you stepped on the glass."

I gripped the frying pan tighter to prevent my shaking from becoming worse.

"This was the only way to remain undetected from the thermal sensors," he absentmindedly noted to himself, and I let an imperceptible smile flash on my face for half a second.

His red and black color scheme really reminded me of Seven, but it couldn't be more glaringly different. The black mask covering half of his pallid face brought attention to those red-rimmed light green eyes—eyes that were supposed to be gold and bright—an obvious sign of lack of sleep and drug usage. Despite his willowy figure and his bleached hair with red tips being reminiscent of a few K-Pop stars, his steps bore confidence that made me subconsciously shiver.

"There," he remarked, walking over to the adjacent couch with a genial look in his eyes. "Do you know who I am?"

The script was in use, and fingers were crossed. "You're the person who brought me here, the one who sent the email, and also… the hacker."

If I wasn't paying attention to his every movement, I might have missed the strange glint in his eyes. "Smart lady."

I kept mum as he looked around.

"Wow, it feels so strange to see it like this." My teeth were short of grinding at the tension the young man was playing oblivious to, muttering to himself like that. As if sensing my discomfort, he shot me a rather convincing eye-smile. "So, how was the email I sent? It is an invitation."

I knew he was keeping watch on the chatroom and my activities since day one, so there was no way he didn't know. Well, if it's this game he wanted to play, best go along for now.

I pasted on a polite smile. "Unique."

"Our paradise, where everyone is happy… Magenta of our hopes and dreams..." The crinkles around his eyes increased as he cited part of the email's contents, and the expression seemed a bit more genuine. "I've come to take you there. The RFA is only filled with false hope, especially with those two lying men named V and Luciel."

The venom in his voice had all but struck me. Despite all that, my mouth moved. "How do you know?"

It wasn't a straightforward case of absolute lies versus truth. Of course, I couldn't exactly fault him for his beliefs since he was a victim of unfortunate circumstances.

"The party you are planning with the RFA is fake," Unknown responded in a matter-of-factly tone. "That's why I must invite you all to the real party and get rid of those traitors."

But they aren't! I wanted to scream, but my jaw clenched at his pointed look.

"I'll be starting with you."

Seeing as he hasn't moved from his position, he's probably content with observing me try not to squirm. I'm not sure whether to be grateful or terrified. "And how are you so sure I'm coming with you?"

Unknown chuckled lowly. "Sorry, but you don't have any say. You entered the RFA because of me, and thanks to me, you'll be able to get out."

So an 'out of the frying pan, and into the microwave' type of deal? Sorry buddy, I ain't interested. The thought was on the tip of my tongue, and I collected my thoughts and went for a different approach. "I think I'm good where I am. Besides, I'd rather not get another surprise of a lifetime like the first day."

Unknown raised an eyebrow, but not before long, he shook his head and sent me another eye smile. "You may not understand this now, but this is all for us to live in heaven. You will be happy in the end too."

Dammit, he didn't take the bait. I shifted from my position uneasily, flying through each and every next step to make and discarding new ideas and responses as fast as I made them. If this was how it's going to be then: "I'm not going anywhere, and you're not going anywhere either. Seven's going to come soon."

I'd expected a deadly glare my way, and it did come, but the intensity of it still made me unconsciously back away. "I expected you to resist… but you saying that filthy name is making me go insane."

I swallowed hard.

"Why are you... that name? That man… he won't come. Even… does, he's… too late," he rambled on, voice a tad lower than normal, as if he was making an effort to not go hysterical.

"Seven will…" I edged in, stopping when he looked as if he was two seconds away from charging right at me.

"He won't," he grounded out, barely able to keep a level voice. "I will cleanse you of your false faith, and show you true paradise."

My knees were close to buckling, but instead a hand trailed over the couch in faux-calm. I needed to preserve a balance of keeping him 'sane' and angering him just enough so that he could possibly slip. It was a hard pill to swallow, but if it meant clearing my suspicions once and for all, then so be it. If it doesn't work, I could only hope for the best and for Seven arrive.

It's the only thing I could do at this point.

