The cotton candy in Liya's hand suddenly tasted like nothing.
Her mind was stuck on the same sentence.
"The loop is breaking."
The voice from the phone.
Low.
Distorted.
And worst of all…
It knew.
Ethan stared at his phone screen for a long moment.
The call had already ended.
No caller ID.
No trace.
Just silence.
Liya grabbed his arm.
"Tell me I heard that wrong."
Ethan slowly shook his head.
"You didn't."
Her stomach tightened.
"Someone else knows about the loop."
"Looks like it."
"That's impossible."
He slipped the phone back into his pocket.
"Apparently not."
The market noise continued around them.
People laughed.
Music played.
Food vendors shouted.
But the world suddenly felt different.
Like someone unseen was watching them.
Liya lowered her voice.
"Did that ever happen in the other loops?"
"No."
"Not once?"
"Never."
She looked toward the dark skyline beyond the market lights.
"Then this is new."
Ethan nodded.
"Which means the timeline changed more than we thought."
They started walking away from the crowded stalls toward a quieter street.
Liya's brain was racing.
"Okay, think about this."
"I'm trying."
"If someone knows about the loop…"
"…then they might be inside it too."
Ethan stopped walking.
"Or."
He turned to her.
"They might be outside it."
Her eyes widened.
"…Outside?"
"Controlling it."
The idea sent chills through her body.
"You think someone created the loop?"
"I didn't say that."
"But it's a possibility."
They reached a quiet intersection where the market noise faded behind them.
Streetlights hummed softly overhead.
The city felt calm again.
Too calm.
Liya folded her arms.
"Why would someone trap us in a time loop?"
Ethan leaned against a streetlight pole.
"Good question."
"For what purpose?"
"Another good question."
"Why us?"
"Best question so far."
She stared at him.
"You're joking again."
"Humor helps the brain process existential horror."
She sighed.
"Focus, Ethan."
He raised his hands slightly.
"Alright."
He began thinking out loud.
"Facts we know so far."
"Twenty-seven loops."
"Every loop ends at midnight."
"I die."
"Yes."
"The day resets."
"Yes."
"But this time…"
He looked back toward the skyline.
"Events are changing."
Liya nodded slowly.
"Small things."
"The customer."
"The pickpocket."
"The tower collapse without casualties."
"And now…"
"The phone call."
Silence settled between them.
Then Ethan spoke quietly.
"That voice said something important."
"What?"
"The loop is breaking."
He looked directly at her.
"Breaking means something caused it."
Liya's mind started connecting pieces.
"You think we did something."
"Maybe."
"Like what?"
Ethan smiled slightly.
"Last loop."
Her heart tightened.
"When I died on purpose."
"Yes."
"You tried to force fate."
"Exactly."
"And maybe…"
"…that broke the system."
They both looked at the sky.
The stars were barely visible above the city lights.
Liya checked the time.
10:12 PM.
Less than two hours left.
She turned back to Ethan.
"So someone noticed."
"Looks that way."
"And they called you."
"Yep."
"To warn you?"
"Or threaten me."
Liya felt the unease growing stronger.
"If someone else is involved…"
"…then tonight might be bigger than just surviving midnight."
Ethan pushed himself away from the streetlight.
"Well."
"What now?"
He looked down the dark street.
"Now we wait."
"For what?"
His voice dropped slightly.
"For whoever just called me."
Because if someone knew about the loop…
There was a very real chance…
They were already on their way. ⏳