24

Last night, Reza said he was going to propose to Nadira. And now, Nadira was speaking as if it was the most natural thing in the world—as if that was exactly how things were supposed to be.

Evan clenched his fists. Everything had changed. Everything had been taken from him.

And the most painful part was that Nadira didn't even remember him.

—

Evan took a step back, his body hollow. The cold morning air cut deeper than before. Nadira was still standing in the doorway, eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if wondering why he hadn't left yet.

"I need to go inside," Nadira finally said, her voice flat, devoid of emotion.

Evan swallowed, trying not to look too desperate. But just before Nadira closed the door, he asked, "Are you happy?"

Nadira paused. For a moment, Evan saw it—a flicker of hesitation, brief and fleeting. Then she raised her chin slightly and gave a small smile.

"Of course," she answered casually. "Reza and I are a good match. Why do you ask?"

Evan didn't reply. He just stared at her, trying to find a trace of the Nadira he once knew—the one who looked at him with admiration, who laughed with him, who held his hand on cold nights.

But there was nothing.

She simply shrugged, then closed the door in his face.

Evan stood there for a few seconds, trying to process what had just happened. Then, slowly, he took a deep breath and walked away.

Once he got into his car, he started the engine but didn't drive off right away. His eyes locked on his reflection in the rearview mirror. He was still Evan. Still the man who loved Nadira. But in this world, he was no one to her.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Evan took it out reluctantly. One new message.

Mom: Don't forget dinner at the usual restaurant. You have to come. I need to talk to you.

Evan closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled heavily.

Yes. He needed to talk to someone.

And right now, the only person who might give him a sense of stability in this increasingly alien world was his mother.

—

The restaurant hadn't changed. Same warm lighting with golden pendant lamps, the familiar scent of mushroom soup, and the family table already reserved in advance. Evan stepped in, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.

In one corner, his mom was already waiting. She always looked elegant, her gentle smile usually comforting. But tonight, Evan felt anything but comforted.

"You're late," she remarked lightly as he sat down across from her.

"Traffic," Evan replied shortly, though the truth was he'd deliberately taken extra time sitting in his car before coming in.

His mom sighed, then handed him the menu. "What do you want to order? Or should we go with the usual set?"

Evan glanced at the menu. Pointless. He knew whatever he picked would taste bland tonight.

"Just the usual set," he said at last.

A waiter came and jotted down their order. After that, silence fell over the table. His mom sipped her tea slowly, while Evan absentmindedly fiddled with his fork on the tablecloth.

"You don't seem very excited for your birthday," his mom finally said.

Evan gave a crooked smile. "I'm just tired."

She looked at him closely. "Or… did something happen?"

Evan swallowed. Part of him wanted to say everything. That he was trapped in a time loop that made no sense. That he had lost everything in the blink of an eye. That the world had shifted and stolen his happiness.

But what could he really say?

"I just… feel strange," he answered at last. "Like something's wrong."

His mom took another sip of tea. "You say that every year."

Evan frowned. "What do you mean?"

She smiled faintly. "Every birthday, you always look like someone who's lost something."

Evan's chest tightened. Was it possible that in every version of his repeating 'birthday', he always showed signs of this confusion?

His mom continued, "Whatever you're feeling, Evan… don't let it break you. You still have so much worth fighting for."

Evan nodded slowly, but his mind was still filled with Nadira.

He had to find a way to reclaim his life. To take back what was rightfully his.

And to do that, he needed to figure out… how to break this curse.

—

The waiter arrived with a birthday cake. The number 25 glowed atop it, soft light flickering in the dim room.

Evan stared at the number. A cruel reminder that no matter how hard he tried, he remained stuck at the same age. That candle should have read 27 by now.

"Happy birthday, Evan," his mom said warmly, clapping softly.

Another waiter joined in, singing the birthday song, while Evan sat still, his hands clenched under the table. This was supposed to be different. Nadira was supposed to be here. This was supposed to be the night he proposed. But now, even her presence in his life had been erased.

"Blow out the candle," his mom prompted gently.

Evan took a deep breath. With one blow, the flame vanished.

Everyone clapped. The waiter headed back to the kitchen. But Evan just stared blankly at the cake, his mind racing.

His mom picked up the knife and handed it to him. "Who gets the first slice?"

Evan's heart pounded. This was supposed to be his moment. He had already imagined how Nadira would smile, how he would go down on one knee and—

But Nadira wasn't here.

And in his pocket, the ring still remained.

But it wasn't meant for anyone anymore.

—

Evan stepped into the office with heavy feet. As he arrived at his floor, everything felt painfully familiar—too familiar.

When he reached his desk, he froze. It was the exact same desk from the end of 2015. The monitor, keyboard, even the black pencil holder in the corner with the tiny scratch he'd made—still there.

His hand rose slowly to touch the pencil holder. In 2016, this desk was no longer his—he'd been promoted, had his own office. But now, everything had reset.

"Evan! I've been looking for you!" Reza suddenly appeared behind him, slapping his shoulder.

Evan turned, still dazed.

"You left early last night. How're you feeling? Still hungover from the party?" Reza chuckled.

Evan blinked, forcing a faint smile. "Yeah… a bit."

"I need an update on this week's project report. Make sure it's in my inbox before lunch," Reza said as he walked off confidently.

Evan watched him go. Last night, Reza had said he was going to propose to Nadira. Which meant the park project Evan once led was now in Reza's hands.

Evan sat down slowly, trying to collect his thoughts.

The world had reset to early 2016. Everyone was living their lives like nothing had changed—but he alone knew this was a repetition. All his progress from the past year, his relationship with Nadira—gone.

Now, he was back to being just another employee.

—

Evan rubbed his face roughly, trying to calm his scrambled mind. All the achievements he had worked so hard for in 2015 and 2016—gone.

The first time he realized he was stuck at age 25, he thought it was some bizarre cosmic joke. That he could just work harder, retrace his steps, and reclaim what he had.

But now, after being thrown back to the same point a second time, he realized…

This wasn't just repetition.

It was a curse.

Back then, when he first noticed the loop, he fought it. He worked harder, made sure he still got promoted, still became someone respected.

But now it all felt heavier.

As if no matter how hard he tried, the world would always pull him back to zero.