I couldn't sleep that night.
Every time I closed my eyes—
I saw it again.
The twisted bike.
The blood on the ground.
Kunle… not moving.
And worse—
The silence.
I sat up in bed, breathing hard, my fingers gripping the edge of my blanket.
The room was dark.
Too quiet.
Did I really see that?
What if I could've stopped it?
Why didn't I—
The thoughts weren't mine.
I froze.
Slowly…
I looked around my room.
No one was there.
But the whispers—
They were louder than usual.
Sharper.
More chaotic.
You should've stayed home.
It's your fault.
You changed it.
"No…" I muttered, pressing my hands to my ears.
"Stop…"
But they didn't stop.
They never stopped.
Except—
Her.
Kai.
That silence around her…
My chest tightened.
I grabbed my phone from beside my bed.
The screen lit up instantly.
No new messages.
For the first time since this started—
Nothing.
"That's not normal…" I whispered.
Future me had been messaging non-stop.
Warning me.
Guiding me.
Controlling every step.
So why stop now
My stomach twisted.
"Unless…" I murmured.
Unless this—
This was the part he couldn't control anymore.
Or worse—
This was the part he was afraid of.
A soft tap against my window made me freeze.
My heart skipped.
Another tap.
Slow.
Deliberate.
I turned my head.
Very slowly.
And my breath caught
She was there
Kai stood outside my window.
Second floor.
No balcony.
No ladder
Just standing there like it was nothing.
My pulse spiked.
"What the—"
Tap.
She gestured for me to open it.
For a moment—
I didn't move.
This was insane.
This entire day had been insane
And yet…
I stood up.
Walked to the window.
And opened it.
The moment I did—
Silence.
Complete.
Total.
Like the world itself had been muted again
"You're not scared enough," Kai said, stepping inside like it was the most normal thing in the world.
I stared at her.
"You just climbed to the second floor with no support," I said slowly.
"You're in my room."
She shrugged.
"You've had a long day," she replied. "Focus."
My jaw tightened.
"Kunle is in the hospital," I said, my voice sharp
Her expression didn't change.
"I know."
Something about that answer made anger rise in my chest.
"You know?" I snapped. "That's it? That's all you're going to say?"
Her gaze locked onto mine.
"He's alive," she said calmly
I froze.
"What…?"
"He survives," she continued. "Barely. But he does."
My chest tightened.
"How do you—"
"I told you," she interrupted,
"I know things."
My mind raced.
Future me knew things.
Kai knew things.
Both of them were warning me.
Controlling me.
Pulling me in different directions.
"I'm not doing this," I said, stepping back.
"I'm not just going to listen to whatever you say without answers."
"Then ask better questions," she replied immediately.
I clenched my fists.
"Fine," I said. "Let's start simple."
I took a step closer.
"What are you?"
Silence
For a brief second—
Something flickered in her eyes.
Not hesitation.
Not fear.
Something deeper.
Then--
"I'm not from your timeline," she said.
My breath caught.
"What?"
"I exist… outside of it," she continued.
That didn't make sense.
"That's not possible," I said quickly.
"It is," she replied.
Her voice didn't change.
Didn't waver
Like she wasn't trying to convince me.
Like she was just stating a fact.
My heart pounded.
"So what… you can see the future?" I asked.
"No."
"Then the past?"
"No.
"Then what do you actually do?!"
A pause.
Then—
"I see outcomes," she said.
I frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means," she continued,
"I see where choices lead."
A chill ran down my spine.
"Not one future," she added.
"Many."
My mouth went dry.
"Then why didn't you stop it?" I demanded. "If you knew what would happen to Kunle—why didn't you stop it?!"
Her gaze hardened.
"Because I can't change everything," she said.
My chest tightened.
"And because," she added quietly,
"you already did."
I froze.
"What…?"
"In the original path," she said,
"you never saw it."
My heart started racing again.
"You went home early," she continued.
"You lived like nothing happened."
I swallowed hard.
"But now?" she said,
"you stayed."
Her eyes met mine.
"And now… you're involved."
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Then—
My phone buzzer
Loud.
Sharing
Breaking through the silence
Both of us looked at it.
Slowly—
I picked it up.
One new message.
> Unknown:
So she came to you.
My chest tightened.
Kai didn't move.
Didn't react.
But I felt it—
That pressure again.
Like something invisible tightening around us.
> Unknown:
I was hoping we had more time
My fingers trembled.
> Unknown:
Listen carefully.
Another message came instantly.
> Unknown:
She's not helping you.
I glanced at Kai.
Still nothing.
No thoughts.
No reaction.
> Unknown:
She's the reason you lose everything.
My breath hitched.
"Don't," Kai said suddenly.
I looked up
Her voice was sharper now.
"Don't listen to him."
My heart pounded.
> Unknown:
And the worst part?
Another message.
> Unknown:
She doesn't belong in any future where you surviv
The room felt colder.
Heavier.
Like something was pressing down on my chest.
"Put the phone down," Kai said.
Her eyes were locked on me now.
Serious.
Intense.
"For once," she added,
"choose for yourself
My grip tightened around the phone.
Two voices.
Two warnings.
Two truths.
Or two lies.
I looked at the screen.
Then at her.
Then back at the screen.
And slowly—
I realized something.
Something that made my chest tighten even more.
"Wait…" I whispered.
Both of them went still.
"If you're from the future…" I said slowly,
looking at my phone—
"And you…" I turned to Kai,
"…exist outside of time…"
My pulse quickened.
"Then that means…"
My voice dropped
"…there's only one person here…"
A pause.
"…who doesn't know what's going to happen."
Silence.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
And for the first time—
I understood the truth.
"I'm the only one being played."
Neither of them denied it.
And somehow—
That was the scariest answer of all.