Leitmotif

A leitmotif or leitmotiv is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of idée fixe or motto-theme.

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How many times did time rewind itself? How many times have they gone through this eternal loop? That was probably a trick question in it of itself - there was no "how many" when it came to eternity, even if it seemingly had a start and an end before being rewound back like a single button being pressed on a TV remote.

Round and round they go - where does it stop? Nobody knows .

One would think that going through the same events over and over meant that any purpose or meaning to doing anything was eventually lost, but not to Mono. His stubbornness and single-minded attitude was both his asset and down-fall. But, who could really blame him? In a world where the next few moments could be his last, and unknown horrors waiting for him around every corner, there was something he treasured that override the adrenaline and fear that tightened his chest no matter how many times he's been through this - was a friend. Yes - was , technically speaking, but he was tired. Tired of being alone, tired of feeling betrayed-

Tired of feeling like the whole world was against him.

He knew he was daft for enjoying those little moments of kicking around a soft ball with Six, teaching her how to play on a see-saw, and taking turns pushing each other on the swing set - because the end was always the same.

Even when she pulled her hand back and turned around without looking back, though his heart had been shattered and grew to be resentful, hostile, and unforgiving; every time he woke up in the tall grass with the whispers of the trees rousing him from his vision of the door at the end of the hallway, somehow, his heart always picked itself back up and he was the same soft-spoken boy he always had been.

The truth hurt. Reality hurt . But, he was still Mono, regardless of what he became. Just like how Six would always be Six, no matter what she did to him.

Despite cherishing those fleeting moments and dreading the inevitable, Mono tried to do something different with each reset in a vain attempt to change something. Anything. Instead of startling Six at the Hunter's abode by axing his way through her make-shift prison, he'd quietly call out to her, warning her of his presence. Or, he would try to fill in the silence with small talk in hopes of building that trust early on that couldn't necessarily be spoken through actions alone.

He did everything he could think of to let her know that he was there, and that he would protect her. That he cared.

Still, there was one thing he hadn't addressed yet. Just like the loop they were trapped in, there was something else that filled the void as a constant reminder. It was something that at first, Mono found soothing but with each cycle, it felt haunting to listen to.

But, he put up with it for her, because the haunting melody was important to her. Looking at the walls of where she was trapped, seeing scribbles and ticks etched into the decaying wood, she would continue to turn the music box, round and round no matter how many days have passed.

And, near the end of each cycle, he had to smash it in order to save her from herself. He had to smash a prized possession that offered her comfort - security, a safe space, from any feelings of loneliness she might have felt.

Over, and over.

Mono never had anything like that. He never had anything to rely on to keep him sane in the hell of a world they had the misfortune of being brought up in. That's why he was so happy, knowing that there was something else out there who had her fair share of horrific encounters and close calls, that he could relate to.