A Step Beyond

Lin Wei's breaths came in short, ragged bursts as he crawled deeper into the vent, his fingers scraping against cold metal. Every inch forward sent another wave of pain through his body, but he didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Not when he had just unlocked something new.

[New Ability Unlocked: Phase Step]

The words pulsed in his vision, a silent promise of something more. He had barely grasped what Time Manipulation could do, and now the system was telling him he had taken another step forward? What did that even mean?

No time to think.

The metal vent shook violently as the enforcers banged against it from the outside. "You can't run forever, Lin Wei!" one of them barked. "There's nowhere left to go!"

He gritted his teeth. Watch me.

Ahead, the vent split into two paths. Left or right? He hesitated for a fraction of a second before choosing left, dragging himself forward on sheer willpower.

His head throbbed. His muscles screamed. The jumps were taking a toll. He could feel it in his bones—this power was dangerous. The more he used it, the more it felt like something inside him was breaking.

[Warning: Cognitive Strain Reaching Critical Levels]

The system's alerts were becoming more frequent. He could almost feel it—his neurons stretching, straining, trying to keep up with something they weren't meant to handle.

Lin Wei clenched his fists. No choice. No turning back.

The vent opened into a dimly lit maintenance tunnel. He slipped out, landing unsteadily on his feet. The world spun for a moment before stabilizing. His body hated this.

He pressed against the wall, listening. Footsteps. Multiple. The enforcers weren't far behind. Too fast. They were catching up.

Lin Wei pushed himself forward, each step heavier than the last. The corridor ahead was lined with thick pipes and flickering overhead lights. At the far end—an exit hatch.

He ran.

A gunshot rang out.

The bullet hit the wall just inches from his head. He felt the rush of air as it passed, his pulse hammering in his ears. They were shooting now.

No time.

Lin Wei threw himself forward. Not enough. He wouldn't make it before they fired again—

Then something inside him shifted.

The world blurred.

One moment he was running—

The next, he was past the hatch.

[Phase Step Activated]

Lin Wei stumbled, barely catching himself on the wall. His body ached—like something had just been ripped out of him. His vision swam. His limbs felt…wrong.

But he was alive.

He turned. The enforcers stood frozen in place, guns still aimed where he should have been. They had no idea what just happened.

A slow grin spread across his face.

That was new.

That was power.

The enforcers recovered quickly, charging toward him—but Lin Wei was already moving. He wasn't going to waste this. Not now.

The hatch led to a set of underground passageways, dimly lit and filled with the hum of machinery. No maps. No guidance. Just his instincts.

He pressed a hand to his temple. Think.

Phase Step.

He had no idea how he triggered it, but it felt different from his usual time jumps. It wasn't just skipping forward in time—it was skipping space.

A shortcut.

If he could control it—

A shiver ran down his spine. If he could control it, nothing could stop him.

Footsteps pounded behind him. They were still coming.

Lin Wei clenched his jaw and forced himself to move faster. His vision blurred at the edges, his head pounding with every step. He had to find an escape—

Then, up ahead, a dead end.

His heart sank. No. No, no, no.

He skidded to a stop, slamming a fist against the metal wall. The enforcers were closing in. Nowhere to run.

Unless—

He turned, inhaling sharply.

Unless he stepped.

Lin Wei focused. He could still feel the remnants of that shift—that strange moment where the world had twisted, where he had broken through the rules of space.

The enforcers shouted. He had seconds.

His breath came slow. Focus.

Time flexed.

He felt it building inside him, that strange pull at the edges of reality. His vision blurred—his mind reeled—

And then—

The world snapped.

Lin Wei gasped as he staggered forward—through the wall.

He landed hard on the other side, rolling onto cold concrete. His body trembled, his vision darkening for a moment. That one took more out of him than the first.

His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

He turned. The enforcers were still on the other side of the wall. Confused. Shouting. They hadn't seen how he did it.

He exhaled, a sharp, shaky breath.

[Phase Step Mastery Increased]

A slow smile crept across his lips.

They were chasing a ghost now.

And ghosts?

They couldn't be caught.