The Loop. SERA.PHIM

The reflection moved.

Not immediately, not sharply – just… slightly out of sync.

When Lora raised her hand, the reflection lagged. When she turned her head – the reflection lingered a moment longer.

On the recording, her whisper was audible:

– Forgive me. I didn’t mean to make you angry.

– Who? Alex muttered.

In the background came a soft tapping.

The girl turned – but the mirror was empty.

Then – a thud.

The recording cut off.

Silence.

Hale exhaled:

– We checked the file. No editing. And… look at the creation time.

Alex looked.

03:17.

He didn’t answer.

He simply stepped aside and approached the mirror in the room.

The surface was murky, smudged.

He saw his own reflection – tired, gaunt, with dark circles under his eyes.

And then… the reflection moved slightly.

Not him – it.

So faintly that the mind might dismiss it as fatigue. But Alex knew it wasn’t.

Not now. Not after the calls.

He blinked – and it blinked a fraction later.

A second, but enough to make something inside tremble.

– Hey, Reed, you okay? Hale asked.

Alex didn’t reply.

He stared at his reflection until it… smiled.

Alex took the laptop home.

The apartment greeted him again with the smell of old coffee and dampness, but now it felt alien – as if the house lived its own life, not his.

He set the laptop on the desk, replayed the recording.

He slowed the footage carefully. Frame by frame.

The girl sat in front of the mirror.

He watched every movement, noting the slightest tremor of her hands, the tiniest pause in her breathing.

And then he saw it.

Behind Lora… he stood.

Not the Alex looking at the screen now. Not the weary detective with wrinkles and gray temples.

This was his reflection at seventeen – the very age when he first faced the Loop Case in the church.

A young face, eyes full of fear and distrust, trembling hands.

Every movement Lora made delayed his reflection.

Every breath – it echoed a second later.

He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them – and it was gone.

On the screen – only the girl remained.

But the sense of presence didn’t leave.

Neither the chair he sat in, nor the lamp on the desk, nor the rain outside – none of it felt real.

He felt that someone from inside was watching him through the recording.

He rewound.

And again – there he was, but a second older, a tiny wrinkle near his eye.

A second delay – and he blinked in his apartment, but the reflection in the video blinked afterward.

Alex clenched his fists.

– What the… hell?

Then he noticed it on the wall behind Lora – a faint line of charcoal.

The same loop that had been on Elai’s body, on the archive wall, on the clock at his apartment.

All the coincidences formed a chain.

He slowed the footage even more.

And for a moment, it seemed that Lora’s reflection turned toward him and smiled.

As if it knew he was watching.

As if it understood that he was now part of a game no one could leave alive.

Alex leaned back.

A shiver ran down his spine.

He understood that the loop, the calls, the reflections – were all connected.

And that every death was no accident.

That someone – or something – was guiding him, nudging him, shaping time itself.

The phone on the desk rang.

He glanced at the screen.

3:17.

Alex didn’t pick up.

He knew the call would come again.

And that whoever – or whatever – was calling, was already inside.

He stood, approached the mirror.

For a moment, it seemed someone else was standing behind him.

Not a reflection. A real silhouette.

But when he blinked – there was no one.

And yet, deep in the gaze, in the very surface of the glass, he felt it: the loop was beginning to close.

Alex didn’t sleep.

The laptop on the desk, empty mugs, dusty folders, the old alarm clock whose hands had frozen again at 3:17.

He replayed the footage again and again, pausing frames, zooming in on Lora’s face, her reflection, the tiniest finger movements, trembling lips, strands of hair.

And then he noticed something new.

For a second – very brief – Lora’s reflection turned its head out of sync, as if responding to him.

Not to the girl’s movements, but to his gaze.

He snapped open the second camera – Lora’s smartphone.

The files in the directory were scrambled: ordinary videos, random, voice recordings.

But one video he didn’t remember:

titled «Do not open.»

His heart pounded.

He opened it.

The screen came alive.

A dark room, dim light. Lora sat before the mirror. And again – her reflection behind her.

But this time, behind her, it wasn’t just a reflection.