"How are you going to show paradise to me, an outsider to your world?" Appealing to the idea might for the best at the moment, especially since he was a lot more vulnerable.

Unknown stiffened for a second, but quickly caught himself. His expression visibly smoothed out, though he couldn't hide the twitch of his hands fast enough. "It's like I said, it's best if I explained it to you when we get to Magenta. I'll need days to explain all the good things about Paradise."

The words were jumbled, but please let it work. "Anything about it's fine. My… abrupt arrival here still confuses me."

"If you are suggesting that… convinced to join, then, you're… arrogant than I thought," he sneered at me, and I only just managed to stop myself from rolling my eyes.

Alright then, change of plans.

"Nah," I replied, raising my arms in a placating gesture for effect. "I'm just curious. There is that saying that goes 'fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me', and I'd very much like to know what I'm getting into unlike before so humor me, would you?"

An unreadable look swept across his eyes, but they disappeared as soon as they came. Then, he scoffed. "You are quite the stubborn woman."

A slight accent, but barely noticeable. Impressive, but considering his guardian, she might have thought it an asset for him to learn. My expression remained stuck in that thin veneer of politeness, but inside I almost whooped for joy. Unknown – 0, Ame – 1, and let's keep this ball rolling.

"I get that a lot."

Unknown cocked his head to the side, regarding me like a petulant child. "Endless parties, overflowing love, joy without pain. Reality is ugly. There is nothing good about this world, and this is why Mint Eye exists."

Your organization is all built on lies. "Sounds like a dream come true. Your PR team did a great job there." The sarcasm rolled off my tongue, but he either ignored it or didn't notice.

"The RFA only establishes a stop-gap solution," he faltered briefly, looking as if he'd swallowed a lemon and forgot to spit out the seeds. "Those two are pulling everyone along, and they will be punished soon enough for their transgressions."

Not if I can help it. "You keep telling me this, but I haven't seen enough to distrust them yet."

"They're good at hiding things. That is why you shouldn't resist me, Ame." I shivered at his gaze. "Or do you prefer Lane?"

Recoiling, I then lowered my head. The score's tied. "You've been watching even that..?"

"Naturally…" A lump suddenly formed in my throat at his narrowed eyes, the impatience finally showing through. "That's why you shouldn't fight me. I will save you."

(Insert dialogue about the blue rose and the looping camera trick he employed to hide)

Unknown had drawn out his clapping, until he finally felt satisfied and lowered his hands. I edged closer to the couch, gripping it like a lifeline. My mouth was open, trying to find words and failing as my brain stuttered like a failing engine. He observed my floundering with an undeniable smirk under that mask, and the heat grew stronger—

Before anyone could even blink, a robotic voice echoed in the room, shattering the last semblance of calm between us.

'The special security system has been act—deact—act—act—'

"What is this?" Unknown froze, and my relief was short-lived when he snarled. "You've distracted me."

The temperature went down a notch, and the calm truly slipped back into a watery grave, leaving chills and stranding me in depths I dared not tread.

"This sounds… that means… than expected," he spoke so quietly that I nearly couldn't hear it, and the mechanical sounds reverberating from the hidden speakers inside the apartment weren't helping. "Shouldn't have… thoughts…"

He cradled his head, staggering backwards. I fought the urge to hold him and pet his hair, and stood my ground.

"Seven's here," I blurted out, if only it could stop him just short of writhing on the floor, like the guilt which prickled at my heart.

'The special security system deactivated…'

He hissed and sent me one of the most hate-filled glares I'd seen. "Shut up."

Don't you dare, Ame, don't do it! It pained me to have to shut my mouth like this. Only another minute or two was left for Seven to come in, and I just needed to stall. "Unknown, you—"

"Enough of this," Unknown said sharply.

I instinctively stepped back at his approach, and I forced every fiber of my being into brandishing the frying pan at him in what I hoped was a threatening manner.

'The special security system has been activated…'

"Don't come any closer!"

