Trapped between two versions of himself, Arjun's mind is a maelstrom. He scrambles to keep the evil twin from speaking. Each time he silences it, the other voice – his own whisper – commands: "Stop." He finally lunges up the ladder, thrusting the hatch shut. His duplicate moans on the other side.
Breath ragged, Arjun braces himself against the sealed hatch. A final muffled plea from below: "It's me or the loop." Something inside clicks. The paradox snaps into place: all evidence points to himself in the future wanting this loop to end. His future self tried every way to break it – hiding in the basement, recording messages – and now lives buried beneath the house.
The radio crackles one more time. Voice clear: "There is only one way out." Arjun's blood runs cold; he knows what it means. He has to shut the loop himself. A score of panic forms – this is by his own free will, the cycle's end. He clutches the hatch bolts and forces them closed with every ounce of strength.
The instant it locks, silence. The basement lies dark as a tomb. Arjun staggers out into the living room. He hears only his own breathing. Midnight has ended; the digital clock now blinks 2:17 AM once more. His heart stops.
The ceiling light above him bursts – and as it does, a low static hum starts in the corner of the room…