The street fell silent.
Someone else just entered the loop.
The words echoed in Liya's mind.
"Secondary anomaly detected."
She looked at the man.
"You said I was the anomaly."
"You were."
"Then what changed?"
The man stared at the blinking red device in his hand.
"It's detecting another timeline breach."
Ethan crossed his arms.
"So now there are three of us breaking your system."
The man didn't respond.
His attention stayed fixed on the device screen.
Numbers were scrolling rapidly.
Coordinates.
Time fluctuations.
Energy spikes.
For the first time since they met him…
He looked uncertain.
Ethan noticed.
"That doesn't usually happen to you, does it?"
The man spoke quietly.
"No."
"Great."
Liya's voice tightened.
"Where is this 'secondary anomaly'?"
The man slowly lifted his head.
And pointed.
Across the city.
Toward the skyline.
Toward the cloud of dust still hanging above the collapsed Riverside Tower.
Ethan blinked.
"…That's far."
The device beeped louder.
Then a location flashed on its screen.
The man read it.
"Riverside district."
"Exactly where the tower collapsed."
Liya frowned.
"Someone appeared there?"
"Yes."
Ethan scratched his head.
"Okay, that's suspicious timing."
The man nodded slowly.
"Very."
The red light on the device started flashing faster.
Warning tones echoed quietly from it.
"Temporal instability increasing."
Liya swallowed.
"What does that mean?"
The man answered bluntly.
"The loop is degrading faster than expected."
"How fast?"
He checked the device again.
Then looked at them.
"If the anomalies interact…"
"…the loop may collapse before midnight."
Ethan blinked.
"Wait."
"You mean the reset might break early?"
"Yes."
Liya felt her heart racing.
"If that happens…"
"…what happens to the world?"
The man answered honestly.
"We don't know."
Ethan laughed quietly.
"You guys really run this operation with a lot of confidence."
The man ignored the comment.
Instead he looked directly at Ethan.
"We have to reach the second anomaly."
"Why?"
"To stabilize the timeline."
Ethan shook his head.
"Your version of 'stabilize' involves killing me."
"That was before this complication."
Liya frowned.
"So now what?"
The man hesitated for a moment.
Then said something unexpected.
"For now…"
"…we work together."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"That's a sudden strategy shift."
"Circumstances changed."
Liya looked between them.
"You expect us to trust you?"
"No."
"Then why would we help you?"
The man's voice dropped slightly.
"Because if we don't find the second anomaly…"
"…this entire city may disappear before midnight."
Silence.
Even Ethan stopped joking.
Liya stared at him.
"…Disappear?"
The man pointed at the device again.
The readings were rising rapidly.
"This isn't just a loop anymore."
"It's a collapsing timeline."
Ethan sighed.
"Well."
"That escalated quickly."
The device suddenly beeped sharply.
A new alert appeared.
The man's eyes widened slightly.
Liya noticed.
"What now?"
He read the message quietly.
Then looked toward the skyline again.
"The anomaly is moving."
Ethan frowned.
"Moving where?"
The man slowly turned his head.
And looked directly at Liya.
"…Toward us."
Liya froze.
"…What?"
Ethan's voice dropped.
"You're saying the third player…"
"…is coming here?"
The man nodded once.
"Yes."
The wind picked up slightly on the empty street.
In the far distance…
A motorcycle engine suddenly roared through the city night.
Fast.
Very fast.
And getting closer. ⏳