The ground shook again.
Stronger.
The entire plaza trembled beneath their feet.
Cracks spread across the pavement like spiderwebs.
Liya struggled to keep her balance.
The massive clock tower groaned above them.
Stone dust fell from its walls.
The ancient structure swayed slightly with the earthquake.
Ethan looked up.
"That's… not good."
Liya grabbed his arm.
"We have to get out of here!"
"Where?"
He pointed around the open plaza.
"No cover. No safe buildings."
The earthquake rumbled again.
Nearby windows shattered.
Pieces of brick fell from surrounding rooftops.
The tower's giant clock face glowed through the dust-filled air.
11:56 PM.
Four minutes left.
The massive minute hand slowly ticked forward.
Liya's mind raced.
"This is it."
"Probably."
"The final attempt."
Ethan nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
The earthquake shook the ground again.
A loud cracking sound came from high above.
Both of them looked up.
A large section of stone broke loose from the upper part of the clock tower.
It crashed into the plaza with a thunderous boom.
Debris scattered everywhere.
If they had been standing a few meters closer…
They would already be dead.
Ethan exhaled quietly.
"That was close."
Liya's voice trembled slightly.
"This whole tower could collapse."
He didn't deny it.
Another tremor rolled through the earth.
The tower leaned slightly.
Its old foundations groaned under the pressure.
Ethan checked his phone.
11:57 PM.
Three minutes left.
He looked back at Liya.
"I think we reached the end of the game."
She shook her head.
"No."
"Liya—"
"There has to be another way."
He smiled sadly.
"You've been saying that all night."
"And we're still alive!"
"Barely."
Another violent tremor shook the plaza.
A long crack spread across the ground between them.
The clock tower creaked loudly.
Its upper section shifted again.
More stones began falling from above.
Ethan looked up calmly.
"If this tower collapses…"
"…it'll crush the entire plaza."
"Yes."
"So there's nowhere to run."
She knew he was right.
But she refused to accept it.
"Then we stop the tower from falling!"
He blinked.
"…How exactly?"
"I don't know!"
Another chunk of stone crashed nearby.
The earthquake continued shaking the city.
Ethan gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Liya."
"What?"
"Look at the time."
She turned slowly.
The giant clock above them glowed through the dust.
11:58 PM.
Two minutes left.
Ethan spoke quietly.
"If fate needs my death to end the loop…"
"…then maybe we shouldn't fight it anymore."
Her chest tightened.
"You're really going to let this happen?"
"I might have to."
"No."
Her voice cracked again.
"I won't let you."
Ethan looked at her carefully.
"You already tried."
"Yes."
"And fate escalated every time."
She clenched her fists.
"Then we escalate too."
He raised an eyebrow.
"…What does that mean?"
She looked up at the clock tower again.
Its giant hands moved slowly toward midnight.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Then she said something that made Ethan freeze.
"What if you're supposed to die…"
"…but not like this?"
His eyes widened slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"The loop keeps correcting your death."
"Yes."
"But every time we avoid it…"
"…fate makes it worse."
He slowly understood what she was suggesting.
"You think the problem isn't my death…"
"…but how I die?"
"Yes."
A massive tremor shook the plaza again.
The tower tilted farther.
More debris rained down around them.
Ethan checked the time again.
11:59 PM.
One minute left.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"…So what are you saying?"
Liya looked directly at him.
Her eyes were filled with determination.
"I'm saying…"
"…maybe the universe doesn't want an accident."
Silence filled the shaking plaza.
The clock tower creaked loudly above them.
And the second hand moved closer to midnight.
Liya finished her sentence quietly.
"…maybe it wants a choice." ⏳