That alone proved something was wrong.
In my previous life, I would've dragged myself out of bed no matter how exhausted I felt. Missing a shift meant losing pay, and losing pay meant falling behind on rent. I'd been desperate then—desperate enough to ignore the unease crawling up my spine.
Now, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my phone.
If this was really three days before my death… then today mattered.
Everything mattered.
I opened my message history.
Her name sat near the top.
Mina ❤️
The heart made my stomach twist.
In my previous life, she'd sent a message around noon.
Can we meet tonight? I have something important to tell you.
I checked the time.
11:47 a.m.
My thumb hovered over the screen.
"…Send it," I muttered.
As if on cue, my phone vibrated.
Mina ❤️:Can we meet tonight? I have something important to tell you.
The room went cold.
Same words.
Same timing.
I let out a slow breath.
Nothing had changed.
Not yet.
I locked the phone and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. A thousand thoughts raced through my head, but one rose above the rest.
She was still going to betray me.
The question wasn't if.
It was how.
And whether I'd let it happen again.
I needed proof.
Not feelings. Not memories.
Facts.
I left my apartment and headed into the city. The streets were crowded with the usual lunchtime rush—office workers, delivery bikes, honking cars. Everything looked painfully normal.
Too normal for someone who'd already died once.
I stopped in front of a small café near the subway station.
In my previous life, this was where I'd overheard the conversation.
I hesitated.
Then pushed the door open.
The bell chimed softly.
I ordered the cheapest coffee and took a seat near the back, pretending to scroll through my phone while watching the entrance.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
My heartbeat began to quicken.
If this doesn't happen…
The door opened.
Two men walked in.
My breath caught.
I recognized them instantly.
One wore a black coat—clean, expensive. The other followed half a step behind, eyes sharp and alert. In my previous life, I hadn't known who they were.
Now I did.
They were awakened.
I couldn't explain how I knew. I just did. My skin prickled the moment they stepped inside, a faint pressure pressing against my chest.
The man in the black coat spoke first.
"She's late," he said calmly.
"She'll come," the other replied. "She always does."
My fingers tightened around my coffee cup.
So this was it.
I forced myself to stay seated.
Minutes later, the door opened again.
Mina walked in.
She looked exactly the same as she always had—soft smile, neat hair, worried eyes. The girl who'd cried over my body while accepting the money.
She sat across from them.
"I did what you asked," she said quietly. "He trusts me completely."
The man in the black coat nodded.
"Good. Bring him tonight. Same place."
Her hands trembled.
"For real… this is the last time, right?"
He smiled.
"Yes."
It was a kind smile.
A lie wrapped in warmth.
I felt something stir inside my chest.
Dark.
Hungry.
The whisper returned, faint but eager.
Kill them.
My vision blurred for a moment.
I clenched my jaw and forced it down.
Not yet.
I stood up before they noticed me and walked out of the café, my legs steady despite the storm raging inside my head.
Outside, the sunlight felt harsh.
There was no doubt anymore.
This wasn't a dream.
This was a second chance.
And tonight
Someone was going to die.