The Ferris wheel slowly carried them back down.
Liya stepped out of the cabin first.
For a moment, she simply stood there, staring at the glowing city lights reflecting across the river.
This had never happened before.
Not in the first version of the day.
Not in the second.
Every second she spent with Ethan now felt like borrowed time.
And somehow… that made everything feel more fragile.
Ethan stretched his arms casually.
"That was worth it," he said.
"You say that like you ride Ferris wheels during rainstorms often."
"Not usually."
He glanced at her.
"But today feels like a special occasion."
Liya frowned slightly.
"Special?"
"Well," he said lightly, "apparently it's the day I die."
She sighed.
"You're never going to stop joking about that, are you?"
"Nope."
He checked his phone.
"What time is it?"
Liya pulled out hers.
10:41 PM.
Her chest tightened immediately.
In the original timeline…
The accident happened just before midnight.
Which meant the danger window had already begun.
"We should head somewhere safe," she said quickly.
"Safe?"
"Yes."
"Like where?"
"Anywhere away from traffic."
Ethan chuckled.
"You're really committed to this story."
"It's not a story."
Her voice came out sharper than she intended.
Ethan noticed.
His smile faded slightly.
"Hey," he said gently.
"I'm still here."
Liya looked at him.
For a moment she didn't answer.
Because she had seen this moment before.
The calm before the crash.
The quiet seconds before everything went wrong.
"We should go," she said.
They started walking along the riverside path.
Streetlights reflected off the wet pavement.
The city had grown quieter now.
Most shops were closed.
Cars passed occasionally in the distance.
Ethan walked beside her with his hands in his pockets.
"You know," he said after a moment, "if the day resets tomorrow…"
"…does that mean you'll meet me again?"
"Yes."
"And I won't remember any of this."
"No."
He thought about that.
"Sounds unfair."
"It is."
Another few minutes passed.
Then suddenly—
A loud screech echoed from the street nearby.
Liya froze.
Her heart skipped violently.
She knew that sound.
Tires.
Braking too hard on wet pavement.
"Ethan—"
But the moment she turned—
A car lost control at the nearby intersection.
Its wheels skidded across the slick road.
The vehicle spun sideways.
Straight toward the riverside barrier.
Straight toward them.
People nearby shouted in panic.
Ethan grabbed Liya's arm and pulled her backward just in time.
The car slammed violently into the metal railing.
The impact sent sparks flying.
Metal bent with a horrible screech.
Silence followed.
Liya's heart pounded.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then Ethan exhaled slowly.
"Well…"
"That was close."
Liya stared at the wrecked car.
Her mind raced.
This wasn't the truck accident.
This wasn't the original death.
But it had still happened.
Fate had simply changed the method.
Her chest tightened with fear.
"You see?" she whispered.
Ethan looked at her.
"What?"
"No matter what we do…"
She gestured toward the crash.
"…something always happens."
Ethan glanced back at the damaged railing.
Rain continued falling lightly around them.
Then he turned back to her.
"Yeah," he said quietly.
"But something else happened too."
"What?"
He smiled slightly.
"I didn't die."
Liya blinked.
That was true.
For the first time since the loop began…
Midnight hadn't arrived yet.
And Ethan was still alive.
Hope flickered inside her chest.
Maybe the ending could change after all.
But then Ethan looked up at the nearby clock tower.
Its glowing face showed the time clearly.
11:56 PM.
Only four minutes left.
Liya felt her pulse rise again.
"Ethan… we need to keep moving."
"Why?"
"Because the night isn't over yet."
The clock tower ticked forward.
11:57 PM.
Somewhere in the distance…
A loud engine roared through the city streets.
And Liya suddenly realized something terrifying.
The accident wasn't finished with them yet. ⏳