Chapter 7 The Penalty of the World System

Leo opened his eyes with a violent gasp, his body shaking all over. He expected to see the quiet hallway and the flying cup of tea, but the world was completely pitch black. He was floating in an empty, freezing dark space, and the normal feeling of time rewinding was missing.

Suddenly, a brilliant, blood-red light flashed in front of his face, making his eyes sting.

"What is this?" Leo muttered, his voice echoing into nothing.

A massive, glowing crimson screen snapped open in the middle of the dark void. Loud, piercing alarm sounds rang directly inside his skull, making his head throb with intense pain. He covered his ears, but the noise was happening inside his mind.

[CRITICAL ERROR: HOST COLLUDED IN THE DEATH OF THE TARGET]

[PENALTY SYSTEM ACTIVATED: SOUL-BINDING COMPLETE]

Leo stared at the words, a cold feeling of dread sinking deep into his stomach. "Soul-binding? What do you mean?"

As if responding to his question, the glowing letters melted away, replaced by new rows of bright red text.

[TARGET BELLA COMPLETED LIFE 3. FOUR LIVES REMAINING]

[WARNING: EACH DEATH SHRINKS THE TARGET'S MIND CAPACITY. PARANOIA AND INSTABILITY WILL INCREASE BY 25% WITH EVERY RESET.]

[ALERT: IF THE TARGET DIES ON HER CURRENT 4TH LIFE, PERMANENT SOUL DELETION WILL OCCUR FOR BOTH HOST AND TARGET. NO MORE TIMELINES. NO MORE RESETS.]

Leo’s heart stopped. He read the words repeatedly, his breath caught in his throat. He hadn't bought himself an escape by letting her die. He had just trapped himself in a corner. The system wasn't a game with infinite tries. Bella only had seven total lives, and he had just allowed the three easiest ones to be totally wasted.

Worse, her intense madness and extreme anger from the previous loops weren't just a random tantrum. The system was actively breaking her brain every single time she died.

"Hey! Change it back!" Leo shouted at the screen, his fists clenching tight. "Take me back to Earth! I don't want to do this anymore! Let me out!"

The red screen did not answer. It simply flared with a blinding light, and a massive wave of burning energy slammed directly into Leo's chest. He screamed as the soul-shredding shock tore through his entire being, dragging him down into the darkness.

Leo snapped his eyes open, his boots sliding against the hard floor tiles. He was back in the mansion hallway. The bright afternoon light was coming through the large windows, hitting his face.

"You are moving too slow, you useless brute!"

The familiar, sharp voice made Leo’s head snap up. Bella was standing right there, her silver hair gleaming. Her face was twisted into a look of pure, chaotic rage. She grabbed the porcelain cup from the servant’s tray and hurled it straight at his head.

Leo didn't even move to dodge. The cup struck him right on the side of his forehead, shattering into pieces. Warm tea mixed with a small trickle of blood ran down his cheek, but he didn't care about the pain. He was just staring at her, his eyes wide with absolute horror.

The young maid dropped her tray and fled down the hall, crying loudly.

Bella didn't even notice the maid. She was panting heavily, her green eyes darting around the hallway wildly, looking completely unhinged. She looked far worse than she did in the previous mornings. Her fingers were twitching, and she kept glancing at the shadows on the wall as if someone were hiding inside them.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Bella shrieked, backing away from Leo until her back hit the wall. "You are plotting something. I know it! You stood there and let them... no, wait. Someone is trying to kill me. Everyone is trying to kill me!"

Leo wiped the blood and tea from his face with the back of his hand. He stepped closer, keeping his voice as soft and calm as possible. "Lady Bella, please. Nobody is trying to hurt you right now. You need to calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down!" she screamed, her voice cracking with a terrifying amount of fear. She clutched her head with both hands, her silver hair falling over her face. "My head hurts so much, Leo. It feels like someone is cutting my brain with a knife. Why does it hurt so much?"

Leo’s chest tightened with a deep, painful guilt. The system wasn't lying. Her mind was actively degrading. The sheer terror and confusion she was feeling right now was his fault because he had chosen to step aside last night. She was carrying the invisible scars of her deaths, and it was driving her completely insane.

"I am sorry, Bella," Leo whispered, the formal title slipping away.

"Stay away from me!" Bella yelled, slapping his hand away when he tried to reach out. "You are a liar! You are all liars! Clean up this mess and stay ten steps away from me, or I will have the captain execute you myself!"

She turned and ran down the corridor toward her room, stumbling over her own feet because her balance was totally off.

Leo stood alone in the hallway, looking down at the broken cup and his own blood on the floor. His hands were shaking violently. There were only four lives left. No more room for mistakes, no more giving up, and no more stepping aside. If she died today, they would both disappear from existence forever. He had to keep her alive, even if she hated him for it.

Later that afternoon, Leo walked out into the courtyard to clear his head. His forehead still smarted where the cup had struck him, but the outer pain was nothing compared to the weight on his chest.

"Whoa, mate, what happened to your face?"

Leo looked up to see Jax walking over, his spear resting on his shoulder. Jax looked at the dried blood on Leo's head and shook his head. "Don't tell me the lady finally decided to use you for target practice."

"Something like that," Leo said, his voice flat. He leaned against the outer stone wall, staring blankly at the sky.

"You look awful, Leo. Seriously," Jax said, his playful tone dropping into genuine worry. He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "I know she is the duke’s daughter, but she has been completely out of her mind lately. The way she screams, the way she looks around like the walls are going to eat her... it isn't normal. You shouldn't take all that abuse."

"I don't have a choice, Jax," Leo muttered, closing his eyes. You have no idea how little choice I have.