G.O.D Complex

"Let's follow the crowd first," Linus said calmly to Velvet.

She nodded, expression unreadable.

Their first objective was simple in theory—identify the impostor among the crowd. But as the minutes ticked by, Linus ran a hand through his hair again and again while Velvet clicked her tongue every few steps—small, subconscious habits neither of them noticed at first.

They walked side by side, scanning the faces around them. Again. And again.

"It's useless," Linus eventually said.

Velvet had reached the same conclusion. They couldn't spot someone who could change faces at will—especially not in a mass of strangers. No one knew each other here. No shared memory. No history. Just blank anonymity.

"How are we supposed to leave this place?" she asked.

Linus exhaled through his nose. He had a solution.

But it came with a price.

"I understand now... why we were given the knives," he said abruptly, glancing sideways at her.

Velvet frowned. "What do you—"

Before she could finish, Linus moved.

Fast. Cold. Without hesitation.

He stabbed her in the throat.

Her eyes widened in shock as she stumbled back, clutching her bleeding neck, her body fighting for air. She looked up at Linus, betrayal written across her face.

"Why...?" she croaked.

Linus shook his head with a faint, humorless chuckle. "You already know the answer. Don't ask."

Gasps broke through the crowd.

Screams followed. A wave of panic rippled outward as the blood splattered nearby strangers. People recoiled, creating a wide circle around the two.

Then—a shriek from the opposite direction.

Another body lay motionless in a pool of red.

It looked exactly like Linus.

Velvet stood up, staggering as the crowd parted for her. She wiped the blood from her chin and turned toward the real Linus with a smirk.

"Looks like your plan worked after all," she said.

The fake Velvet frowned, stepping back. "But... how?"

Linus calmly combed his hair with his fingers. Velvet clicked her tongue. A repeated, unconscious habit.

The fake Velvet froze.

Of course.

They had been doing those same small gestures ever since they stepped into the loop. But Linus had started doing his immediately—instinctively. And the clone had copied them too perfectly.

"For how long did you know?" the impostor asked, tense.

"I didn't," Linus said flatly. "It was just a test. The habit repetition gave it away. You mimic too well—you correct flaws your target doesn't even notice."

"You're too perfect," Velvet added. "That's your weakness."

"But none of you know each other!" the impostor hissed. "You're all strangers! How could you possibly pick up on each other's habits that quickly?!"

Linus and Velvet didn't respond.

The crowd around them began to murmur. Unrest was building.

"Why are those people still walking?" someone asked, pointing at the silent masses that continued to march forward, oblivious to the chaos.

More screams followed as faces began to shift, right in front of witnesses.

Someone gasped.

Another stumbled back.

A child's face morphed into that of an old man. Then a woman. Then someone else. People saw it—clearly—and panic finally exploded.

"What's happening?!"

"Are they even human?!"

Fear caught like wildfire.

---

One Hour Earlier...

"The second day's almost over," Linus said. "That gives us just five more. If we stay even a day longer, we won't make it to the tenth floor in time."

Velvet crossed her arms. "So... you propose we force a breakdown?"

Linus nodded. "I don't care about minimizing damage. These people are strangers. If sacrificing the majority gets us out—so be it."

Velvet didn't blink. "Understood. Just make sure you keep your word and protect me when chaos breaks loose."

Linus gave a dry smile. "I will. That's the deal."

---

"You think you can break the loop?!" the impostor spat, backing away. "Then fine. Let's see you survive this."

Suddenly, the previously emotionless walkers snapped.

Faces twisted.

Some began to scream—high-pitched, inhuman wails. Others lunged at the crowd with blades drawn.

Panic erupted into violence.

"He's not human!"

"Stay back!"

A man stabbed a stranger in the ribs, blood splashing across several others.

The dam broke.

Knives came out from pockets, sleeves, bags—people slashed at anything that moved. Screams filled the air. Limbs flailed. People trampled one another in pure terror.

"HAAA!"

"STOP—PLEASE!"

Blood. Screams. Madness.

Velvet rushed back to Linus, but before she reached him, he dodged instinctively. Her blade missed by inches.

He grabbed her wrist, twisted it sharply, and slashed her throat.

"Guess we got separated again," he muttered coldly, watching the clone drop.

---

"In a situation where no one knows who is who," Velvet had once asked, "what do we do?"

Linus had answered without hesitation.

"Kill anyone who comes close."

---

He gripped his knife tightly and adopted a firm stance, scanning the crowd with deadly precision. One by one, figures approached—some twitching, some screaming, some completely blank.

Linus stabbed, slashed, pivoted.

No hesitation.

Meanwhile, Velvet, the real one, sliced a Linus-lookalike's throat and charged deeper into the chaos, cutting down anything that approached.

---

"LEVI!!"

Edna screamed as her partner fought to clear a path through the madness. But in the chaos, a blade flashed—

—and Edna fell, a gash across her throat.

Levi froze. His eyes widened.

Then rage overtook him.

"BASTARDS!!"

He stomped the attacker's head into the ground, drew his knife, and slammed it into the skull in one brutal motion.

He tried to retrieve Edna's body, but it was already being trampled. Something inside him snapped.

He lost himself—slashing, kicking, choking anyone who got near.

---

"Protect her!!" Benjamin shouted, standing in front of the pretty girl as she sobbed in fear.

A group of loyal followers—fangirls, admirers, and a few simps—shielded her with their bodies.

But behind Benjamin's worried expression, he was laughing. Internally. Wildly.

This was paradise.

Blood. Screams. Death. And freedom.

No more rules. No more fake smiles.

This was the real world.

And the best part? The beautiful little thing he was "protecting" would be his reward.

He licked his lips discreetly. "Let's survive this... just the two of us," he whispered.

The girl looked up at him, eyes full of tears. She nodded, grateful.

Benjamin smiled warmly. "Don't worry... I'll keep you safe."

---

Hours passed.

Eventually, the screams began to fade.

The knives slowed.

Why?

Fatigue.

Bodies covered the floor. Blood painted the white ground. Only a few remained standing.

And the Loop...

still hadn't ended.

-— To be Continued