Daniel refused to sleep.
He sat at the kitchen table, arms wrapped around his daughter, Lily, as she dozed against his chest. Her breathing was soft and steady, her tiny fingers curled into his shirt. He didn't move, barely even breathed.
Because the moment he closed his eyes, he knew what would happen.
He would wake up.
Back in his bedroom. Back in his real life. And this….his daughter, his wife, this home…all would disappear.
Just like before.
He clenched his jaw. He wasn't ready. Not yet.
The clock on the wall ticked away the seconds. 3:12 AM. The world outside was still and quiet, wrapped in the heavy silence of early morning. It almost felt like if he just sat here long enough…if he just refused to let go,this life might last forever.
But deep down, he knew better.
This wasn't a normal dream. This wasn't a figment of his imagination. This was a life, real and lived, and like the last one, it was on a countdown to destruction.
How much time did he have left?
A decade? A day?
Or was the end already creeping closer, waiting for the moment he let his guard down?
Lily stirred against him, mumbling something incoherent.
Daniel pressed a kiss to the top of her head. I won't let you go.
But time didn't care about what he wanted.
*****
The next morning, Sophia found them still curled up at the table.
"Babe," she said, amused. "Did you seriously stay up all night?"
Daniel blinked groggily, throat dry. He could feel the exhaustion pressing in now, dragging at his limbs.
"Lily had a bad dream," he murmured. "Didn't want her to sleep alone."
Sophia gave him a knowing look, then bent down and kissed his forehead. "You big softie."
Daniel forced a smile.
If only she knew.
Lily yawned and stretched, blinking up at them. "Pancakes?" she asked sleepily.
Sophia laughed. "Yes, pancakes. Come on, you two. I'll make extra."
Daniel let himself be pulled into the warmth of the morning routine. He sat at the table while Sophia bustled around the kitchen, flipping pancakes, humming a tune he recognized but couldn't name. Lily played with a stuffed rabbit, chatting about nonsense between bites of food.
For a while, he let himself pretend it was real.
But the thought never left him.
How long do I have before this world ends?
*****
The first sign came that afternoon.
It was small. Barely noticeable.
Daniel was outside, pushing Lily on a swing in their backyard. She was giggling, her tiny legs kicking up as she soared through the air.
Then—
For half a second, the world glitched.
Not a blur. Not a trick of the light. A glitch.
The leaves in the trees froze mid-rustle. The distant hum of a passing car cut out abruptly, leaving behind a hollow silence. Even the swing...Lily in midair, seemed suspended, trapped in a frame of time that shouldn't exist.
Then—snap.
Reality resumed, and everything moved like nothing had happened.
Daniel's stomach turned to ice.
It was happening.
*****
That night, after Lily had gone to bed, Daniel stood in the kitchen with Sophia.
"I love you," he said suddenly.
Sophia raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh? What brought this on?"
He shook his head. "Just… wanted to say it."
Her expression softened. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you too," she murmured. "Even when you get all sappy out of nowhere."
Daniel closed his eyes, holding her close.
This was real. He felt it.
And yet, it was already falling apart.
When he opened his eyes, something shifted in his vision—just for a moment.
For a split second, the kitchen flickered.
Not gone, not broken—just… different.
The wooden cabinets became a sleek metal surface. The refrigerator changed shape. The light overhead cast a sharper, colder glow.
It wasn't their home anymore.
It was something else.
Then, just as quickly, it snapped back.
Sophia was still in his arms, unaware. The kitchen was normal again.
Daniel swallowed hard.
The countdown had started.
The world was already cracking at the edges.
And he had no idea how to stop it.