Lacosta

In a world where time is a weapon and the System governs all, Lin Wei is just another name on a list—until the day he awakens an ability that shouldn't exist. With enforcers hunting him and the city’s underbelly teeming with secrets, his only chance at survival is mastering his newfound power: Time Manipulation.  

But bending time comes at a cost. Each use brings him closer to unraveling not just the System’s grip on reality, but his own past—one erased, rewritten, and buried beneath layers of deception. As he pieces together the truth, Lin Wei is thrust into a war between those who seek to control time and those who dare to break free from it.  

With every second stolen, the lines between fate and free will blur. The deeper he dives, the more dangerous the choices become. Will he dismantle the System, reshape history, or lose himself in the fractures of time itself?  

Because not all timelines are meant to be saved—and some should never exist at all.

Fractured Eternity

Lin Wei woke to the taste of iron in his mouth. His body ached, every nerve humming with residual pain. The air around him was sterile, the scent of disinfectant cutting through his senses. Harsh white light filtered through his eyelids, pressing against his consciousness like an unwanted weight.

[System Alert: Neural Overload Stabilizing… 82% Complete.]

A System message.

The events of the alley came flooding back—the chase, the dead end, the enforcers, the sudden burst of power. Time slowing. His escape. The unbearable backlash.

He forced himself to sit up, but the movement sent a sharp protest through his ribs. He wasn't in a detention cell—at least, not one he recognized. Instead, he found himself in what looked like a medical facility. Clean, minimal, but with walls made of reinforced metal, no visible exits except for a single sealed door.

[Quest Alert: Escape Confinement – Time Limit: 00:15:00]

His pulse spiked. Fifteen minutes.

A faint hum of energy vibrated through the room, emanating from the walls themselves. Security measures. Whatever place this was, they weren't taking chances.

Lin Wei closed his eyes, searching for that same thread of power he'd felt before—the strange sensation that had bent time to his will. But now, there was only silence, a dead weight where his ability had sparked to life.

[Time Manipulation Lv.1: Overloaded – Recharge in 02:34]

He exhaled sharply. Two minutes and thirty-four seconds before he could use it again.

That was too long.

Lin Wei pushed himself off the metal cot, gritting his teeth against the discomfort. He had to find another way out.

His gaze darted across the room. No vents, no windows. Just the door. But there—near the base of the wall, barely noticeable—a faint seam in the metal. A maintenance panel?

[Scanning Environment… Hidden Access Point Detected.]

He dropped to his knees, fingers searching for the latch. The moment he pressed against the seam, the panel gave way with a soft click. Behind it—a cluster of exposed wiring.

A small smirk tugged at his lips. Bingo.

He didn't have tools, but he didn't need them. Stripping a wire with his fingernail, he crossed it against another, causing a brief spark. The room's hum flickered—not off, but weaker.

Good. He could work with this.

Then—footsteps.

Lin Wei's stomach dropped. Someone was coming.

[Time Manipulation Lv.1: Ready for Use.]

Time to test just how far he could push this power.

The Countdown