"I died... again." 

A chill ran down his spine. Then, he heard it. SCRATCH. The noise came again, sharper this time. Tadashi turned toward the sound; his breath caught in his throat. A figure stood before him. Tall. Dressed in white. Holding a piece of chalk. The figure dragged it across a floating chalkboard, drawing a long, single stroke. Tadashi’s stomach twisted.

 "That’s attempt number one," the figure mused, "Looks like you didn't even last a day in that world, interesting" the young man chuckles while facing the now puzzled Tadashi. 

Tadashi narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look at the figure. A young man. White clothes. A hollow halo floating above his head. Golden eyes gleaming with amusement. He didn’t have the overwhelming presence of the voice Tadashi had heard before, but there was something off about him. Something almost... too calm. 

 "Who... are you?" Tadashi asked, forcing himself to stand. 

The man grinned, flipping the chalk between his fingers. 

 "Ah, right. We should get introductions out of the way, huh?" He placed a hand over his chest and mockingly bowed.

 "Simon Mochizuki, Third-Ranked Angel. Your personal observer for this challenge." Tadashi blinked. 

 "Observer?" Simon twirled the chalk, then pointed it at the stroke on the board. 

 "Every time you die, you come back here, and I mark it down. That stroke? That means you’ve failed once already." Tadashi’s hands curled into fists. 

 "So that’s it? You just sit here and count how many times I die?" Simon smirked. 

 "Pretty much. But don’t take it personally. Most contestants die a lot more than just once. You’ll get used to it." Tadashi clenched his jaw.

 "So, what is this? Some kind of sick game?" Simon shrugged. 

 "Game, test, punishment, call it whatever you want. The rules are simple: you get thrown into different worlds, and you have to survive for seven days. If you make it past the seventh day, you win."

 "Seven days…?" Tadashi’s mind raced. That didn’t sound impossible. One week wasn’t that long, right? 

 "And if I die?" Simon grinned, tapping the chalkboard. 

 "Then I add another stroke to the board and you start over in a different world." Tadashi swallowed. 

 "How many attempts do I get?" Simon’s expression didn’t change.

 "As many as it takes." A cold chill settled in Tadashi’s chest. 

 "So I have no choice but to keep playing this game… forever?" Simon studied him for a moment, then sighed dramatically. 

 "Man, you humans are so dramatic. Think about it this way: this is a rare opportunity. You get to restart over and over again, learning from your mistakes. Doesn’t that sound amazing?" Tadashi glared. 

 "I just got stabbed to death. You think that’s amazing?" Simon raised his hands. 

 "Hey, relax. You got an easy start. Some people don’t even last five minutes in their first attempt." Tadashi’s stomach twisted at the thought. Tadashi turned back to the board. His name was written at the top, and beneath it, the lone stroke stood as a permanent reminder of his failure. His mind raced. If Simon was telling the truth, this challenge had no limit. If he kept failing, he could be trapped forever, dying over and over, never escaping. That thought terrified him. 

 "What happens if I give up?" he asked quietly. 

Simon’s golden eyes darkened. 

 "You can’t." Tadashi tensed. Simon pulled the chalk from his pocket and twirled it lazily. 

 "This is the Chalk of Command. It’s a divine artifact. Whatever I write with it becomes an unchangeable truth." Tadashi stiffened. 

 "Meaning?" 

Simon smirked. 

 "Meaning if I write your name on this board and cross it out twice, you disappear from existence. Completely. No soul, no reincarnation, nothing." 

A sickening realization hit Tadashi. 

 "So if I fail too many times… I get erased." 

Simon didn’t confirm it, but the way he twirled the chalk told Tadashi everything. Tadashi forced himself to breathe. His hands clenched at his sides. 

 "So my only option is to keep trying until I win." 

Simon nodded. 

  "That’s the spirit." 

Tadashi took a slow step forward. 

 "Fine. But tell me this, do the worlds change every time?" 

Simon grinned. 

 "Now you’re asking the right questions."

He stepped closer, his golden eyes glinting with amusement. 

 "Each world is different. The dangers are different. The people are different. Some worlds will be easy. Some will be impossible." 

Tadashi swallowed hard.

 "And the abilities you mentioned? Do I get any?"

Simon smirked. "You’ll find out soon enough." Simon took out the chalk and drew a glowing circle in the air.   "OPEN!" The portal expanded, shimmering with golden light. Tadashi stepped back instinctively. 

 "You ready for round two?" Simon asked. 

Tadashi clenched his fists. His mind flashed back to his last attempt, the feeling of the blade piercing his ribs, the helplessness, the shame of dying instantly. 

 "Not this time." 

He took a deep breath.

 "This time… I’ll make it past the first day." 

With renewed determination, he stepped into the portal. Simon watched him disappear into the void, a smirk tugging at his lips. 

 "Let’s see if you last longer than a day this time, kid."

The portal closed. And Tadashi’s second attempt began.