Lia Santos wasn't supposed to time travel.
She was supposed to:
Go home
Cry a little (okay a lot)
Stalk her crush (respectfully)
Instead… she broke time.
It started when she rage-walked into that same weird thrift shop.
"Why is this place giving main character trauma energy…" Lia muttered.
The sign still read:
"Second Chances & Poor Decisions."
"Accurate," she whispered and stepped inside.
The old lady popped up again like a jump scare.
"You again," the woman smiled.
"I feel like you're the reason my life is falling apart," Lia said.
"Correct."
"…WHAT?"
Before Lia could process that, the old woman shoved a different object into her hands this time—
A vintage locket.
It looked old-old. Like museum old. Like touch this and you get cursed old.
"Don't open it unless you're ready," the woman said.
🚩🚩🚩
"So… I should open it?" Lia said.
"Yes."
"…You're evil."
Naturally…
She opened it.
BOOM.
Wind exploded around her. Papers flew. The floor literally cracked.
"OH MY—IS THIS AN ANIME TRANSFORMATION OR AM I DYING—?!"
The light swallowed everything.
When Lia woke up…
She was lying on dirt.
Actual dirt.
"Why does the ground feel like… outside outside??"
She sat up.
No cars.
No buildings.
No signal.
No WiFi.
"…oh this is illegal."
Then she saw it.
A wooden sign.
"Year: 1926"
"…HAHAHA. FUNNY."
Silence.
"…wait."
Silence.
"…WAIT."
Before she could panic—
BANG!
A gunshot echoed.
"WHAT THE—?!"
Lia ducked immediately.
A group of men ran past her, shouting in Spanish.
"¡Corre! ¡Rápido!"
"WHY ARE THEY RUNNING LIKE IT'S AN ACTION MOVIE—?!"
Another gunshot.
Closer.
"NOPE NOPE NOPE I DON'T BELONG HERE—"
Suddenly—
A hand grabbed her wrist.
She screamed.
"Relax. Unless you want to get shot."
The voice was calm. Low. Dangerous.
Lia turned.
And her brain short-circuited.
"…Ethan?"
But not her Ethan.
This version?
Different.
No soft smile.
No shy laugh.
This one looked like he could either save her…
Or ruin her life.
Messy hair. Slight scar on his eyebrow. Sleeves rolled up. Holding a gun like it was normal.
"Who's Ethan?" he said.
"…you are."
"…I think you hit your head."
He pulled her into an alley just as more gunshots rang out.
Lia clung to him.
"Why are people SHOOTING like it's a daily routine??"
"It is," he said casually.
"EXCUSE ME?!"
A man turned the corner and pointed a gun at them.
"Found you."
"Oh this is bad," Lia whispered.
Ethan sighed.
"Stay behind me."
Before she could even breathe—
BANG!
Ethan moved fast—like scary fast.
He knocked the gun away, grabbed the guy, and slammed him into the wall.
Lia blinked.
"…okay what in the main character upgrade—"
Silence fell.
Ethan turned to her.
Now closer.
Way closer.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Lia swallowed.
"…your future girlfriend."
Silence.
He stared at her.
Then—
"…You're insane."
"NO WAIT I CAN EXPLAIN—"
"You talk too much."
"YOU LITERALLY JUST MET ME—"
He grabbed her wrist again.
"Come with me if you don't want to die."
"Wow. Kidnapper vibes."
"You prefer getting shot?"
"…okay valid."
As they ran through the streets of 1926, Lia's brain was still buffering.
No internet.
No modern life.
And somehow—
Her crush existed here.
But not as the soft boy she knew.
This one?
Was dangerous.
"Wait," Lia said while running. "If you're here…"
She stopped.
"…then who's the Ethan in my time?"
He paused.
Looked at her.
For a second—
Something shifted in his expression.
Something serious.
Something… almost sad.
"You really don't know?" he said quietly.
BOOM.
Another explosion in the distance.
Lia flinched.
"WHY IS THERE SO MUCH ACTION HERE—?!"
"Because," he said, pulling her closer,
"you didn't just time travel…"
He looked straight at her.
"…you walked into a war."
Lia blinked.
"…okay but like—"
She pointed at him.
"WHY ARE YOU STILL HOT?? THAT'S NOT FAIR."
He stared at her.
"…what is wrong with you?"
"GEN Z," she said.
"…I don't know what that means."
"You will."
✨ End of Chapter 1