The sound came first.
A deep motorcycle engine tearing through the quiet streets.
Fast.
Too fast for city traffic.
Liya turned toward the road instinctively.
Headlights appeared at the end of the street.
Bright.
Blinding.
The bike shot through the intersection like a bullet.
Ethan squinted.
"Wow."
"That person definitely ignored several traffic laws."
The man with the device didn't laugh.
His eyes were locked on the approaching vehicle.
The device in his hand beeped wildly.
"Temporal spike confirmed."
"Secondary anomaly approaching."
The motorcycle screeched to a sudden stop twenty meters away.
Rubber burned against asphalt.
Smoke curled from the tires.
The rider slowly removed their helmet.
Long dark hair fell over their shoulders.
Liya blinked.
"…A girl?"
The rider stepped off the bike calmly.
Black jacket.
Dark jeans.
Cold, steady eyes.
She looked directly at Ethan.
Like she had been searching for him.
For a long time.
The man beside them whispered quietly.
"This… shouldn't be possible."
Ethan noticed immediately.
"You know her?"
"…No."
But his voice sounded uncertain.
The girl began walking toward them.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Confident.
Like she belonged here.
Liya moved closer to Ethan.
"Do you recognize her?"
He studied the girl carefully.
Then shook his head.
"No."
The girl stopped a few feet away.
Her gaze shifted between Ethan…
…and the man with the device.
Then she smiled slightly.
"Well."
"Looks like I made it before midnight."
The man stepped forward immediately.
"Identify yourself."
The girl tilted her head.
"Rude."
"You ask someone's name before pointing gadgets at them."
The device in the man's hand beeped aggressively.
"State your designation."
The girl looked at it and rolled her eyes.
"Oh wow."
"They sent a chronal officer?"
Ethan blinked.
"…Chronal?"
The man's expression hardened.
"You know what I am."
"Of course."
The girl folded her arms casually.
"Timeline maintenance division."
"Very dramatic uniforms."
Liya whispered to Ethan.
"She talks like she's met these people before."
Ethan whispered back.
"I'm starting to feel underqualified for this conversation."
The man spoke again.
"You're unauthorized."
The girl laughed quietly.
"That's cute."
"Because you're not authorized either."
The device in his hand flashed red again.
"Secondary anomaly confirmed."
"Temporal displacement: three loops."
Liya froze.
"…Three loops?"
The girl grinned.
"Yep."
Then she pointed at Ethan.
"Took me three resets to find you."
Ethan stared.
"…Find me?"
The man stepped forward.
"You entered the loop intentionally."
"Correct."
"That violates protocol."
The girl shrugged.
"Your protocol is boring."
Liya finally spoke.
"Okay hold on."
Everyone looked at her.
"You entered the loop."
"Yes."
"On purpose."
"Yes."
"To find Ethan."
"Yes."
"WHY?"
The girl looked directly at Ethan again.
Her smile faded slightly.
Her voice softened.
"Because if he dies tonight…"
"…the future ends."
Silence.
Ethan blinked slowly.
"Well."
"That sounds like a lot of pressure."
The man's voice sharpened.
"You're interfering with timeline stabilization."
The girl stepped closer.
"No."
She pointed at Ethan again.
"I'm saving it."
The device in the man's hand suddenly screamed with alarms.
The screen flashed a warning.
CRITICAL TEMPORAL INSTABILITY
The man stared at it in shock.
"That's impossible."
Liya felt her heart pounding.
"What now?"
The man looked at all three of them.
His voice dropped.
"The timeline just split."
Ethan frowned.
"…Split?"
The girl sighed.
"Yeah."
"That happens when too many people break the loop rules."
The wind rushed through the empty street again.
The sky above the city flickered strangely.
Like reality itself was glitching.
The man whispered quietly.
"We're out of time."
Ethan looked up.
"What happens now?"
The girl answered simply.
"Now?"
She smiled slightly.
"Now the real timeline begins." ⏳