26

In 2016, that garden project had been his. Nadira had worked with him, and their relationship had grown from there. But now, the project had fallen into Reza's hands.

And that wasn't all.

It was Reza who would propose to Nadira on her birthday.

Evan set his coffee cup down a little too hard, took a deep breath, and returned to his desk.

He had to find a way to reclaim his life.

—

At lunch, Evan chose to sit in a corner of the office canteen, far from the crowd. He barely touched his food, his mind still clouded by the bitter reality he'd been forced to face since the start of the new year.

Suddenly, Reza appeared in front of him with a wide smile. Casually, he set his phone on the table, the screen glowing with a photo.

Evan stared at it blankly at first, but the moment his eyes caught what was on the screen, his whole body tensed.

There, a woman's hand was on display—her ring finger adorned with a modest-looking ring, simpler than the one still tucked away in Evan's pocket.

But it wasn't the ring that made his chest tighten.

It was Nadira's joyful smile.

"Beautiful, right?" Reza's voice was filled with pride. "She finally said yes."

Evan kept his eyes on the screen, searching for something—anything—that could offer him hope that this was all just a misunderstanding.

But there was nothing.

Nadira had truly accepted Reza's proposal.

"I haven't been able to stop looking at her since this morning," Reza chuckled. "She's incredible. I honestly didn't think she'd say yes to my ring."

Evan swallowed hard, trying to keep himself composed.

"When?" he asked, his voice flat.

Reza leaned back in his chair, relaxed. "This morning. I surprised her on her birthday. She didn't expect I'd propose right at the start of the year."

The start of the year.

Exactly as Evan had planned it.

It should've been him on one knee before Nadira this morning.

He should've been the one sliding that ring onto her finger.

He should've been the one witnessing that radiant smile.

But it had all vanished overnight.

"From now on, I'll probably be working with her more often, too—she's handling a new project," Reza added. "More time to spend with my fiancée."

My fiancée.

Those words cut deeper than Evan expected.

He looked away, held his breath for a moment, and then gave a small smile.

"Congratulations," he said quietly.

Reza patted his shoulder with a satisfied laugh and walked off, leaving Evan alone at the table.

Evan stared down at his now-cold meal, his fingers curling into fists on the tabletop.

Then slowly, he slipped a hand into his pocket and felt the ring box still inside.

A ring that no longer had a purpose.

—

Evan frowned as he saw a new email notification pop up. A high school reunion invitation.

At first, he didn't think much of it—until his eyes landed on something strange.

Class of 2010?

His fingers froze above the screen. He reread the email carefully.

High School Reunion – Class of 2010.

That wasn't his class.

Evan had graduated in 2008.

Or at least, he was supposed to.

An uneasy feeling crept into his chest. He quickly opened a browser and searched for his school's alumni list. His eyes scanned the names.

There it was—his name, listed under the Class of 2010.

His blood ran cold.

His hand went straight to his wallet. Fingers trembling, he pulled out his ID.

Date of birth: 1992.

High school entry: 2007. Graduation: 2010.

Evan's breath caught.

His birth year had shifted. Again.

Back when the curse first began, his personal records had adjusted to keep him at 25 years old—only one year of difference.

Now it was two.

As if he were truly two years younger than he should have been.

He looked back at the phone screen. The reunion invite was still there, mocking him.

Then a darker possibility crossed his mind.

If every year the world resets and his age remains 25, with his birth year continually shifting...

How much longer until he's no longer part of his own generation?

—

Evan showed up at the reunion with mixed feelings. He wasn't exactly excited, but he needed to see it for himself—needed to understand what was really happening.

The venue buzzed with laughter and nostalgia. But the moment he saw the large banner that read Class of 2010 Reunion, his heart sank.

This wasn't his class. He had been in the Class of 2008. But in this world, all official records—and people's memories—had changed. Even his graduation year.

He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. At least no one seemed to be looking at him strangely.

But before he could find a seat, someone clapped him on the back with enthusiasm.

"Evan! Man, it's been ages!"

Evan turned and saw a familiar face—familiar, but out of place. It took him a few seconds to place the guy. This kid had been a freshman when Evan was a senior.

And now he stood before Evan, beaming as if they'd been old friends.

"Dude, finally! This reunion is so cool! You were totally one of my closest guys back in school!"

Evan blinked. Closest?

He didn't remember being close with this person. He remembered him vaguely, a lowerclassman he passed in the halls. But now the man was talking like they'd been best friends.

"Really?" Evan tried to keep his expression neutral.

"Of course!" The guy laughed, patting Evan's shoulder again. "We used to hang out in the cafeteria all the time! You'd joke about the strict teachers—I remember it so well!"

Evan wanted to correct him. But he knew better now. In this world, the truth he remembered no longer mattered.

He just smiled faintly, masking the unease gnawing away at his mind.

—

Evan kept smiling, pretending to recall memories that had never actually happened.

The man—he finally remembered his name was Denny—continued chatting excitedly.

"I used to copy your answers all the time during tests!" Denny laughed. "Where do you work now?"

Evan choked slightly. "At—" He almost mentioned his old job title before remembering it no longer existed. "Still at the same company since the beginning," he said cautiously.

"Nice! You're such a role model for guys like me," Denny said with admiration. "Back in school, you were already so smart. It's no surprise you're doing great now."

Evan gave a tight smile. Doing great? If only Denny knew the truth.

The reunion grew increasingly surreal. Every person he spoke to remembered him as part of the Class of 2010.

No one remembered him as their senior.

Even the friends from his real class—those who should've shown up for a 2008 reunion—were nowhere to be found.

It was like they'd never existed.

Evan tried to find someone, anyone, who might remember the real him. But the longer he stayed, the clearer it became—he was completely alone in a world that no longer remembered the life he once lived.

And then, the night hit its peak.

A member of the organizing committee got on stage, smiling brightly.

"To close out our reunion, we'd like to give a special award to the most accomplished alum! He's smart, successful, and a role model for us all. You all know him… Reza!"

Evan's head snapped toward the stage as he saw Reza walk up to thunderous applause.

Everything was becoming clear.

Not just at work—Reza had taken the spotlight in Evan's social life as well.

Evan had become a shadow.

Someone who no longer existed in this rewritten history.

For the first time since the curse began, Evan felt truly small.

He gripped his drink tightly, knuckles white with restrained emotion.

He had to find a way to reclaim his life.