What stood there moved independently.

Every movement of the girl – the reflection repeated a fraction of a second later.

But sometimes – in reverse: the reflection did things the girl didn’t.

A slight hand movement, a tilt of the head, a nod.

And a voice – soft, whispering, familiar, yet older:

«You see… not the whole path.»

Alex froze.

The voice was his own.

Not the old, weary detective—

but the young one.

The one who had stood in that church three years ago.

He closed his eyes.

A shiver ran down his spine.

When he opened them again – Lora blinked on the screen,

and the reflection smiled instantly.

– What… – Alex whispered. – What do you want from me?

For a moment, the screen froze.

Then the frame shifted abruptly:

Lora was gone.

Only the mirror remained.

And in it – himself, sitting opposite,

but with Lora’s eyes.

Alex jerked back.

But the laptop kept running.

On the desk – the alarm clock.

The hands pointed again to 3:17.

He clenched his fists.

– The Loop… – he breathed. – It’s starting again.

The old ringing of a phone – but not a phone.

Somewhere nearby.

Not a call, but an echo from the recording.

The same voice:

«You’re late again.»

Alex stood in the darkness of the apartment.

His own reflection on the wall looked alive – almost breathing.

He saw how the shadow repeated every movement, but with a delay.

And he understood:

mirrors no longer merely reflect.

They watch.

They learn.

They wait.

Chapter 4. The First Coincidence

Alex sat in the half-dark apartment.

The laptop flickered on the desk, casting his tired face in pale light.

On the screen – Lora’s recording.

But now, something new had appeared: a fragment of code, uncovered by a cybersecurity expert.

“Sera.phim_01.»

At first, Alex thought it was a coincidence.

But how could a code fragment appear inside the original video file, not as an external layer?

And why did the name match the inscription on the abandoned church – Seraphim?

He called the expert, John Carter.

«Alex, you won’t believe this…» – John’s voice trembled, though he tried to sound composed.

«It’s not just code. I traced the network. There’s a darknet game. Same name. Sera.phim. And that’s only the beginning.»

Alex frowned.

«A game?»

«Not a normal one. A series of tasks. An online quest. Looks like some sort of challenge. Each task is tied to specific video files we’ve been tracking. There are already entries – Lora, the archive…» John fell silent.

«Alex, I’m scared.»

Alex felt something tighten inside him.

«Why?»

«Because the game doesn’t lead kids, Alex. It leads them to whoever controls the loop.»

He leaned back in his chair.

Everything collided in his mind – the calls at 3:17, Lora’s reflection, Elai Monroy, the archive…

And now this code, like an invisible thread pulling through reality.

He opened the darknet browser.

The site looked empty, almost minimalist.

But then the screen flickered, and a message appeared:

«Welcome, Alex Reed. Your game begins.»

Alex froze.

«Damn…» he whispered. «This can’t be just coincidence.»

The screen blinked again.

A list of «tasks» appeared.

The first one was titled «The First Angel.»

Below it – a video.

And in that video, he saw his own reflection.

Not in a mirror, but in the frame itself.

Not him now – but him from before: from the archive, the morgue.

And it was looking directly at him.

Alex’s fingers went numb.

Each «task» wasn’t a game.

Each one was an attempt – to pull consciousness through the loop, to drag the living into a cycle of death and reflection.

He shut the laptop, took a deep breath – and then heard it:

The ringing. 3:17.

Alex flinched.

This time, the sound wasn’t coming from his phone.

It was coming… from the network.

And he understood: the loop, the reflections, Lora, Elai – and now this game – were all connected.

And the start of this game was only the first step.

He reopened the browser.

A blank page blinked – then words appeared:

«Follow the reflection if you want to save yourself.»

He stared at the keyboard, then at the screen.

The feeling of being watched grew stronger with each keystroke.

Outside, the rain tapped against the window – but for a moment, the drops seemed to beat in rhythm with his heart.

He clicked the first task: «The First Angel.»

The video loaded slowly.

Once again – Lora’s reflection blinked in the mirror.