Breaths came out quick, as fast as I circled around the couch. We jerked left and right just as the other did in a treacherous parody of tag, with the rather unfortunate consequence of being bodily handled. His longer limbs were making it hard to maneuver, especially when I swatted his hands that kept targeting my ponytail. I dodged his hand again, hastily thrusting the pan in his general direction.

I couldn't hurt him too much. What do I do?

With a grunt and a surprising burst of strength, Unknown gripped the couch and pushed it aside. I flailed, and Unknown dove sideways so he wouldn't get hit. Using his moment of imbalance, I threw a desk lamp. It sailed a few inches away from his head, and he rolled behind the kitchen island. Luckily I discarded all the knives, but that didn't deter him when he launched plates towards my direction.

One crashed behind me in a spray of broken shards. The next thing I knew was the sharp pain on my head, and I spun, waving the pan with a garbled cry. Stars burst behind my eyelids, and I narrowly avoided tripping on the wire of a fallen lamp. Kicking the remaining pieces of the vase that hit me where I wouldn't cut myself, I narrowly avoided the books that toppled down.

He was aiming for the damn bookshelf. Gritting my teeth, I bit down on my desire to shriek multiple curses at him.

My second of inattention had me jolt.

No.

Unknown flipped the translucent cover of the sleek black remote, a finger hovering over the red trigger.

"You wouldn't!" I cried out in a panic.

Unknown was heaving and sweating at the exertion, the weapon in his hand was trembling, the only reason why it likely missed by a large margin. I wasn't any better, the pan was slick between my palms.

'The special security system has been deactivated…'

Slowly, he moved closer, eyes blazing.

"I could kill you here." His breath rattled, strained yet violent in its bluntness. I could see the storm of cold rage and indifference in his eyes, amalgamating into a glint of madness that spoke volumes of his thoughts. "But, we wouldn't want that, do we?"

'The special security system has been activated…'

A tiny, selfish part of me was ready to close my eyes and let it all blow to kingdom come. Just one more push, and this could all end. The vain wish of helping and hoping that what I do could lead me to home, despite the fact that I had no obligations to do so apart from familiarity was all I had, and even that was fucking laughable now.

Everything was a nightmare.

Yet, as much as I wanted to be done with this shit, the faces swam into my mind. The lady with the messy kids, Daejung, the guard who laughed—

I couldn't. I just couldn't.

'The special security system has been act—act—act—de—act—'

Time wasn't a luxury I had anymore. I could imagine Seven's panicked face, and all I could give was a feeble apology. The pan dropped to the ground with a resounding clang of steel.

Unknown advanced towards me with a growl, leaving at least two steps between us. I gave him a wane smile, resigned to fate as I knew it.

This was it then.

Shadowed eyes stared at me, as if searching for—fear? Desperation? Something else? I didn't know. There were many things I still didn't know. He pulled me, and I offered no resistance. We stepped over glass, and while it stabbed into my bare feet, I couldn't care less.

Ah, there was one thing I do know by heart.

I'd failed.

(Cockroach freak-out call to Seven on Day 8)

A shipping moment following a heavy fight between the Ame and Seven. and one of the building blocks for a heavy decision in the future. I was looking forward to including this in the fic as it's my favorite call (mostly because I personally relate and partially for the comfort aspect of it), but for now you guys can have this preview. Will definitely include and refine this scene in the new version!

There was movement from the corner of my eye. I stopped scrolling down my contacts, completely vested in glaring at the corner where I last spotted it.

The next moment, I leapt towards the bed with a strangled shriek at the flutter of wings and the silhouette zipping towards me. Tangling with the sheets, I threw myself under them with another cry, only daring to peek when the sounds made by the damnable flying cockroach ceased.

Normally, and even when I cleaned the apartment, no pests appeared! What the hell gives?!

My eyes darted to and fro, internally screaming and mostly squirming when I saw the window was left half-ajar. Because of course it was, and oh no, please don't go here.

I didn't know whether to start crying or laughing. I couldn't take the little buggers, the sensation of their legs running across my arms sent shivers down my spine, and an up close and personal view of one just inches before my face even years past made eyes sting. My little sister would laugh, but she's a hypocrite who runs when the pest starts thinking it's a butterfly. In the silence of the room, the absence of my family's light-hearted jabs and my erratic breathing were pronounced. With no one to crush it with their sandal nor scare it away, my heart squeezed, and I just froze.

