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 barely had time to react before the world fractured.

A ripple pulsed through the air, distorting the very fabric of reality. Time stuttered. He felt weightless—like a single thread pulled loose from the weave of existence.

Then it snapped back. Hard.

[Time Manipulation Lv.1 – Forcefully Activated]

His vision blurred. The hallway ahead twisted, walls bending inward as if reality itself was struggling to hold its shape. The enforcers—previously charging at him—moved in warped, fragmented motions. One step took an eternity, the next happened all at once.

Lin Wei staggered forward. His breath came in ragged gasps, every muscle in his body aching from the chase. The alarms screeched in his ears, but they were nothing compared to the ringing in his skull—a deep, pulsating ache that made his thoughts feel like they were being stretched and crushed at the same time.

[Warning: Neural Strain Approaching Critical Limits]

Lin Wei clenched his teeth. He couldn't stop now.

A single thought cut through the chaos: Run.

His body obeyed, lunging forward just as time lurched.

One second he was in front of the guards. The next—behind them. Their heads jerked in confusion, eyes scanning where he should have been.

His stomach twisted, a wave of nausea threatening to overtake him. Too much. Too fast. Every time he used his power, it felt like his body wasn't meant for it. Like forcing a machine to run beyond its limits, overheating with every second.

[Time Manipulation Lv.1 – Cooldown Required]

"Not now," he muttered, pressing a hand to his temple.

The facility was a maze of identical hallways, all sleek metal and glowing white panels. No landmarks. No cover. The only thing guiding him was his own desperation.

He sprinted down the hall, forcing his legs to move despite the burning in his muscles. Find an exit. Find an opening. Find—

His foot caught the edge of a metal grate. He tripped.

The floor slammed against him. The impact sent pain lancing through his ribs, knocking the air from his lungs.

Lin Wei rolled just as the enforcer's baton slammed down, sparks flying where it hit the ground.

His fingers found the grate—the same one that had tripped him. An opening.

He ripped at the metal, ignoring the pain in his hands. Move. Move. The enforcer's grip tightened around his collar, yanking him back—

Then, another ripple.

Lin Wei didn't think—he reacted.

A surge of energy shot through him. No control. No precision. Just raw instinct.

The next moment, he was inside the vent.

[Temporal Shift: Uncontrolled Jump – Distance: 2.4 meters]

Lin Wei barely had time to breathe before the world snapped back into place. His heart pounded. What the hell was that?

The enforcers banged against the metal vent. "We know where you are! You can't hide!"

Lin Wei ignored them. He dragged himself forward, deeper into the darkness. His body trembled from the aftershock of whatever he had just done.

Then, the System's final message flashed before his eyes:

[New Ability Unlocked: Phase Step]

Maybe he wasn't just running anymore. Maybe, just maybe—

He was becoming something unstoppable.

Fractured Seconds