But now, behind her for a split second, stood Elai – the same Elai who had died three years ago.

He was staring straight into the camera.

Alex couldn’t look away.

«What the hell…» he muttered.

Then text appeared across the screen:

«You were late. But you can still make it right.»

The task seemed simple: find the «key» in the real world and upload it back into the network.

But the video showed a place – the police archive.

The same one where Alex had first heard Elai’s voice: «You couldn’t save me.»

He leaned back.

«They’re… they’re watching me through this video.»

The screen flickered again.

A new window opened – a list of other participants.

No one else appeared online.

Only him.

But under each username was a date and time, matching recent deaths in the city.

Alex realized: this wasn’t a game.

It was a digital trap, pulling events from reality.

Someone – or something – was harvesting consciousness through mirrors and video files.

And every death was part of the loop, replayed in the network.

He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself.

And then he heard a familiar sound – the crackle of the alarm clock.

On the desk, the hands pointed to 3:17.

«No…» he whispered. «It’s starting again.»

But on the screen, another message flashed:

«You are not alone. The game already awaits you in the mirror.»

Alex sprang to his feet.

He approached the mirror in the room, but the reflection seemed normal.

Only for a moment did he think someone stood behind him.

And for a split second – a silhouette flickered.

Now he knew for certain: the loop was spreading.

The digital world was no longer just a game – it was a continuation of everything that began with the morgue, the calls, and the reflections.

He sat back at the laptop.

Every mouse movement, every click, felt like stepping on thin ice.

He began to understand the rules: one wrong move, one misstep – and death.

Yet the loop offered a chance to correct mistakes.

Then, on the screen, a second task appeared:

«Second Angel. Find yourself in the mirror. Do not look directly.»

A chill ran down his spine.

He knew one thing: the loop was closing.

And now, the real game was beginning.

Alex could no longer sit still.

He grabbed his coat and laptop, stuffing the latter into his backpack.

The rain outside intensified, droplets striking the glass, reflecting like hundreds of tiny mirrors.

Each drop – a small window into another world.

He stepped onto the street.

The city greeted him with gray streets, wet asphalt, and empty streetlights.

Each step echoed in his chest, as if the city itself was watching him.

A notification popped up on his darknet client:

«First task: archive. Time – 3:17. Don’t be late.»

Alex gritted his teeth.

«3:17…» he exhaled. «Always 3:17.»

He made his way to the archive.

The old doors creaked, as if greeting him, knowing he would arrive.

Inside, the air smelled of paper, dust, and something rotten, indescribable.

The flashlight’s beam played with the shadows, creating the illusion of movement behind every shelf.

He placed the laptop on the table.

The screen flickered: video, Lora, Elai.

And again – the code fragment Sera.phim_01, like an invisible thread linking past and present.

Alex noticed a strange movement among the shelves.

A shadow, almost imperceptible, slid between the rows.

He stepped forward – and the shadow mirrored the movement, not in sync, but with a delay.

«Damn…» he exhaled. «This can’t be…»

But the screen flickered again, a new message appearing:

«You are on the right path. Look into the mirror, but do not look at yourself. Find the key.»

Alex turned his head.

On the wall opposite – a large, old mirror.

He stepped closer.

And he saw… Lora.

Not real, but in the reflection.

She sat in the same archive, with the same expression of fear on her face.

Behind her – Elai, and another figure, unfamiliar, yet with the same gaze as his own.

«The loop…» Alex whispered. «They live inside.»

The laptop screen flickered again.

New coordinates.

A hint: «Behind the wall, behind the shelves, where the light fades.»

Alex moved toward the row of shelves.

In a dark corner, he noticed a small metal box, dusted over as if forgotten for decades.

He lifted the lid – inside lay an old flash drive.

On it, written in charcoal: “Sera.phim_02.»

He took the drive in his hand.

A chill ran through his fingers, as though what rested inside wasn’t a piece of hardware, but something alive.

The laptop screen flickered again.

And then a voice appeared:

– Alex. You’re late again.

Alex recoiled.

On the table, the hands of the clock pointed to 3:17.