It was perched atop my lamp, its antennas waving wildly and facing my direction.

"Please go away, terrorize someone else," I croaked.

As if mocking me, its wings buzzed to life. My whine was stuck in my throat. Seven was next door, but I couldn't just bother him, not after what happened.

I didn't want to continue hiding, because that meant it would be out of sight. I couldn't afford that, not if it would suddenly sneak up on me. Shifting, I wound the blanket tightly around me, and although I was breaking out in goosebumps, I stared down at the menace.

Then, I jolted when a voice grounded out: "I thought I told you not to call me?"

Glancing at my phone a few inches away, I saw Seven's portrait on display. Had I accidentally called him?

Not the time, I didn't want him on top of this! Torn between snarking and begging, what came out was a soft: "Sorry, just end the call, it was an accident."

A couple seconds passed, the skittering creature now lurked at the edge of the desk. I couldn't just try throwing books at it, and my sneakers were against the closet on the other side. Please go away, please go away, and I honestly squeaked when Seven asked if I was alright. Why hadn't he dropped the call?

"Ame," he called out firmly.

"Do I sound like it?" That came out hysterically, and I breathed in deeply before he could respond. "No, I just—look, go back to your work and don't mind me."

"I don't think I can right now. What's going on? Do you need something?" I would have appreciated the touch of concern, but the moment was woefully broken when the cockroach flew up and bumped towards the wall near me. Whatever Seven said was drowned by my frantic shouting, dizzy and accompanied by cold sweat that had my teeth chattering. I balled my fists, whimpering.

A loud bang—the door—and Seven's presence was both a blessing and a curse.

"Ame?"

Nothing like that cold tone from before, and so, the thin remains of my composure broke. "H-help, get rid o-of the cockroach!"

His high-pitched disbelieving echo of my words nearly made me laugh, but the fast pitter-patter of his socked feet on the floor growing faded had me counting down each excruciating second. Seven rushed in a minute later. "Come on, go to the living room."

"I can't!" I hissed.

A pause. "Trust me, it won't get to you. Just run to me."

Sniffling, I peered out of my cocoon to meet those golden eyes.

(An unused chatroom lines for memes.)

Nothing much to say here, aside from the probability of working it into the rewrite.

Ame: lol and I thought a company director would be the straight laced kind. Or maybe he's actually one of THOSE...

ZEN: Pfft, I'd be willing to get close to his cat when that comes true.

Yoosung: What are... 'those'? O_O

Jumin Han: Then get to it, Zen.

707: Bwahahahaha

Ame: Nothing much, Yoosung ;)

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TRIVIA:

*The thief in chapter 5-6 is the stalker guy in Zen's route, the one who was peering into his window like a creep. If he hadn't encountered Ame and if she hadn't lent him money, he would have followed canon.

*In chapter 10, Yooaung mentions that he's getting food from a couple friends. Jongmin of the Meteorology Gang is acquainted with one of Yoosung's gaming friends, and has recently started playing LOLOL. His girlfriend Eugene (one of the guests) is using his connection to try to bribe Yoosung with takeout ramen to become a member of the club.

*One of the first (and unfortunately gone) drafts for Their Saving Grace had an SI!Rika.

She wakes at the beginning in the Casual/Deep timeline, trying to stop Magenta while forced to play the 'Savior' role so nobody from Mint Eye suspects her actions. It's inspired by fellow FF author Clemerl's prompt of: "A character possessing the antagonist and had to do the wrong thing to protect the main character." It would have been a deep dive into the happenings within the cult; such as the disturbing nature of Rika and Saeran's relationship that causes stress in the SI as she continues to manipulate him, struggles with V who she knows is spying on her, a look into Rika's personal journals and interactions with Disciples, etc. Down the line, the SI would form a tentative bond with default MC who only knows her by the name Moon, and we'd get glimpses into the RFA's lives. This is also where the title of the fic originates!

