The street had gone quiet.
Far from the bright chaos of the night market, the city felt almost still.
A soft wind moved through the empty road.
Streetlights hummed overhead.
Liya hugged her arms slightly.
"Waiting here feels like a bad horror movie decision."
Ethan stood calmly beside the streetlight.
"You'd prefer running?"
"No."
"Then this is the logical play."
She sighed.
"I hate that you make bad ideas sound reasonable."
The clock on Ethan's phone read 10:26 PM.
Less than two hours left.
The words from the phone call still echoed in Liya's mind.
"The loop is breaking."
Someone knew.
Someone had been watching.
And if they were coming…
It would probably happen soon.
Minutes passed.
Nothing moved.
No cars.
No footsteps.
Just silence.
Then—
Headlights appeared at the end of the street.
A black sedan slowly rolled toward them.
Liya immediately felt something was wrong.
"That car's been driving slowly for the last ten seconds."
Ethan watched quietly.
"Yeah."
The car stopped across the street.
Engine still running.
The driver's door opened.
A man stepped out.
Tall.
Early thirties maybe.
Dark coat.
Calm posture.
He closed the car door gently and looked directly at Ethan.
Not surprised.
Not confused.
Like he already knew exactly who he was looking for.
Liya whispered,
"Please tell me you know him."
"I don't."
The man walked toward them slowly.
His footsteps echoed on the empty street.
Then he stopped a few meters away.
And spoke.
"Ethan."
Liya felt her heart skip.
He knew his name.
Ethan's expression remained steady.
"Have we met?"
The man studied him quietly.
Then shook his head.
"Not in this version."
Liya's stomach dropped.
Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Interesting answer."
The man glanced at the sky for a moment.
Then back at them.
"You broke the loop."
Silence.
The words landed like a bomb.
Liya spoke first.
"Excuse me?"
The man ignored her.
His eyes stayed on Ethan.
"You weren't supposed to choose death."
Ethan folded his arms.
"Who exactly decides what I'm supposed to do?"
The man sighed slightly.
"You really don't understand what you've done."
"Enlighten me."
The man took another step closer.
"The loop existed to stabilize a timeline."
Liya's brain struggled to process that.
"Stabilize… what?"
"A fracture in reality."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"That sounds dramatic."
"It is."
The man's tone was completely serious.
"Your death at midnight resets the day."
Liya whispered,
"So that's why he keeps dying…"
The man nodded.
"Yes."
Ethan tilted his head slightly.
"And if I don't die?"
The man looked directly at him.
"Then the loop collapses."
"And that's bad?"
The man gestured toward the distant skyline.
"Events start changing."
"The tower collapse."
"The altered timeline."
"The anomalies."
Liya's chest tightened.
"Anomalies?"
The man finally looked at her.
"You."
She froze.
"Me?"
"You weren't supposed to remember previous loops."
Ethan turned to her slowly.
"…What?"
The man spoke calmly.
"In the original design, only Ethan resets."
"Everyone else forgets."
Liya's voice shook slightly.
"But I remember everything."
"Yes."
"Why?"
The man's answer was simple.
"Because you're the error."
The street suddenly felt colder.
Liya stared at him.
"…Error?"
Ethan's voice sharpened.
"Careful."
The man continued calmly.
"Your memory broke the system."
"You changed Ethan's decisions."
"You altered the timeline."
"And now…"
He looked at both of them.
"The loop is destabilizing."
Liya felt her mind spinning.
"So what happens now?"
The man answered quietly.
"We fix it."
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?"
The man's gaze hardened slightly.
"There's only one way to restore the timeline."
Silence hung in the air.
Then he said it.
"Ethan has to die tonight."
Liya's heart dropped.
But Ethan just smiled slightly.
"…Yeah."
"I figured you'd say that." ⏳