And at that moment he understood: the loop wasn’t just repeating – it was learning, adapting, watching his every move.

He closed his eyes.

And in the silence, he heard a faint whisper:

«The next step is mirrors. The next step is you.»

Chapter 5. Doctor Mason

Alex walked down the clinic’s corridor, where his psychologist, Dr. Katherine Mason, awaited him.

Her office was austere and cold – white walls, neatly arranged books, and soft lighting that barely eased the oppressive stillness.

– Alex Reed? – Mason asked without lifting her head from the file. – I’ve heard about your case.

He nodded.

– I heard you know about the calls.

– Not just me, – she said, finally looking up. – Several of my patients have received calls… from the future. They complained of nightmares, of feeling watched.

– Reflections in the mirror? – Alex felt a cold ripple down his spine.

– Yes. – She nodded. – All of them saw their own reflection moving out of sync. Sometimes it acted on its own. Sometimes… it spoke.

Alex sat across from her.

– What do you think it is?

Mason sighed.

– I’m a psychologist. But this… isn’t psychology.

– Then what is it?

– A phenomenon. A repeating one. The calls come at the same time, every time – 3:17.

– The calls… – Alex repeated, the chill returning. – Is that just coincidence?

Dr. Mason shook her head.

– No. Every patient felt the same pressure, the same fear, as if something were urging them to act. And it’s not just a psychological anomaly. It’s… something else.

She reached for her tablet.

On the screen – a list of patients and the timestamps of their calls.

All matched the recent anomalies: Lora, Elai, and several others who had disappeared.

– I tried to help them, – she said quietly. – But they all died. And each time… the call repeated.

Alex felt the chill pierce his chest.

– So it’s not just a game. Or random glitches. Someone – or something – is controlling them.

Mason nodded slowly.

– Not just them. It’s larger than that. The loop you’ve heard of… it doesn’t trap one person. It expands, feeds. The greater the fear, the stronger its influence.

Alex clenched his fists.

– Then Lora, Elai… and the calls – they’re all connected?

– Yes. And you as well. – Mason met his gaze. – Because you’ve started noticing the things others can’t. You’ve become part of the loop.

Alex fell silent.

Inside, a wave of dread mingled with determination.

For the first time, he realized he couldn’t just wait for the events to unfold.

– What should I do? – he asked.

Dr. Mason drew a slow breath.

– Go deeper. Into the mirrors. Into the digital net. Into the recordings. Find the patterns. But remember – the loop sees everyone who seeks the truth.

Alex stood up.

He knew now – he wasn’t just investigating murders anymore.

He had become part of something far more dangerous.

Something that lived outside of time, feeding on consciousness and reflections, waiting for the next move.

The clock flickered again – 3:17.

A ring echoed through his head.

And within that sound – a promise.

The loop was beginning to close again.

After speaking with Dr. Mason, Alex found himself alone in the clinic hallway.

The dim light from the lamps shimmered on the mirrored wall, and for a second he thought someone was walking behind him.

But when he turned – there was no one.

He remembered Mason’s words: «The loop sees everyone who seeks the truth.»

And suddenly it made sense – the calls, the reflections, the digital game… all parts of one system.

A system that watched. A system that adapted.

Alex opened Mason’s tablet again.

The list of patients was long.

Names, dates, times of calls – all repeating, a pattern woven into the fabric of time.

Then he noticed something strange: several patients had received their calls at the exact moment of disaster – one falling down the stairs, another cutting a hand, another fainting in terror.

The loop was pushing them – toward mistakes, toward danger, toward death.

Alex was taking when a detail caught his attention.

Everyone who had seen their «mirror doubles» shared one thing in common – weak ties to digital devices: cameras, phones, video feeds.

As if the loop was using technology as a channel to amplify its power.

Just then, the door creaked open.

Mason entered again, holding an old photo album.

– I wanted to show you this, – she said. – These are the patients before the calls. Look closely.

Alex flipped through the pages.

Each person looked… normal. Yet something in their eyes was off.

As if someone else was living inside them.

And in some photos, faint shadows in the background mirrored the person’s pose – like silent echoes.

