The night air hit Ghaith's lungs like ice.
He stood barefoot on the empty street, staring at the entrance of his apartment building.
For a moment, nothing happened.
No explosion.
No fire.
Just silence.
Ghaith bent forward, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. His heart was beating so hard it felt like it might break through his ribs.
"This is insane…" he muttered.
He looked down at the phone still clutched in his hand.
The call had ended.
Unknown number.
No name.
No history.
Just silence.
Across the street, a single streetlamp flickered, casting weak yellow light over the road. The city looked completely normal, like any other quiet night.
Which made everything feel even stranger.
Ghaith ran a hand through his hair and looked back toward the apartment door.
Maybe it really was a prank.
Maybe someone had hidden something that just made a ticking sound.
Maybe—
The world exploded.
A deafening blast tore through the entrance of the building.
Glass shattered.
The front door burst outward in a violent shockwave that threw dust, wood, and metal across the street.
Ghaith stumbled backward, falling hard onto the pavement.
His ears rang violently.
For a few seconds, all he could hear was a high-pitched whistle.
Smoke poured from the entrance of the building like a dark cloud.
Ghaith stared at it, frozen.
If he had stayed inside…
If he had ignored the call…
He slowly turned his head and looked at the phone again.
"Holy…," he whispered.
The call had been real.
Someone had known.
No.
Not someone.
Him.
The thought made his stomach twist.
Sirens began echoing somewhere in the distance.
Someone had heard the explosion.
Ghaith quickly stood up, brushing dust off his clothes. His mind was racing now.
Who would plant a bomb there?
Why his apartment?
And how could someone know it would explode at exactly 3:23 AM?
His phone vibrated suddenly.
Ghaith jumped.
The screen lit up.
Unknown Number.
His chest tightened.
Slowly, he answered.
"Hello?"
For a moment, there was only breathing on the other end.
Heavy breathing.
Like someone who had just run a long distance.
Then the voice spoke.
"…You made it out."
Ghaith leaned against a parked car, trying to steady himself.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "Barely."
A short silence followed.
Then the voice laughed softly.
Not happily.
More like someone who had just escaped death.
"That's good," the voice said.
Ghaith's eyes narrowed.
"You knew that bomb would explode."
"Yes."
"Who planted it?"
Silence.
The voice didn't answer immediately.
Instead, it asked a different question.
"Did anyone see you leave the building?"
Ghaith frowned.
"What?"
"Answer me."
"No… I don't think so."
"Good."
The voice sounded relieved.
Police sirens were getting closer now.
Red and blue lights flashed at the far end of the street.
Ghaith lowered his voice.
"You still haven't answered my question."
"What question?"
"Who are you?"
The breathing on the other end slowed slightly.
Then the voice spoke quietly.
"You already know."
Ghaith stared at the ground.
"Say it."
"…I'm you."
The words hung in the air like a weight.
Ghaith laughed nervously.
"Okay, enough with the jokes."
"I'm not joking."
"Then prove it."
Another pause.
When the voice spoke again, it sounded strangely calm.
"Your best friend's name is Nouh."
Ghaith froze.
"You met him when you were nine."
His grip on the phone tightened.
"You both tried to build a treehouse in his backyard," the voice continued.
"It collapsed after two hours and his father yelled at you both."
Ghaith's mouth slowly went dry.
No one else knew that story.
No one.
"How…?" he whispered.
The voice sounded tired now.
"Because I lived it."
Ghaith felt the world shift slightly beneath his feet.
"This isn't possible."
"You'll keep saying that," the voice replied. "For a while."
Sirens were very close now.
Two police cars turned the corner and slowed when they saw the smoke coming from the building entrance.
People were starting to come out of nearby apartments, confused and frightened.
Ghaith turned away from them and walked toward the darker end of the street.
"You said the bomb exploded at 3:23," he said.
"Yes."
"So you knew the future."
"Yes."
"Then tell me something else that's about to happen."
The voice was quiet for a few seconds.
Then it spoke again.
"Look behind you."
Ghaith slowly turned his head.
At the far end of the street, beyond the flashing police lights, a black car was parked in the shadows.
Its headlights were off.
But the engine was running.
And inside the car…
Someone was watching him.
"Do you see it?" the voice asked.
Ghaith's heart started pounding again.
"Yeah."
"Good."
The voice suddenly sounded urgent.
"Listen carefully."
"Why?"
"Because this is where things get worse."
Ghaith's stomach tightened.
"What do you mean?"
The voice took a slow breath.
"The man inside that car…"
Ghaith waited.
"…is the one who planted the bomb."
Ghaith's eyes widened.
"What?!"
"And if he realizes you're still alive…"
The voice stopped.
"Then what?"
For the first time since the call began, the voice sounded genuinely afraid.
"Then this timeline ends much earlier than mine did."
At that exact moment…
The door of the black car slowly opened.
And a man stepped out.