Mo Kong lived in a rooftop attic of an old residential complex. The place was a mess. Bedding was bunched up. Cigarette butts and Coke bottles littered the floor. A stale, rotten smell hung in the air.

"Here." He handed Autumn Ease a brand-new set of women's clothes. The tags were still attached.

Probably the cleanest thing in this whole apartment...

Autumn Ease shot him a few surprised glances. "Bro," she murmured, "who knew? You’re into cross-dressing?"

"Huh?" Mo Kong paused, then chuckled softly. "You’re overthinking it. These are for someone else."

"For someone else?"

Mo Kong didn’t answer. He silently stepped outside to wait while she changed. Autumn Ease wisely didn’t press further.

The outfit was a one-size-fits-all dress. It fit her perfectly.

This might actually be Autumn Ease’s first time wearing women’s clothes...

Even though she currently looked like a girl, it still felt weird. Her lower half felt chilly, utterly insecure.

The black tight combat suit under the skirt looked odd too.

Autumn Ease glanced around. She grabbed a long robe hanging by the bed and draped it over herself. The robe was fairly clean—just a faint smell of smoke, nothing else.

Covered by the robe, she looked normal enough. At most, like she was wearing black leather thigh-high stockings...

"I’m done."

"Mm." Mo Kong sized up the changed Autumn Ease. He gave a slight nod, then looked away.

Strangely, most men wouldn’t stay so calm seeing Autumn Ease like this. Her beauty could’ve toppled kingdoms in ancient times. Any guy would stare. But Mo Kong treated her like anyone else.

A man like that? Either he was gay... or his heart belonged to someone far more important.

"Let’s go," Autumn Ease shook her head. "We’ve got over ten hours, but better arrive early. Might find something unexpected."

"Got it."

Mo Kong stripped all the food-delivery gear off his electric scooter. The bike instantly looked sleeker, less clunky. He swapped the battery upstairs for a fresh one. Once ready, they set off.

What awaited them in the city’s south? Autumn Ease didn’t know. But the wind whipping her face gave her a sense of foreboding, like the chill before a storm.

Would a brutal fight be waiting?

Her other self must’ve recovered by now...

Come to think of it—were those screams during each loop his voice?

The small city wasn’t big. They reached the southern district quickly.

A large, developed beach stretched here, often crowded with tourists. But the south also had a small dock and warehouse zone. Since the city’s port trade wasn’t thriving, the area stayed quiet most days. Many warehouses stood empty. Unloaded shipping containers were scattered around, doubling as free shelters for drifters and dockworkers.

Seagulls cried overhead. Waves lapped against the harbor shore. Only a few small boats were moored, making the place feel even lonelier.

Autumn Ease sat inside an abandoned container, away from others. She’d yawned countless times on the ride. Even if danger struck now, she doubted she could stay fully alert.

"Autumn Ease, notice something strange?"

"What?" She adjusted her earpiece lazily. The morning sun felt too cozy. She just wanted to curl up and sleep.

Right now, she felt like she’d pulled an all-nighter at an internet café. All she craved was rest.

"It’s past 5 a.m., but you haven’t changed back to a guy."

"Eh? Oh... weird..." Autumn Ease finally realized. She’d been too exhausted to notice.

"Has something changed again?" The bracelet on her wrist flickered faintly, scanning her body.

Mo Kong, scruffy-faced, sat beside her. He stared at the sea. "Yi Ye, if you’re tired, sleep for a bit."

"Huh? Oh... okay..." Autumn Ease didn’t catch the name at first. Then she nodded drowsily and closed her eyes.

She was dead tired. She curled deeper into the container. The metal floor was cold, but as the sun rose, warmth seeped in.

It felt like being in a microwave, honestly.

She pulled her robe tighter. "Wake me if anything happens," she mumbled into the comms. "You guys handle watch duty..."

"You really make it easy," Ji Yingying grumbled from the other end.

But Autumn Ease didn’t hear. She was already asleep.

---

In the real world, at Distant Sky Research Institute’s core zone.

Staff were switching shifts. Ji Yingying fought sleep but forced herself to watch the screens.

On one screen, Mo Kong’s back faced the camera. Dawn’s light bathed his shoulders, making his silhouette seem oddly imposing.

She was wary of this man.

Scans confirmed he was ordinary. But how could an ordinary person keep memories across time loops?

He was too mysterious. His origins unknown. He’d sought out Autumn Ease with clear purpose.

"Yaaawn..." She yawned hugely. A rough hand patted her shoulder. She turned—it was her grandfather.

"Yingying, rest now. Grandpa will take over."

"But... I’m the commander..." Ji Yingying mumbled.

"Heh. Grandpa’s the director. Can’t I command for a bit?"

"Fine... I’ll nap nearby..." Ji Yingying blinked hard at Water Poem. "Shui Shui-jie, grab a blanket? I’ll sleep right here..."

"Mm." Water Poem nodded gently.

By the time she returned with the blanket, Ji Yingying was already out.

Nearly thirty hours without sleep. This wasn’t a sprint—it was a war of attrition. As commander, she needed rest to stay sharp.

---

Autumn Ease didn’t wake to Mo Kong or Ji Yingying’s voice. A gut instinct jolted her awake.

No dream, but she felt like her legs were being sawed off. She woke in a cold sweat, frantically checking her limbs. They were still there...

Mo Kong turned to speak—but a sharp, piercing scream cut him off.

A man’s voice.

"Pinpointing source. Sixty degrees south-north. Roughly one kilometer away."

The scream echoed across the small city. Up close, the agony in that roar was chillingly clear.

Autumn Ease felt it more intensely than Mo Kong.

It was as if the pain was hers. Her chest tightened, breathless.

She clutched her chest, steps slowing. Like she couldn’t breathe.

"What’s wrong?" Mo Kong stopped ahead, turning back.

"My chest... hurts..." Autumn Ease bit her lip weakly. "Don’t know why..."

"Lean on me. Hurry—the loop resets when the screaming stops."

"Okay..." Autumn Ease nodded, struggling to run with his support.

The earpiece buzzed with stiff system alerts from the institute.

"Source locked! Inside that warehouse ahead!" Ji Yingying shouted the confirmation.

Autumn Ease didn’t reply. All her strength went into running.

Finally, she and Mo Kong burst into the warehouse.

Chaos filled the space. Random equipment cluttered the floor. Wires tangled like a cat’s yarn ball—enough to give any electrician a headache.

At the center stood a cylindrical pod. Like a sci-fi movie’s growth tank. Liquid filled it. A man floated inside, electricity arcing through him. He seemed to writhe in agony.

And that man looked exactly like Autumn Ease.

Another me?

Autumn Ease froze.

Why was he in there? Voluntarily? Or forced?

Some experiment?

But it looked too haphazard for that...

Then Autumn Ease’s eyes widened.

She witnessed pure cruelty.

A laser flashed inside the pod. It sliced off the other him’s thigh. Blood stained the liquid red. What followed—

Autumn Ease couldn’t watch. She shut her eyes tight.

Every injury to that identical man sent synchronized pain through her.

The screams continued, fading slowly.

When silence finally fell, Autumn Ease peeked open her eyes.

But blinding white light flashed again. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling like she was drowning—thrashing wildly in water.

"Autumn Ease! Autumn Ease! Wake up!"