The rain never stopped.
Liya noticed it the moment she stepped outside the bookstore that evening.
Same gray sky.Same wet pavement.Same cold breeze brushing her face.
It felt oddly familiar.
She shook off the strange feeling and locked the bookstore door.
"Just a long day," she muttered.
The streetlights flickered on as night slowly wrapped around the city. Cars moved lazily through traffic while people hurried home under umbrellas.
For some reason, Liya kept thinking about the stranger.
Ethan.
The way he smiled.
The strange question he asked before leaving.
Do you ever meet someone and feel like you've known them before?
She pulled out her phone.
No messages.
She didn't even have his number.
"Why am I thinking about this guy so much?" she sighed.
A taxi splashed through a puddle nearby, snapping her out of her thoughts.
Liya started walking toward her apartment building a few blocks away.
Halfway down the street, she stopped.
Across the road, she saw him again.
Ethan.
He was standing under the glowing sign of a small café, staring up at the rain like he was enjoying the moment.
For some reason, Liya's heart beat a little faster.
She crossed the street.
"Hey," she called out.
Ethan turned, surprised.
Then he smiled.
"Oh. Bookstore girl."
She laughed softly.
"Liya."
"Right," he said. "Liya."
For a second they just stood there, rain tapping softly against the café windows behind him.
"You stalking your customers now?" he teased.
"Maybe," she replied. "Depends if they buy good books."
He held up the one he bought earlier.
"Halfway through already."
"You read fast."
"I had time."
Liya leaned against the café wall beside him.
"So… what are you doing here if you're just passing through the city?"
Ethan shrugged.
"Waiting, I guess."
"For what?"
He looked thoughtful.
"I'm not sure."
The answer felt strange.
But before Liya could ask more, Ethan suddenly frowned.
"Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
A loud horn echoed down the street.
They both turned.
Headlights appeared at the far end of the road.
A truck was speeding through the rain toward the intersection.
Too fast.
Way too fast.
People on the sidewalk began shouting.
"Hey! Slow down!"
The truck didn't slow.
Liya felt her stomach twist.
Something about this moment felt horribly familiar.
Like a memory she couldn't quite reach.
Ethan stepped slightly forward to see what was happening.
"Someone's going to get hurt," he said.
The truck skidded on the wet road.
Its tires screamed against the pavement.
And suddenly—
Liya's chest tightened with panic.
A strange voice inside her head screamed a warning.
This is wrong.
"Ethan, wait—"
But he had already taken another step toward the street.
The truck lost control.
It swerved violently toward the sidewalk.
Everything happened too fast.
People screamed.
The truck slammed into a traffic pole.
Metal crunched.
Glass shattered.
And Ethan disappeared from Liya's sight.
For a moment, the world went silent.
Rain continued falling like nothing had happened.
Liya's hands trembled.
"Ethan?"
No answer.
Her heart pounded as she rushed toward the crash.
The truck had smashed into the pole, its front completely destroyed.
A small crowd was gathering.
Someone shouted for an ambulance.
Liya pushed through the people.
"Move—please!"
Her eyes scanned the ground desperately.
Then she saw him.
Ethan lay on the pavement a few meters away.
Blood slowly mixed with the rainwater beside him.
"No… no…"
Liya dropped to her knees next to him.
"Ethan!"
His eyes were half open.
Confused.
Like he couldn't understand what had happened.
"Liya?" he whispered weakly.
Tears filled her eyes.
"I'm here… just stay with me, okay?"
He tried to smile.
But it looked painful.
"Guess… I didn't finish that book after all."
"Don't talk," she said desperately.
"Help is coming."
Sirens wailed in the distance.
But Ethan's grip on her hand was already weakening.
"Hey," he murmured.
"Yeah?"
He looked at her strangely.
Like he was trying to remember something.
"Do you ever feel like… we've done this before?"
Liya froze.
The question sent a chill through her body.
"What?"
His voice faded.
"Meeting you…"
The rain fell harder.
The clock on the nearby building changed.
11:59 PM.
Ethan's hand went limp.
"Ethan?"
No response.
"Ethan!"
The sirens grew louder.
But it was too late.
Tears streamed down Liya's face as she clutched his hand.
The rain kept falling.
And the world slowly faded into darkness.
Morning.
Rain tapped softly against the window.
Liya's eyes snapped open.
She sat up instantly.
Her heart was racing.
The memory of the accident flashed through her mind.
"Ethan—"
Her voice stopped.
The room looked normal.
Too normal.
She grabbed her phone.
7:12 AM.
Her alarm hadn't even rung yet.
The radio in the kitchen turned on automatically.
The cheerful announcer spoke.
"Good morning! Looks like we're starting the day with light rain across the city—"
Liya froze.
Her hands began shaking.
Because she had heard those exact words before.
Yesterday.
Slowly…
very slowly…
she turned toward the window.
Rain slid down the glass.
And somewhere deep inside her chest, a terrifying realization began to form.
Today…
was starting again. ⏳