The man with the silver ring became an omen, lodged in Xiaoxia’s mind like a shard of ice. She combed through memories for any trace of him—nothing. Future Xiaoxia’s warning had fractured her sense of reality, leaving only dread in its wake.
Xu Yuan, ever attentive, wove sunlight through her shadows. He spoke of golden retrievers, a seaside cottage, two children with his eyes and her stubbornness—each word a lifeline thrown across time. But every hope he painted was met with that other future: the tombstone, the hollow-eyed woman she’d become.
Which was real?
Then—the silver-ringed man’s game began.
He appeared like a glitch in their lives: lingering at their favorite café, strolling the park paths just behind them. His gaze, when it caught hers, held a spectator’s cruel amusement. He knew the script.
"You’re saying your future self time-traveled to break you up?" Xiaoya, Xiaoxia’s oldest friend, nearly spilled her boba tea. "Xiaoxia, have you been binge-watching sci-fi again?"
Xiaoxia gripped her phone, the unsent photos of the silver-ringed man burning in her gallery. "His birthmark vanished, Xiaoya. And that man—he’s everywhere."
Xiaoya studied her—the tremble in her hands, the sleepless bruises under her eyes—and sighed. "Fine. Let’s stalk your mysterious stalker."
Their investigation unfolded like a bad thriller:
The café barista swore the man had never ordered there before last week.
Security cameras at the park mysteriously glitched whenever he passed.
A reverse image search returned zero matches—as if he didn’t exist.
Then, the text:
[Unknown Number]: He’s moving. Watch your circle.
Xiaoxia’s blood froze. He—the silver-ringed man? Or… someone closer?
Her gaze darted to Xiaoya, then to Xu Yuan’s unread messages lighting up her screen.
Who could she trust?
Key Tensions:
The Stalker’s Uncanny Presence: His deliberate appearances mimic a predator circling prey.
Dual Futures Collide: Xu Yuan’s warm dreams vs. the tombstone’s chill.
Paranoia’s Spread: The warning "watch your circle" plants seeds of doubt even in friendships.
Unanswered Questions:
Is the silver-ringed man causing the future—or trying to prevent it?
Why does Future Xiaoxia’s guidance keep shifting?
What exactly triggers Xu Yuan’s death?
The story tightens like a noose, with every "answer" spawning deeper mysteries. The real horror isn’t the future—it’s not knowing who’s pulling the strings.
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