Ethan woke before his alarm.
Not because he was well-rested.
Because something felt wrong.
For a moment he lay still, staring at the ceiling of his tiny apartment. Morning light leaked through the blinds in thin gray lines.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
Then his phone vibrated.
Ethan grabbed it instantly.
Not the future phone.
Just his normal one.
A notification.
Brokerage Alert
His chest tightened.
He opened the message.
"Unusual trading activity has been detected on your account. Please verify recent transactions."
Ethan frowned.
That wasn't normal.
He had traded several times this week, but nothing illegal. Buying stocks early wasn't a crime.
Still…
The timing felt strange.
He opened the trading app.
Helios Technologies.
The stock had exploded overnight.
$1.42
Ethan sat upright.
Two days ago it had been seventy-eight cents.
His position was now worth more than $85,000.
His heart pounded.
But instead of excitement…
A cold feeling spread through his chest.
The message from the future echoed in his mind.
This trade will make enemies.
Ethan refreshed the chart again.
Volume was insane.
Thousands of traders were suddenly buying Helios.
Forums were going wild.
"BREAKING: Helios Technologies rumored to announce major partnership."
"Short squeeze incoming!"
"This stock might hit $5."
Ethan stared at the numbers.
He should have been celebrating.
Instead he felt watched.
Later that morning Ethan walked across campus toward the economics building.
Students filled the pathways.
Laughing.
Talking.
Complaining about assignments.
Normal life.
But Ethan kept checking over his shoulder.
It was probably paranoia.
Still…
Something didn't feel right.
He reached the campus café and ordered a coffee.
While waiting, he opened his trading app again.
Helios:
$1.67
His profits had passed $100,000.
In less than a week.
Ethan exhaled slowly.
"This is insane…"
"Talking to yourself already?"
Ethan looked up.
It was Daniel.
His classmate from economics.
Daniel dropped into the chair across from him.
"You've been staring at your laptop all week," Daniel said. "What are you trading?"
"Nothing big," Ethan replied quickly.
Daniel smirked.
"Bro, I saw the charts on your screen yesterday."
Ethan froze.
"You're buying penny stocks."
Daniel shook his head.
"My cousin did that once. Lost everything."
Ethan forced a small smile.
"Good to know."
Inside, his mind was racing.
If Daniel noticed… who else noticed?
That afternoon Ethan returned to his apartment.
Rain clouds had gathered outside.
The sky was dark and heavy.
Perfect trading weather.
He opened the Helios chart again.
$1.95
Almost two dollars.
His profits were approaching $120,000.
Ethan's breathing slowed.
Friday hadn't even arrived yet.
The real explosion was still coming.
Just as he leaned back in his chair—
His mysterious phone vibrated.
The future phone.
Ethan grabbed it immediately.
A new message appeared.
The text appeared slower than usual.
Almost hesitant.
Future Ethan:
Be careful.
Ethan frowned.
"That's not helpful," he muttered.
More words appeared.
Someone noticed the Helios trade.
His stomach dropped.
I don't remember exactly who…
The next line appeared after a long pause.
But this is the moment everything starts changing.
Ethan's pulse quickened.
Changing?
He typed quickly.
Ethan:Who noticed me?
For several seconds the screen stayed silent.
Then the reply appeared.
I don't know.
Ethan stared at the words.
Future Ethan had always known things.
Predictions.
Events.
Warnings.
But this time…
He sounded uncertain.
Another message appeared.
My memories after this point are becoming blurry.
Ethan felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Blurry memories?
That had never happened before.
One last message appeared.
Which means…
You already changed something.
The phone screen went dark.
Ethan sat there for a long time.
Rain tapped softly against the window.
Helios continued climbing in the background.
$2.03
Two dollars.
But the number didn't excite him anymore.
Instead he kept thinking about the message.
Someone noticed the Helios trade.
Then his laptop chimed.
New email.
From his brokerage.
Ethan opened it slowly.
His eyes scanned the subject line.
And his blood ran cold.
Subject:Account Review Request — Urgent
He opened the message.
Due to recent unusual activity, your account has been flagged for internal review. Please contact our compliance department immediately.
Ethan leaned back slowly in his chair.
The first sign of danger had arrived.
And it wasn't coming from the market.
Across the city, inside a glass office tower…
Victor Liang stood beside a massive window overlooking the skyline.
One of his analysts spoke behind him.
"Sir… we tracked the Helios position."
Victor didn't turn.
"How large?"
"Sixty thousand shares."
Victor's eyes narrowed.
"And the account holder?"
The analyst hesitated.
"University student."
Victor finally turned.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"Interesting."
He tapped the desk lightly.
"Keep watching him."
The analyst nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Victor looked back toward the city.
"Because no student should be able to predict the market like that."
He paused.
Then added quietly.
"Unless he knows the future."
Back in his apartment, Ethan had no idea Victor Liang was already watching him.
But the feeling in his chest told him something.
The game had changed.
And this was only the beginning.