The cafe clock reads 2:14. Vesna has lived this same hour four times. Across the room, a man stirs cold coffee and smiles at her. His name is Calder, and he comes from a future that erases hers. He was sent back to cut one second out of history. She was sent to do the same to him. They both know it. Neither one moves. Whoever acts first, in the right second, wins. The loser's whole world just stops.

Vesna decides to talk first. She picks up her cup, crosses the room, and sits down across from Calder like an old friend. "Four loops now," she says quietly. "You keep dying at 2:15. So do I. Maybe we're both wrong about which second matters." Calder's smile stays put, but his hand moves under the table.

"Then let's not," Vesna says. "Both futures die if either of us cuts. So we both put our devices on the table. Slowly." Calder studies her for a long moment. Then, to her shock, he sets his device on the napkin between them. She does the same. Two armed futures, both choosing to stand down. The clock ticks to 2:16, and the loop quietly lets them go.