The timer hit zero.
Nothing happened.
For one second—
two—
Elena was still alive.
Her chest rose sharply as she gasped for air.
"I… didn't die…?"
The man in black didn't move.
But his smile disappeared.
"…Interesting," he murmured.
Then—
The world snapped back.
A deafening screech tore through the air.
A car.
Right where Elena had been standing seconds ago.
It crashed into a pole, metal bending, glass shattering.
People screamed.
Time was moving again.
Elena stumbled backward, her legs weak.
"I… avoided it…"
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
She was supposed to be there.
She was supposed to die.
But she didn't.
Because she chose YES.
A cold chill ran down her spine.
Slowly—
She turned back.
The man was still there.
Unaffected by the chaos.
Unbothered by the screams.
Just watching her.
"Congratulations," he said softly.
"You broke your first fate."
Elena's voice shook. "What… do you mean…?"
He stepped closer.
One step.
Two.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
"People like you," he said, "aren't supposed to exist."
Her heart dropped.
"What are you talking about?!"
He stopped in front of her.
Too close.
Close enough for her to see her reflection in his eyes.
Cold. Empty.
"Fate is a system," he said calmly.
"And you just… glitched it."
Elena's breath caught.
A glitch?
"I don't understand—"
"You don't need to."
His hand lifted slowly.
And pointed at her chest.
"Because now…"
A new screen appeared in front of Elena.
Brighter.
Sharper.
More terrifying.
[ERROR DETECTED]
[TARGET: ELENA HART]
[STATUS: SHOULD BE DEAD]
Her vision blurred.
"No… no, that's not—"
[INITIATING CORRECTION]
Elena froze.
"Correction…?"
The man smiled again.
But this time—
It wasn't amused.
It was cruel.
"Now," he said, almost gently,
"We fix you."
The air around her twisted.
Heavy.
Like something invisible was pressing down on her.
Elena dropped to her knees.
"I can't— breathe—!"
Her body trembled violently.
Her vision flickered.
Like a broken screen.
"No… I don't want to die…"
Her fingers dug into the ground.
Desperate.
Terrified.
"Please…"
The man watched.
Silently.
Then—
Another voice.
Different.
Warmer.
Breaking through the pressure.
[Override detected.]
The crushing force stopped.
Instantly.
Elena collapsed forward, coughing violently.
Air rushed back into her lungs.
She was alive.
Again.
Her body shook uncontrollably.
"What… what is happening to me…?"
The screen changed.
[New System Activated]
[Survival Rate: 1%]
[Next Death Countdown: 23:59:59]
Elena's blood ran cold.
Another countdown.
Another death.
In 24 hours.
Her hands trembled.
"This… this is insane…"
A soft chuckle echoed.
She looked up.
The man was still there.
But now—
There was something different in his eyes.
Interest.
Genuine interest.
"Well," he said,
"Let's see how long you last."