– See? – said Mason. – It’s not random. The loop leaves a mark. On photos. On memory.

A cold shiver crawled down Alex’s spine.

– So the loop isn’t just calls and reflections. It leaves traces in the physical world?

– Yes, – Mason nodded. – And the longer someone is exposed, the stronger the link becomes. Eventually, the mind starts to divide – the real person and the «double» become two entities.

Alex turned toward the window.

Through the rain and the city’s reflection, he saw his own image – but it wasn’t moving in sync.

A slight tilt of the head. One he hadn’t made.

– It’s starting with all of us, – he whispered.

– And with you, Alex, – Mason said softly. – The sooner you understand the rules, the better your chance to survive.

Pressure throbbed at his temples – as if his brain itself was replaying the sound of the call, and his body was echoing its rhythm.

He knew one thing: stopping was impossible.

The loop was expanding – collecting consciousness, distorting reality, pushing minds to the edge.

– Fine, – he exhaled. – I’ll analyze every call, every reflection, every trace. The loop won’t take another life.

The phone on the desk rang suddenly.

3:17.

And again, the whisper came:

«You’re too late, Alex. But it’s not over yet.»

He lifted his gaze.

Mason stood nearby, silently watching as he took his first step into the labyrinth of the loop – a place where calls, mirrors, and digital nightmares merged into one deadly circle.

After his meeting with Mason, Alex returned to his apartment-office.

The laptop glowed faintly, its light reflecting in the windowpane.

On the screen – the fragment of code Sera.phim_01.

And in his mind – Mason’s warning: «The longer you’re exposed, the stronger the bond with your double.»

He closed his eyes, and the faces of Mason’s patients appeared behind them.

Each repeating the same movements – the tilt of the head, the blink, the empty stare.

And every time, beside them in the mirror, another self flickered – a reflection living its own life.

Alex sat down at the desk.

He began mapping everything: the calls, the reflections, the video recordings, the digital traces.

Each event – a point on a line connecting the real world to the loop.

And every point brought him closer to one realization: the loop didn’t just watch – it controlled.

Suddenly, the screen flickered.

A chat window appeared with a message:

«You see too much. Time to check yourself.»

Alex jumped to his feet.

– Who are you? – he exhaled.

On the screen, images of Lora and Elai flickered again.

But now, new faces appeared – Mason’s patients – all staring straight at him, like living mirrors.

He understood: the loop used the consciousness of these people as channels of power, and the digital code as its instrument.

Every video, every recording, every call – part of a massive mechanism capable of drawing out the mind of anyone who touched the loop.

A chill ran down his spine.

– So every call… every recording is a test. Fail it, and your consciousness will be consumed.

In that moment, the phone on the desk rang again.

3:17.

He picked it up.

– You see the reflections… – whispered a voice. – But can you see yourself?

Alex realized this was no mere warning.

It was an invitation.

An invitation to enter the loop and confront it.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.

– Alright, – he said aloud. – I’ll enter.

– But remember, – the whisper added, as if right behind him, – sometimes the reflection is stronger than the original.

Alex clenched his fists.

He understood: only active measures, courage, and careful analysis could help him survive.

The loop waited for no one. It observed, adapted, and grew with every step.

He looked back at the screen.

The code fragment Sera.phim_01 blinked, reminding him that the next phase had already begun.

Alex knew that to break the loop, he had to enter it himself – but cautiously, or he would disappear forever.

A sense of doom and determination rose within him simultaneously.

He gathered all his, maps, and the flash drive containing Sera.phim_01.

– Time to go deeper, – he told himself. – Time to understand that the loop isn’t just calls and mirrors… it’s a game of consciousness.

As soon as he took that step, the laptop screen flickered again, displaying a new message:

«Next task: you. In the mirror. Now.»

Alex froze.

The clock again – 3:17.

And he knew one thing: the loop was waiting for him to step into the unknown.

He stood before the mirror in the clinic.

The lamp’s light reflected off the glass, and for a moment it seemed the reflection moved before him.

His fingers trembled, his heart raced.