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's breath was ragged, his body locked in place as the suppression field constricted around him like invisible chains. Every attempt to move felt like pushing against a wall of solid steel.

Above him, the drone hovered with a low hum, its pulsing core preparing another energy wave. The enforcers stood motionless, their mechanical gazes analyzing him with cold precision.

"Don't just stand there!" Ren's voice cut through the storm. He fired a round at the drone—ping! The bullet ricocheted harmlessly off its reinforced shell.

The enforcers moved in unison, one stepping toward Ren while the other reached for Lin Wei.

He had to break free. Now.

A warning flashed across his vision.

[System Disruption Detected – Suppression Lock Engaged]

Lin Wei clenched his teeth. The System had always been unpredictable, but this? This was different. It wasn't just blocking his abilities. It was severing his connection entirely.

His heartbeat pounded as he struggled to push against the suppression.

The enforcer's cold grip closed around his arm. If they took him now, it was over.

Ren let out a frustrated growl. "Don't make me save your ass twice in one night, Wei!"

He spun, bringing up his second gun. Aiming for the joints.

The shot hit true, striking the enforcer's knee servos. The metal buckled slightly, just enough for Lin Wei to yank his arm free.

His legs felt like lead, his mind sluggish. He had seconds before the drone fired again.

A pulse of static tore through his skull. His vision twisted, reality itself distorting for a split second.

[Suppression Lock Override – System Reconnection in Progress]

Lin Wei gasped. Something clicked inside him. A door that had been bolted shut was now—wide open.

The enforcer reached for him again, but this time, he moved first.

His fist slammed into its chest. Not just with force—with distortion.

Time warped around his strike, and the impact rippled outward. The enforcer was thrown back, circuits sparking as its core destabilized.

The drone reacted instantly, shifting its targeting system. It fired.

Lin Wei turned, instincts screaming. Dodge!

Instead of dodging, something deep in his mind told him to do the impossible.

He raised his hand—and caught the pulse.

The energy surged through his veins, white-hot and crackling. Every nerve in his body screamed in protest, but he didn't let go.

Instead, he redirected it.

The pulse snapped backward, slamming into the drone's core. The machine let out a shrill screech as its systems overloaded.

The explosion sent shrapnel flying in every direction.

Ren ducked behind cover, his eyes wide. "You've gotta teach me how to do that."

Lin Wei didn't respond. His body felt like it had been ripped apart and stitched back together in real time.

The remaining enforcer analyzed the scene. It didn't react with anger or frustration. It simply processed.

Then—it stepped back.

Lin Wei's chest tightened. It wasn't retreating.

It was calling for backup.

Far above, the sky rumbled. A new sound joined the storm—more drones. More enforcers.

The Unshackling