Chapter 1: The Awakening
Thump, thump, thump...
My heart pounded like a war drum, hammering against my ribs with relentless force. My palms were slick with sweat, my fingers clenched into fists so tight that my nails dug into my skin. Yet, even with the pain, I couldn't stop trembling.
⟦ … ⟧
I held my breath.
The cold steel of a gun barrel pressed against the side of my head, its weight both suffocating and terrifying.
"Let them go!" Astra's voice sliced through the tension, firm and commanding. "You coward!"
The figure behind me didn't respond.
Seconds stretched into eternity, each heartbeat like the tick of a clock counting down to something inevitable. Then, finally—
"Typical," the voice murmured. Smooth, indifferent. Amused even.
Astra's expression darkened, his eyes now burning with something fierce. "You have no right to be here," he spat. "Let them go. Now."
The grip on the gun shifted slightly followed by a quiet chuckle.
"You're so predictable, Astra."
My breath hitched.
Something was wrong.
I wanted to turn, to see the face of the person holding me at gunpoint. But I couldn't move—not with the barrel pressed so close, not with the fear paralyzing my limbs...
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw it—a broken shop window, its surface cracked but somehow still reflecting the street.
My stomach twisted as I slowly shifted my gaze, my pulse hammering in my ears.
The reflection sharpened and face came into view.
In that moment—my once-pounding heart stopped cold.
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Nine Years Ago… The Awakening of Aeons
May 23rd. The day the world changed.
The earthquake hit without warning, tearing through the city with merciless force. Buildings crumbled, fires raged and screams filled the air. It was destruction beyond anything we had ever known.
Then, amidst the wreckage, a single figure emerged.
A boy, no older than sixteen, stepped out from the flames—untouched, unaffected. His face was blank, his eyes hollow. He walked forward, oblivious to the devastation around him.
And then—
A pulse of energy.
A shockwave erupted from his body, washing over the city in an instant. The fires that had once devoured entire streets vanished, extinguished as if they had never existed.
That boy became the first Hero: Astra.
But unfortunately, for every light, there is a shadow.
In the years that followed, more like him emerged. Some chose to follow in Astra's footsteps, using their powers to protect. Others… chose a different path. And among them, one name stood above the rest. A name so feared that people barely dared to speak it. A name synonymous with terror itself.
Reaper.
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Back to the Present
⟦ No… No, this can't be real. ⟧
The reflection didn't lie. The man holding me at gunpoint…the one Astra was facing with such hatred in his eyes…
It was him.
My body locked up. A cold, suffocating weight settled in my chest.
Reaper, the most dangerous villain to ever walk the earth, and I was his hostage.
Astra took a slow step forward. "This ends tonight," he said, his voice low but firm.
Reaper simply smiled.
"Does it?"
The ground rumbled.
At first, I thought it was just my own body shaking from fear. But then I saw it—cracks splintering through the pavement, deep and jagged. The tremors grew, turning into violent quakes. Buildings groaned, the streetlights swayed.
No.
This wasn't normal. This was something else.
Reaper turned his head slightly, his smirk faltering just a little.
"Ah..."
For the first time, there was something almost… resigned in his voice.
Then, without hesitation, he shoved me forward.
I hit the ground hard, my palms scraping against the rough pavement as I did so. I was left confused. So many questions whirled around my head: Why did he push me? Where is this earthquake coming from? Where did he even go?
But I had no time to think of an answer.
A deafening crack split the air.
I barely had a second to register the sound before the wall behind me began to collapse.
⟦ Move. Move! ⟧
I tried to get up, but I was too slow.
A crushing weight slammed into me, pinning me beneath rubble and stone.
Pain exploded through my body. My vision blurred. My breath came in short, shallow gasps, the dust and debris filled my lungs. My head throbbed, my ears rang so loudly that I couldn't even hear the chaos anymore.
⟦ Please… someone… anyone… ⟧
Then—
A sound.
A quiet and sharp chime.
⟪ Conditions met! Now activating Special Abilities... ⟫
⟦ What…? ⟧
A glowing interface appeared before me, flickering like a hologram.
| {SSS} Time Travel || {S} Time Freeze || {B} Futuristic Insights || {D} Stopwatch |⌊ {?} ????? ⌋
⟦ Is this… an AETHERIS? ⟧
The realization sent a fresh wave of shock through me.
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AETHERIS.
The unseen guides of the Aeons and the key to wielding abilities beyond human understanding.
They could only be seen by the one who possessed them—except in rare cases, where an Aeon was powerful enough to perceive others.
But why—?
⟦ No. I don't have time to think. I'm trapped. I'm dying. ⟧
I clenched my jaw.
⟦ It's not like I have any other choice, now do I? ⟧
Summoning the last of my strength, I forced out a quiet, yet resolute response.
"Time Travel."
A rush of energy surged through me.
The air around me shifted, bending and twisting—
A blinding light engulfed my vision and the weight of the rubble disappeared.
For a split second, I felt weightless—floating, falling, moving. Then—
Silence.
And when I opened my eyes—I gasped.
I wasn't in the alley anymore. I was in a classroom. Although empty, it carried a strong sense of familiarity.
I turned, my breath catching in my throat. The neatly arranged tables. The old chalkboard, scribbled with notes. The soft embrace from the sun's rays warmly kissing the room.
⟦ That tree outside the window… the desks… ⟧
There was no doubt about it.
This was my secondary school.
⟦ No way… ⟧
A cold realization settled over me like a heavy weight.
⟦ Does this mean I've become an Aeon? ⟧
I hesitated for only a moment before calling out.
"AETHERIS."