*The mystery behind Ame's sudden appearance is quite convoluted and lengthy which I've completely scrapped it in the rewrite, so I may as well share it here.

Long story short, it's the Reset Theory cranked up to Greek tragedy level, where MC's (the default one) first death triggers her desperation and the looping to reach a Good Ending for everyone. In the end, she ends up sacrificing herself because nothing she does changes anything or ends with someone's fate turning worse. The world goes back to square one, with Ame replacing her role. The plan had been to release this as a one-shot titled "Their Silent Gamble" after chapter 25, where during the events of the SE, Unknown confesses that he knows of Ame's origins because of time travel shenanigans.

If you want to know more, bear with me.

Everything starts normally, and the MC goes with the flow like canon. Things go a little awry, culminating in a Bad End. She ends up making a wish to a mysterious voice in her head as she's dying to 'help everyone get a happy ending'. This kick-starts the resets, attempting to achieve her wish and failing each and every turn. Seven remembers, and depending who she was last with, that person also remembers echoes of their time together.

MC eventually notices that if either Rika or V dies/ends up unhappy, the world resets even if she succeeds in helping the RFA. So she keeps going, getting stopped by Seven who is becoming more jaded and frustrated by the looping. This surprises MC, as she didn't expect anyone to remember and feeds into her growing guilt complex. It's eventually revealed that it was Seven's 'route' where it all started, where Unknown killed both of them. MC and Seven fight, the latter trying to convince her to let it go and stop hurting herself, but MC refuses.

We get glimpses of MC's old life as she progresses through desperation and dwindling sanity, where she was an neglected child who developed her self-sacrificing kindness because making others happy made her feel like she belonged. She's starting to get tunnel vision, where other than the RFA and others close to them, anyone else is merely a means to an end.

Decades go by without success. Seven has shut himself off from her, only playing along in an effort to stay sane and in his slowly crumbling hopes of saving his brother.

MC accepts the blame.

After one particular reset where she decides to try and work from the shadows and ends up as the scapegoat during a buy-bust operation (she was trying to cut off Mint Eye's drug supplies and trying to convince a big name to her side), she is executed. The mysterious voice makes an offer as she time slows and rewinds. It can take away Seven's memories in exchange for something valuable to her.

With her unstable mentality, MC makes a desperate gamble. She knows that this voice has ulterior motives, but if it's for the RFA's sake, she has nothing else to lose.

Another reset. The now-memory wiped Seven notices a mysterious message on his phone.

"I know you're a selfish man, and I am even worse. But don't worry, I know I've caused you pain, so I removed it all. You're free now."

Even if he doesn't know why, Seven cries.

MC gives herself up to Mint Eye in this timeline after the fifth. Rika is slightly aware since MC had the most interactions with her last time. Though Rika doesn't know the full circumstances, she knows that a power like this comes with a heavy price and wants to figure out a way to use it to bring her plan to fruition. In the end, MC provokes Rika into killing her after not cooperating.

The world resets, only there is no more MC. So it works to corrects itself, and Ame blinks into the new reality. MC's life for a clean slate and a person who can understand them all, for without her as the source, a loop wouldn't exist.

I was also going to write a companion fic called "Transient Secret Garden" detailing that Saeran's experiences and how he remembers (a twin is a half after all). This would factor into the Clean Slate world, where Saeran is being supremely active as Unknown and trying to influence events while protecting his clueless brother. Even if MC doesn't know it, he owes her for the brief moments of happiness and feels sorry for her. He is the only one who remembers MC existed at all and he hopes Ame won't go down the same path.

Zen would also remember fragments of it thanks to his future sight being overworked from the new possibilities in front of him, which would serve as an explanation as to why he's acting odd at times.

I still honestly like this idea, I was imagining this in my head as a existential horror kind of deal. I'll probably revisit this in the future.

*The POV character in the prologue is default MC.

This is the end of an era, but we will see each other again. Thank you for sticking around, and I hope you come with me as we explore new horizons!

Stay tuned for the rewrite titled: Daydreaming Lutalica.

August 18, 2020.