Havi ran as though the very air propelled him forward, his heart pounding in his chest.
The world around him blurred, faces, streetlights, the rush of passing vehicles, but he did not stop.
Behind him, Yono and Diana followed, their breaths laboured, their footsteps drumming against the pavement in frantic rhythm.
At last, the city's main road unfurled before him, a stretch of asphalt bathed in the amber glow of the setting sun.
Havi came to a halt on the pavement, his breath ragged, his gaze darting left and right.
His eyes combed through the shifting tide of people, the blur of headlights, the restless hum of the city.
His parents had to be here.
Moments later, Yono and Diana stumbled to his side, struggling to catch their breath.
"Tell me, Havi," Yono gasped. "What in God's name is all this about?"
"Yes!" Diana's voice, though breathless, carried an edge of urgency. "You're dragging us across half the city, and we still have no idea why!"
Havi turned to face them, his expression set in stone.
"Trust me," he said, his voice low, but firm.
"I'm here to save my parents and alter their fate."
Silence stretched between them. The city's murmur filled the space where words failed.
"In my past life," Havi continued, his voice laced with something unreadable.
"My parents died here. A hit-and-run. I don't remember the exact spot, but I know it was somewhere on this very road."
He glanced at the asphalt beneath his feet as though searching for ghosts.
"The city has changed. Thirty years from now, this street will be different, unrecognisable… but the tragedy remains the same."
Yono's brows knitted together in confusion. He glanced at Diana, searching for some semblance of reason in all of this, but she, too, remained silent, contemplative.
To Yono, this was madness.
To Diana… this was something else entirely.
Havi had spoken of Ade Cynthia, her childhood friend. A name he had no possible way of knowing.
And then there was her business plan, her small venture, an idea she had never breathed a word of to anyone. Not even to her closest friends.
And yet, Havi had known.
"You mean to say…" Yono hesitated, his disbelief tangible. "You've been reincarnated?"
"Yes," Havi answered, unwavering.
Yono stared at him for a moment. And then, a sharp bark of laughter broke from his lips.
"You're joking," he scoffed. "You've actually lost it!"
Havi merely shrugged, "I've told you the truth. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."
Yono's laughter deepened, shaking his head in amusement, "Right then, Mr Schumacher the Reincarnated! Do tell us! What's next? Will you be predicting the lottery numbers too?"
"Yono, enough," Diana cut in, her voice softer, but firm. "This isn't something to mock."
"Alright, alright, I'll stop," Yono conceded, though amusement still tugged at his lips.
And yet, as the city moved around them, pedestrians passing, horns blaring, the scent of street food wafting through the air, something shifted in Diana's gaze.
She didn't know if she believed Havi. But she couldn't bring herself to disbelieve him either.
For a brief, heart-stopping moment, time seemed to stretch, each second drawn out into something vast and unbearable.
From the far end of the street, a black sedan came hurtling forward, its headlights glaring like the eyes of some ravenous beast.
It swerved violently, cutting through the traffic in reckless zigzags, the screech of tyres tearing through the evening air.
And then, Havi saw them.
Not ten paces from the crossing, a man and a woman stood poised to step onto the road, unaware of the disaster hurtling towards them.
Father and Mother. His breath caught. His mind emptied. Only instinct remained.
"Havi!! That's your parents!!!" Yono's voice cracked with alarm, panic lacing every syllable.
Diana clutched at her chest, her eyes wide with horror.
"It's them!" she gasped.
Havi's breath stilled. Then he ran. Faster than he ever had. Faster than his body should have allowed.
His feet barely touched the ground, the wind howling past his ears.
His heart pounded in frantic rhythm, each beat like a hammer against his ribs.
"Father! Mother! Step back!!" His voice was raw, desperate.
They turned, confusion flickering across their faces, their names barely forming on their lips.
And then...
"HAVI!!!" Yono and Diana screamed as one.
The world lurched. The deafening roar of the engine.
The glare of headlights swallowing everything in their path.
Havi, a mere heartbeat away. And fate, waiting to be rewritten.
Havi's thoughts were a blur. His body moved on its own, driven by an urgency that drowned all reason, the primal instinct to protect taking over every fibre of his being.
The street was a rush of chaotic noise and frantic movement, but in that moment, there was nothing but the black sedan racing towards them, its engine a violent growl.
It was too fast. Too close.
Mr. Ridho and Mrs. Saras stood frozen in the middle of the road, oblivious to the danger rushing their way.
Time seemed to stretch, every heartbeat like an eternity. But there was no room for hesitation.
Without a second thought, Havi lunged forward.
His feet barely touched the ground as he surged through the air, propelled by a force that felt beyond his own control.
Every muscle screamed in protest, but he did not stop.
His outstretched arms reached for them, the sheer momentum of his movement carrying him like a force of nature.
He caught his father first, his grip tight on his arm as he yanked him out of harm's way, twisting with such force that Father's feet left the ground.
With a single movement, Havi threw him to the pavement, the impact softened only by the momentum he had imparted.
Havi's mother startled gaze met his as he turned to her, reaching out with desperate hands.
"Mother, come on!" he cried, voice hoarse with fear.
His hands seized her waist, and with a burst of strength, he twisted her away from the path of the car, his fingers locking around her as he flung her aside.
The world was a blur of colour and sound as he sent them both rolling to safety, his body an unwilling vessel to the force he had unleashed.
But he had not escaped.
The black sedan was upon them in an instant, the roar of its engine deafening. Havi could hear the screech of the tyres, the sound of the brakes failing to stop in time.
The headlights glared as though they were the eyes of death itself, and in that single moment, time seemed to slow, stretching out the inevitable collision.
No.
Havi's heart pounded in his chest as he hurled himself through the air, his legs twisting as he sought to escape.
But the car's bonnet struck him with a sickening thud, sending his body spinning off its surface.
He hit the tarmac with brutal force, the world spinning as pain erupted through his shoulder. His back slammed into the ground with a harsh crack.
For a heartbeat, all was still. And then, the realisation hit him.
"Father. Mother. They were safe."
With a ragged breath, Havi's eyes snapped open. He could see them, his parents, dazed but alive, lying a few feet away. They were safe.
His head swam with dizziness, and his body throbbed in agony, but as the crowd gathered around them, the distant hum of the city fading away, a strange stillness settled in Havi's heart.
In the end, he had done it. He had altered their fate.