The sound of the engine grew louder.
Too loud.
Too fast.
Liya's heart started racing.
She grabbed Ethan's arm.
"We need to move."
"Move where?" he asked.
"Away from the road."
They stepped farther down the riverside path.
Rain continued falling lightly, turning the pavement slick under their feet.
The clock tower behind them ticked forward.
11:57 PM.
The roar of the engine echoed again.
A motorcycle sped through the nearby street, its tires spraying water as it passed.
Ethan exhaled.
"Okay… that one wasn't for me."
Liya didn't relax.
Her eyes scanned every moving car, every flashing light.
Something was still wrong.
The universe hadn't finished correcting itself yet.
It never did.
11:58 PM.
The clock tower's glowing numbers seemed brighter now.
Like the entire city was holding its breath.
Ethan looked at her carefully.
"You're really scared."
"Yes."
"Because of what you saw before?"
"Yes."
He nodded slowly.
"Then let's stay right here."
She frowned.
"What?"
"We're far from traffic."
He gestured toward the empty riverside walkway.
"No trucks. No cars. No intersections."
"That doesn't mean anything."
"Well it should improve my odds."
Despite everything, she almost laughed.
Almost.
But the fear still sat heavy in her chest.
11:58:30.
Thirty seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
The wind moved softly across the river.
Water rippled beneath the streetlights.
For a moment, everything seemed calm.
Too calm.
Ethan leaned against the railing.
"You know," he said quietly, "this has been the strangest day of my life."
Liya looked at him.
"And maybe the best one."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Best?"
"Well," he said with a small smile, "I met someone interesting."
Her heart skipped.
"You're flirting right before midnight?"
"Why not?"
He shrugged.
"If the world resets in a minute anyway…"
"…there's no downside."
The clock tower chimed softly.
11:59 PM.
Liya's breath caught.
One minute left.
Her mind screamed warnings.
Something was still coming.
It had to.
Fate never missed.
Then—
A loud cracking sound echoed across the river.
Liya's eyes snapped upward.
The metal railing beside Ethan trembled.
"What was that?" he asked.
Her stomach dropped.
The earlier car crash had damaged the barrier.
Rainwater had weakened the metal.
And now—
The railing suddenly gave way.
"ETHAN!"
The metal snapped.
Ethan lost his balance.
His foot slipped on the wet pavement.
And before he could react—
He fell backward over the broken railing.
Straight toward the dark river below.
Liya lunged forward.
Her hand grabbed his sleeve.
For one brief second…
She held him.
Rain poured down around them.
The river rushed violently below.
Ethan looked up at her.
Shock filled his eyes.
"Liya—"
Her grip slipped.
The wet fabric slid through her fingers.
"No—!"
He fell.
The river swallowed him instantly.
Liya rushed to the edge, her heart hammering wildly.
"Ethan!"
The dark water moved fast.
Too fast.
She couldn't see him.
Couldn't reach him.
Couldn't save him.
Tears blurred her vision.
"I'm sorry…"
The clock tower struck midnight.
12:00 AM.
The world went dark.
Rain tapped softly against a window.
Liya's eyes opened suddenly.
Her breathing was uneven.
She sat up in bed.
Her heart pounded.
Slowly…
very slowly…
she looked at the clock beside her bed.
7:12 AM.
The same time.
The same rain.
The same day.
Her hands trembled.
Because now she knew something terrifying.
Even when the future changed…
Even when the accident changed…
Fate still found a way.
And Ethan still died. ⏳